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Relocating quickly to DC, please help
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aspsgirl
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I hope that all is well. I am starting a new position with my employer in Washington, DC next month. This transfer is happening quickly and I need to secure housing. My husband and I have two children (ages 2 and 3) and we currently live in Jacksonville, FL. I work for the federal government and he is a middle school math teacher.
We would like a family friendly neighborhood, relatively close to a Metro station in northern, VA. I have searched the boards, and it seems like Alexandria, Springfield, Arlington and Fairfax fit the bill. Am I missing any neighborhoods? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone knows of any houses for rent, please let me know. My start date is September 13th! Thank you so much! |
Anonymous
If you post the amount you're looking to pay for a monthly rental, that'll help people get a sense of where you should live. generally, the farther out you live, the cheaper the rents overall, but you'll spend more time on the road/train if your jobs are in DC. Generally, you'll pay a bit of a premium to live walking distance from a metro, but you'll save approximately $4.50/day parking at the stations that have parking.  You're also going to need preschool/daycare for both kids; I suspect that Arlington is the toughest for that, judging from what my friends have told me. (they're in arlington, i'm in Fairfax near Vienna metro.) If you need daycare full-time, you might want to try to find that first, and then find a rental nearby.
oh, and you'll also want to look at Falls church, between Arlington and Fairfax, with two orange line metro stations and access to several major roads. |
Anonymous
| This is a HUGE area and there are so many variables. Even within the places you have mentioned there are literally hundreds of individual neighborhoods of all different types. If you're going to be working in DC, your commute will be a big deal, and someplace like Fairfax may be a bit far out. If you post where you will be working, what your price range is, and what type of community you are looking for, it will be much easier to narrow it down and give some suggestions. |
Anonymous
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I was going to recommend Falls Church as well. Also Arlington in the Ballston or Clarendon area is fun, though expensive and filled with the 20something party crowd too. You could find a home walking distance to the metro and probably walking distance to daycare. Springfield's metro, if I recall correctly, is not walking distance to any homes and it's quite a commute into DC via metro. Parts of Alexandria flood easily.
Does your husband already have a job? If not, would you consider MD as well. Rockville/White Flint and Bethesda have metro stations and it's a quick train ride into DC. (If your husband doesn't have a job yet I wouldn't be surprised if he gets hired quickly, there is usually a big newed for math teachers. Good luck!! |
Anonymous
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OP,
Think about which metro line, the most direct to your office! |
aspsgirl
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Thank you for all of the information!
In response to the posts: 1. I am hoping to pay no more than $2,500/month for a three bedroom home or townhome. 2. We would like a neighborhood that is close to a park, and pool, and also within close distance to shops. A place where we can take a walk or jog, and even walk to stores and restaurants. 3. I will be working in downtown DC at the Fed. Triangle Metro Stop. 4. My husband does not have a job yet, but he in the process of applying. If anyone knows of openings, please let me know. Thanks also for the daycare advice. I am going to post there next. |
Anonymous
| I think you will be limited by your price range. If I were you, I'd contact a realtor who might be able to help you search since you are in a rush and don't know the area. |
Anonymous
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There is a house for rent in my neighborhood in Falls Church and I think it's in your price range (look for Reynolds St, zip 22043). We are walking distance to metro, great schools, lots of parks and other amenities, shopping, etc. nearby.
Also, you may want to post on the city-data.com NoVA forum. |
Anonymous
| Sorry to hear, OP. |
Anonymous
Look in pentagon city (South Arlington) - there is a community across the street from Costco near a big park, near metro (within a block) with 2 and 3 br townhouses. I think 3brs range from 2300-3000 (though the 2300 ones are probably a big outdated.) |
Anonymous
| I think the city of Falls Church and South Arlington are your best bets in terms of both the commute and your price range. Childcare could be tough on this short notice, then again I don't know if your dh will be able to find a job that quickly either, since most of the hiring for the fall has already taken place. so perhaps he can watch the kids until you secure childcare/ he finds a job. good luck to you. |
Anonymous
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Thanks for the info on Falls Church! I am going to start looking there too.
Yes, my husband will watch the kids until he finds a job. Thanks for the well wishes! |
Anonymous
OP, welcome to the area! Try to stay away from this one person who posted above. She is constantly feigning sorrow when she finds out people are moving to DC. She thinks she's hilarious. Try to humor her. |
Anonymous
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There is a Stay at Home Dad's group that might be helpful for DH. Even if he's planning on going back to work soon, it would be a good way to get out, meet some other dads, and the kids will have someone to play with. The link is below. He needs to sign up and then he will get the announcements on activities. We do one playgroup a week plus another semi-regular activity and an occasional dad's night out.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DCMetroDads/ |
Anonymous
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Thanks so much for the link to the stay at home dad's group! Super helpful.
And thanks for all the welcomes and suggestions! |