Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I grew up in Vienna and have been back twice in the 10 years since moving to Oregon. Housing prices have skyrocketed in NoVa lately. It is a very nice area with tons to do being close to D.C. (12 miles), but traffic does suck. If you can, get a defense industry job doing something. Tons of thoses companies around. I don't know what rent prices are a like though.
Hey,Herndon is outside of VIENNA---FYI---live close to the metro station. YOU DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE A LOT. CRAZY TRAFFIC!! very expensive. be sure you can get a HIGH security clearance b/c you will need it for all the great jobs. I LOVED being near DC (and yet so far away), but since 9-11, the town outside DC have grown so much. And they are really not kidding about the traffic. (bumper to bumper 12 to 18 hours a day). sometimes 3 to 4 hours to go 5 miles. be careful, and make sure you have a GREAT job, b/c it is VERY EXPENSIVE (2 bedroom condo 400,000). GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESS!!
I will be moving to the northern Virginia area pretty soon, and have a job lined up in Chantilly. I was thinking about living closer to DC (somewhere in the Fairfax/Arlington/Vienna/Falls Church area) and driving west in the morning to try and do a reverse commute, will this help with some of the traffic woes? I am coming from Seattle, which isn't known for its smooth flowing bridges in any case, but I'd really like to not go from bad to worse if possible, especially considering I have no limits on which general area to live right now.
It doesn't matter, the I-66 corridor slams shut at evening rush hour, both inbound and outbound. I lived in Chantilly for 28 years and drove this corridor most every day, in and outbound. Probably the worst bottleneck, morning and evening, is eastbound (inbound) where four lanes narrow to two at east falls church / washington blvd. It won't be too bad westbound in the morning (outbound) but why bother, just live in Chantilly and work in Chantilly and have a blessedly short commute - you'll be the envy of the region. Besides, when leaving Chantilly and heading east towards DC, any house of similar features will escalate in price by at least $5,000 per mile traveled, thus a $500,000 house in Chantilly will be $700,000 (or more) in close-in areas like Clarendon or North Arlington, etc. Just isn't worth it. What could possibly be there that you'd pay a quarter million dollars more just to live nearby? The road system "close in" is absolutely dreadful. The single most important issue for anyone moving to Northern Virginia is traffic. If you're lucky enough to have a job way out in Chantilly, for heavens sake live out there too or you will be moaning and groaning everyday you commute.
s/Mike
I lived in Vienna for a few years, and now I live in Ashburn, VA near Leesburg. One thing I have to tell you about Vienna is the main road going thorugh (RT 123/ Chain Bridge Road) is a road built for a smaller town like Vienna, but it's a thoroughfare for everyone else. From 4:00 - 7pm it is a NIGHTMARE. Stuff that normally would take me 15 minutes and back....ugh*
All in all, Vienna really is a great place. They have a sense of community there. They hold Thanksgiving Day parades in town and the whole shebang. Also, when we lived on Lakevale Drive (The Lakevale Community ROCKS!) the fire engine would come riding around the neighborhood during Christmastime with Santa on top, the siren slowly revved. It was so cute. And the folks are nice (for DC standards!!)
DC folks, the whole mass people charge, it's like, they aren't glamorous, they aren't showy, they dress decent but it seems there can be alot of one-upmanship and blantant abundance of material wealth. Think "McMansion", Neiman Marcus, 1 minivan for one child, etc.
Vienna has a lot of green to it. And old "Church Street" parallel to 123 has alot of older homes that are just so homey. *sigh*
But keep in mind....townhomes in this area start at around 400k. An *average* 4BR home in Vienna is probably around 695-800k.
I was born and raised in New England and moved to the DC Metro area in 1977 in pursuit of a job.
Much as I hate to admit it... I hated it for 27 years... but obligations kept me tied down.
