You sound like ideal candidates for Fairlington. If you want to be even closer to Shirlington look at the closer townhouse/condo communities- The Arlington/ Courtbridge/ Wyngate, Heatherlea, etc. These are all condo style ownership with units of varying size- but many are 'townhouse' style. These should be well within your budget.
All very walkable communities, nice bike path, nice dog park, walk to shops and restaurants at Shirlington.

Go a short bit beyond Springfield, ie 10 minutes away and into Burke, and you've got the VRE which will take you into DC. Great neighborhood, definitely down-to-earth neighbors, very walkable, lots of great family-related activities, and good schools (including preschools).

Anonymous wrote:Shrilington has poor schools as does Del Ray and Rosemont. Factor this in when considering a move.

This is largely a matter of opinion, particularly on the Shirlington/APS schools. I hate when people make broad generalizations on school quality. Not everyone wants their kid to go to Yorktown or Langley.

If you're renting and not concerned about public schools--I'd look at Alexandria--either Old Town or Del Ray. $3000 rental should get you a townhouse where you can walk to metro (for your commute), close to 95S for getting to Springfield, and there's a bit of a downtown area. Del Ray is more families, Old Town has a bit more in the way of shops/restaurants.

Just a handful of examples:
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/407-Mount-Vernon-Ave-Alexandria-VA-22301/12025439_zpid/
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/424-E-Nelson-Ave-Alexandria-VA-22301/12026226_zpid/
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1205-Prince-St-STE-1-Alexandria-VA-22314/2109386928_zpid/

Shrilington has poor schools as does Del Ray and Rosemont. Factor this in when considering a move.

Del Ray or Rosemont. Very walkable and a pretty easy commute to the city and Springfield.

Penrose or Arlington Heights near Columbia Pike and S Barton Street. 16X busright downtown, easy access to 395. Walkable, partially urban partially residential.

I loved living in Shirlington. I miss it.

Anonymous wrote:I'm assuming anything in VA that's west of the city (e.g. Arlington) doesn't make sense because that would just make both of your commutes longer. Given that, the only place along the 395 corridor that really seems to fit the bill for some of that "urban walk-ability" is probably Shirlington.

+1 on Shirlington/Fairlington area. Right on 395 and easily commutable to both Springfield and downtown DC.

Broyhill Crest or Sleepy Hollow.

For just at or slightly under $3k you can rent a 3-4 bedroom, 2 bath single family home with a decent sized yard, in neighborhood full of families, sidewalks throughout and excellent schools in neighborhoods which feed into the following elementaries: West Springfield, Keene, Rolling, Orange Hunt, Hunt Valley, Kings Park/Glen, Cherry Run and parts of Sangster.

There aren't many townhome communities there, but those would rent for under your budget.

You might also want to look at the townhouses in Kingstowne.

I'm assuming anything in VA that's west of the city (e.g. Arlington) doesn't make sense because that would just make both of your commutes longer. Given that, the only place along the 395 corridor that really seems to fit the bill for some of that "urban walk-ability" is probably Shirlington.

Shirlington

If you luck out in the petty crime lottery, the Hill would probably work ok until your kid hits ES at the least.

Not sure about rental $$$ on the Hill.

But $3k isn't bad and ought to get you something more than a 1BR/den place.

If the job is working out, why move to MD in a couple years unless closeness to your family is a factor?

Hi. I was hoping to get some recommendations for neighborhoods between DC and Springfield VA. We currently live in a 1 bedroom/den condo in the city with a toddler and another baby on the way. I know people make it work, but for a number of reasons I am tired of apartment living. My DH works near Springfield, VA and I work downtown. I love my 5 minute walking commute to the office, but really just want more space and a more family-friendly neighborhood.

Our plan is to try our hand in the DC PK3 lottery this spring for schools on Capitol Hill. If we luck out, we'll find a rowhouse to rent on the Hill and continue with our current commutes. If we strike out in the lottery, I really want to cut down on DH's commute and find a rental in VA. I don't know how committed we are to staying in the DC area, so I'm not concerned about the public schools and if we do stay, I think we'd like to go back to DC or even MD once our oldest hits K although DH would have to find a new job.

I really don't know much about the VA neighborhoods along 395 so I'm not sure where to start. My DH is a city boy at heart (grew up in NYC) and not a big fan of the suburbs. I even threw out the idea of moving much closer to his job and he balked at the idea. I know this word has become a cliche around here, but walkability is really important to him. So any suggestions for us?

Again, we're primarily looking for a neighborhood in VA to park for the next couple of years. Main requirements:
-townhome or house is fine, max bud $3000/month
-family friendly (down to earth neighbors are a huge plus)
-public schools are not a concern (but good preschools nearby is another plus)
-some hint of urban walkability, even it if it generic

Thanks in advance!