Well, I'm hesitant to weigh in, as I'm one of those crazy people who lives in eastern Loudoun - and commutes to DC every day. However, to the OP who was trying to figure out what these areas offer, I can at least speak from experience. First, for the record, I don't fit most of the stereotypes I saw listed - I'm not a SAHM, not a Republican, and not at all religious. I can also confirm that there are tons of people around here who similarly don't fit the stereotypes (though there are plenty who do, and it doesn't bother me either way). Although the commute is a challenge, I've found ways to make it more bearable, and the metro will be here in 4 (long) years as well. Of course, of our friends and neighbors, I don't actually know anyone else who commutes to DC, so I guess that suggests that most of the people near me happen to work somewhere in VA.

In terms of lifestyle, I know from the other posts that it wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for us, and for me in particular. I've had the experience of living in Arlington, and I genuinely love Arlington, but with the stressful week I have at work, I find that I really enjoy the quieter setting on the weekend. I also like that I never have to even give a second thought to getting a parking place at the grocery store, or any other place for that matter, that there are tons of kid-friendly restaurants (and with no wait on a weekend night), and that I can generally run errands quickly and easily on the weekend. We are also able to do swim lessons and other activities for the kids without crazy wait lists or sign up issues. (To be clear, I'm not criticizing anyone who lives closer in and has to deal with these issues - I know that the commute is far better and provides more quality time with family during the week, which I'd love.) For me, this quieter setting on the weekend is the main draw - at least at this stage of my life. I like that it gives us a bit of extra house/yard space as well. Also, although we don't happen to live in one of these communities, there are a ton of urban-inspired communities dotted around, where you are walkable to restaurants, movie theaters, grocery stores, etc. If I had it to do all over again, I probably would've picked one of those.

In any case, the bottom line is that different people want different things, and the 'exurbs' do have something to offer - depending on what you're looking for.

Anonymous wrote:In the DC area, it is a class/culture divide. Exurbs are for folks who want an old fashioned upper-middle class lifestyle - big house and yard, SAHM, etc. - without an upper-middle class income. If you're wealthy enough, you get a big house in an established neighborhood. If you can't, you look further out. If you can afford expensive private schools, you don't have to worry about public schools quality. If you met your spouse in law/grad school, you're both going to want careers and value commute time over lots of other things. People want to get as much as they can afford for the lifestyle they aspire to

there are upper middle class people who have no desire to live in the areas you mentioned. Lifestyle choice, maybe, but not one imposed on them by finances

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Seems like I would prefer an exurb livestyle (quiet, larger piece of land) but worried about posting regarding pricing as everyone seems so keen on the new urbanization.

Western Montgomery County starting in Potomac and going all the way west to Poolesville and Darnestown has large lots and is very quiet/more rural. The commute is rough and seems like everyone works in DC. Unless you work for NIH or one of the hospitals, there aren't many professional jobs in Montgomery County. It used to be more common to live in Montgomery County/work in VA but the commute to Virginia but the traffic is horrible and the schools are better in VA now.

Frederick MD is farther out but it more traditional town surrounded by suburbs. No idea where people work but the town is very cute. Howard isn't really an exburb because so many people there work in Columbia MD. Same goes for Reston as its more likely to work in Tysons.

I live in Darnestown and I have 1 neighbor that works in DC. Medimune, owners of companies, govt. contractors, tech jobs, CEOs of companies, lawyers, doctors, accountants....

It's tremendously odd how so many people in DC think the area revolves only around working in DC. That hasn't been the case for many years. I don't know if they are dumb or just in denial about the possibility that they may not be the center of everyone's universe.

Let's put it this way, if the capital moved to Kansas, so would all these jobs.

No, actually they wouldn't, but I'm sure it makes you feel more important to think so.

I guess that answered your question.

Which brings us back to not wanting to live near these people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Seems like I would prefer an exurb livestyle (quiet, larger piece of land) but worried about posting regarding pricing as everyone seems so keen on the new urbanization.

Western Montgomery County starting in Potomac and going all the way west to Poolesville and Darnestown has large lots and is very quiet/more rural. The commute is rough and seems like everyone works in DC. Unless you work for NIH or one of the hospitals, there aren't many professional jobs in Montgomery County. It used to be more common to live in Montgomery County/work in VA but the commute to Virginia but the traffic is horrible and the schools are better in VA now.

