Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
JEB, what do you think of Pimmit Hills? There are homes there in the OP's price range, and it's not far from Tysons, but I don't know about the schools.
Pimmit Hills has its pros and cons.
The pros are (1) it's right next to Tysons; (2) there are properties below $540K; (3) the schools are quite good; and (4) it's relaxed in a way that can't be said for a lot of places in the DC region. No one could call it a "Stepford" town.
The cons are (1) the older houses are small and generally have no basement; (2) pretty much anything goes in Pimmit Hills in terms of fencing, additions and in-fill properties; (3) a lot of what goes on the market now under $500K is being sold for tear-downs; and (4) FCPS is now apparently considering changing the boundaries for some of the elementary schools in the area, in a way that some of the parents in that area are sure to dislike.
I would tend to think most people with $540K to spend would cast a somewhat wider net, but PH is certainly one option if the OP and her spouse wanted a very short commute to work.
If someone is looking for a relaxed and laid back neighborhood they may want to reconsider moving to NoVA. its a rat race everywhere you go around here
That pretty much describes all of Arlington and FC City. And maybe much of McLean?
Pimmit Hills probably has more chain-link fences and "what were they thinking" additions per block than the other places you mentioned. But sometimes people just want more living space and don't want their dogs (or maybe it's their kids) to get loose.
I thought of Pimmit and specifically did not mention it -- even though I think commute is a primary consideration -- because I wouldn't call it "family friendly." Maybe I'm a scared-y cat, but I would not feel safe walking around Pimmit Hills at night.
We've known people who lived there, actually near Olney Park. They referred to their neighborhood as "the Olney Park area" to avoid the stigma, but it was Pimmit. They moved and had some difficulty finding buyers for their house, which was IMO too nice for the surrounding area.
That said, I keep thinking that eventually Pimmit will all be torn down and "gentrified." The commute is ridiculously good from there. But I have thought that for 10 years and it still isn't somewhere I'd recommend. For now, I think you could spend the $540K more wisely in some other neighborhoods.
@NOVA_Lurker Are you sure about those times or are those 30 minute times on Fridays (less Federals) or during the summer? Here comes the traffic engineer side of me;
The toll road typically runs at 99% capacity of peak flow, on days when there is an additional thousand people, any kind of construction obstructions, or an accident which is atleast once a week somewhere along the toll road, it makes a huge difference. It also makes a huge difference in the winter because of the suns height in the sky during rush hour, and it matters if you leave at 6:55 or 7:10.
Theres a thousand different factors, but if you look at a peak rush hour there is no chance you can get from Herndon and get to Tysons in 30 minutes. Average person with a 9-5 will probably take like I said 45 minutes on average (with portions of the year taking about 25-35 minutes, but these are the exception not the rule).
From Ashburn to Herndon on the toll road isnt the issue, its Waxpool which is a disaster in the mornings and evenings, that alone to get to the toll road will take atleast 15 minutes from the subdivision portions of Ashburn (I assume you dont want to live at Redskins Park or Dulles Office Park).
Just giving a heads up, if you think from Ashburn to Tysons is gonna be 45 minutes, 95% of the time you'd be wrong unless you leave at 6
First, I agree that Ashburn is probably 45+ minutes from Tysons in nearly any conditions. After looking at several homes in that area, we finally just admitted to ourselves that the commute from there was not acceptable for us at this time.
I just asked my boyfriend how long it takes him from our current location to his office and he replied "30 to 45 minutes depending on construction/exact time I left" and noted that at times outside of rush hour it is only 20 minutes. Maybe I was slightly optimistic in saying less than 30, but I am very sure that it was rarely more than 40 from my old apartment. I guess I just don't really think the toll road is that bad most days - I still travel a portion of it (Fairfax Cty Pkwy to Hunter Mill) each day and rarely find it to be much below speed limit. My commute to that area was before they started making major changes on 7 due to construction, though, so I know that has certainly had an impact.
In any case, I do believe that most areas of Herndon would be well within the 45 minute commute time on an average day. Of course, as has been mentioned, the specific locations and distance/time to the major thoroughfares makes a big difference too.
Don't mean to get too far off-topic. Good luck to the original poster! Hope you find a place that suits your needs!
The South Lakes area of Reston would work very well for you and your family - however houses in your price range usually go under contract within a few days of listing. You will have to watch the market carefully and move quickly when a house is listed. To give you an idea - here are three properties that are under contract now and went under contract between 2 and 6 days on the market.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,782 posts, read 15,832,278 times
Reputation: 10894
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carlingtonian
JEB, what do you think of Pimmit Hills? There are homes there in the OP's price range, and it's not far from Tysons, but I don't know about the schools.
I always think of Pimmit Hills as the "rough in the diamond."
I always think of Pimmit Hills as the "rough in the diamond."
HA! Good one!
Or you could call it "the zirconia in the rough."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
