Moving to DC area and need help, please!

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tmrbwilson1998

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Hello, everyone! I am in and out of these wonderful boards - deployed hubby in Iraq for 15 months and 2 young children at home, work at our church, etc. keeps me busy, just a little šŸ™‚

So we learned a few months ago that we would be moving to KY. A couple weeks ago, we learned KY was out and we would be in KS. Today I have learned it is most likely going to be outside of DC, in northern VA. After months of researching the local Catholic schools in the other 2 states, I am a bit nervous about the number of Catholic schools in the area, as well as the timing - registration has already begun and I am unable to make a trip up to visit the schools.

If anyone has any suggestions of areas that are safe to live, Catholic schools in the Alexandria/Springfield/northern VA areaā€¦or ANY general tips, I sure would appreciate it. Feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to sell a house, keeping things together on my own for the remainder of this deployment, and now ensuring my children are receiving the education I valueā€¦

Many thanks!
Tina
 
Watch your traffic patterns . . . itā€™s crazy up there. Iā€™m a military brat that lived there my whole childhood. My father worked in DC, then Alexandria after retirement. We couldnā€™t afford Alexandria housing so we went a bit further south to get a bigger house for our money. The Catholic school in our area was Aquinas. I went to the public schools and we didnā€™t live close to Aquinas, so I canā€™t tell you much about it. But, it may be option for you . . .

aquinastars.org/
 
Hmmā€¦ well I live just north of DC in the Silver Spring area, but if you are in that area, I **highly **recommend St. Bernadetteā€™s parish. My friends, fiancee, and I started going there about a 8 months ago and we love it. The pastor, Msgr. Smith is phenomenal. A good, holy, traditional Catholic priest, not to mention a great pastor. He is always standing outside after every Mass (not just the ones he said,)every Sunday, checking up on his parishioners. And, heā€™s a no-nonsense homilistā€¦ he tells it like it is. He gave the most fiery and fantastic homily just before elections. The other priests there are fantastic as well.

My fiancee teaches K-8 music at St. Bartholemewā€™s in Bethesdaā€¦ Iā€™d recommend that school although itā€™s probably a bit far if you are in Alexandria.

Also, be sure to check out the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University in northeast DC. I graduated from CUA almost 2 years ago and we were spoiled to have the Basilica so close. I still go thereā€¦ they have confession 2 to 3 times every day. It is a gorgeous church.

Across the street from the Basilica is the Dominican House of Studies. One of my roommates from CUA entered the Dominicans and is currently studying there. They have Mass at 5:00pm and evening prayer afterwardsā€¦ a beautiful mass and about as traditional and orthodox as it gets. Another must-do.

The traffic south and west of DC in Virgina is probably the worst, particularly along 66 and 395. Not that north is much betterā€¦ Alexandria is a expensive but there are numerous communities around there that are probably good.

Sorry I canā€™t recommend too much south of DC but if you have any questions I can try to answer themā€¦ Iā€™ve been around here for 6 years now, 4 of them at CUA and 2 working so Iā€™ve picked up a thing or two.

Good luck and God bless!
 
Most places in Northern Virginia are fine. I live in Arlington and have for about six years.

I canā€™t tell you much about the schools, but St. Maryā€™s parish in Old Town is fantastic. Best church Iā€™ve ever been a part of.
 
Thank you all! I am going to check out some of your recommendations. I miss how easy moves were before the little ones, and even before they were school-age! So much to consider now šŸ™‚ Now it ends up we may be in the DC this summer, then to Norfolk for a year, then back to DC the following school year, so a lot to take in. This is definitely a good practice in faith - casting cares upon God and not worryingā€¦we will be moving somewhere in the world (literally) in about 90-100 days. Gotta love Uncle Sam!
 
rc.net/arlington/

The Arlington Diocese is a very good one. Depending on where husband works, (I take it Pentagon?) there is a subway/rail system and bus system that lots of fed gov employees use to get to and from work. Many of the parishes have schools. St. Ambrose, St. Michaelā€™s in Annandale/Fairfax, St. Bernadettes in Springfield, I believe. If you live further down in Woodbridge, there is a fantastic parish with good priests, Our Lady of Angels. I believe Aquinas school goes with that parish. St. William in Stafford is near Quantico.

Queen of Apostles in Alexandria has a school, I believe. And I canā€™t say enough good things about the very holy pastor there.

Most of the Catholic schools there are solid and the parishes and priests are for the most part very orthodox and faithful. Lots of military around, so you would feel right at home.

