Commuting from Vienna
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Anonymous
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Lots of great info on this site, but I'm still a bit confused. We have kids so are looking for a house with enough space and a yard and good schools while still giving us reasonable commutes. I get the sense that if we want to drive into DC we're better off in Falls Church/McLean, but if we want to use metro, we'd be ok in Vienna as long as we're near the Vienna metro station. Are you better of living in Oakton or on the side of Vienna near the Vienna metro stop than you are in other parts of Vienna if you're going to take metro into DC? They're a further drive from DC but it seems like the time shaved off commuting to the metro from the other side of Vienna would be worth it.
I also get the sense that being close but not walking distance away from Greensboro/Spring Hill/Tyson's corner is useless since there is no parking. Is that right? Are there parking areas I am missing for these stations or do people just get dropped off/bike/walk and nothing else? There's a chance my husband would need to drive into Rockville instead of metro to DC. Google maps make it look like the drive from Vienna is manageable (30 if you catch it right, 45 or 60 minutes if you hit more traffic). Is that accurate? Thanks! |
Anonymous
| I cannot imagine commuting from Vienna to Rockville. That sounds absolutely miserable. |
Anonymous
I think you are pretty much on target. If you want to live in Vienna and take the Metro, the best options are to live near the Vienna Metro or the Dunn Loring Metro, which means preferably 22180 or 22181 not too far from Metro. Keep in mind that the Vienna Metro lots can fill up early with commuters from places like Fairfax and Centreville. The Greensboro/Spring Hill/Tysons Corner stations aren't of much use unless you live in, or are commuting to, Tysons. Falls Church and McLean give you more options (better, in fact, than many Arlington neighborhoods) because you are near Metro stations with parking (the WMATA lot at West Falls Church and the private lot at McLean) and the drive is manageable. Driving to Rockville from Vienna would be a PITA - better to try and live in Falls Church or McLean near 495 if that's in the cards. |
Anonymous
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It depends on your lifestyle and your work hours. Prime hours will be a slog, otherwise not too bad.
I'm in Vienna and have neighbors that commute all over. Rockville, DC ( some drive, some metro)Alexandria, even Gainesville. All seem pretty happy and have no plans to leave Vienna. Great schools, great community. Oakton wouldn't be a good location if traveling to Rockville. Farther to both 66 and 495. BUT, if you're both traveling during peak hours your commute will be long. Not unbearable, but long for sure. |
Anonymous
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If you work in MD, live in MD.
If you work in VA, live in VA. If you work in DC, you have more flexibility but still base your home on where your office actually is in DC. |
Anonymous
| What is your budget, OP? |
Anonymous
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OP here. Willing to do some renovations on something in the 6s/7s or maybe go up to something in the low 8s if it doesn't require any renovations. We've always lived in the city before, so I was attracted to the description of Vienna as having a mainstreet type area compared to the more classic suburban vibe of some other areas, but I've never seen any of it in person. Unfortunately we might have to do much of our search online, so I want to be able to narrow in on a limited number of areas to make the most of what's likely to be a short visit to tour homes. I see nice homes online in Vienna but then realize they're 15 minutes minimum from the metro which seems like it would make DH's commute to DC too long. McLean just seems more expensive and from a metro perspective doesn't shave off that much time on your commute. Even there, it seems like it would be easy to live pretty far from the metro. People talk about Oakton like it's pretty far out, but it seems much closer to the Vienna metro than parts of Vienna up closer to Wolf Trap.
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Anonymous
| You should look in McLean along the beltway if you want VA. |
Anonymous
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I live in 22180. What time will you leave? If I drive in, I leave at 6:00 am and get to metro center at 6:30. That's because I drive alone. If I ride my motorcycle in I can still use 66 and I leave about 6:30. At metro center by 6:50 or so. Traffic lightens considerably right at 6:30.
I used to metro in. But driving is faster and garage parking at metro center is the same as parking at the metro and training downtown and back. Parking for the motorcycle is 3.00 a day. That's a no brained. |
Anonymous
McLean/22101 (inside the Beltway) and Falls Church/22043 shave a fair amount of time off your commute if you are driving to DC compared to Vienna, since you're on the other side of Tysons. If doesn't necessarily shave a lot of time off if you're taking Metro, but it's still more convenient because it's easier to find parking at the West Falls Church or McLean stations than at the Vienna station, which is the end of the Orange Line. Given your budget, I might focus on Falls Church City or the parts of Falls Church/22043 that feed into McLean or Marshall, or Falls Church City. As for Oakton, you are right that parts are more convenient to Metro (the Vienna station) than the parts of Vienna near Wolf Trap (or, for that matter, McLean/22102, which is largely outside the Beltway). |
Anonymous
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If your husband needs to metro in or also get to Rockville, I'd live in N Bethesda 20852 near white flint. Then you can do both those things. No reason to be in Vienna or anywhere in NoVa.
An example: https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/7020-Sulky-Ln-20852/home/10505424 |
Anonymous
+1 This. Live near where you work. Vienna to Rockville, no. |
Anonymous
+1000 We work in downtown DC, we live in DC 1.5 miles from the office. Don't inflict yourself with a bridge crossing. That's commuter suicide. |
Anonymous
Ridiculous. DC has so many negatives that living elsewhere is usually better. |
Anonymous
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I live in 22181 (Vienna metro) and commute to DC. DH walks to the Metro station and I drive because I do childcare drop off on the way. The drive can be 20 minutes, door to TR Bridge, if you leave at 6:45 and are HOV on 66. It's more like 40 minutes if you leave at 7:00, and an hour going west bound in the afternoon. The Metro takes 40 - 60 minutes to get downtown if nothing goes wrong. We are looking at moving closer in, but when you factor in local traffic to get to the highway, it doesn't seem like a huge time saver
I like my neighborhood very much ot but, fyi, the "main street" is BS. I try not to go into town. |