Military Couple Looking for Apartment/Condo, working at Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir (Arlington: apartments)

[Armynurse15]

We are a dual military couple and will be moving to the area in about 6 months. We are both military officers, I will be stationed at Walter Reed in Bethesda, while she will be working at the community hospital at Fort Belvoir, VA.

From what we have been told so far, traffic/commuting in the area is pretty bad. We would ideally want to be located somewhere between our two work locations so that we each have a decent commute. Our housing allowance is fairly high compared to other duty stations (we each receive about $2,400 a month for housing). Ideally we would want to be able to spend less than $3k a month on rent.

We are both in our mid twenties so we are looking for an area that is fun to live in with things to do, but also not looking to live in any of the big bar/party areas. We want something safe, fun, and between our two work locations.

Right now we have been told to look at Alexandria and Arlington. One issue is that I may not be able to obtain a parking pass to park at Walter Reed, so I may be forced to use the metro, or park in Bethesda and use the metro to get to Walter Reed. I know the orange line runs to Arlington, but have been told that my commute will be over an hour if I go this route.

Any and all recommendations would be appreciated!

[boyd888]

Walter Reed sucks to get to from northern VA. It's on the red line so you have to change trains in DC. Yes metro will be about an hour, but driving isn't going to be any better (potentially worse).


It's also far enough from Fort Belvoir that there is no place you can live between where someone's commute won't be bad. Along the orange corridor or yellow line (like pentagon city) would be doable budget wise no problem.

[Hal Roach]

You might be good candidates for DC, like Tenleytown. Reverse commute to FB, where there is parking.

An interesting transportation problem. A girl on the plane told me her brother was a resident at Walter Reed..and was paying 4200 per month for a one bedroom...and that was ten years ago+. DC is likely less than that part of Maryland. Take advantage of not having to worry about schools....your situation would be much tougher. Glover Park is nice, too. Do a search on a two mile radius of the National Cathedral. People used to call Rock Creek the dividing line between good and crime in DC...Those red line stops going to Bethesda are on the good side. I don't think Arlington would solve your problem, and it too, is just as expensive as better parts of DC. You would also want to look at local income tax issues..hopefully you are residents of Florida or Texas..but I don't know all the ins and outs.

[ToyVW55]

I have to agree with Hal Roach. I think DC is your best bet for a midway commute with you having access to a Metro. Your SO is going to have the tougher commute out of the city (it's always tough) but should be okay after that. Unfortunately, coming back into town each day can be a bit of a bear but it's not catastrophic.


Look for areas within DC that you can walk to a Metro station with all the lines available or live directly on the Red Line. Transfers are time consuming. Additionally, look for areas in DC that offer quick access to the outbound roads. My son currently lives in Northeast DC and just getting OUT of the city (he works in Virginia) is problematic for him because he's not close to I395 or any other outbound roads. Glover Park is very nice and a bit less hectic, but may not get you easy, walkable access to a Metro stop.



Another area to consider would be the Crystal City/Pentagon City area of Virginia as it would provide you SO with a significant advantage for her commute and provide you with good access to Metro but would involve a transfer.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by ToyVW55

I have to agree with Hal Roach. I think DC is your best bet for a midway commute with you having access to a Metro. Your SO is going to have the tougher commute out of the city (it's always tough) but should be okay after that. Unfortunately, coming back into town each day can be a bit of a bear but it's not catastrophic.


Look for areas within DC that you can walk to a Metro station with all the lines available or live directly on the Red Line. Transfers are time consuming. Additionally, look for areas in DC that offer quick access to the outbound roads. My son currently lives in Northeast DC and just getting OUT of the city (he works in Virginia) is problematic for him because he's not close to I395 or any other outbound roads. Glover Park is very nice and a bit less hectic, but may not get you easy, walkable access to a Metro stop.



Another area to consider would be the Crystal City/Pentagon City area of Virginia as it would provide you SO with a significant advantage for her commute and provide you with good access to Metro but would involve a transfer.

Yes. You need easy Metro Red line access and easy access to major arteries South. I would target apartments within walking distance to Metro Center or Farragut North.

Tenleytown and Glover Park are great areas, but it will take your SO too long just to get out of the city.

[robbobobbo]

Pentagon City or Crystal City in Arlington. You'd take Metrorail to Gallery Place, switch to red line and continue on to Walter Reed. This would be around an hour or more. Your spouse could quickly get on 395 south to get to Belvoir.


Living in Alexandria would allow your spouse to take the GW Parkway to Belvoir but add more time to your trip if you left from King Street or Braddock Road stations. Plus, blue line Metro stations will be out of operation from late May to early September for repairs, but that's before your estimated move here.


I once lived in NW DC (Woodley Park) and driving from there into Virginia could be a real pain, and that was in the 1990s. If anything, it's worse now. I would recommend staying in Virginia and taking Metrorail to Walter Reed. Due to where both your jobs are, a short commute just isn't in the works for at least one of you.

[Hal Roach]

Look at MapQuest from AU to FB...you get three decent routes...40 minutes on a reverse commute. Key Bridge to Kalorama was less than 15 minutes at 9:45 am....