Any experiences living in Falls Church and commuting to DC area? Does it make sense for a 20 something year old?
Commuting to where in the DC area? By metro? Arlington (Ballston, VA Square, Courhouse/Clarendon) is the cooler area. I call it being in college without the college. Everyone is young, educated, and everything is walkable. Both my kids are there.
Falls Church is 1-2 Metro stops further out than Ballston, so it’s very close. My mom taught in Falls Church for 25 years 
We lived a bit further out… I’m not quite as familiar with current conditions, but I’m pretty sure there are still several areas of young people. It’s probably easier to have a car and drive around and cheaper than Arlington.
So it probably does make sense, but it depends on where you’re trying to commute to.
4 Likes
Foggy Bottom. I am not that familiar with DC so thanks.
So they would take the orange or silver line straight into Foggy Bottom. Very easy metro ride. FDIL2 does this from one of the Arlington stops to Foggy Bottom and it’s 20 minutes doorstep to doorstep, 5-8 minutes is her walk to the Arlington stop. Trains run very regularly, especially during the work week. Every few minutes. I would guesstimate starting from the Falls Church stops would add maybe 10 minutes.
5 Likes
D and SIL live in Falls Church. SIL goes into his office in downtown DC 1-2x/week.
Distance is fairly close, but the traffic can be awful. At rush hour, it can take 60+ minutes to make the drive. And DC parking? Horrible.
Taking the Metro is a better solution. There are 3 Falls Church area metro stops on the Orange line. Parking at the East Falls Church lot is extremely limited and it usually fills before 8am. Haven’t been to the West Falls Church stop so I can’t comment on the parking situation. The third station is on the very far west side of the Falls Church area in Merrifield (which is outside the Beltway). Trains run about every 10 minutes except nights & weekends.
Falls Church is very spread out and not terribly walkable so the young person would need a car to get around to other stuff.
Metro Guide: Schedules and Maps | WMATA
2 Likes
Yes, they would need the orange line only! Silver goes from Arlington to DC, but it then goes out to Tysons/Dulles. Silver didn’t exist when I grew up there. My HS was adjacent to the Vienna Station. The parking lot was just a gravel lot back then, LOL.
Depends upon the individual’s situation (single, married, married with children, etc.) and that individual’s lifestyle preferences.
Alexandria, Virginia is where he is likely to be most comfortable.
Logan Circle area of DC is a great upscale area for young professionals.
Navy Yard should also be considered.
Some areas seem to be undergoing rapid development.
What are this person’s interests/hobbies as many young people enjoy new health clubs, new supermarkets, new apt. & condo developments, etc.
Alexandria is def cool, but it’s also quite an expensive place to live!
But isn’t all of the DC area expensive for young professionals ? Much more affordable than NYC however.
IDK, we moved here from LA last spring and found the housing in the DC area every bit as expensive as LA.
3 Likes
Currently lives in Spring Lake NJ so moving from the beach but was looking at some DR Horton developments in VA.
I will share all of your comments. Thanks again.
1 Like
Purchasing a home raises different considerations than does renting/leasing. Is this individual open to purchasing a condo or townhome or just a single family home ?
Lifestyle priorities ?
Another consideration is whether this is for a single person versus married versus married with young children.
Foggy Bottom is the area near GWU.
P.S. Another consideration is with respect to parking. If one owns an expensive vehicle then secure parking may a primary concern which should be a part of one’s monthly budget.
Also, how many days per week does the individual need to commute to DC from Falls Church ? Consider type & location of after-work activities as well.
1 Like
Oh no…you are no longer ‘way out west’ 
2 Likes
Oh no, outed. And can I say that after more the 40 years of living in the Mountain West, I miss the West Coast and the Southwest weather. I hate the humidity here and all the rain sucks. Plus mosquitos!
6 Likes
Seems unusual to me. According to realtor dot com, the median home price in LA is twice the price as that in the DC area.
Am aware of many young professionals who work at major accounting firms as well as mid-sized law firms (in their 30s) in the LA area who want to transfer to DC area for lower housing costs.
1 Like
The nephew thinking of making this move has a GF in Irvine California so I suspect they will have some perspective.
Another vote for looking half as much at Falls Church and twice as much at the Court House-to-Ballston corridor, with special attention to Clarendon and Virginia Square! I grew up close to the Clarendon stop (it was local hardware stores and barber shops at the time, as opposed to the cool coffeeshops and bars it is now) and my parents both commuted by Metro in to DC (Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian). It’s all around a great, fun, interesting place to be (humidity notwithstanding). Arlington has a lot going for it — great parks, great libraries, great restaurants, great civic infrastructure. The orange line has a good number of apartments that are an easy walk from the Metro, and Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, great coffeeshops, etc., are nearby. The less he’ll have to lean on his car, the happier he’ll be.
6 Likes
My BIL and SIL live in Falls Church, and I’ve stayed with them when doing research in DC. It’s an easy commute on the Metro, but there are less expensive areas. When they first moved to DC as young professionals, they lived in Fairlington, which was more affordable. I would think anything within walking distance of a Metro stop would be great, so seek out more affordable neighborhoods.
3 Likes
I spent my teenage years in Falls Church! Per my recollection (from a long time ago) it seems like it might be more suburban and family-oriented than a younger person might choose if they have options.
Of course, much may have changed in the intervening decades!
I second Alexandria as a neighborhood that was really fun back when I was living there.
2 Likes
My S opted to transfer to DC from LA after college (he was hired in the LA office while at UCLA). A major consideration (and cost saving) was not needing a car if you live downtown, he’s just off Dupont Circle which is a great area for young people if you earn a decent salary.
3 Likes