Anonymous wrote:How do folks manage these commutes with small, school age kids? I'm considering commuting from Annapolis to DC and I'm curious about the logistics. Husband leaves too early to do the drop off.

Both DH and I have lengthy commutes (me 1 hr and him 1.5hr.) Our kids go to private school half way between home and our jobs (well, a bit closer for me.) He goes in early (ie out the door by 6am) and I drop the kids off at before care (7:30am.) I get to work at 8:00 and work till 4:30ish. The kids go to aftercare. On the days I need to pick up, I get them around 5:15 and we get home at 6pm. Most days DH picks up and he gets them closer to 4:30 and is home 5:15ish. It isn't ideal - thankfully the kids love before/after care - but it does make the evenings pretty miserable with trying to get homework/dinner/bath done in time for bedtime.

Anonymous wrote:The monster commuters probably chortle among themselves about folks paying $750G for a rowhome with no yard and still have to send kids to private school.

I had to LOL at that one.

Some people value closeness to major cultural centers.

Other folks are content living in the various edge towns (a catch-all to describe Winchester, Front Royal, Frederick, Warrenton, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, and Annapolis) and living a "30-50% of the Old Town Alexandria experience at 20-50% the cost with non-failing schools" sort of life. I freely cop to being one of these.

Still others simply don't make the money and they have to spend $200k to get a home in "random subdivision outside Winchester." Because $200k gets you ... just about nothing inside the Beltway.

I work with many people on the Hill who commute from Stafford and Baltimore. Most have spouses that work in an opposite direction and they mostly have kids. Not everyone's careers are flexible enough to find work anywhere. If you're very specialized, it's difficult.

A friend of mine just started a new job with a 3 hour commute (each way). She lives north of Baltimore and will be working at the captial.

I wouldn't consider mine a monster commute but it is still about 65-80 minutes one way + 10 more for daycare drop off or pick up. I live about 20 miles from work. Drive to and park at metro. I have to transfer lines twice which is an issue....if there are problems on the blue yellow or red lines, I am affected.

But, I actually don't mind it. Lots of good reading time, and once the new metro schedule and line changes take effect in June, I will eliminate one transfer I also work from home one day a week. And some Fridays, my husband drives me in. Then it only takes about 40 minutes. I am just lazy and hate driving, so I take the longer metro commute.

Used to work with a lady who commuted from Remington, VA to Capitol Hill with her husband, SIL, and MIL every day. They had all negotiated flex schedules so they were up at 3:30 AM, out the door by 4:30, at their desks by 6 and out again at 2:00 to avoid the afternoon rush. They had done this for about 15 years at the time. It worked for them. When I expressed amazement that they would even consider such a thing, they all shrugged and said they loved country living and couldn't imagine living anywhere else, and they liked their jobs and were paid well, so it was no bother to them.

Just recently worked with someone who commuted to DC from Arnold, MD. That's a haul.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm about to start McLean to Gaithersburg. It's reverse in the morning, but a beast in the evenings right now. Please open the hot
lanes!!

This is actually not a bad commute. Will probably take 30 to 40 minutes.

Not in the evenings, unless it's outside of rush hour. 270 will likely be fine, but 495...but it's still not a monster commute. Nothing like coming from west virginia or pa.

Anonymous wrote:No I haven't, I'm not proud of it either, or trying to make a point. We have been in DC only 1.5 years.

People don't live in Middleburg to save money. People live in Middleburg because they have sick money. Its a lifestyle. My co-worker lives in Middleburg and owns race horses. He has lighted tennis courts and a "staff". This is where Jack Kent Cooke Lived and where the Mellon (you know of Carnegie) still live.

I have no idea why my co-worker even works, I suppose to keep busy...It floors me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You see a lot of monster commutes at the Pentagon. I know someone who commutes from Front Royal and a couple from Warrenton or further out- those tend to be folks closer to retirement who have already bought the farm they plan to retire.

Have known several that commute from West Virginia - those tend to be young enlisted men who can't afford to live in this area.

Wouldn't the cost of such an extensive commute eat up most of the money you'd save living that far out? Like the admin who rides the bus from Richmond... how much can she possibly make to make that commute worthwhile? There's no admin jobs in Richmond?

That's my question too. With $4.50 gas prices as well as it being a a horrible waste of time. Maybe they are stuck in their homes and can't move? I'd rather live in a small condo closer to work than a bigger house far away, but that's just me. Can't imagine losing 3+ hours a day just to commuting...

No, they are priced OUT of hte DC market. Not everyone can even afford a condo. The SFH that my nanny just bought in Stephens City is in a nice community with a nice school and it is costing her 150K for a brand new home. There is more savings out on the country than just on rent/mortgage. We are talking personal propertly taxes on a home of under 1K/yr. Groceries are less expensive, kids sports less expensive, home repairs less expensive, car repairs less expensive, haircuts less expensive, and yes, even though they fill up their tanks with more gas, even that is less expensive per gallon.

As someone with a HHI of near 400K, I still can understand WHY people have to have a hellish commute, not everyone is as fortunate as I to have a high paying job close to my home. Poor people want homes too.

No I haven't, I'm not proud of it either, or trying to make a point. We have been in DC only 1.5 years.

Anonymous wrote:"Middleburg, Upperville, Aldie, Hume"

I have never heard of any of these places! Are they in Virginia?

You've never heard of Middleburg?

It is horse country out in Loudoun/Fauquier counties.

"Middleburg, Upperville, Aldie, Hume"

I have never heard of any of these places! Are they in Virginia?

Anonymous wrote:I'm about to start McLean to Gaithersburg. It's reverse in the morning, but a beast in the evenings right now. Please open the hot
lanes!!

This is actually not a bad commute. Will probably take 30 to 40 minutes.

How do folks manage these commutes with small, school age kids? I'm considering commuting from Annapolis to DC and I'm curious about the logistics. Husband leaves too early to do the drop off.