Good luck, and thank you both for your service. YES, you serve too. šŸ˜‰
 
Welcome! I will, of course, plug my parishā€™s school ā€“ St. Maryā€™s in Alexandria (the Old Town area). But know families that adore St. Bernadetteā€™s (Springfield) and St. Louis (Alexandria, nearer to Ft. Belvoir) as well. I, too, find Arlington Diocese to be a very strong diocese. Frankly, havenā€™t heard any complaints about any of the schools ā€“ just people indicating their pleasure with the ones they attend.

Where will he be stationed?
 
Iā€™m much further north, north west of the city. Schools in Bethesda are great. Generally, northern Virginia schools are very good also. The big thing in this whole area is that housing prices are insane compared to most other places.

The recession has made housing prices drop a little bit but not nearly what it has in other parts of the country. My nephew in LA has had to take a 40% loss on his home, but things here are only down 10 or 20%.

There are a lot of homes not selling here so maybe they will continue to drop. Normally the DC area is almost recession proof, but we may not be so lucky this time.
 
wcknight said:
Iā€™m much further north, north west of the city. Schools in Bethesda are great. Generally, northern Virginia schools are very good also. The big thing in this whole area is that housing prices are insane compared to most other places.

The recession has made housing prices drop a little bit but not nearly what it has in other parts of the country. My nephew in LA has had to take a 40% loss on his home, but things here are only down 10 or 20%.

There are a lot of homes not selling here so maybe they will continue to drop. Normally the DC area is almost recession proof, but we may not be so lucky this time.
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Sadly, true. Although if you are coming in now, there are great buys to be had (at the expense of those who bought a few years back). My kids are in Woodbridge (Prince William County), and there are good areas there where houses are just being given away. The early military transferees to Belvoir will probably be the lucky ones in getting those buys; I think (hope) prices will rebound pretty quickly as those additional jobs come in. Alexandria and most of Fairfax County have held pretty stable by comparison.
 
I have lived in NoVA (northern Virginia) for about 6 years. I came here from Houston, Texas. This is a very orthodox diocese and coming from hit-or-miss Galveston-Houston diocese, it was a very pleasant surprise. šŸ˜ƒ

I started out living just north of Ft. Belvoir in Alexandria along Highway 1 (in the Huntington area). I went to St. Louis Catholic Church and loved it. I also went to St. Maryā€™s in Old Town and loved it as well. As far as the area goes, Alexandria is a mix between good and bad areas. The area along Highway 1 stretching south of Old Town is a bit of a blight. Itā€™s not a ghetto, but itā€™s not pretty either. Yet there are also pockets of nice areas in Alexandria such as in Old Town, around Mt. Vernon and near the Potomac.

Right now I live in Fairfax County near the intersection of Route 50 and I-66. This is a wonderful area with a vaunted public school district, good shopping, safe neighborhoods, and decent proximity to DC entertainment. I go to St. Timothyā€™s and it is a very orthodox and commendable parish. They have a nice school as well. I canā€™t attest to the quality of the school staff though since I donā€™t have any kids. You should check it out for yourself if you decide to live in Fairfax.

Just be careful of the commute to work. You donā€™t want to commute long distances or with the flow of traffic in mornings and evenings. People arenā€™t kidding when they warn you about traffic patterns here. Where you decide to live should be largely governed by your potential commute.

I think youā€™ll like NoVA in general. The only catch is the truly terrible cost of living here (mostly due to high apartment rents and astronomical housing prices)! šŸ˜¦
 
Donā€™t you love the Army, changing orders on you at least 10 times in a month;) or if not, then only giving you two months notice. I told my DH that Iā€™ll just follow the moving truck:p

Just wanted to say I know how you feel, and if you were coming to KS, I could definitely help you out. We actually like it here very much. Good luck with DC. I have some dear friends moving there this summer.
 
Hello,

Is he actually going to be working in Northern VA, or does he need to work in DC?

If heā€™s working in the areas that you mentioned, youā€™re in pretty good shape ā€“ those areas are pretty nice for the most part and housing is reasonable.

However, if he is working in Washington, DC, he is in for a bit of a struggle ā€“ there are only a few roads crossing the Potomac and driving into DC can be a nightmare during commuting hours. The Metro is a good solution, but housing prices near the Metro stations is grossly inflated, and parking at the stations often runs out early in the morning. Bus service in VA is very poor compared to the rest of the DC area.

Some previous posters mentioned Bethesda and Silver Spring. These communities are an option if his job is in DC (because the commute into DC might be a little easier), but if heā€™s working in VA, you should absolutely avoid these areas, because you would be setting yourself up for a nightmarish commute.

