Richmond to Northern Virginia (Fredericksburg: rental, homes, safe area)

[jaslea1]

Hello All, I need some help. My husband will be working in D.C. and so we need to move closer to that area from Richmond. We would still need to get back to Richmond on Sunday's for church and once or twice a week for other things. So, our rental housing budget is 1,100 or less. Safety is our first concern we want to be in a safe area. We would like for our commute to be half way into Richmond and halfway in D.C. Everyone says that is Fredericksburg but I hear the commute is horrible. We prefer rural areas with at least a nice Walmart and a grocery store (not asking for much ). We are a homeschooling family so a nice homeschooling community would REALLY work for us. It would also be nice if my husbands commute into D.C. (Union Station) is not horrific. We are open to all suggestions.

Thanks
Lexie

[roanoker 4]

To get to a rural area I think you will need to get so far out of DC the commute will be impossible. There is a VRE commuter train from Fredericksburg to Union Station but it is a long ride. I think you have chosen a tough place to re:locate with your wishes. Personally, if I worked in DC I would make sure I made enough money to live closer to the City to avoid the hassles of commuting. I hope you can get more information from local people to help guide you in the right direction. Good Luck!

[fjennell]

I agree, you will not find anything in the middle that will not be a horrible commute. Any points south of Fredericksburg will get you closer to Richmond but commute will be worse. Moving North of Fredericksburg will put you farther from Richmond and the commute will not be much better to justify the higher cost.

[onevthoki]

You might find something in northern Caroline, but then your husband will have to drive into Fredericksburg to the VRE station and you are looking at least a 30 minute drive to the city and another 1.5-2 hour ride on the train.

[canolajetta]

To make your husband's daily life bearable, I would say springfield is your best bet. To be fair, timewise, I would say springfield is the true halfway point, unless your husband commutes at non-rush hour times.

[cb at sea]

There's very little in that price range anywhere from MD to Richmond! Very high prices prevail! And the commute to DC from ANYWHERE is horrendous! The closer to DC you are, the better his commute will be, but the cost of living will be really big.