Recommendations on where to live between Bethesda, MD & Arlington VA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would recommend that you live on the Metro line in Virginia and you take Metro to work in Bethesda. Of there's any chance you will have kids, you probably will have a daycare near home and kids.

I think this is the way to go. On Zillow there are a couple of rentals near Ballston and East Falls Church metros for around $4k. The metro commute from Ballston to Bethesda is around 45 minutes, and won't have to wait long for trains since you have both silver and orange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She needs to have a real good reason NOT to work in Montgomery County Public Schools/near Bethesda. She should have at least tried..

I agree. I'm a teacher in Arlington and I know Montgomery schools have major issues but so does APS. I have no idea what could possibly be so special about Kenmore that would justify a substantial commute not just for one spouse but for two.

What are you talking about? One spouse has a job in Arlington and the other has a job near Bethesda and OP is trying to figure out a reasonable compromise on where to live. The Kenmore wife isn't complicating this for the husband - they have complicated things for one another by having jobs in different states. Not sure why you're blaming this on one spouse sheesh everybody calm down please. (Also, Kenmore is pretty good school and the facilities are nice.)

We’re assuming that the Bethesda job is somewhat unique and that the spouse who works in education could just as easily find a job in Montgomery County. It’s not a dig on Kenmore, just a statement that there are also middle schools in MD that would make their living and commuting arrangements much easier. OP and their partner are from out of town and don’t realize how terrible the cross river commute can be.

Yeah I'm the other PP and this is what I meant. Not a dig on Kenmore nor blaming the spouse. It's just really easy to miscalculate transportation issues when you don't know the area. I see that there are retirement benefits at play and it makes total sense why they would need to pick Virginia. I also do happen to be horribly commute-averse so my statement probably came out stronger than intended.

[Anonymous]

I would live in Falls Church. It's easy enough from there to head to Bethesda, and will also be a good commute for your wife. Alternately, live right around Kenmore. That's right off Rt 50, so gets you on major roads fast. Since you only have to go 3 days a week, it may be better to stay close to where your wife is working. You should be able to find a rental in Arlington for that budget.

[Anonymous]

McLean VA is in the middle of Bethesda and Arlington so look there. Also why can't she work in McLean?

[Anonymous]

What about living in DC and her commuting to either Kenmore middle school Arlington or Mt Vernon community School in Alexandria. Would the commute from DC to either Alexandria or Arlington be horrible at 700-720am?

[Anonymous]

It's not a bad drive from Arlington or McLean to Bethesda. I did this for years. We live in McLean (near the GW parkway) and it took about 25 minutes in the morning and 40ish minutes if I left after 4:30pm to head home.

It's a tight rental market, so if your budget is rent, you will have limited options, but it is doable.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

[Anonymous]

Check out Colonial Village near the Courthouse Metro station. They are condos (one to two story) with plenty of hilly green space and woods so should be dog friendly. Some might be for rent.

There are also some brand new townhomes for sale across from a park near the Clarendon metro.

The commute to Bethesda with a transfer at Metro Center (or Farragut North) shouldn’t be too bad. The drive to Kenmore would be a piece of cake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out Colonial Village near the Courthouse Metro station. They are condos (one to two story) with plenty of hilly green space and woods so should be dog friendly. Some might be for rent.

There are also some brand new townhomes for sale across from a park near the Clarendon metro.

The commute to Bethesda with a transfer at Metro Center (or Farragut North) shouldn’t be too bad. The drive to Kenmore would be a piece of cake.

+1 I agree with living in Arlington near a metro station so you don't have to drive. Alternatively, if you like more city living, could look for something in DC closer to a red-line station so you don't have to change trains and the drive from DC to Arlington early in the morning should not be bad.

[Anonymous]

If you live in a DC neighborhood close to Rock creek parkway, the driving commute to Arlington is not bad at all because the road switches to 4 lanes in the commuting direction during rush hour. Those neighborhoods in DC are expensive but there are lots of apartments and lots of other people who moved here for work.

Also you could live in the middle in DC and both take metro. Red line, west side (it’s a u shape) for Bethesda. Orange / Silver line for Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason your wife is getting a job in Arlington vs Montgomery County? If your job is definitely in Bethesda your lives would be much easier if she also got a job in Montgomery County and you live nearby.

Can she get a job at dorothy hamm or williamsburg instead? Cheaper housing in Bethesda and her reverse commute wouldn't be awful.

[Anonymous]

If you are only in the office 3 days a week, makes more sense to live in VA, preferably near 495 or 66. Also, middle school starts really early in Arlington (before 8am)

[Anonymous]

I drive 5 days a week from Potomac MD to Vienna VA in rush hour. It is only 25-30 minutes to work on way home 40 minutes to one hour.

Average 25 minutes to work 50 minutes home.

No big deal. Arlington has a even easier

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are only in the office 3 days a week, makes more sense to live in VA, preferably near 495 or 66. Also, middle school starts really early in Arlington (before 8am)

+1. Commute from VA over the bridge to MD is easier also. Live in Arlington or Maclean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She needs to have a real good reason NOT to work in Montgomery County Public Schools/near Bethesda. She should have at least tried..

OMG!!
Do you not read the entire post by OP before responding???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason your wife is getting a job in Arlington vs Montgomery County? If your job is definitely in Bethesda your lives would be much easier if she also got a job in Montgomery County and you live nearby.

Can she get a job at dorothy hamm or williamsburg instead? Cheaper housing in Bethesda and her reverse commute wouldn't be awful.

Housing in Bethesda/ buy or rent is not cheap!!! It is way more expensive than McLean or Arlington.
Op, pls look at some properties for buy or rent online to make this easy for you.

We are in Bethesda- and can’t afford to buy even with 450K HHI -we have to live a certain distance from DH work ( hospital) so we are stuck with Bethesda - and now, our children have roots and friends in their school cluster, so don’t won’t to move. We are renting a SFH- the price of which has shot up like crazy in the past 2 years!!!

Pls find a place in VA to live in - you will also have many options for college ( unlike MD).