DCA Area Places to Live???
07-13-2017, 04:41 AM
#1
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DCA Area Places to Live???
Considering moving to the DCA area. At first glance it seems that one would have to move to NW VA to find "reasonable" housing prices and cost of living options. Additionally we place great importance on area churches (Christian) and have 3 young kids just entering elementary school and so far we've elected to send them to public schools. Ideally we'd be searching for an area where the drive to Dulles is 1 hour 20 mins (ish) or less. I've always personally loved the Shenandoah Valley but we're open to areas in Maryland, PA and WVA as well. Anyway, any and all suggestions are appreciated. Grew up in western, NC so really looking forward to the prospects of getting back to the east coast.
07-13-2017, 06:15 AM
#2
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D.C. Area is pretty simple - the farther west you go, the cheaper it gets. I've been living in the area since '98 (Loudoun County just west of IAD) and what used to be reasonably priced around IAD has absolutely skyrocketed since then. Town houses in my area go for low to mid 400s currently...single family homes are 600 and up. However, the Loudoun County schools in that area are some of the best in the nation. Going west, many pilots live in Warrenton, Front Royal, Purcellville, etc... you can get much more reasonably priced housing out that way. That would keep you within an hour of IAD but still keep you in a somewhat rural setting close to the Blue Ridge. Not sure about schools out there though.
Keep in mind, the majority of DCA flying for AA is, well, DCA. Very little IAD stuff (we only have 737 based out of IAD and a couple flights a day to LAX, MIA and DFW.) DCA has 737 and 320, much more variety, so you'd be mostly driving to DCA for your trips.
Good luck and shoot me a PM if you ever need more info.
Keep in mind, the majority of DCA flying for AA is, well, DCA. Very little IAD stuff (we only have 737 based out of IAD and a couple flights a day to LAX, MIA and DFW.) DCA has 737 and 320, much more variety, so you'd be mostly driving to DCA for your trips.
Good luck and shoot me a PM if you ever need more info.
07-13-2017, 06:32 AM
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Originally Posted by aa73
D.C. Area is pretty simple - the farther west you go, the cheaper it gets. I've been living in the area since '98 (Loudoun County just west of IAD) and what used to be reasonably priced around IAD has absolutely skyrocketed since then. Town houses in my area go for low to mid 400s currently...single family homes are 600 and up. However, the Loudoun County schools in that area are some of the best in the nation. Going west, many pilots live in Warrenton, Front Royal, Purcellville, etc... you can get much more reasonably priced housing out that way. That would keep you within an hour of IAD but still keep you in a somewhat rural setting close to the Blue Ridge. Not sure about schools out there though.
Keep in mind, the majority of DCA flying for AA is, well, DCA. Very little IAD stuff (we only have 737 based out of IAD and a couple flights a day to LAX, MIA and DFW.) DCA has 737 and 320, much more variety, so you'd be mostly driving to DCA for your trips.
Good luck and shoot me a PM if you ever need more info.
Keep in mind, the majority of DCA flying for AA is, well, DCA. Very little IAD stuff (we only have 737 based out of IAD and a couple flights a day to LAX, MIA and DFW.) DCA has 737 and 320, much more variety, so you'd be mostly driving to DCA for your trips.
Good luck and shoot me a PM if you ever need more info.
07-13-2017, 11:21 AM
#4
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Joined APC: Mar 2011
Posts: 209
Bid philly and move to the Lancaster, PA area (York, Mount Wolf, Litiz, Elizabethtown, Hershey, Ephrata, Robesonia etc.).
You can raise barns and commune with my Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors.
The area is 1 to 2 hour drive to PHL depending on how far west you go.
Same homes that are 600k in VA/MD are 350-400k in PA. Cheaper taxes also. Good schools.
Bucks County PA northeast of PHL is good also but a bit pricier, central bucks school district is very good.
Central Bucks County is 55minutes to the employee lot in PHL.
You can raise barns and commune with my Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors.
The area is 1 to 2 hour drive to PHL depending on how far west you go.
Same homes that are 600k in VA/MD are 350-400k in PA. Cheaper taxes also. Good schools.
Bucks County PA northeast of PHL is good also but a bit pricier, central bucks school district is very good.
Central Bucks County is 55minutes to the employee lot in PHL.
07-13-2017, 08:13 PM
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Originally Posted by aa73
D.C. Area is pretty simple - the farther west you go, the cheaper it gets. I've been living in the area since '98 (Loudoun County just west of IAD) and what used to be reasonably priced around IAD has absolutely skyrocketed since then. Town houses in my area go for low to mid 400s currently...single family homes are 600 and up. However, the Loudoun County schools in that area are some of the best in the nation. Going west, many pilots live in Warrenton, Front Royal, Purcellville, etc... you can get much more reasonably priced housing out that way. That would keep you within an hour of IAD but still keep you in a somewhat rural setting close to the Blue Ridge. Not sure about schools out there though.
Keep in mind, the majority of DCA flying for AA is, well, DCA. Very little IAD stuff (we only have 737 based out of IAD and a couple flights a day to LAX, MIA and DFW.) DCA has 737 and 320, much more variety, so you'd be mostly driving to DCA for your trips.
Good luck and shoot me a PM if you ever need more info.
Keep in mind, the majority of DCA flying for AA is, well, DCA. Very little IAD stuff (we only have 737 based out of IAD and a couple flights a day to LAX, MIA and DFW.) DCA has 737 and 320, much more variety, so you'd be mostly driving to DCA for your trips.
Good luck and shoot me a PM if you ever need more info.
What do you want? Land? Warrenton, Hamilton/Purcelville, or Round Hill might be what you're looking for. Maybe something further off route 66? But the traffic... Schools? Leesburg or anything in Loudoun County. Everything in the DC area is a tradeoff. How much are you willing to pay for what little you get?
If you can make the commute work for you, Charlestown WV is the best of both worlds, but I can see the commute for a 10AM show well over 3 hours. Might need to make use of the MARC train or something similar. Seriously, this area is insane, so good luck, and like the other guy said, PM me for more info.
07-23-2017, 02:06 PM
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Originally Posted by wolfmanpack
Considering moving to the DCA area. At first glance it seems that one would have to move to NW VA to find "reasonable" housing prices and cost of living options. Additionally we place great importance on area churches (Christian) and have 3 young kids just entering elementary school and so far we've elected to send them to public schools. Ideally we'd be searching for an area where the drive to Dulles is 1 hour 20 mins (ish) or less. I've always personally loved the Shenandoah Valley but we're open to areas in Maryland, PA and WVA as well. Anyway, any and all suggestions are appreciated. Grew up in western, NC so really looking forward to the prospects of getting back to the east coast.
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