Crystal City (Alexandria, Reston: apartments, condos, hotels)

[Leerinsmom]

Hello,

I am looking for a nice place to relocate. I am a newly married and in my early 30s. We are not really into the bar or club scene but would like to enjoy weekly night outs for dinner movies etc.. Is this a suitable place. I realize that it is close to DC and can always catch the train but if we decide not to, I don't want to be bored out of my mind. I am looking for a place that is not quite the hustle and bustle as DC but not the dead silence of a Kansas suburb. My husband and I area looking for a rental, preferable a townhome but will accept a condo or apartment for the time being. We do have a dog. Can anybody give any advice or suggestions?

[pcity]

Not too many townhomes around Crystal City, but there are quite a few nice apartments/condos and a couple of nice restaurant strips. It's a good place to live overall. Also check out Pentagon City which is very close to Crystal City, also has restaurants and has its own grocery store.

[WakeEmUp]

Pentagon City is a bit nicer. The mall is within walking distance, there is a Harris Teeter, Bed Bath and Beyond, plus many restaurants all within walking distance. Plus there is are metro stops within walking distance.

I am originally from a smaller community. I think the Crystal City/Pentagon City area has a lot going on in terms of shopping and amenities (and there is a movie theater nearby) but it can get a bit crowded. There are many hotels around, so during tourist season, as it is such a nice place to be and it's close to shopping, there are a lot of people and buses and cars.

Another drawback is that it is really expensive.

So, Pluses:
1) It's near great shopping
2) It's near a great bike trail
3) It's near metro stops
4) It's near Reagan National Airport
5) It's near DC without being in DC
6) It's near a movie theater
7) It has a good amount of diversity
8) There seem to be a lot of professionals that set up house here
9) Has a ton of stuff within walking distance

Minuses:
1) It's crowded. So even though you have all the good stuff in walking distance, you are experiencing the good stuff with hundreds of others.
2) It's super expensive
3) It's a tourist area
4) There are not many trees
5) People in the area are generally "on the go" which translates into rude a lot of the time

That's my 2 cents. Hope it helps. I would move here stay here if I were single or newly married or was a 'city dweller'. I probably wouldn't move or stay to raise a family.

[mlv311]

I agree with the PP that Pentagon City is "nicer" than Crystal City although both places offer what you are looking for. Other places you might want to consider, depending on your work location, are: Court House-Ballston corridor, Old Town Alexandria, Kingstowne, Shirlington and Del Ray.

[VRE332]

Other than being a huge nuclear target, Crystal city is quite nice. Nuclear War Fallout Shelter Survival Info for Virginia with FEMA Target Maps

[WakeEmUp]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Other than being a huge nuclear target, Crystal city is quite nice. Nuclear War Fallout Shelter Survival Info for Virginia with FEMA Target Maps

HAAHAHAHAHAHA. So true. I forgot to add that to the minuses section!

[Rest-on]

Originally Posted by Leerinsmom

Hello,

I am looking for a nice place to relocate. I am a newly married and in my early 30s. We are not really into the bar or club scene but would like to enjoy weekly night outs for dinner movies etc.. Is this a suitable place. I realize that it is close to DC and can always catch the train but if we decide not to, I don't want to be bored out of my mind. I am looking for a place that is not quite the hustle and bustle as DC but not the dead silence of a Kansas suburb. My husband and I area looking for a rental, preferable a townhome but will accept a condo or apartment for the time being. We do have a dog. Can anybody give any advice or suggestions?

Have you considered other parts of Northern Virginia? Anything very close to DC will be fairly pricey. There are a lot of nice areas in other parts of NoVa that are lively enough at night if you're not into the bar or club scene. One of my favorites is Reston. It's only a 20-25 minute drive to DC, and there's lots of nice apartments and even townhouses at or within walking distance of the Reston Town Center, where there's lots of restaurants and shops. It's a very dog-friendly area too.

Good luck with your search.

Chuck