Airport Noise? (Burke, Centreville, Leesburg: townhouse, neighborhood, homebuyer)

[CAtransplant]

Hello,
we are thinking of maybe relocating to NOVA, and our budget allows for a townhouse in the following cities: Ashburn,Sterling,Herndon,Chantility and Centreville in VA. From the map, they are all very close to Dulles International airport. My main question is, is airport nose noticeable in those cities and is it really that bad?
I have looked into a few MD cities but people say, MD has higher taxes than VA, is this true?
Also, in what of those cities public schools are better and overall which one has a more family friendly and safe environment?
I do not really care about 1 hr. commute to work since we lived 20 years in L.A. but it would be nice to have close by public transportation as well.
Thank you very much!

[EuroExpat]

I'd say Ashburn is your best choice if you're looking for a very family friendly place. Others will disagree with me but I can hear the airplane noise a few times a day here in Ashburn. I don't notice it as much as I used to but it's still there. As for public transportation, if you're heading to DC you can either take the commuter bus or you can drive to a metro station. Good luck!!

[cdmurphy]

I live in Brambleton, and my house is about four miles from the runways at Dulles. Occasionally there are planes loud enough that I can hear them inside my house - usually the international flights in the evening. But it doesn't bother us at all. My husband travels a lot for work and the closeness to Dulles is a major asset for us instead of a liability.

Here is a site that may interest you: Homebuyer's Guide to Compatible Land Use Around Dulles International Airport (http://www.washingtonairports.com/noiseandlanduse/homeownersguide.htm - broken link). They explain how the noise zones work around Dulles, including maps and frequently asked questions.

[newgatedenizen]

Airplane noise can be a nuisance if you are sensitive to it or if you become aware of it and then obsessed with it. I’ve lived in Centreville about 20 years and have worked at various locations in Sterling, Ashburn and Dulles.

In my experience airplane noise is most noticeable when the international arrivals are coming in – say between 3pm and 7pm. I live in a townhouse and if I have the doors and windows closed, have a TV or radio on, or am listening to music, or having a conversation with someone I never hear or notice airplane noise. If it is quiet in the house sometimes I can hear airplanes but I’ve gotten used to it and unless it is one of those occasional odd approaches that creates a lot of noise (and those do happen) it simply doesn’t register with me. I've noticed visitors from out of the area will hear an airplane sometimes and comment about it and I hadn't heard a thing...

I spend a lot of time on my deck outside and even then it really doesn’t bother me. But I suppose if I wanted to be bothered by it I could be.

Also, it can make a difference *exactly* where your townhouse is even within the areas you mention.

[mississippimagnolia]

I don't know about the airport noise...we live in Burke and other than the occasional helicopter or plane, we don't hear anything.

But, we did live in Maryland (Montgomery County) and absolutely hated it. I would narrow my search to the Northern Virginia area.

As for schools...Montgomery County has the best schools in Maryland. BUT..what you don't hear is that only SOME of the schools in Montgomery County are good. There are some horrible school in many of the communities. Fairfax County in Virginia has consistently good schools. We haven't lived here very long. But this is the third time we've lived in the area. All the schools are good, most are excellent.

I feel much safe in Burke than I did in Germantown, Maryland. But like everywhere else, there are good areas and bad areas of both states. Overall, I found Virginia to be much, much, much friendlier than Maryland.

[Caladium]

You really can't escape some airport noise, because the patterns change depending on the weather, etc. IMO the noise is worst in South Riding and maybe Centerville. In my neighborhood (Herndon) we hear planes all the time, but we barely notice it. Or maybe it's just that we've gotten used to it!

ps. You're going to to hear air traffic even if you're away from the airport. Even up in normie's neighborhood you still hear planes and helicopters flying along the Potomac. When Obama flies up to Camp David he goes right over her house.

[GoHokiesGo]

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

I live in Brambleton, and my house is about four miles from the runways at Dulles. Occasionally there are planes loud enough that I can hear them inside my house - usually the international flights in the evening. But it doesn't bother us at all. My husband travels a lot for work and the closeness to Dulles is a major asset for us instead of a liability.

I live in Ashburn Village and my experience has been similar to this. I rarely hear any of the flights from the airport, except for the occasional international flight late in the evening that is a bit loud. Usually any other flights aren't any louder than the cars on the main road, which my house is a little closer than I would've ideally liked, but in the rear of my house I don't hear the road or nearly any of the planes.

[mac10]

We used to live in Centreville. We must have been in the direct landing path because we would lose satellite signal on occasions. That was annoying.

[MomInVA]

I live in Ashburn/Broadlands and I hear plane noises a bit.. especially at night since my house is one of the direct paths and I'm a light sleeper. That part can be annoying or I also hear those small planes flying into the Leesburg airport too.

but Ashburn, is a family town and is nice..like someone else said, it's convenient to the airport for my husband to travel for business. I, myself used to be a Flight Attendant and took 5-10 min drive to Dulles..