<p>Well, all we know is what we live. Maybe no one told the folks processing S’s paperwork that the backlog is done? Anyway, there has been a hiring freeze on for a while, which also might slow things down. Personally, I HATE traffic and I suspect S may be similar. He may prefer driving to socialize rather than driving to work, but who knows? He could always move from where he initially settles anyway. We can try to see what traffic there is at various times, but we will have to get the address of his workplace & try to see how that enters into all of this.</p>
<p>OK, just printed out all the helpful suggestions on this thread & gave it to S. He finally got his orientation/relocation packet from his employer and is starting to mull it over. We are still encouraging him to contact alums from his HS & U, but so far, don’t know whether he will or won’t. We also have a family friend (young woman) who lives near Georgetown, but he hasn’t said whether he’ll contact her either. I talked with her mom the other day; the young woman is looking to relocate back to HI soon.</p>
<p>Any more great suggestions on where S might want to live? I am just wondering if it makes sense to live near where he works and catch the metro to socialize on weekends. He’s not currently a heavy partier and has never been. He’s more into hiking, camping, rock climbing, and national parks.</p>
<p>Well, fortunately Shenandoah National Park is within an hour of Dulles; and VA has lots of hiking and outdoor opportunities. If he is into all of this, it might make more sense for him to live closer to Dulles. Perhaps Ashburn, though I don’t know that area at all and get the impression it is geared towards families, he would be in a pretty area, very close to a variety of activities: hiking, white water rafting, skiing, hiking, camping, back country back packing, cycling etc…Reston, Herndon, and Chantilly are the other areas he might want to focus on.</p>
<p>I agree with other posters that Arlington would be the closest area with a really active social scene for young adults, but if he wants to live closer to Dulles, I’d suggest living near the Reston Town Center - it’s a nice area with stuff happening as well. Congrats on having an employed son!</p>
<p>Thanks for these suggestions. Will share this with him as well. Would it be hard for him to get from Reston Town Center area or similar to Arlington or any of the other spots popular with young people? He plans to have a car and catch the metro (tho I understand metro doesn’t reach Reston and Dulles yet).</p>
<p>himom, My ex used to live in Reston. That’s a nice commute and it’s very close to the Metro.</p>
<p>reston town center to the vienna metro is probably a 20 minute drive, then 20/25 minutes on the metro to arlington. It definitely wouldn’t be a bad drive though during non rush hour (maybe 25-30 minutes?).</p>
<p>the metro will reach Reston in the next couple years (maybe 2013?), the construction is underway.</p>
<p>metro is also fighting the budget battle right now, and considering cutting back on weekend late night service.</p>
<p>Thanks for these insights. I’m copying, pasting & printing all of them for S to consider, with his other sources so he can figure out what makes sense for him. He has not had to relocate in his life. Until college, he had only moved once when he was 4 years old & lived in the same home ever since. We are novices at this relocation stuff. Personally, I don’t like long commutes myself and doubt S will either. Driving to meet folks & for entertainment sounds a lot more attractive to me than a long, heavy traffic snarl on a regular basis.</p>
<p>My d. lives on K Street in center of DC. She loves it because she is in the center of everything, will be able to walk to her job, and is no more than 3-4 metro stops from wherever she wants to go. While she has access to a car, for the most part she doesn’t need it.</p>
<p>Thanks–that would work if S was going to work downtown, but he will be working within 5 miles/minutes of DIA (Dulles). It sounds like the commute from the center of downtown to DIA would be pretty miserable, particularly on a daily basis, but perhaps I’m wrong? So far, we’re suggesting to him that he live close to work and have a short (perhaps one year or less) lease so that he can see how he likes everything. </p>
<p>Have read that there is currently no metro near his worksite, so will have to drive or figure some way to get between work & home.</p>
<p>You are correct that Metro does not (yet) go to Dulles Airport (IAD).
