Moving to Arlington, VA
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Moving to Arlington with a toddler
Jan 2011
My husband and I are contemplating moving from the Bay Area to Arlington, VA. He was offered a new job he is very excited about. I've read through the archive and all of the postings are several years old. Does anyone have any advice for us on places to live? We live near Rockridge and really love the walkability of the neighborhood. Is there a Rockridge or Berkeley-like area someone could point us too? How is the public transportation in Arlington-DC? What is the Cost of Living like? I would have to give up my job to move and then I expect to be unemployed for awhile until I can find something else, so we would be living on one income for 6mos-1yr. Is this crazy to do in this economy? We also have a toddler and would need to start considering pre-schools very soon. What are the resources like for finding this info there (e.g. like BPN, Bananas, etc)? Finally, how is Arlington for raising a family?
West Coast Convert head East?
Hello!
While I've lived in the Bay Area (SF and now Alameda) since '97, I grew up in McLean (one town over from Arlington) and lived in Arlington from ages 21 to 27. My Mom still lives in the house I grew up in, so I have a 'visitors' perspective' on Arlington to share with you.
The D.C. area has a great public transportation system: Metro (like BART, but the trains, buses & stations are cleaner), and there are at least 4 stations in Arlington alone.
The cost of living is less than the Bay Area, but not by huge amounts. Can't speak to whether you could get by on one salary or not.
The vibe around town may be different under Obama, but I always found D.C. to be much more conservative and stuffy when compared with the Bay Area. That said, the pluses include **excellent** cultural activities (many for free!), true seasons, a widely diverse population, and larger yards/properties than you likely have in Rockridge.
Like the Bay Area, the D.C. area is filled with lots of highly educated folks, and there is a work-aholic atmosphere (in my opinion).
BTW, if you are hikers or campers, you will spend a good deal of time in your car just to get to a hiking/camping spot.
As for walkable neighborhoods, I'd check out Ballston and the totally-redone (restaurants and high-end shops *everywhere*) Clarendon. These are in North Arlington, and have their own Metro stations. I would avoid Rosslyn (unless you're seeking a high-rise condo/apartment building).
Hope this helps, and good luck in your decision. Caryn
For walkability in Arlington, Clarendon is a really nice neighborhood and convenient (similar to Rockridge) but you might consider Old Town in Alexandria as well. Public transportation in the DC Metropolitan area is great. Cost of living and housing prices are similar to the Bay Area. We didn't have kids when we lived there but I hear there are some good schools. Not sure of what the local resources are but it shouldn't be too difficult to find them. Feel free to contact me. g
Moving to Northern Virginia
Aug 2005
Our family may be moving from Berkeley to Northern Virginia due to a job transfer. We're currently weighing the pros and cons of relocation. The job is in Sterling, VA and with our very limited knowledge of the area, we are considering Arlington and Fairfax Counties. Does anyone have recent experience in that area that can point us in the right direction? We would like a more urban area, or at least a town like feel with local markets, shops, cafes, etc. Schools/family community/parks are important - we have 2 girls 3 and 5. Any comments on the social/community demographics would be helpful too. Thank you. maureen
I lived in DC for a long time and I still work there and spend time in No Va with family. Based on your post, I would say Arlington. Fairfax is as suburban as you can get although there are a lot of faux-downtown developments out there. Politically Arlington is more similar to Berkeley and it is no more suburban than Berkeley. I hate, hate, hate suburbs and Northern Virginia in particular but I lived in Arlington for a year and it was ok. I would go so far as to say it is a nice place. The drawbacks? 1. It is not cheap. If you are planning on making a killing on your house here it probably won't take you much farther in either Arlington or Fairfax. 2. Traffic. I pity the commuter who has to go to Sterling. If the office has a shuttle from the metro or something it might be ok. Good luck! Elizabeth