moving from SD to NoVA (mclean) (Reston, Annandale: employment, movie theater, schools)

[bythebeach]

i am relocating to mclean at the end of June and am trying to research different areas to live. i'm especially concerned about the commute - i've heard the tysons corner area has surpassed LA as the worst traffic in the country . i have been looking at falls church (because there's a trader joe's there!!) and mclean itself, but am a bit wary about living in tysons corner. i have also considered living in the AU area on the DC side of things, but don't know if that would be better or worse. i'm really going into this blind, so any advice is greatly appreciated!!

[saganista]

Traffic in and around Tysons (which is both a shopping center and a business district) is just plain god-awful at rush hour. So, what else is new. If you plan well, you can still get into and out of major parts of it without too much difficulty. If you had a street address or nearby intersection, the Tysons-weary here could probably give you a thumbs up or down on chances for preserving your sanity.

All of Falls Church proper is very nice, but be careful as the city is actually tiny, and lots of places are therefore called Falls Church but really aren't. Some of Faux Falls Church ain't so hot. The Trader Joe's is a bit more than halfway between Falls Church and Tysons, and that itself is a perfectly good sort of middle income area. McLean is all very nice also, though some of it may be kind of a bit expensive. Still it's great place to end up if your job is on the east side of Tysons. You certainly could come over from AU Park, Palisades, or any other DC side place that was a short enough distance from Chain Bridge. The bridge itself will be a problem, but once you hit 123 on the VA side things should get easier. You won't die from commuting if you really like (and can afford) the places over there. It is a beautiful area.

[mdcrim]

Reston also has a Trader Joes. It'll be cheaper than McLean and has a lot to offer in terms of walking trails, parks, etc. And Reston Town Center has restaurants, movie theater and ice skating rink. From Reston, Tysons is only about 7-8 miles (?)-can take 30-40 minutes in the height of the rush hour, but 10 minutes outside of the rush. Hope this helps.

[Beth5150]

My family and I lived in Leesburg, VA for about a year and I commuted to Tysons Corner from Leesburg. The traffic is horrible on most days however worse on Thursdays and Fridays esp. late afternoon. It took me about 30 to 45 minutes via the beltway either way. We lived directly behind the beltway. The area where we lived was very nice but very expensive!!!!! Of course, you have to pay the beltway tolls or have speedpay. Anything else, just bump me back. Good Luck Beth

[miko920]

Hi Beth - I just read your post and was curious if I understand it correctly. You say it took you only 45 minutes from Leesburg to Tysons or was that only a certain part of your commute that took that long? Just curious.

Thanks!

[5stones]

My hubby goes from leesburg to Tysons and it's about 60min. during rush hour.

[Dorothy1960]

Sorry...I assume that you will be working in McLean. I used to work in McLean, the traffic is a nightmare. I would not suggest living in Tysons. I lived in Reston, also, at the time. Depends on what type of housing you are looking for. Reston is very sterile, very planned, everything is always perfect. Falls Church is nice, I also would suggest parts of Annandale, the nothern part. You can take some back road to get to work in McLean, gives you a few commuting options. Falls Church and Annandale have an older feel and a bit more character than Reston.

Also be prepared to pay personal property tax on your vehicle. Another wonderful thing about Virginia. But our taxes are still lower than Maryland.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by Dorothy1960

Also be prepared to pay personal property tax on your vehicle. Another wonderful thing about Virginia. But our taxes are still lower than Maryland.

They're lower than DC too, and it doesn't much matter which tax you pay. It's the total of all the taxes that counts, and NoVa's are the lowest around. Reminds me of the couple who moved to Florida because they have no state income tax, only to find that they have to pay $4 in tolls every time they want to drive to the mall...

[saganista]

Originally Posted by Beth5150

The area where we lived was very nice but very expensive!!!!! Of course, you have to pay the beltway tolls or have speedpay. Anything else, just bump me back. Good Luck Beth

There are no tolls on the Beltway. You're talking about the Greenway, and/or the Dulles Toll Road...

[claremarie]

Unless you REALLY love DC, I wouldn't live there and work in Virginia. Even so-called "reverse commutes" can end up as very time-consuming ordeals, especially as more DC area employment centers migrate to the suburbs.
I live in McLean, and often have to drive in and around Tyson's and Falls Church. There are back ways around many of the usual traffic jams, and if you have control over your schedule, you can avoid many problems just by NOT trying to drive at the same time as everyone else. But "McLean" and "Tyson's" are big areas, and without knowing exactly where you will be working, what your housing budget is, and if schools are an issue, it's hard to provide any useful advice.