BUT, construction has begun on the several year endeavor to get it there; which will make the commute from Arlington up the Dulles corridor exponentially worse.</p>
<p>I have a close friend who lives in Northern Virginia. She says the traffic is horrendous … and I agree, having spent some time with her driving around. I would explore all the transportation options for getting into DC, and then consider the Reston area to live – or further out. </p>
<p>It’s gorgeous country out there … especially if that is the sort of thing he enjoys rather than the hustle and bustle of city life.</p>
<p>HImom: I don’t know if your S is into cycling, but the W&OD bike trail runs from Arlington to Reston/Herndon & beyond (though it does not connect directly to IAD). It’s a great way to get around the NoVa gridlock traffic. WABA (Washington Area Bicycling Assn) has [bike</a> trail maps](<a href=“http://www.waba.org/resources/maps.php]bike”>http://www.waba.org/resources/maps.php) if your S is interested in commuting by bicycle. It is a solid commuting option - or a great weekend ride - for someone who enjoys outdoor activities.</p>
<p>Another point I would raise about commuting on the Dulles Toll Road is the cost. Tolls have increased on an annual basis. A R/T commute between Arlington & Dulles/Reston is $4 and ~40 minutes on a good traffic day. Commuting costs can add up when multiplied on a daily basis (gas & insurance notwithstanding). And the Metro extension to IAD is still several years away. </p>
<p>I agree that a short lease might be a good way for him to explore housing options.</p>
<p>How long & far of a bike ride are we talking about? How far is the bike trail from cars, as in many urban areas it is right beside the cars who cut in and out of the bike lanes at will, to the great danger of cyclists (which is what happens in HI). </p>
<p>Biking might be a great way for him to get to & from Arlington on a weekend & socializing rather than a daily commute.</p>
<p>H works in DC and a couple of his co-workers bike to work. One is just a mile from home and the other comes 14 miles in almost all weather. They travel on the streets and have colorful stories to tell. The trails are great but don’t really help with commuting.</p>
<p>In H’s area the federal workers get subsidies if they use public transportation. This includes Metro, bus, and the VRE. If your son has that available to him it may save him both time and money to take a bus to and from work. He may have to drive and park to get on a bus but after that he would not be paying for all the gas he was burning while sitting still.</p>
<p>From Arlington to Reston is ~12-15 miles O/W depending on where you start. The [W&OD</a> trail](<a href=“http://www.wodfriends.org/map1.html]W&OD”>http://www.wodfriends.org/map1.html) is a former railroad line, not a bike lane on an urban street. At some points it parallels the streets; at other points it is quite isolated & runs through the countryside. It is ~45 miles in length. It does cross some major intersections but there are usually traffic lights at the trail crossing. The greatest danger on the trail is speeding cyclists or rollerbladers who take up more than their share of the trail.</p>
<p>If your son likes cycling, he might enjoy the [Potomac</a> Pedalers touring club](<a href=“http://www.bikepptc.org/]Potomac”>http://www.bikepptc.org/), which sponsors recreational rides & tours. It’s a great way to meet new people & learn the DC metro area.</p>
<p>A friend’s son commutes from Arlington to Reston and the drive is horrible. If your son prefers the outdoors to city life, I think he’s be happier living in Reston.</p>
<p>Also if he will be driving he may want to find someone to car pool with. They have car pool lanes down there which tend to move a bit quicker then non car pool lanes.</p>
<p>These are all good suggestions and great info. We really are not very familiar with the area and appreciate all your useful insights. I will share all of this info with S so he will have a better idea of the options and can ask questions of his agency/employer.</p>
<p>I’ll offer another “perspective”. We have a number of relatives who live around the Beltway in the DC area in either Virginia or Maryland. The reality is that tons of folks DO commute to work in this area everyday either by taking the Metro, or by driving on that beltway. Personally I would hate the beltway drive and would do anything possible to be able to commute using public transport. BUT if your son does end up driving, he will NOT be the only one doing so. MANY, MANY folks do drive/commute to work. The DC area is a major metro area and yes, there IS traffic…it comes with the territory.</p>