Community neighborhoods in NOVA (Arlington, Alexandria: section 8, real estate market, foreclosure)

[mormegil27]

I'm looking for some community in NOVA. I've lived in the region for ~3 years, and so far the community has been **** poor. The reason? Most people I run into are of 2 types:

(1) I have a corporate job and work 70-80 hrs/wk (because I can't afford to do less), no time for people who want a life outside their job.

(2) I want a life outside my job, therefore I'm only living in the DC area temporarily. Yeah, lets grab a beer a few times, but I'm getting the **** out of here next year because the area has no community outside of "keeping up with the jones", so peace out.

My problem is that I have a pretty good job, one that is stable but doesn't overwork me. I'd like to move to a neighborhood in NOVA that is good for family (I have a young child), has good schools, where people actually care about community, making lasting relationships, looking out for each other (neighborhood watch, etc).

Oh yeah, and I don't have a salary like Newt GingRICH, so I can't live in a mansion in McLean - or even an average house in Fairfax (ie $700k is 3x what I can afford). I'm not asking for the American dream (because most of us can't actually afford that in NOVA), just a community neighborhood for the rest of us. I need to stay in NOVA because my wife's income is tied to the area.

May your days be merry and bright this holiday season. Thanks.

[mormegil27]

PS - I currently live in the Rt 1 corridor south of Alexandria, near Mt Vernon. The area is going to **** -- there have been a number of break-ins and home invasions in my Condo area recently, last month some drugged up guy decided to do jumping jacks on my neighbor's windshield and broke through it, bleeding all over his interior and subsequently the sidewalk, etc -- you get the idea.

So I'd like an area that is a bit safer - Rt 1 is out.

[kww]

lake ridge or montclair in PWC are two neighborhoods that offer, imo, a great family environment. cant speak for 'building lasting relationships' as a lot of households are gov't/military and are in and out of a home in a couple years.

these neighborhoods may work for you price wise. I'd have no problem bringing up a young child in either community.

[mormegil27]

Thanks - I'll check them out. Much appreciated!

[mormegil27]

Also - I'm not saying I wouldn't consider an apt in Arlington or a smaller place in Fairfax, I just can't live in Flushing Meadows. The neighborhood is more important to me than the sq footage.

[hilsmom]

what is your price range? And where are your workplaces? I do agree that the 2 communities already mentioned might be good for you. Would you be OK with a TH?

[bass402]

i agree with Lake Ridge. Just moved down here two weeks ago from Fort Belvoir and love it. People are always outside (walking dogs, jogging, doing yard work), and the area has some nice amenities. Depending on where you work, and the times, the commute might be too much though.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by hilsmom

what is your price range? And where are your workplaces? I do agree that the 2 communities already mentioned might be good for you. Would you be OK with a TH?

He said $700 is 3x what he can afford so sounds like $233K or below.

[jillybean720]

It all depends on who your neighbors are. I lived in a Lake Ridge townhouse for about 4.5 years. At first, my neighbors were the kind you seem to be seeking - always outside, always happy to chat, come sit down for a cup of coffee, etc. But the unit directly next to us on one side was a Section 8 rental, so had a bit of a revolving door of tenants, and most weren't great. The elementary school teacher who lived on the other side of us when we moved in moved out to find a bigger home for her, her daughter, and their many pets. She was replaced by a younger military family, who were super nice and very neighborly (we would help shovel/salt each other's sidewalks and always say hi on the rare occasions we saw one another outside), but not home very often.

Where I am now in Sterling, my neighbors are great - very friendly, and one even helped corral my dogs into my house when our front door was accidentally left open one morning. We have a Facebook group for residents of our HOA, so you get to communicate with people in the neighborhood who don't necessarily live right near you, which is nice. I also attend HOA meetings and events to meet folks as well.

It's hard to say neighborhood X is like this and neighborhood Y is like that because, especially with the current and recent state of the economy and real estate market, neighborhoods are pretty quickly changing. I like my current neighborhood a lot, but I wouldn't say anyone who lives here is my BFF I also know that our neighborhood was somewhat recently one that was on the "to be avoided" list for most, but then the foreclosure boom took care of many of the unsavory characters, and the neighborhood is back to becoming a more family-friendly area.

I'm also not outside frequently, so I primarily see people at the HOA meetings and chat with them on our FB group. Relationships are what YOU make of them. If you reach out to folks, they'll likely reciprocate (if they're worth knowing!). So, we focused on crime statistics and school ratings when we were house hunting. We also drove through the neighborhood on multiple days at various times to see how the neighborhood was generally maintained, what kinds of people (if any) were out walking around, etc. Look for homes you like and can afford, and then do some research and scope out the neighborhood. If you can, even talk to a few people near the home who may be out walking, doing yard work, etc., and see how they feel about the area.

[marie5v]

Originally Posted by mormegil27

I'm looking for some community in NOVA. I've lived in the region for ~3 years, and so far the community has been **** poor. The reason? Most people I run into are of 2 types:

(1) I have a corporate job and work 70-80 hrs/wk (because I can't afford to do less), no time for people who want a life outside their job.

(2) I want a life outside my job, therefore I'm only living in the DC area temporarily. Yeah, lets grab a beer a few times, but I'm getting the **** out of here next year because the area has no community outside of "keeping up with the jones", so peace out.

My problem is that I have a pretty good job, one that is stable but doesn't overwork me. I'd like to move to a neighborhood in NOVA that is good for family (I have a young child), has good schools, where people actually care about community, making lasting relationships, looking out for each other (neighborhood watch, etc).

Oh yeah, and I don't have a salary like Newt GingRICH, so I can't live in a mansion in McLean - or even an average house in Fairfax (ie $700k is 3x what I can afford). I'm not asking for the American dream (because most of us can't actually afford that in NOVA), just a community neighborhood for the rest of us. I need to stay in NOVA because my wife's income is tied to the area.

May your days be merry and bright this holiday season. Thanks.

We live in Fairfax and have a somewhat community neighborhood. Unfortunately it is quickly disappearing - it was close knit for many years because of the original residents, but they are all old now, and moving out or dying. Those coming in don't want to socialize much. The little ones are all in daycare all week while mom and dad work full time - and even on weekends mom and dad don't seem to have time to socialize. The only ones who want to get together ever are the politicians (yes, we have some actual politicians) - and the "networkers" - and they are only interested as long as it seems like you might be useful at some point. Then we have the members of other ethnic groups - who have no desire to socialize with anyone outside of their ethnic group. I won't say which groups, because I don't want to stereotype, but it's a reality. And then there are those who are relatively normal, but who have their kids in so many activities that we rarely ever see them at home at all. I wish everyone would stop these millions of activities and let kids play in the neighborhood instead, but I guess that's not going to happen here in NoVa. Everyone's kid has to be learning fencing or gymnastics or karate all the time. I wish you luck with your search, but I don't know if that kind of neighborhood really exists anymore.