Live in Ashburn and commute to DC

[Anonymous]

i live in reston and commute to DC. i'm on the HOV and it's not a horrible commute, but i think ashburn would be way too far. you'll add at least a half-hour. there are the commuter buses, but i wouldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

If PP is SAH, she can do that anywhere, including areas closer in where the commute won't make her husband's life hell and frankly, will be a better investment.

not always a better investment. An older home will need more repairs and upkeep and all of that costs money, and if you have to compromise on the kind of home you need to be happy in, and the neighborhood, you will just be miserable.

Most of the value is the land, not the improvements.

[Anonymous]

Here's a scenario you might want to think about before you move far out... if your husband loses his job, being further away puts you at a disadvantage. Will employers look at his address and wonder how he will make the commute? Assuming there are more possibilities for jobs for him closer to the major metro area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't do it. If you want a more suburban feel or more space there are a Loy of other options between Arlington and Ashburn. Even if you are not the one commuting, you and your kids will be the ones waiting for your husband to get home every day.

There are some great options in places like Annandale, Falls Church and Springfield for people who either can't afford or don't like Arlington, but have come to realize how draining a long commute to DC can be. Ashburn to Tysons is OK; Ashburn to DC is insane.

Annandale, south Falls Church, north Springfield = South Arlington/Alexandria extended

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Leesburg, However, I work in IT, where there are plenty of jobs from Tysons on west. I wouldn't commute from Leesburg/Ashburn any further in than Arlington -- and even then only if I could work from 6-3 or the such.

Metro is a sure thing, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors approved it in a 5-4 vote. Nonetheless, it won't come out until 2018.

Is Ashburn itself appealing to you, or would you consider Stafford County (near Fredericksburg), or Urbana (near Frederick)? Would you consider living in DC's edge towns (Leesburg, Frederick, Fredericksburg, Warrenton, or Annapolis)? You'll find it's different living in an area that's had a separate history for 200+ years than living in "random suburban subdivision."

I assume you've worked out the budgetary issues.

To be honest, if it's shiny new suburbia you want, and hubby's job/career is pretty DC-centric, I'd be looking at places along the MARC or VRE lines, e.g. Urbana, Gainesville, or Stafford. But those only work if your hubby is able to work 8-5 or fairly close to it.

Metro is not a sure thing b/c eventhough Loudoun approved, the money is still in question.

[Anonymous]

I work in Vienna and people who live in Ashburn complain about their commute to Vienna. I cannot imagine having to commute to DC or Arlington. Crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Annandale, south Falls Church, north Springfield = South Arlington/Alexandria extended

Can we safely assume that means that there are some low-income and minority residents there, too? Got it.

Some people like the diversity in these communities. Others are indifferent or even initially consider it a negative, but still decide they will accept it, rather than spend at least three hours every day commuting back and forth. And who knows who's going to be living in tract housing in Ashburn in 10 years anyway?

[Anonymous]

5:58, do you have a link to any stories?

18:41, I have lived with drug dealers, boarding houses, and hostile extended families on my block. Neighbors having drunken fights at 1am -- are they part of the charm or just the price you pay -- hey, at least you don't have a commute!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5:58, do you have a link to any stories?

18:41, I have lived with drug dealers, boarding houses, and hostile extended families on my block. Neighbors having drunken fights at 1am -- are they part of the charm or just the price you pay -- hey, at least you don't have a commute!

I'm not seeing the connection. You lived on a shitty block for a few years, so no one should live in a decent neighborhood somewhere else if the local school boundaries include any low-income neighborhoods? Were you really so traumatized by the experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5:58, do you have a link to any stories?

18:41, I have lived with drug dealers, boarding houses, and hostile extended families on my block. Neighbors having drunken fights at 1am -- are they part of the charm or just the price you pay -- hey, at least you don't have a commute!

I'm not seeing the connection. You lived on a shitty block for a few years, so no one should live in a decent neighborhood somewhere else if the local school boundaries include any low-income neighborhoods? Were you really so traumatized by the experience?

No, just providing a counterweight to folks who think South Arlington, Annandale, south Falls Church, etc., are fabulous alternatives for those making under 150k HHI, because a commute over 30 minutes long is just TERRIBLE and HORRIBLE and MUST BE AVOIDED!

OTOH, if you end up in a HOA Hell in Ashburn, you've now got the terrible commute and terrible neighbors.

Moral of the story: your immediate neighbors can make or break an area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No, just providing a counterweight to folks who think South Arlington, Annandale, south Falls Church, etc., are fabulous alternatives for those making under 150k HHI, because a commute over 30 minutes long is just TERRIBLE and HORRIBLE and MUST BE AVOIDED!

OTOH, if you end up in a HOA Hell in Ashburn, you've now got the terrible commute and terrible neighbors.

Moral of the story: your immediate neighbors can make or break an area.

"Fabulous" isn't really in my vocabulary. They can be good options that don't necessarily entail living on a block like your old block. There's a lot of territory between places that are within 30 minutes of DC and Ashburn. If OP can regularly get from a house in Ashburn to DC in even 45 minutes during normal working hours, I'm going to put in a bid on that house, too.

I don't disagree with the moral of your story, but don't think it's the only one worth telling. You can have great neighbors in South Arlington, Annandale or south FC.

[Anonymous]

I would pick ashburn
A single family home without an hoa, space, kids can ride bicycles, be home alone, etc
And the nicer crowd at the school, you leave bg city problems behind

Just to give the kids the nicer environment is totally worth it.
Sounds like some jealous city folks complaining here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would pick ashburn
A single family home without an hoa, space, kids can ride bicycles, be home alone, etc
And the nicer crowd at the school, you leave bg city problems behind

Just to give the kids the nicer environment is totally worth it.
Sounds like some jealous city folks complaining here

Did you pull this out of your files from 1974? But, yes, be prepared for your kids to "be home alone" a lot if you have to commute back and forth to DC from Ashburn.

[Anonymous]

Pretty sure HOAs have taken over Ashburn. Was just there last weekend visitng some friends... lovely home, crappy soul sucking commute. OH, FYI, I live in S Arlington and I am a great neighbor, as are all of my neighbors!

[Anonymous]

Where are there single family homes in Ashburn without HOAs?