Are you relocating to Northern Virginia? Are you worried about finding the right home in a neighborhood close to work or within a reasonable commuting time to your new job? A standard question for anyone new to Northern Virginia to ask is "how long will it take me to get from here to there?"
Fortunately it is a question I can answer from years of experience. Why would you take commuting advice from a Realtor®? Let's face it most agents are not out at 7 am in Northern Virginia driving into the city, around the beltway or on the local parkways. DC has been named the #3 worst commuting area by Forbes Magazine behind LA and SF so our ever changing traffic patterns can be a mystery for someone just moving to the area.
The reason I feel qualified to speak to the commute is because prior to getting my real estate license I had successful careers in the private sector which required me to commute throughout the area. For years I lived in different neighborhoods in Northern Virginia and commuted to other parts of the area, DC and even for a year to PA. I drove the streets during morning and afternoon rush hour, rode the metro, connector buses, VRE and even Amtrak. For three years I picked up slugs every morning for a commute into DC.
When a military family asks me if they can drive from Burke to Fort Belvoir at 7AM in the morning in less than 30 minutes experience tells me "yes" and I can give you multiple options for the drive. Ask me if you can slug from Springfield to the Pentagon in 20 minutes and I'm going to tell you "yes" because I did it for years. Ask me if you can commute from Springfield to Reston Town Center in 30 minutes and I'll tell you "no" because I did it. Northern Virginia commuting changes with the seasons as well. When the time changes in the fall the evening commute can get longer due to nighttime driving conditions. And my best advice is if the weather channel even hints of one snowflake then you need to take public transportation if you want any chance of getting home at all.
If you are a buyer who is looking for realistic information about commuting in the Northern Virginia area give me a call. I am still on the roads every day, finding new ways to get around both the old and new neighborhoods and keeping current on traffic patterns. I can help you make buying decisions that include not only the neighborhood that works for your family but also an understanding of commuting patterns in Northern Virginia.
No Hassle-No Pressure-Just Straight Talk About The Northern Virginia Real Estate Market
Military Relocation Specialist serving military families relocating to and from the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, Quantico MCB and all of the Military District of Washington installations.
Licensed in Virginia
I dated a guy in Springfield once, and after driving out to his place I decided that he was geographically undesirable.
Patricia-well I suppose that is one reason to drop him :-) But for commuters it does offer a number of options!
Yeah commuting is a major pain, but I can't imagine its worse in North Virginia than it is in California!
DJ-Forbes Magazine rated the DC area #3 behind #1 LA/Long Beach and #2 San Fran/Oakland for the worst traffic. Of course CA overall has far more large cities for commuters to get bogged down then we do here.
Interesting I would have thought New York City traffic would be worse. Luckily I have never had to do any of those commutes.
Megan-you would think but so many NY'ers take public transportation to get in and out of the city during the week. My friends who live there do not drive into town during the week. Taxi's and trucks clog the streets!
Cindy, this is a FANTASTIC post! These are the things that newbies to the area need to know from those that have the experience! Thanks for sharing!
Jo-thanks for driving by and commenting. I'd like to think that having been one of the daily commuters for a number of years helps me have a better handle on the trials and tribulations that comes from making the trek around town.
What a great topic for a post. Commuting times are always an issue for people relocating to a new area, and it is very difficult to figure them out from a map. It's also helpful to tell clients about intersections and roads that are notorious for being clogged at rush hour.
Cheers,
Robin
Cindy, that is a great angle for marketing...and great background for people who are seeking that information.
Robin-in our area commuting is a big concern!
Holly-I'd like to think that all those years of driving the area at rush hour is good for something!