Where to rent in Northern VA? (Arlington, Alexandria: 2014, apartments, rentals)

[richakn]

Hi,

So the wife and I are looking at a move to Washington with work - my office will be in Tyson's Corner in VA. We can't buy a property until early 2014 as I'm locked into a mortgage over here in the UK. So we plan to move and rent for a year. We have no children yet (just a small dog), so a 2 bed appartment is fine, somewhere modern with onsite facilities (gym, dry cleaning, all that stuff) would be great. Any tips on where to look? We could live in DC I guess and commute out but I guess the traffic would be horrible?

Here's a couple of places I checked out - anyone know if these are any good or not?

Apartments in Fairfax - Vienna VA Apartments - Halstead Square at Dunn Loring
Apartments for rent at Lofts at Park Crest - VA

Also, I appreciate we will find the lifestyle a little different to living in London but what is it like living in the Tyson's Corner or Merrifield area? Some people have suggested Falls Church might be an option? It would be nice to live somewhere with some decent options for restaurants/coffee shops etc - I'd prefer an English style high street but not sure if I'd get that anywhere?

I'm 35 and wife is 30, we still like to eat out and have an occasional drink but are over nightclubbing until 3am, so a quiet lifestyle is fine but it would be nice to have some things to do (golf, cycling etc)

[FindingZen]

Northern Virginia - especially much of Fairfax County where you'll be living and working - is car-oriented high-density suburbia. Transit options, within Virginia at least, are helpful mostly for commuting purposes. The relatively walkable areas - which would include Falls Church as suggested as well as parts of Fairfax City, Arlington and Alexandria, for example - are popular and are available at a premium. Not so familiar with High Street although you might find Old Town Alexandria charming.

The common advice tends to be to live close to your work as possible to minimize your time spent in traffic. Tysons Corner is the largest job center in the region but as it is not (yet) connected to Metrorail, commuting can be a bear. Merrifield is the process of developing a "town center" community but it won't be as organic as something you find in, say Old Town Alex. or Georgetown in DC.

[Virginia Prime]

richakn,

You will find living in northern Virginia distinctly different from London. First, the population density of the area comes no where close to the population density of London. Neighborhoods, employment centers, and retail centers are generally spread out. Inner suburbs, such as Arlington and Alexandria, are more dense and compact; however, a car commute to Tysons would inevitably deal with significant traffic congestion.

You will not find a comparable High Street here. The closest matches would include King Street in Alexandria and Broad Street in Falls Church. There might be other smaller examples peppered about the region.

If I were you, I'd seriously consider Falls Church. As an independent city, it possesses a distinct character compared to neighboring Fairfax County. It also features a walkable downtown with numerous boutique shops and restuarants. And it is reasonably close to Tysons Corner.

[trekker954]

I agree, I say Falls Church. I rented there for a year and love the area. You will be close enough to the metro in Falls Church or Vienna. There are so so many Fairfax connector buses that will bring you to Falls Church. Also alot of condo complexes have commuter buses to Fall Church Metro. You'll be able to find easy parking in the lots of weekend if you wish to explore DC. Now renting a house may be a possibility. Think of the room to keep bicycles in your garage, maybe get into gardening (I know the Brits I know love their gardens). So there is much to consider. Best of luck.

[richakn]

How about Arlington as an option? If that practical if working in Tyson's Corner? Seems like it's much bigger and has more to do that Tyson's/Merrfield

We will definely check out Fals Church......... thanks

[PolandSprings]

I've lived (recently) just outside of London and NoVA is nothing like London - neither is DC. Just be prepared. The public transportation that does exist is nothing like public transportation in England.

[niteflite]

you don't need to live anywhere in particular to be able to golf or cycle unless you want to golf every day. around here many people drive to a place where they can walk/run/cycle/golf/etc.

if you want to live within walking distance to an area full of restaurants and coffee shops and bars, merrifield is not the place for you, and neither is tysons. merrifield is pretty small and somewhat isolated within itself, and is only now starting to build up those aspects of the community. both tysons and merrifield do have more modern apt complexes that will have the amenities you are looking for.

arlington probably is the best bet, and would give you a one way rush hour commute time of 25-45 min, depending on the part of arlington. falls church may be an option, too

[JfromReston]

Check out Reston - it is about 20 minutes from Tyson's during rush hour via the toll road.

Here are a few options for housing.
11800 SUNSET HILLS RD #302, RESTON, VA 20190 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com
12001 MARKET ST #434, RESTON, VA 20190 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com
12001 MARKET ST #277, RESTON, VA 20190 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com

Reston has 55 miles of trails for biking!
Welcome to Reston Association

Reston Bike Club
The New Reston Bike Club Website - Reston Bike Club

Dining guide to Reston Town Center
Reston Town Center - Dining

Though my favorite Reston restaurant is not in Town Center
Cafesano-Italian & Mediterranean Restaurant, Reston, VA-Pizza, Panini, Pasta & Kabobs

Reston Golf
Reston National Golf Course - Reston, Virginia - Managed by Billy Casper Golf