We live right in the center of the Town of Vienna. Despite having 123 running through the center of town, there is definitely a "small town" feel and we can walk to just about everything. My DH used to work in Ashburn and the commute was pretty easy, as it was against traffic, although it did include tolls (which seem to keep going up) There are some townhouses within Vienna town limits--not sure how often they come on the market, but I'd recommend coming and spending some time in town (go out to eat, walk or bike the trail, hit some shops, etc). to see how you like it. The bonus of you already being in the area is that you can spend some time checking out towns before you take the plunge. Good luck finding a good fit for you.

I think you might like Fairfax City, though I'm not sure how the commute would be from there to Ashburn. Or maybe Vienna? I know less about Vienna but lots of folks speak highly of that area.

You aren't going to find what you are looking for in your budget. Just trying to save you some time. I agree with whoever suggested the Lake Anne shopping center area. That's the closest you will get to a walkable "town" in your budget. Sorry. If there was something like what you wanted (which is what we all want!), it would be unaffordable.

Anonymous wrote:Herdon is nice but we want to go a bit more east. Closer to DC and more to do. We are looking for a change. Does anyone live in or near Annandale? Or can anyone give some feedback on the town?

It's not a town, just a postal address in Fairfax County. Very typical 1960s suburban sprawl. The older sections are very diverse, mostly Asian and Latino. Annandale west of the Beltway tends to be more popular on this forum and the schools have better reputations. With your wish list in mind, I think Reston or maybe Fairfax City are your best options. You really won't find what you're looking for with your budget close to DC.

Herdon is nice but we want to go a bit more east. Closer to DC and more to do. We are looking for a change. Does anyone live in or near Annandale? Or can anyone give some feedback on the town?

What about somewhere in the town of Herndon? There are some beautiful, and smaller, historic homes. More of a charming village feel and cutting through to Ashburn, going against traffic in the AM, wouldn't be a problem. I just saw a home built in 1900 that was so charming, listed for 525k.

Where in NY are you flying to? You can fly into Islip now from National.

Reston and Burke are both awesome for families. If you're looking for towns like on LI, forget about it. It doesn't exist in the highly transient metro- DC area. It's just different, period.

If you're starting a family, keep the commute for your H in consideration as you would want him around to be a father and not sitting on 495 just to "get that feel". Reston is getting the metro, which is driving up home prices. The houses are older and not as big (opposite of Ashburn).

Suggest not even considering MD. I commute from river road to Tyson's, barely on the beltway (2-3 miles) and it is a needless stress.

Look at voting patterns. Find your people.

OP, Lake Anne in Reston reminds me of some 1960s Scandinavian town. There are some really cool contemporary town houses there, that might as well be in Northern Europe. Lake Anne has a few cafes and shops, but should be much more vibrant after the planned renovation is complete. The neighborhood is walkable via the numerous walking pathways.

You could get a TH for 450-500k in Reston or Herndon fairly easily.

Frederick MD would be pushing it commute wise but if his job is close to Rt. 7 it is possible if he can leave early. You can get a renovated 3BR TH downtown for under 350k.

Bethesda would be very pricey and a miserable commute.

Leesburg is 20-25 minutes from the airport if there's no traffic; during rush hour you can take the $5 surcharge for the Greenway and make it 15 minutes. There's renovated 3BR THs for under 400k there but not as many as Frederick.

How often do you go to the airport? I would have that a lower consideration than overall price and the feel of a community, given that you commute every day, live in the community every day, feel the pain from your mortgage every day ... improvement in all that is well worth a few extra minutes to the airports.

If you need access to both BWI and Dulles, that might be a point in favor of Frederick (an hour or so from both) but Rt. 15 gets busy coming from MD to VA during morning rush and vice-versa.

If you want to be further east, definitely look at Reston. Lots of Reston-family things to do.

But don't rule out Leesburg. You could take the western route up to NY, and bypass most of the traffic on 95. You would take 15 N to Harrisburg, PA, then pick up 81 to 78 into the NJ/NY region. It may take a little longer, but you also almost never get stuck in traffic, which you cannot say about 95!

Anonymous wrote:OP, I just wanted to commiserate. It is very different. Especially the people. Oddly, there seems to be people inquiring about moving from here to there - so they will have worse problems than you and I being here!

Spend some time driving around Leesburg, perhaps.

I don't know what to tell you, since it is apples and oranges, and I have yet to find "even close". But know that you are not alone.

It is very, very different.

Glad to know there are others who feel this way. The beach is also on my wish list, but that might be a bit of a problem HAHA

Anonymous wrote:I know you said you'd rather move east, but check out Middleburg. It's about 30 minutes, or less, from Ashburn. It would be a fairly easy commute as there are many routes you could take. There are a few townhouses for sale in your price range.

OP- I LOVE Middleburg but east rather than west is a pretty strong factor in our search.

Could anyone give some feedback on the Lake Anne area of Reston? Are there a lot of young couples with young children? Will it get old and boring after a year? So far, I am liking what I have read. The 1960's vibe sounds right up my alley.

OP, I just wanted to commiserate. It is very different. Especially the people. Oddly, there seems to be people inquiring about moving from here to there - so they will have worse problems than you and I being here!

Spend some time driving around Leesburg, perhaps.

I don't know what to tell you, since it is apples and oranges, and I have yet to find "even close". But know that you are not alone.

It is very, very different.