Think hard about schools. Public/private? That will factor into what neighborhood you choose if you want to do public. North Arlington or McLean should be fine for your husband's commute. Don't be fooled by mileage...traffic is SO. BAD. Vienna looks close enough to McLean and it can take an extra 45 min at rush hour.

I don't know what your budget is...but I think Chestrrbrook forest and Franklin park are two nice spots with a range of price points.

Anonymous wrote:Culturally, arts-wise, this place will be arid compared to the NYC scene.
Traffic-wise, it is worse than NYC.
Real estate-wise: if you thought things would improve, you are mistaken.
Rent before you buy here:

Not true at all. Even when you find a deal in NYC, fees are astronomical. It's much easier to find a decent amount of space at a reasonable price.
As to your other points, well, no real arguments there.

What are you looking for in a neighborhood? I live in North Arlington and love it, also work in G-town and the commute couldn't be faster unless I lived in the city, but then we wouldn't have great schools. Depending on your budget, I'd definitely look into N Arlington -- there are so many great neighborhoods. But I think PP is right that renting first is a good idea. However, renting can sometimes make you feel more transient and not like part of the neighborhood, so a good real estate agent might help you a lot. Ours was patient with us for a YEAR while we rented and sussed out exactly what sort of neighborhood/commute/schools we were looking for and waiting for the right house. We got it and couldn't be happier. Granted, we were not coming from NYC (but rather Philly) but the prices weren't egregious for what we got.

Good luck and welcome!

Anonymous wrote:Culturally, arts-wise, this place will be arid compared to the NYC scene.
Traffic-wise, it is worse than NYC.
Real estate-wise: if you thought things would improve, you are mistaken.
Rent before you buy here:

+1000

Culturally, arts-wise, this place will be arid compared to the NYC scene.
Traffic-wise, it is worse than NYC.
Real estate-wise: if you thought things would improve, you are mistaken.
Rent before you buy here:

Really depends on the county and city you will be moving too! NOVA is very big and lots of hidden gems everywhere. If you have an idea of the area you will be living in, it'll be easier to give recommendations.

All of Northern Virginia does not count as "a neighborhood." I don't mean to be snarky, but it really is impossible to give advice that is not uselessly general/irrelevant without some idea of where you will be -- please post your specific area or at least the town to get more relevant advice.

It all going to depend on your budget.

North Arlington (or South Arlington) would be a quick hop into Georgetown, and if you stay here long-term, the arlington schools do a good job with special needs programming.

Lots of theater around here in DC and the surrounding jurisdictions. Plenty of good kids' theater - google Imagination Stage, Adventure Theatre, Puppet Company Playhouse, Encore Stage & Studio. Also "Theater in the Woods" in McLean. (And Jammin' Java and Boogie Babes for musical offerings suitable for younger kids.)

MONA has lots of events too. (Moms of North Arlington.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you moving from? Do you have a realistic expectation of the cost of living here? It can be a shock for some.

She's moving from NYC.

Oy, read right past that. Sorry.

Anonymous wrote:Where are you moving from? Do you have a realistic expectation of the cost of living here? It can be a shock for some.

She's moving from NYC.

Where are you moving from? Do you have a realistic expectation of the cost of living here? It can be a shock for some.

What area of NOVA? Where depends quite a bit on what people might recommend.

Welcome!

Hi! We are moving to NOVA from NYC in the next two months, relocating for my husband's new job. We have been dreaming of moving to the VA/DC area for years and it's a little unreal that it will soon finally become a reality!
Just popping on here to ask- what should we look forward to? What would you tell a new parent to the neighborhood? What hidden gems can you share? We're excited to join the community!


A little about us:
My husband will be working at Georgetown University. We are both former performers, love theater, musicals especially. I ran an arts education organization for 15 years before our son was born last year, and have since worked from home (a SAHM) on legal software. We have a bright, very social, 18-month son who right now excels in language and fine motor skills, but has gross motor skill delay as a result of early health/medical issues. He receives Early Intervention Physical therapy services in NY right now, and we are hoping to transfer those to the VA area until he is "caught up" with his peers, or at least progress enough that we feel he can be independant.

Thanks in advance for your recommendations and advice!