Frederick MD is farther out but it more traditional town surrounded by suburbs. No idea where people work but the town is very cute. Howard isn't really an exburb because so many people there work in Columbia MD. Same goes for Reston as its more likely to work in Tysons.

I live in Darnestown and I have 1 neighbor that works in DC. Medimune, owners of companies, govt. contractors, tech jobs, CEOs of companies, lawyers, doctors, accountants....

It's tremendously odd how so many people in DC think the area revolves only around working in DC. That hasn't been the case for many years. I don't know if they are dumb or just in denial about the possibility that they may not be the center of everyone's universe.

Let's put it this way, if the capital moved to Kansas, so would all these jobs.

No, actually they wouldn't, but I'm sure it makes you feel more important to think so.

Ashburn and Urbana are exburbs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Seems like I would prefer an exurb livestyle (quiet, larger piece of land) but worried about posting regarding pricing as everyone seems so keen on the new urbanization.

Western Montgomery County starting in Potomac and going all the way west to Poolesville and Darnestown has large lots and is very quiet/more rural. The commute is rough and seems like everyone works in DC. Unless you work for NIH or one of the hospitals, there aren't many professional jobs in Montgomery County. It used to be more common to live in Montgomery County/work in VA but the commute to Virginia but the traffic is horrible and the schools are better in VA now.

Frederick MD is farther out but it more traditional town surrounded by suburbs. No idea where people work but the town is very cute. Howard isn't really an exburb because so many people there work in Columbia MD. Same goes for Reston as its more likely to work in Tysons.

I live in Darnestown and I have 1 neighbor that works in DC. Medimune, owners of companies, govt. contractors, tech jobs, CEOs of companies, lawyers, doctors, accountants....

It's tremendously odd how so many people in DC think the area revolves only around working in DC. That hasn't been the case for many years. I don't know if they are dumb or just in denial about the possibility that they may not be the center of everyone's universe.

Let's put it this way, if the capital moved to Kansas, so would all these jobs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Seems like I would prefer an exurb livestyle (quiet, larger piece of land) but worried about posting regarding pricing as everyone seems so keen on the new urbanization.

Western Montgomery County starting in Potomac and going all the way west to Poolesville and Darnestown has large lots and is very quiet/more rural. The commute is rough and seems like everyone works in DC. Unless you work for NIH or one of the hospitals, there aren't many professional jobs in Montgomery County. It used to be more common to live in Montgomery County/work in VA but the commute to Virginia but the traffic is horrible and the schools are better in VA now.

Frederick MD is farther out but it more traditional town surrounded by suburbs. No idea where people work but the town is very cute. Howard isn't really an exburb because so many people there work in Columbia MD. Same goes for Reston as its more likely to work in Tysons.

I live in Darnestown and I have 1 neighbor that works in DC. Medimune, owners of companies, govt. contractors, tech jobs, CEOs of companies, lawyers, doctors, accountants....

It's tremendously odd how so many people in DC think the area revolves only around working in DC. That hasn't been the case for many years. I don't know if they are dumb or just in denial about the possibility that they may not be the center of everyone's universe.

WV = exurb

Anonymous wrote:

Seems like I would prefer an exurb livestyle (quiet, larger piece of land) but worried about posting regarding pricing as everyone seems so keen on the new urbanization.

Western Montgomery County starting in Potomac and going all the way west to Poolesville and Darnestown has large lots and is very quiet/more rural. The commute is rough and seems like everyone works in DC. Unless you work for NIH or one of the hospitals, there aren't many professional jobs in Montgomery County. It used to be more common to live in Montgomery County/work in VA but the commute to Virginia but the traffic is horrible and the schools are better in VA now.

Frederick MD is farther out but it more traditional town surrounded by suburbs. No idea where people work but the town is very cute. Howard isn't really an exburb because so many people there work in Columbia MD. Same goes for Reston as its more likely to work in Tysons.

I live in Darnestown and I have 1 neighbor that works in DC. Medimune, owners of companies, govt. contractors, tech jobs, CEOs of companies, lawyers, doctors, accountants....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the DC area, it is a class/culture divide. Exurbs are for folks who want an old fashioned upper-middle class lifestyle - big house and yard, SAHM, etc. - without an upper-middle class income. If you're wealthy enough, you get a big house in an established neighborhood. If you can't, you look further out. If you can afford expensive private schools, you don't have to worry about public schools quality. If you met your spouse in law/grad school, you're both going to want careers and value commute time over lots of other things. People want to get as much as they can afford for the lifestyle they aspire to

OP here. Thank you - this is helpful. If your take is accurate it would seem to be that the exurbs will suffer desirability at the expense of the suburbs if we continue to see a greater division of income. I would have thought that with more folks working from home through the use of technology this would not be the case. It seems like since the recession this is indeed the case though, that is more folks wanting to suburban vs exurban life style.