20 years ago I bought a Townhouse in Vienna for what was a reasonable amount at the time. In front of me was a farm house with a five acre lot and across from me where 4 little ranch houses with 5 or 6 acres each. We lived "in the country".
Over the course of those 20 years we ended up living in the middle of what amounted to one huge massive development that ran from Baltimore to Richmond. The crush of humanity killed whatever used to be good about the area.
Summers begin in March/April (Spring lasts 3 or 4 days if you are lucky) and it is oppressively hot and humid until end of October. Plan on spending a lot of time inside.
Traffic is a nightmare.. far worse than anything my new neighbor (Stephen King) could cook up in his imagination! My 7 mile commute could take over an hour for no apparent reason... add in rain or snow and I have spent up to three hours traveling 7 miles. I would have to leave work at 3 in the afternoon to ensure I could get home, pick-up my son and get him to the field for a little league game by 5:30!!!!
My advise to anyone who wants to have a life.. anyone to whom family is more important than money and possessions... keep away! You will spend 2 - 4 hours a day commuting.. guaranteed!!! You will not know more than 1 or 2 of your neighbors, you will feel as though you must keep an eye on your children at all times, everything your child does will have to be "organized", you will come to loathe NOVA... believe me.
I am now happier than I have ever been living in Bangor ME. I make less money, I have a beautiful home, my son is free to roam, my commute is 5 minutes (when I stop for gas), my neighbors are delightful.... This is how life is meant to be!
Steven: Maine sounds wonderful. We want to visit someday, eat Lobster rolls, enjoy the accent of the locals, etc.
Your experience in Vienna mirrors ours in Chantilly, VA, where we lived 28 years (1977-2005). We were in Brookfield, on Rte 50, and for a number of years we were the last community on the way west from DC. Routes 50 and I-66 were 4 lanes and Rte 28 was 2 lanes. No Franklin Farms, no Fair Oaks or anything with the word "oaks" in it. No Ashburn, except for a general store and a few old farm houses.
After 28 years in Chantilly, development has 4-walled the whole region and continues moving west to the blue ridge, it's almost out to Rte 15 now. Auto traffic in the area is so shut-tight and gridlocked that the quality of life disappeared. Life revolved around beating the traffic. We'd get up at 4AM to beat traffic into DC to drop the wife at 18th and F Sts and then I'd backtrack to the Pentagon or Crystal City.
We did well on our home in Chantilly, selling in May 2005 at the peak of a hot market and went to Colorado Springs, which is delightful. If anyone wants to read about how we made that decision, its documented in the CO forum in a thread called Why Choose Colorado Springs. We're totally delighted here.
Glad to see someone else has the sense to pull the trigger on a good idea and get out of a bad situation.
My parents moved to Vienna in 1957, and it was the best place a kid could grow up. Our family scattered elsewhere in the late 70's as opportunities and marital situations dictated. My wife and I moved from Louisiana to the area in '86 and looked at Vienna but couldn't afford it. In '86 the houses in the neighborhood I grew up in were going for $200K. That was astonishing to me then. We had to live 20-miles further out to afford the house we wanted. We've since done well with our jobs and moved closer in. It is critical to "position" your home in relation to your job. Otherwise your commute can be hell. That may sound silly, but if you don't your quality of life in Northern Virginia will be stressful. Stay away from a home that requires using Route 66. We live outside the Beltway near Northern Va. Community College and both work along Route 7 in Tysons Corner. It's 7.5 miles and rush hour is 40-mins. We used to live in Chantilly, and 12 miles took over an hour!
Vienna is a truly wonderful place to live, and is near the best paying jobs in the country. That is why it costs so much to live there now. Vienna/Mclean is THE highest per capita income area in the US. If you have a household income of $200K, you may squeek by! An old 50's Yeonas-built house that is too small by today's standards is $400K! A nice place in a good area will be $650-800K. If you are from San Francisco or the Hamptons, Northern Virginia won't shock you. But if you are like most, it can be challenging. We will be moving to the Georgia-S. Carolina coast in a couple of years to semi-retire. Like all of us on these boards, we are looking for something else!
