Fort Belvoir - where to live?

[Anonymous]

Lorton! Great community, lots of military folks and about 10 minutes to the base. You will find within your budget to find a SFH or townhouse. The schools are good & lots of kids in the neighborhood too. The drive to the city is about 30 minutes and easy for a quick trip to see the sights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lorton! Great community, lots of military folks and about 10 minutes to the base. You will find within your budget to find a SFH or townhouse. The schools are good & lots of kids in the neighborhood too. The drive to the city is about 30 minutes and easy for a quick trip to see the sights.

Yeah I don't know why you'd be down on Lorton for a military family. Family friendly, quick commute to Belvoir, etc. West Springfield is nice, lots of military families. Can you check out the neighborhood before you make the decision?

[Anonymous]

I'd live in Alexandria, 22307, 22308 or 22309. You can get something great in waynewood, Hollin hall, ft hunt or mt Vernon. If you'll do a townhome or condo & a slightly longer commute (still reasonable), do old town. Lorton & Springfield look too soul sucking & suburban blah

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lorton! Great community, lots of military folks and about 10 minutes to the base. You will find within your budget to find a SFH or townhouse. The schools are good & lots of kids in the neighborhood too. The drive to the city is about 30 minutes and easy for a quick trip to see the sights.

+1 to Lorton. Lots of feds, military, convenient to the base and good schools.

[Anonymous]

People have a "Lorton is bad" attitude probably haven't been there recently or don't know how large Lorton is. Lorton used house to the Washington DC correctional facility- but it's been closed for more than 15 years. That significantly impacted the way people viewed Lorton, and sure, there are some areas that are crummy- but you'd recognize them in a heart beat. There is a lot of nice Lorton too- and while we've been house hunting there are some gorgeous homes that are labeled Lorton (probably by zip code) that many people might not think of as being Lorton.

Springfield and Kingstowne are also great neighborhoods that are very convenient to Fort Belvoir. Alexandria/Ft Hunt areas are very nice- but Rt. 1 through there can be a mess of traffic and stop lights that feels like it was built and planned in the 60's and 70's (because it was). That said, many homes in that area live on streets that can connect to the GW Parkway- which is a gorgeous drive and a good way to get from some parts of Alexandria to Fort Belvoir.

There is still a lot of changes going on in the area. I worked on Fort Belvoir 10 years ago, and the worker population I believe has doubled since then, but some of the infrastructure has not. So the county is still playing catch up- right now Rt. 1 around Fort Belvoir and south is in the midst of a huge construction/expansion/modernization project that could make the drive from points south (Woodbridge) a little better... but that drive is still not one I would ever want to do (great homes down there that are more affordable, but Woodbridge is a mess of clogged roads).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family is moving to the DC area in July. DH will work at Fort Belvoir and I work from home. We have a toddler. We know nothing about the area - where should we look? I've heard good things about Alexandria but I'm wondering about other towns where our money will go a bit further. We plan to rent b/c we are military and will only be there for a few years. Would love to hear some thoughts.

Live in the city of you don't have kids for a few years you will never forget, on base if you do have kids. The areas around ft belvior are either crap or to expensive for the avg mil family.

Because DC is so cheap? Really? She already SAID she had a child and SAID her husband works at Ft. Belvoir. Why the hell would she go to DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family is moving to the DC area in July. DH will work at Fort Belvoir and I work from home. We have a toddler. We know nothing about the area - where should we look? I've heard good things about Alexandria but I'm wondering about other towns where our money will go a bit further. We plan to rent b/c we are military and will only be there for a few years. Would love to hear some thoughts.

Live in the city of you don't have kids for a few years you will never forget, on base if you do have kids. The areas around ft belvior are either crap or to expensive for the avg mil family.

Because DC is so cheap? Really? She already SAID she had a child and SAID her husband works at Ft. Belvoir. Why the hell would she go to DC?

Because DC is a reverse commute to Ft Belvoir straight down GW and that's where people who want cosmopolitan go, beside that post was before she said she had a baby and wanted more plus she said their budget was 3k plus which will get you into most naighboorhoods in DC For at least a condo. Also that price point eludes to that her husband is an officer which means at least a degree. Many young educated people enjoy the city esp compared the blah that is Almost-Nothern Virgina around rt 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family is moving to the DC area in July. DH will work at Fort Belvoir and I work from home. We have a toddler. We know nothing about the area - where should we look? I've heard good things about Alexandria but I'm wondering about other towns where our money will go a bit further. We plan to rent b/c we are military and will only be there for a few years. Would love to hear some thoughts.

