Tell me about NOVA.

[Jake]

So the NoVA area is vast and every chunk of it is equal parts the same and different.The biggest advice I can give to you is live close to your job. Commuting up here blows dick, and while you may be able to live 20 miles from work in Roanoke, that's more or less a death wish in NoVA. Driving is not the worst thing, but you have to plan carefully.

As a young college grad who I know likes to be social, all of the "fun" is going to be found in Arlington or DC. I would strongly suggest living near a Metro stop, so you can both commute and go out at night without worrying about how to get home. Yes, Uber is an option (and a great one) but Ubering from DC to Reston will be expensive - aka Metro access will keep you fairly close.

If you look at the Metro train map, the orange line runs directly west out of DC and into Virginia. Rosslyn (the big dot where orange and blue meet, out west) is the last stop in Virginia. The blue line, going south from Rosslyn, takes you to DCA (airport) and to Alexandria. The orange line will break off at East Falls Church and take you to Tysons Corner and Reston.



Based on the Metro map, here's more of a breakdown.

Arlington
So Arlington runs from the Ballston stop to the Rosslyn stop. It's a city that was revitalized when Metro was built in the 60s/70s, so most of the community there is centered around the Metro stations, which is nice and convenient. Each stop is a good discussion point and some neighborhoods are more vibrant than others. You will pay more in rent to live in the middle of the fun, but can save some money (or get a bigger place) by living one or two stops out.

Clarendon is the hot spot for what feels like every JMU grad, ever. Lots of bars and restaurants right there. All the other stops are a better mix of fun and residential. Rosslyn is largely office buildings, so it's cheaper to live in Rosslyn but there is fuckall to do after 5:00 in the immediate walkable area.

Falls Church
Falls Church is more suburban and there isn't much choice of where to live if you want to be Metro friendly, as there are only two stops and housing is not as compacted there. On the plus side, cheaper rent and more space.

Dunn Loring
Dunn Loring (also referred to as Merrifield) is a very "up and coming" area. Used to be a kind of nothing shithole industrial area that is now being transformed. There is some good food and shopping near the Metro (Mosaic District) and lots of residential nearby. Rent seems to be very pricey though, given what you aren't near.

Vienna
Vienna is blurring the line into the City of Fairfax. Nice area, very old with a lot of history. Downtown Vienna is small but cool to walk or drive or bike through. You can find townhouses with garages here, easy to split with a few people if you want that wrenching space. There are some that are walkable to the Metro stop, and rent wasn't unreasonable for what you get housing-wise, last I looked.

Tysons Corner - McLean, Tysons, Greenboro, Spring Hill
There is a yuuuuuge shopping mall here. Lots of office parks. Car dealerships. It is constantly a congested dumpster fire of traffic and I wouldn't recommend living here or trying to shop here unless it's like, 2 PM on a Tuesday when nobody else is shopping here. There are a lot of jobs popping up around Tysons, most of which are walkable from a Metro stop. I have a friend who works for Capital One in Tysons and lives elsewhere. He Metros in and it's not bad walking around to work. Just don't stay.

Reston (Wiehle, which is pronounced like how you pop the front tire up on a bike)
Reston is the nation's first planned community and can be thanked for the invention of the HOA! There is space, everything is beautiful because it's not allowed to be ugly, and there are more families here. Definitely a very "nice" place to live. Reston Town Center has shops and restaurants, but in 2017 they will start making everyone pay to park there which is stupid. It's taking on a bit of a "Clarendon" vibe which is to say, trying to be bro'y. There isn't a lick of anything within walking distance of the Metro stop, which made going out (when I lived with DJ and Jess) a hassle.

You are next to Herndon, which is an older, less "pre-planned" community. Much more history, much more "diversity of income" if you catch my drift, but still nice enough to live here. You will not be Metro accessible and I'd honestly recommend Reston instead.

Alexandria - Crystal City and Pentagon City
You're near the airport (Reagan / DCA). Otherwise, not a lot going on here. A few bars and restaurants to walk to but much else. Easy Metro ride to get to DC though.

Alexandria - King St / Old Town
You are not a millionaire, so you won't be able to afford living here. Old Town is gorgeous though. Take your lady out for a date on some special occasion here.

Alexandria - Van Dorn / Eisenhower Ave
This is where I live. Definitely "suburban" but not a planned community sort of vibe. Mixed income, we have a nice Harris Teeter and we have "Ghetto Giant" nearby. Easy to find apartments and townhouses with garages, rent is not bad given the proximity to DC, and you're close to highways and back roads to make driving around not much of a hassle.

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So, commute-wise... I live about 8 miles from work and currently drive in on I-395, which always is slow during rush hour. That 8 miles takes me about 25 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes going home. My new place will be a three-block walk to the Van Dorn metro (riding to Rosslyn) and that will be a 20 minute train ride each way, unless the train catches fire or I die from smoke inhalation.

The commute will be a pain no matter what. Traffic will be frustrating no matter what. I grew up here and learned to drive here so I'm like that dog meme where the room is on fire and everything is okay.

I'm assuming you'll want a garage to park the Miata in and work on shit in. That will limit you to Vienna, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Reston, and Alexandria. Arlington is an option if you want parking but no private storage/wrench space.

You won't want to live in DC proper given your hobbies.

You'll get mixed opinions but honestly, I really do enjoy living here. My thoughts on this area improved tenfold once I moved to Alexandria (I grew up in Herndon and Ashburn, then lived in Fairfax and Reston). I'm now close enough to get into DC as much as I want -- if it's not rush hour, I'm 15 minutes door to door -- and I've joined some social activities (kickball) that have led me to meet a LOT of new friends.

There is fuckload of stuff to do, both in DC and in the surrounding areas. It's easy to get away for a weekend and go skiing/hiking/camping/beaching within a few hours' drive in any direction. The food scene is killer. There are tons of breweries and the craft beer scene is also great. Much as people (rightfully so) bitch about the Metro, we have a plethora of public transit options, which means you will always have a way to get around or get home after too many drinks. Metro trains, Metrobus, ART/DASH/Circulator buses, Uber, taxis, easy walking, Capital Bikeshare, and your own car.

It is a very transient area so there are always new people moving here and moving away. I'm a rarity in that I grew up nearby and still live here.

My biggest bit of advice would be to interview and accept whatever job offer, then find housing. No sense doing it the other way around. But yeah, I like the area, and I think a large part of "why" is because I'm close enough to what's going on, versus being 100% out in the suburbs.