I was born and raised in New England and moved to the DC Metro area in 1977 in pursuit of a job.
Much as I hate to admit it... I hated it for 27 years... but obligations kept me tied down.
20 years ago I bought a Townhouse in Vienna for what was a reasonable amount at the time. In front of me was a farm house with a five acre lot and across from me where 4 little ranch houses with 5 or 6 acres each. We lived "in the country".
Over the course of those 20 years we ended up living in the middle of what amounted to one huge massive development that ran from Baltimore to Richmond. The crush of humanity killed whatever used to be good about the area.
Summers begin in March/April (Spring lasts 3 or 4 days if you are lucky) and it is oppressively hot and humid until end of October. Plan on spending a lot of time inside.
Traffic is a nightmare.. far worse than anything my new neighbor (Stephen King) could cook up in his imagination! My 7 mile commute could take over an hour for no apparent reason... add in rain or snow and I have spent up to three hours traveling 7 miles. I would have to leave work at 3 in the afternoon to ensure I could get home, pick-up my son and get him to the field for a little league game by 5:30!!!!
My advise to anyone who wants to have a life.. anyone to whom family is more important than money and possessions... keep away! You will spend 2 - 4 hours a day commuting.. guaranteed!!! You will not know more than 1 or 2 of your neighbors, you will feel as though you must keep an eye on your children at all times, everything your child does will have to be "organized", you will come to loathe NOVA... believe me.
I am now happier than I have ever been living in Bangor ME. I make less money, I have a beautiful home, my son is free to roam, my commute is 5 minutes (when I stop for gas), my neighbors are delightful.... This is how life is meant to be!
Beware of Long and Foster!!!
You are so right on about northern Virginia. And to find that you went to Maine is interesting. My wife and I discovered Maine several years ago, and visit every year. We have considered buying a place there but don't think we could survive the Winters. Maine is without any argument the most beautiful State in America. If I win the lottery, we'll build a shack in Blue Hill. Congrats on your escaping Vienna! We can't wait to leave, but are likely heading South.
I guess my post was a form of release... I just had to get that out. Let me say that if I absolutely HAD to live in the DC area, Vienna would be my choice... however, my opinion about the area is still the same. If you value your family and the time very limited time you have with your children as they grow up... this is no place to live.
Honestly, over the course of 20 years in Vienna we went from open fields with horses next door to being surrounded by cookie cutter McMansions on postage stamp lots. The gangs have infiltrated the area... both Hispanic and Asian (sorry for not being "P.C." as you will soon learn you must be) gangs are active within even the most afluent neighborhoods.
My son fell on the field at school during gym class and opened up his hand on a broken beer bottle. He sat in the nurses office for an hour bleeding heavily while my wife and I were commuting to work. Despite having completed reams of paperwork giving the school permission to get him ermegency care if necessary. During this hour, the school "nurse" did nothing for my son other than run his hand under the water and give him a piece of cotton, or something, to place on the wound himself. Once I got to work I returned their message and instructed them to get him to the ER (two blocks from the school) and I met him there. After being examined and stitched up (just missed an important nerve and shaved of part of his knuckle) I took my son home. Two days later.... no call from anyone at the school to see how my son was doing!!!! I didn't expect them to say sorry... let alone accept any responsibility... I just thought maybe they would call to see how he was. Never happened. Damage control. Same reaction from the school when a woman who had taught my son was arrested for molesting a classmate of my son... never heard a peep from the school.. I had to learn about it from my child. This is Fairfax County and their wonderful school system. Parents, you are on your own!
FINAL MOVE... you should come on up in January or February and spend a week... before you commit to moving further south. Give it a try! I love winter, especially here. After a good snow, the roads (and sidewalks) are cleared lickety-split and people are out and about before you know it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I lived in Herndon
I'm with you all the way!
