All the posts about 30 minutes from VA and MD to downtown DC makes me laugh. I drive my child from downtown DC to a charter in Brookland every morning, all of 3 miles and 15 minutes door to door at pickup in the afternoon. This morning it was 15 minutes to Brookland from downtown against traffic and forty minutes coming back with all the commuters heading downtown for the 3 miles, all within DC and going up and down N. Capitol, a little worse than the usual 30 minutes back. All these 'easy' commutes aren't happening during rush hour.

You seem to be quite the jealous bitch, PP. You make me laugh.

I live in the outer burbs (near W. parts of Ho Co) and commute into Silver Spring.

30 minutes tops b/c I leave around 6 am. to get to work by 6:30 - and not at "some little office out in the exurbs" - condescending little minx, aren't you?

I work PT at my NON-little office out in the exurbs, and I also do consulting.

BTW - DC is not the end all for everyone. I worked in DC when I was single and chose to do something else for a better work-life balance. sorry if you can't seem to do the same

So call me a liar. I could give a rat's ass. My life is good! And I have no complaints! Don't project your issues onto everyone else b/c you're miserable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

We live in Clarendon and the drive is easily 30 minutes if we left after 745. If we leave closer to 7 we can be on K street in 10 minutes or so. It's crazy how quickly the traffic piles up in that time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who commutes to downtown dc from Gainesville VA and I think she truly really hates her life.

She has a beautiful house though!

Is she ever simultaneously home and awake to enjoy it? No snark. I just always wonder. That just sounds so rough.

I doubt it. Her life is... terrible. Her commute is at least 2 hours + each way.

Anonymous wrote:In the 1990's you couldn't do Upper Marlboro to Capitol Hill in 30 minutes. It took at least 45 minutes to an hour. Now it is much longer than that.

But the commute has way less density than anywhere in NoVa.

+1 Most definitely. I think at this point almost anywhere outside the beltway is a 45 min commute, even in sparse parts of PG County.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

wow, the first honest comment about commute time from arlington I've ever heard on this forum.

LOL! I was thinking that too! From Cleveland Park (near Mass) to Downtown takes me 15 mins @ rush hour. Everyone I know IRL tells me it takes them 30 mins from N. Arl, but somehow for everyone on DCUM it's always 15 mins???

Anyway, some of you are being really mean to OP. She already feels bad. OP, if you can't telecommute or work during off hours, maybe think about using your house as a weekend home and move back into your house in the city. Then you'd have the best of both worlds!

I bet you could get from Upper Marlboro to D.C. in thirty minutes it is all in which route you take.

Based on my limited knowledge of driving into N Arlington from DC during rush hour once a week, all routes into dc are packed between 8:30 and 9am. It doesn't matter which route you take, you're stuck in traffic. Claiming it takes 15 mins to any part of DC, other than Georgetown or Spring Valley, from Arlington is bogus. Now, if you're leaving at 7am, I'm sure it's clear sailing.

and at least another 15 minutes just to get out of dc in the evening, with all the va hordes of traffic blocking every box in downtown dc on the exit routes causing gridlock...

In the 1990's you couldn't do Upper Marlboro to Capitol Hill in 30 minutes. It took at least 45 minutes to an hour. Now it is much longer than that.

But the commute has way less density than anywhere in NoVa.

OP, can you work closer to home? what do you do for a living? If it's something like "HR manager" or nurse or contract specialist, I bet you can find something professional near you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

wow, the first honest comment about commute time from arlington I've ever heard on this forum.

LOL! I was thinking that too! From Cleveland Park (near Mass) to Downtown takes me 15 mins @ rush hour. Everyone I know IRL tells me it takes them 30 mins from N. Arl, but somehow for everyone on DCUM it's always 15 mins???

Anyway, some of you are being really mean to OP. She already feels bad. OP, if you can't telecommute or work during off hours, maybe think about using your house as a weekend home and move back into your house in the city. Then you'd have the best of both worlds!

I bet you could get from Upper Marlboro to D.C. in thirty minutes it is all in which route you take.

Based on my limited knowledge of driving into N Arlington from DC during rush hour once a week, all routes into dc are packed between 8:30 and 9am. It doesn't matter which route you take, you're stuck in traffic. Claiming it takes 15 mins to any part of DC, other than Georgetown or Spring Valley, from Arlington is bogus. Now, if you're leaving at 7am, I'm sure it's clear sailing.