This person is delusional.


Many, many, many people don't like cities. Even more would rather burn alive than to live near bethesda and potomac people. I don't think the poster knows many people in the ex burbs.

Anonymous wrote:Close-in suburbs - Arlington, Falls Church, inside-the-beltway Fairfax and Alexandria.
Suburbs - the rest of Fairfax and Alexandria, Loudoun and probably Prince William.
Exurbs - anything beyond that, so Fauquier, Spotsylvania, etc.
There is probably a specific mileage definition too, i.e. how many miles an area is from the city with which it's associated, whether you commute to that city or not. Where you commute to has nothing to do with the definition of your area.

Agree but would put most of PWC in the exurb category unless you live very close to VRE.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the DC area, it is a class/culture divide. Exurbs are for folks who want an old fashioned upper-middle class lifestyle - big house and yard, SAHM, etc. - without an upper-middle class income. If you're wealthy enough, you get a big house in an established neighborhood. If you can't, you look further out. If you can afford expensive private schools, you don't have to worry about public schools quality. If you met your spouse in law/grad school, you're both going to want careers and value commute time over lots of other things. People want to get as much as they can afford for the lifestyle they aspire to

OP here. Thank you - this is helpful. If your take is accurate it would seem to be that the exurbs will suffer desirability at the expense of the suburbs if we continue to see a greater division of income. I would have thought that with more folks working from home through the use of technology this would not be the case. It seems like since the recession this is indeed the case though, that is more folks wanting to suburban vs exurban life style.

I'm the pp from the other thread that owns the house in Manassas. We bought because it was affordable. We had a 1 bedroom+den apartment that was 1300 and IIRC going up to about 1400. A two bedroom in that building was 1800. Our house is big (at least to us) and only 1500/month. We had other debts. The place was affordable - that's why we bought out here. It wasn't any of this "lifestyle" Mumbojumbo - it was purely a financial decision. TBH, it was odd coming out here. The culture isn't that different but it is a slight shift. The biggest shock was seeing how badly people needed work out here in 2010. Self employed laborers, painters, landscapers, tree companies, etc would leave unsolicited business cards on or door nearly every day. Unfortunately we couldn't afford to hire them back then. Now we could probably hire someone to help with some work but they aren't leaving the business cards any longer. I went with DH to the hardware store to pick out a couple of things a couple weeks after we moved and there were 3 people that approached us in the actual hardware store asking if we needed help with the work. It made me sad.

Anonymous wrote:In the DC area, it is a class/culture divide. Exurbs are for folks who want an old fashioned upper-middle class lifestyle - big house and yard, SAHM, etc. - without an upper-middle class income. If you're wealthy enough, you get a big house in an established neighborhood. If you can't, you look further out. If you can afford expensive private schools, you don't have to worry about public schools quality. If you met your spouse in law/grad school, you're both going to want careers and value commute time over lots of other things. People want to get as much as they can afford for the lifestyle they aspire to

OP here. Thank you - this is helpful. If your take is accurate it would seem to be that the exurbs will suffer desirability at the expense of the suburbs if we continue to see a greater division of income. I would have thought that with more folks working from home through the use of technology this would not be the case. It seems like since the recession this is indeed the case though, that is more folks wanting to suburban vs exurban life style.

The only difference between an exurb and a rural area is that exurbanites do tend to commute in to the city, while rural Americans don't.

A residential street somewhere outside of the city center with sidewalks and relatively close neighbors to me is a suburb. A winding country road with 1+ acre lots that happens to be within 2 hours of a city, to me, is an exurb.

In the DC area, it is a class/culture divide. Exurbs are for folks who want an old fashioned upper-middle class lifestyle - big house and yard, SAHM, etc. - without an upper-middle class income. If you're wealthy enough, you get a big house in an established neighborhood. If you can't, you look further out. If you can afford expensive private schools, you don't have to worry about public schools quality. If you met your spouse in law/grad school, you're both going to want careers and value commute time over lots of other things. People want to get as much as they can afford for the lifestyle they aspire to