Just for reference, not everyone here has to worry about the traffic patterns. The area where I live has no traffic problems whatsoever ā€“ I can get anywhere (even downtown DC) at any time of day without hitting a traffic jam, and the Metro station parking never fills up. However, I would never recommend that you live here because the quality of schools is horrendous.
tmrbwilson1998 said:
Hello, everyone! I am in and out of these wonderful boards - deployed hubby in Iraq for 15 months and 2 young children at home, work at our church, etc. keeps me busy, just a little šŸ™‚

So we learned a few months ago that we would be moving to KY. A couple weeks ago, we learned KY was out and we would be in KS. Today I have learned it is most likely going to be outside of DC, in northern VA. After months of researching the local Catholic schools in the other 2 states, I am a bit nervous about the number of Catholic schools in the area, as well as the timing - registration has already begun and I am unable to make a trip up to visit the schools.

If anyone has any suggestions of areas that are safe to live, Catholic schools in the Alexandria/Springfield/northern VA areaā€¦or ANY general tips, I sure would appreciate it. Feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to sell a house, keeping things together on my own for the remainder of this deployment, and now ensuring my children are receiving the education I valueā€¦

Many thanks!
Tina
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Wow, thanks, everyone! From the time I posted last night, plans were changed to us first spending 16 weeks in DC for the summer, a year in Norfolk, then heading back for more time in DCā€¦as of this morning, the Norfolk part of the equation is pretty much gone, so thankfully, that means we will stick with the DC area, woo hoo!

I spoke with both a parent volunteer as well as the admin assistant at St. Louis today - they both had wonderful things to say about that schoolā€¦the price is not much more than what we pay here, and the location, if we end up being closer to Belvoir, would be ideal.

Here is another question: are there any neighborhoods in the actual city to stay away from? I see several rentals available, but being so unsure of the area, traffic patterns, and proximity to main roads, etc., I am a bit blind entering this. Unfortunately, with my son in kindergarten and being on my own, I do not know if a visit will be possible before DH returns homeā€¦

I am so thankful to you all for your help - what a blessing it is to have a wonderful community around šŸ™‚ Oh, and Armywife, I laughed out loud at your comment - I have been saying the same thing to everyone that I will follow the moving truck! We had 5 days to move from Germany back Stateside with a newborn, 2-yr old, and dogā€¦so at least we have double-digit days, lol!
 
ack said:
Hello,

Is he actually going to be working in Northern VA, or does he need to work in DC?

If heā€™s working in the areas that you mentioned, youā€™re in pretty good shape ā€“ those areas are pretty nice for the most part and housing is reasonable.

However, if he is working in Washington, DC, he is in for a bit of a struggle ā€“ there are only a few roads crossing the Potomac and driving into DC can be a nightmare during commuting hours. The Metro is a good solution, but housing prices near the Metro stations is grossly inflated, and parking at the stations often runs out early in the morning. Bus service in VA is very poor compared to the rest of the DC area.

Some previous posters mentioned Bethesda and Silver Spring. These communities are an option if his job is in DC (because the commute into DC might be a little easier), but if heā€™s working in VA, you should absolutely avoid these areas, because you would be setting yourself up for a nightmarish commute.

Just for reference, not everyone here has to worry about the traffic patterns. The area where I live has no traffic problems whatsoever ā€“ I can get anywhere (even downtown DC) at any time of day without hitting a traffic jam, and the Metro station parking never fills up. However, I would never recommend that you live here because the quality of schools is horrendous.
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Thanks for your thoughts! All we know is that for the summer he would be at Belvoir in northern VA, or was it NoVA, lol!? After that, the jobs opportunities might be in the city of DC, thought not all are at the Pentagon, so this is what is making things difficult. My first priority is a Catholic school, right up there with location for DH to be able to reclaim some of this lost 15 months with his family, as opposed to being in the car. This is the reason I am not looking at Woodbridge, which I hear is very nice.

Someone recommended that he have a motorcycle for the HOV lanes, in order to facilitate quicker trip times - any recommendations/thoughts on this one?

Thank you SO much!
 
I have lived in the DC/Northern VA area my whole lifeā€“in fact, I was born on Ft. Belvoir and lived there for 8 years!

I take you wonā€™t be living on base for this assignment. The houses in northern Virginia are really expensive! Traffic is a nightmare, of course, so I might second the motorcycle idea, if you already have one. Either that, or your DH can take part in ā€œsluggingā€ to the Pentagon: several (10s to 100s) of commuters line up at a designated pick-up spot. Other commuters wanting to drive into Northern VA/DC drive the line to pick up those waiting for a total of 3 people per vehicle. Even though you may never see the other people again, itā€™s a mutualistic relationship: the driver gets to work early by having 3 people in the car to use HOV lanes; the commuters get free rides into work, donā€™t have to put mileage on their cars or drive the horrendous traffic. My parents have been slugging for years; they are about 30 miles south of Springfield. I HIGHLY recommend trying slugging. Itā€™s free and your DH is going to such a popular area; heā€™s bound to find a commuting solution. Several lines go to the Pentagon. This website has lots more info:

slug-lines.com/

As for schools, I didnā€™t attend Catholic schools, but I taught in a few in the diocese here. I really liked St. Ritaā€™s in Alexandria. It actually is near the Arlington/Alexandria county line. Itā€™s kind of old, but it has that old-school Catholic ā€œcharmā€ to it.

