Husband taking a job in Springfield, VA -- where to live?

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,

My husband is taking a job in Springfield, VA and we have no idea where to start looking for homes. His job starts December 1st and we are moving from the Midwest, so we are really kind of in a rush! We are a relatively young couple with a kid going into kindergarten next year. My husband is 30 and I am 29. We are looking to rent a very small house or townhouse.

Things we're looking for:

1) Close to metro. We only have one car and we'd like to keep it that way.

2) Good public schools (or affordable private? We would be able to afford up to maybe 15K)

3) A community feel. I've read on a lot of message boards that it is hard to make friends in the area. Also, I've been warned that few people our age have children here. Any recommendations for some nice, inclusive neighborhoods?

Our housing budget would be around $2000 a month initially. This may go may go up a little if I get the job I'm interviewing for this Friday.

Thank you in advance!

[Anonymous]

You have so many great options with that budget right in Springfield. My townhouse is only 1450 and we love it here. There's a metro close by and the schools are fine. Check out Craigslist for an idea of what's available in your price range.

[Anonymous]

Look at West Springfield Elementary, Hunt Valley Elementary, Orange Hunt Elementary or Sangster Elementary.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the responses! Any townhome communities you'd recommend? I went on apartmentratings.com, but the ones listed had pretty bad reviews.

[Anonymous]

Daventry is highly recommended and has lots of families. Rhygate looks very nice but I don't know much about it.

[Anonymous]

Also most of the townhomes are privately leased, usually through a property manager, but sometimes directly through the owner. You won't usually find an entire community managed by one company like you would in the midwest, so a site like you mentioned might not be the best place to look.

[Anonymous]

I'm the OP. I forgot to ask: what other places would be convenient to his job in Springfield? The job I am interviewing at this Friday is located in the Georgetown neighborhood of DC.

[Anonymous]

Also, how does school work in the DC area -- is there after-school care at the public schools? At our current school district, all the public schools have YMCA after-school care available for only $233/month... I'm not sure how much the after-school care costs in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, how does school work in the DC area -- is there after-school care at the public schools? At our current school district, all the public schools have YMCA after-school care available for only $233/month... I'm not sure how much the after-school care costs in DC?

There is after-care in the public schools. However, assuming you'll be in Fairfax County Public Schools (where Springfield is located), after-care (SACC) is not guaranteed, and there is often a lengthy waitlist. There are also private companies that run after-care programs, like various daycares, martial arts programs, etc. SACC costs are based on a sliding scale for income.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc/sacc.htm

Also, maybe someone else will chime in, but I would still focus your search on the Springfield area (no further out) even with a potential job in Georgetown. The commute to Georgetown will take a while (an hour+ door to door would be my guess) even on metro, but given your preferences (townhouse or house with good public schools) and your budget I'm not sure you could get anything that satisfies all of your criteria closer in. Again, those who know more of the area than Arlington, Alexandria, Springfield may be able to chime in. You might also look at Kingstowne, which is in the Alexandria section of FFX County. It is close to the Franconia-Spfld metro (closer than a lot of neighborhoods in Spfld) and you could get a nice townhouse for around your budget. We live in Kingstowne and townhouses in our development (3bed, 3.5bath, no garage) rent for around $2200. There are those with concerns about the upper grades of the schools in Kingstowne (including me), but I have no reservations about sending my child to the elementary school next year.

[Anonymous]

The Kingstowne community is less than a mile away from the metro depending on where you live in it, and very very close to Springfield.
www.kingstowne.org

[Anonymous]

Most people on this board say to avoid Alexandria City schools. If you could find a place in Arlington in your price range, that would make your commute better into the city and Arlington and Fairfax County both have good schools. The commute to Springfield from Arlington is pretty easy. Otherwise, look in Springfield and plan to metro into the city for a job.

[Anonymous]

The townhouses in Kingstowne, Island Creek, Amberleigh, Landsdowne and Hawthorne (going to Hayfield Elementary or Island Creek Elementary) are NOT in Alexandria City schools..l. These are Fairfax County Public schools and they have good scores and low free/reduced meals populations. As someone new to the area, I think you will like being near to the Kingstowne Town Center with restaurants, shopping, and theaters.

If you were a little more established in the area, I might suggest the Orange Hunt as a very bedroom community, older single family homes, but solid schools and very stable family oriented population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The townhouses in Kingstowne, Island Creek, Amberleigh, Landsdowne and Hawthorne (going to Hayfield Elementary or Island Creek Elementary) are NOT in Alexandria City schools..l. These are Fairfax County Public schools and they have good scores and low free/reduced meals populations. As someone new to the area, I think you will like being near to the Kingstowne Town Center with restaurants, shopping, and theaters.

If you were a little more established in the area, I might suggest the Orange Hunt as a very bedroom community, older single family homes, but solid schools and very stable family oriented population.

This is a great post with sound advice.

[Anonymous]

Wow, do people really try to intentionally avoid schools where there are poor kids? I don't have elementary aged children of my own, so I guess I am clueless, but I'm surprised.

[Anonymous]

Also, maybe someone else will chime in, but I would still focus your search on the Springfield area (no further out) even with a potential job in Georgetown. The commute to Georgetown will take a while (an hour+ door to door would be my guess) even on metro, but given your preferences (townhouse or house with good public schools) and your budget I'm not sure you could get anything that satisfies all of your criteria closer in. Again, those who know more of the area than Arlington, Alexandria, Springfield may be able to chime in. You might also look at Kingstowne, which is in the Alexandria section of FFX County. It is close to the Franconia-Spfld metro (closer than a lot of neighborhoods in Spfld) and you could get a nice townhouse for around your budget. We live in Kingstowne and townhouses in our development (3bed, 3.5bath, no garage) rent for around $2200. There are those with concerns about the upper grades of the schools in Kingstowne (including me), but I have no reservations about sending my child to the elementary school next year.

This is definitely over an hour commute each way, and I'm sure you know there is no Metro in Georgetown, so OP could be walking quite a bit (I'm guessing from Foggy Bottom, depending on where the job is located) or maybe taking a bus, both of which will add more time to the commute. I commute into DC from the 'burbs on Metro - do not underestimate what a drag it is to spend over an hour (each direction) every day and the impact it has on quality of life. Driving in is bad, but Metro is no picnic either. Make sure you are very close to the Franconia metro if you are commuting into Georgetown; don't add more time to the commute by giving yourself a 15 min drive or bus ride to the Metro (sounds like you won't do that since you only have one car). Alternatively, I would try to get closer in on the Blue Line, again, very close to a station.