Advice Please! Mil Family heading to NOVA (Arlington, Hampton: rentals, condo) - Northern Virginia - Virginia - City-Data Forum

anothermove · 02-15-2012, 04:11 AM

All expert opinions appreciated! We're a family of four PCSing to NOVA... looking for your thoughts on where to live. Wife and I will both be assigned to the Pentagon. We have two girls (15 & 10) so schools are important (coming from AL, I've heard all schools in NOVA would be an upgrade?). We're coming from a large SFH but are very much interested in going the opposite route for housing this time. Picturing a nice, quaint TH/Condo in a convient location, a few shops/restaraunts within walking distance, etc. So, the priorities would be: Schools, Neighborhood, Commute. Looking to spend no more than 3500 per month. Am I crazy, or can we find a place? I appreciate the help.

ChristineVA · 02-15-2012, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anothermove

All expert opinions appreciated! We're a family of four PCSing to NOVA... looking for your thoughts on where to live. Wife and I will both be assigned to the Pentagon. We have two girls (15 & 10) so schools are important (coming from AL, I've heard all schools in NOVA would be an upgrade?). We're coming from a large SFH but are very much interested in going the opposite route for housing this time. Picturing a nice, quaint TH/Condo in a convient location, a few shops/restaraunts within walking distance, etc. So, the priorities would be: Schools, Neighborhood, Commute. Looking to spend no more than 3500 per month. Am I crazy, or can we find a place? I appreciate the help.

Oh, you can most certainly find a place.

Start your search in the Vienna, Oakton areas and then branch out to Fairfax, Burke, Springfield, etc. In these areas, you're going to get the schools and good neighborhoods. Walkability will be a factor. Arlington will give you good walkability and close proximity to the Pentagon but you probably will sacrifice schools a tad bit.

mrchanello · 02-15-2012, 07:46 AM

I'm not sure how many rentals are available but maybe falls church city ? great schools, walkable, close enough to metro for commute?

JfromReston · 02-15-2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anothermove

We're coming from a large SFH but are very much interested in going the opposite route for housing this time. Picturing a nice, quaint TH/Condo in a convient location, a few shops/restaraunts within walking distance, etc. So, the priorities would be: Schools, Neighborhood, Commute. Looking to spend no more than 3500 per month. Am I crazy, or can we find a place? I appreciate the help.

OldCrow15 · 02-15-2012, 10:35 AM

I'll go along with mrchanello in his recommending Falls Church City. I knew a military family who moved here from Hampton Roads and chose Falls Church City for the excellent schools, specifically George Mason High. They also like the amenities the area offered, fairly walkable, nice parks, lots of restaurants and other things to do. I never knew what their housing budget was but they lived in three different homes during their six year stay, all of which were very nice.

mrchanello · 02-15-2012, 10:52 AM

If you search homesdatabase there are some in fall church city within your price range. Really, your price range is enough for several excellent communities. good luck

anothermove · 02-15-2012, 06:20 PM

Thanks for the info!

Smoke_Jaguar4 · 02-15-2012, 06:34 PM

$3500 Should find you a decent place in Arlington. I used to live in Crystal City and walk to work in the Pentagon. We are a family of four and lived in a highrise. There's a large park (Viginia Highlands) where the kids would play, NO LAWN to maintain, and restaurants within one block. the zipcode for Aurora Hills/Crystal City/Pentagon City is 22202. Otherwise I'd look in N. Arlington.

With very few exceptions, there are no bad schools in NoVA.

MountainMen · 02-16-2012, 08:10 AM

A townhouse in Georgetown if you can afford it.

newvadad · 02-18-2012, 08:14 AM

We are a mil family and we recently PCSd to NoVa. We chose to purchase outside the beltway because the interest rates were so low and we will probably retire from the Pentagon in a few years.
We live in Gainesville (west of Manassas) and the commute is brutal but it's only for a few years.
Only a lucky few can get a Pentagon parking pass, the rest of us need to rely on a very unreliable public transportation system, so staying near a bus or train stop would be ideal. If you can drive to a transpo stop, (MARC, VRE, bus, metro) think about living further out. You will get more for your money because that BAH is used up real fast the closer in you live. The area near Belivor is good, but no metro only bus, near Quantico is nice too but all they really have is VRE. Living near the base makes the trip to a commissary and exchange more reasonable because prices in town are outrageous.

Alexandria is nice, Kingstowne area more specifically, but it's really dense. I recommend driving through some areas to get a feel.