Iā€™m actually near Quantico, but still frequent Northern Virginia often. Feel free to PM me if you need more info. I really like the DC area. Good luck! šŸ‘
 
Hi,

If I were you, I would look into renting, as close to Belvoir as possible, and I would only move to DC or Maryland if he actually gets a job in DC. It will be difficult for you to find an inexpensive and ā€œfamily-friendlyā€ place to live in the city of DC ā€“ due to the traffic problems, housing in the city is in very high demand. The only drawback with this plan is that your children might need to switch schools if you move.

Regarding HOV lanes ā€“ if you live anywhere near Fort Belvoir, you will not have to worry about the HOV lanes ā€“ these are mostly for people who live in VA but work in DC. You already mentioned that heā€™ll be working in VA at first. Donā€™t assume that heā€™ll end up being employed in DC ā€“ VA is also a major employment center.
tmrbwilson1998 said:
Thanks for your thoughts! All we know is that for the summer he would be at Belvoir in northern VA, or was it NoVA, lol!? After that, the jobs opportunities might be in the city of DC, thought not all are at the Pentagon, so this is what is making things difficult. My first priority is a Catholic school, right up there with location for DH to be able to reclaim some of this lost 15 months with his family, as opposed to being in the car. This is the reason I am not looking at Woodbridge, which I hear is very nice.

Someone recommended that he have a motorcycle for the HOV lanes, in order to facilitate quicker trip times - any recommendations/thoughts on this one?

Thank you SO much!
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tmrbwilson1998 said:
Here is another question: are there any neighborhoods in the actual city to stay away from? I see several rentals available, but being so unsure of the area, traffic patterns, and proximity to main roads, etc., I am a bit blind entering this. Unfortunately, with my son in kindergarten and being on my own, I do not know if a visit will be possible before DH returns homeā€¦
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YESā€¦I would guess that youā€™ll find the majority of the neighborhoods in the city of DC to be unsuitable for your family. The neighborhoods west of Rock Creek are okay, along with a few that are east of Rock Creek. However, I would wait until you live here before looking at rentals in DC, so you can see the neighborhoods with your own eyes first.

PS: There is a Metro station in Springfield. Iā€™m not familiar with that neighborhood, but could you find housing within walking distance of the station? Although the housing prices would be inflated near the station, you would be near Belvoir and still have good transportation links to the Pentagon and DC.
 
You all are such wonderful blessings - thank you for the super information - the more, the better! I think this move will be exciting for sureā€¦much different than most of our assignments, which have landed us in smaller southern towns!

I am going to check out the slugging, as well as some more neighborhoods around Belvoir and in Springfield.

Thanks a million!
Tina
 
I would not live in the District. If you want to get the urban experience, then Ballston or Tysons Corner/Mclean would be good. If you are looking for suburban, then Springfield is close to Belvoir. Traffic around Belvoir isnā€™t great; I havenā€™t been around there for a while, butā€¦

In Fairfax County, the schools are actually pretty good. Most of the Catholic parishes have schools.

Military people live all over. The traffic is actually better than it was 20 years ago, if you can believe it.

Virginia is strange. Itā€™s a Commonwealth, which means the state retains all power unless they have specifically granted a right to the localities. Unlike everywhere else, cities are actually independent, and not part of the county that surrounds them. So, if you look at a map of Fairfax County, there is a whole in the middle; thatā€™s the City of Fairfax, which isnā€™t part of the county, even though the Fairfax County courthouse is *in *the City of Fairfax. Go figure. There are towns, like Vienna,Clifton, and Herndon, that are part of the county, just to confuse people.

So, there are ā€œcitiesā€ like McLean, Springfield, Burke, Centreville, but they arenā€™t actually cities. They have no mayor or police force - they are just unincorporated areas of the county. So, the Fairfax County Police are actually the law enforcement arm in the county. The Sheriffā€™s Office serves warrants and runs the jail. the county Board of Supervisors run the whole county and the million of us in it.

To get an idea of traffic, go to WWW.WTOP.COM and listen live to the radio; they do traffic reports every eight minutes. They also have a traffic map. In what other place is the top-rated radio station an all-news station? Yep, All the news, and it comes direct from the ā€œglass-enclosed nerve centerā€.
 
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