Live in the city of you don't have kids for a few years you will never forget, on base if you do have kids. The areas around ft belvior are either crap or to expensive for the avg mil family.

Because DC is so cheap? Really? She already SAID she had a child and SAID her husband works at Ft. Belvoir. Why the hell would she go to DC?

Because DC is a reverse commute to Ft Belvoir straight down GW and that's where people who want cosmopolitan go, beside that post was before she said she had a baby and wanted more plus she said their budget was 3k plus which will get you into most naighboorhoods in DC For at least a condo. Also that price point eludes to that her husband is an officer which means at least a degree. Many young educated people enjoy the city esp compared the blah that is Almost-Nothern Virgina around rt 1.

You literally do not know what you are talking about. You seem to be the only one who doesn't realize there are places with military families between DC and Woodbridge.

The whole area is cosmopolitan. DC is just snotty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People have a "Lorton is bad" attitude probably haven't been there recently or don't know how large Lorton is. Lorton used house to the Washington DC correctional facility- but it's been closed for more than 15 years. That significantly impacted the way people viewed Lorton, and sure, there are some areas that are crummy- but you'd recognize them in a heart beat. There is a lot of nice Lorton too- and while we've been house hunting there are some gorgeous homes that are labeled Lorton (probably by zip code) that many people might not think of as being Lorton.

Springfield and Kingstowne are also great neighborhoods that are very convenient to Fort Belvoir. Alexandria/Ft Hunt areas are very nice- but Rt. 1 through there can be a mess of traffic and stop lights that feels like it was built and planned in the 60's and 70's (because it was). That said, many homes in that area live on streets that can connect to the GW Parkway- which is a gorgeous drive and a good way to get from some parts of Alexandria to Fort Belvoir.

There is still a lot of changes going on in the area. I worked on Fort Belvoir 10 years ago, and the worker population I believe has doubled since then, but some of the infrastructure has not. So the county is still playing catch up- right now Rt. 1 around Fort Belvoir and south is in the midst of a huge construction/expansion/modernization project that could make the drive from points south (Woodbridge) a little better... but that drive is still not one I would ever want to do (great homes down there that are more affordable, but Woodbridge is a mess of clogged roads).

+1 to Lorton being on the upswing. With the exception of some old townhouse complexes right along Route 1, much of the area is quite nice, and will give you an easy commute to Belvoir. I live in Lorton and take the VRE to DC and am seeing more and more people in their late 20s/early 30s moving in. I will say that until something is done regarding the Route 1/95 interchange and widening the Route 1 bridge over the Occoquan the commute from Woodbridge will be miserable.

[Anonymous]

Lorton or West Springfield (22152/22153). Lot's of military families, quiet communities and close to base.

[Anonymous]

WS native/USAF brat back to add that think about how often you will use the services at FB; I'm thinking the commissary, the (new) hospital, the golf course, the swimming pools, PX, club, etc.

While we never lived on base as a family, we seemed to be nearby so my mom could easily shop at the commissary and be near the military hospital. I realize that some things have changed with clinic approach to military healthcare...

[Anonymous]

Agree with most PPs on Fort Hunt, Mt. Vernon, Lorton, West Springfield, and Kingstowne. I've lived in Kingstowne and now live in Mt. Vernon (22309). Both are lovely but for different reasons. I can walk out my front door right now and up a block to Mt. Vernon Memorial Highway and see an entrance to Fort Belvoir so the commute would obviously be a breeze from this area, but I'm not sure how many SFHs go up for rent in the 22308, 22309 area.

[Anonymous]

My kids went to preschool at mt vernon Presbyterian church preschool which is a great preschool and has TONS of military families. Many rented homes within a mile or two of the school. That area's affordable, family friendly and a nice community.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Riverside Estates in Mt Vernon. Not everybody likes the elementary school nowadays but if you don't care about that it is an easy commute to Ft Belvoir. We were there all the time as kids.

[Anonymous]

Also take a look at Newington - it's the telegraph road area south of Van Dorn street. There's a new street they opened between telegraph and route 1 which makes that whole area a much shorter commute to Ft. Belvoir.

At your rental price, take a look at Waynewood. (22308 - Croton Drive area) Good schools, very friendly neighborhood.