I am licensed to do business in Virginia, DC and Maryland. So if you are thinking about the pros and cons of living in Bethesda versus Arlington, I can help with that. I can also work with you to understand if you’d rather live in the city or in the suburbs.
Since I very strongly believe that agents should be knowledgeable about the area they work in, I do most of my business in the inner suburbs and DC. I am most familiar with communities inside of and around the Beltway. I have personally lived in DC, Montgomery County, and Arlington County.
Here are some examples of other neighborhoods in the Washington DC metro area that you may want to consider:
Fairfax County
Fairfax County is located 10 miles southwest of DC and covers 399 square miles filled with major shopping hubs, national parks, tons of restaurants, and popular cultural attractions.
As the home of patriot-farmers George Washington and George Mason, Fairfax County has rural roots. Today, however, the county is a world center of commerce, trade and technology. It is the home of the internet, with more than half of the world’s internet traffic crossing northern Virginia’s borders every day. The County is home to an extensive commercial office market and is a major employment center.
In Fairfax County you will find a diverse and thriving urban county. The median household income ranks among the highest in the U.S., and over half of the adults have a four-year college degree or higher.
Official Site
Schools
Wikipedia
Fairfax Fun
Fairfax Stats
Following are some distinct geographic areas that fall within the Fairfax County boundaries:
- Alexandria
Alexandria is a city that combines important historical significance and wonderful modern day amenities. Like Arlington, Alexandria has experienced a boom in development and continues to draw attention for its many positive atttributes as a place to live, work and play.
This hometown of George Washington still retains much of the character and charm from its days as a bustling port city. In addition, Alexandria has been ranked as one of the top “Big Cities for Doing Business” in the U.S. and is ranked among the nation’s “Best Cities for Women” by the Ladies Home Journal Magazine.
Alexandria’s residents are known for their participation in local government and strong sense of community. The National League of Cities recently cited Alexandria as one of only six cities in the nation to receive the coveted “Innovation Award for Outstanding Community Building.” Whether you live, work or visit here, you will love Alexandria.
City of Alexandria
Schools
Alexandria Wikipedia
Things to do in Alexandria
Alexandria Stats
- McLean/Tysons Corner
McLean is well known for its many upscale homes, as well as its shopping and upscale malls, including the nearby Tysons Corner Center and the Tysons Galleria. Awesome shopping!
This area is home to many diplomats, members of Congress and high-ranking federal government officials, entrepreneurs and service businesses partially attributable to the close location to Washington, D.C. and the Central Intelligence Agency. It is also the location of Hickory Hill, the former home of Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy.
Several major companies are headquartered in McLean including Freddie Mac, Mars, Capital One, Gannett, NVR, Bearingpoint, USA Today, and Booz Allen Hamilton.
One of the things that I like best about McLean is the McLean Community Center, where you can find outstanding art and performances right in your backyard.
Wikipedia McLean
McLean Schools
Tysons Corner Mall
McLean Community Center
- Town of Vienna
CNN/Money and Money magazine recently ranked Vienna fourth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States. That really says it all!
In addition to excellent public schools, Vienna boosts a real sense of an old-fashioned downtown with many small businesses and an easy Metrorail commute into downtown DC. A portion of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park hiker/biker trail cuts through the center of the town, meaning that recreational opportunities can be found right in the heart of town. The Tysons Corner development is nearby, as is Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
Falls Church City
Falls Church is small in size but large in heart. The City of Falls Church is one of the two geographically smallest cities in Virginia, conveniently situated a mere six miles from Washington, D.C.
Beyond the traditional history found throughout this area, Falls Church City is particularly known for becoming an independent city in 1948, when parents successfully obtained its separation from Fairfax County in an effort to establish a highly acclaimed school system.
Named an All-America City in 1962, Falls Church City has also earned the Tree City USA award for 26 years from the National Arbor Day Foundation. Recognizing the importance of open space and environmental preservation, the City offers and maintains 11 parks within its 2.2 square mile borders.
The Falls Church City Police Department is the only one in the region that conducts daily house checks if residents request the service when they are on vacation. Now that’s some small town service!
FCC offiicial info
Falls Church City Public Schools
Wikipedia Falls Church
FCC Stats
Montgomery County
Montgomery County is a place of great diversity, and MoCo residents are proud of that. There are the relatively urban centers of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, which are all referred to as being “down county”, balanced with the lush rural farm and horse land of “up county” which includes Gaithersburg, Damascus, and Clarksburg. The County seat and largest municipality are located in Rockville.
I-270 is the main highway which residents use when thinking about their county being either East or West of the major thoroughfare, which provides most commuters with their route to work and back. Ground is currently being broken to build the County’s first major highway running east and west – the InterCounty Connector.
Along the I-270 corridor you will find major employers in the biotech and computer industries. Montgomery County is the third largest biotechnology cluster in the nation. Biomedical research is done in the county through institutions like Johns Hopkins University’s Montgomery County Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of Maryland. Federal government agencies engaged in related work include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
The Montgomery County public school system rates consistently among the top school systems in the country.
The official MoCo website
Wikipedia
Schools
Demographics
Washington DC
There’s the Washington DC for tourists, and the Washington DC for people who live here. Some may say the two are distinct, but I believe they are blended, because if you live in certain neighborhoods you will have easy access to wonderful resources that most people get to visit just a few times in their lifetime.
Capitol Hill November 2007
I first moved to Capitol Hill in the District in 1982, when DC was largely devoid of any evening entertainment options. Today, things are very different. Cutting-edge restaurants, wonderful clubs, terrific grocery stores all make DC a great option for home buyers who seek an urban, livable experience. Some really wonderful neighborhoods in the District include Capitol Hill, Adams Morgan, U Street, Woodley Park, and of course Georgetown. That’s just a few areas to consider — there are more, so please let me know if you’re thinking about purchasing real estate in DC.
I also recommend the Urban Turf blog for a weekly update on the shiniest and brightest new news about DC real estate.