Buyers remorse is a crummy feeling, OP, sorry you are going through it.

fwiw, traffic seems to peak in September and October when schools go back into session so maybe you are just experiencing the worst of it.

I would give it a whole year and keep a record of how you are feeling so when that year is up you can make an informed decision about whether to sell or stay.

I was looking at the admissions to high school from Loudoun Country Day and some of those kids are going onto schools in D.C. and Chevy Chase.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

wow, the first honest comment about commute time from arlington I've ever heard on this forum.

LOL! I was thinking that too! From Cleveland Park (near Mass) to Downtown takes me 15 mins @ rush hour. Everyone I know IRL tells me it takes them 30 mins from N. Arl, but somehow for everyone on DCUM it's always 15 mins???

Anyway, some of you are being really mean to OP. She already feels bad. OP, if you can't telecommute or work during off hours, maybe think about using your house as a weekend home and move back into your house in the city. Then you'd have the best of both worlds!

I bet you could get from Upper Marlboro to D.C. in thirty minutes it is all in which route you take.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for telling your story. Confirms our decision to stay in our house and all the crap DC has to offer for our 15 minute walk to work. No house, yard, space, whatever is worth a 1.5-2hr commute one way, everyday. Sounds truly soul sucking.

There's a happy medium.

If I were single, I'd probably opt for a nice condo closer in. But with kids, I don't regret moving farther out. My commute is only 30 minutes - on a bad day, and we are out there, as there's only one way into our neighborhood.

So if OP likes a bigger house in a quiet area, I'm sure there are other options that don't such the life out of her b/c of a miserable commute.

Where do you live and what time are you commuting? Are you commuting to DC or to somewhere else (some little office out in the exurbs?).

Because if you claim to be living far out and commuting to DC, I'm calling BS on you.

I live in North Arlington, and at rush hour, my commute can be 30 minutes for the 4 miles I have to drive to Farragut West (granted, I usually just take metro or the bus, both of which I live near). Off hours that drive is 8 minutes, but that hardly counts unless you have accommodations at work (early schedule, flexible hours, etc).

You most certainly are lying if you really live "out there" and commute to DC.

wow, the first honest comment about commute time from arlington I've ever heard on this forum.

LOL! I was thinking that too! From Cleveland Park (near Mass) to Downtown takes me 15 mins @ rush hour. Everyone I know IRL tells me it takes them 30 mins from N. Arl, but somehow for everyone on DCUM it's always 15 mins???

Anyway, some of you are being really mean to OP. She already feels bad. OP, if you can't telecommute or work during off hours, maybe think about using your house as a weekend home and move back into your house in the city. Then you'd have the best of both worlds!

Most of the people that I worked with that lived far away, including in West Virginia, worked an alternative schedule in the government so they were in early and left 2:30 or 3:00pm. I also suspect if they had kids the spouse either stayed at home or worked near the house. I'm not sure if you have kids or plan to have kids but I'm telling you now that the events, by the nature of the school day, will not be convenient. We love close in and my DH complains that the morning events, like Donuts for Dads, means a solid hour to an hour and a half for him to get to his desk between traffic and where he can park at work at that time. He is used to getting in at 6:00am, so starting his day close to 10am means he debates if it isn't better to just take off the day. The afternoon events, like Haloween parade or Author's tea, may be around 2:00pm and will end with just enough time that many parents will take their kids home afterwards rather than coming back in 30 minutes. My kids go to aftercare so I wave goodbye. Oh, and lets not talk about weather. If there might even be a snowflake thinking of coming down, there will be a late start or early dismissal. There was one February two years ago when I wondered when I had time to go to work, it was either weather, or someone was sick. I was lucky to be close to their school and able to take back roads because there was one day it took DH 2 hours to get home from DC to a home inside the Beltway.

So like everyone said, of you aren't making plans to move back closer, you will need to find a job that will offer an alternative work schedule, telecommute 1 or 2 days (and I will tell you even with my 30-45 minute commute, having one day I don't have to commute makes a difference mentally), or find a job closer to Charles County.

Good luck. Also if you don't know, Halloween during the work week is one of the worst traffic days. Every parent taking kids trick or treating is trying to be home the same time. Either take off that day, leave half day, or wait out everyone trying to get back and leave 7pm.

so typical. People want the big house and thing "oh the collute will be worth the bigger house." Then they live the life and have no life because of the commute and regret it. Yup I'd take a smaller older home over a big new home with an insne commute any day.