Thinking of moving to fredericksburg...
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Topic: Thinking of moving to fredericksburg...
Posted By: jtsvrxxiv
Subject: Thinking of moving to fredericksburg...
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2006 at 11:40am
Hi,
Me and my soon to be wife are sueriously considering moving to downtown fredericksburg. I work in the district around 14th&penn/NY. I would probably get to work around eight and head out around five. Can anyone tell me the usual time the trip takes for morning and evenings/how the lines are/best spots to go to? I beleive I would be about equidistant from the Route 3/Route 17.
Cheers!
Jake
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Replies:
Posted By: JK 14 n G
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2006 at 1:44pm
Jake, if you move downtown, it wouldn't make sense for you to use the Rt. 3 lot, as it is several miles south and west of where you are. Your best bet is going to the Rt. 17 lot. I usually arrive at Rt. 17 at 7:45 am and arrive at my office at 9 a.m., so I can't speak to the schedule you'd be following. At that time of the morning I occassionally get a ride directly to 14th Street, but more often end up going to the pentagon, rosslyn or l'efant and take the metro the rest of the way. On my way home, I go to the pentagon and get in line around 5pm.... the ride home varies, but I usually am home between 6:30 and 7 pm. Other good options include using the rt. 610 lot, as I believe there are more drivers going downtown, and more downtown pm lines going back so you can be spared the pentagon. the only trouble with 610 is that parking gets scarce, and you risk ticketing and towing. Hope this helps, good luck with your move.
Let's fill up the Rt. 17 lot and ease up on Mine Rd.!!
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Posted By: H84NRS
Date Posted: 09 Nov 2006 at 3:12pm
Jake,
For god sakes DO NOT MOVE TO FREDERICKSBURG!!!!!!!!! Downtown Fredericksburg is a very nice place but buy a place closer like Fairfax County or even Arlington. It's not worth the time and frustration of commuting(even if it's slugging). It may cost more closer in but believe me IT'S WORHT IT!!!!!!!!!!! It's nice to commute only 15 minutes to a job like mine. I could of bought further South and saved money but in the long run it was well worth it!!!!!!!! Think of the time when you have to get up and the time when you would be getting home!!!!! I enjoy having 5 to 6 hours of home time once I get home. I don't have to use leave because of snow days(who wants to lose a day off or more because of that!!!!)
TRUST ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUY UP HERE!!!!!!!!
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Posted By: sable2
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2006 at 2:45pm
Dude... Don't move to F'bg unless you can find a job in F'bg... Hate to say it, but I agree w/ H8. It's nice n' all for a feel-good family effect if that's what your looking for, but unless you already live further South and are used to a crappy commute, it is worth moving much further North. I live there and I hate coming home every day. If I lived in Stafford I'd hate it too. I'd probably hate it until I was past Dumfries.
Enjoy!
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Posted By: sluDgE
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2006 at 6:23pm
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Look for a place to live in in Lorton, Burke, or Springfield. It's still one of the best commutes from outside the beltway. We bought in Burke 28 years ago just after we got married and have enjoyed every minute of living here. It was tough on us financially at first but got so much easier as time has gone by. I don't see how those who commute from south of Dumfrees can do it each day. To me, that would be unbearable. Bless them all.
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Posted By: n/a
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2006 at 8:48am
Jake, I have to echo the sentiments of those who discourage long distance commuting to/from Fredricksburg. The hours wasted in transit each week are lost forever! Count them as hours spent away from your son, you couldn't pay me enough to add to those!
From Lorton/Springfield I still have a 45 min. to 1 hour slug commute each way! And while they are marginally more reliable in winter weather, Metro / VRE saves no time and costs about $200. each month. I can't imagine the VRE fare and travel time from F'Burg!
Hang tough, scale down, buy close-in. You may end up with a little less for your $$, but you'll get dividends back in valuable family time! Good luck!
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Posted By: OA
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2006 at 9:00am
Jake,
I'd like to offer a slightly different perspective.
I bought in Stafford in spring of 2005 and have commuted daily to/from the Pentagon.
There are folks out there that will say I'm full of it, but here's my schedule: I get to the slug lot (Mine Road, 610) around 6am, get a ride by 6:15 and am at the Pentagon usually around 7am. Now, that doesn't happen everyday, but I've been slugging out of both 610 lots for over 18 months now and find it to be very reliable and the commute isn't as bad as some folks who live closer in. I've always managed to get to my lovely cubicle before 'official' duty hours begin at 7:30am.
Coming home usually takes around an hour, more on holiday weekends and Fridays.
I wouldn't head as far South as Fredricksburg...but, I've found that Stafford has plenty of good communting options (slug, VRE, buses) and the commute time isn't as bad as some would lead you to believe.
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Posted By: getmehome pweeze
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2006 at 9:31am
I agree with OA. Moved to Stafford in 02, started w/job in DC in 03. Commute from 610 to DC daily, I love it! I used to work retail in Springfield, same commute time, less pay, longer hours.
I wouldnt suggest moving as far as F'burg unless you want an even longer commute than 45-1 hour each way.
Slug'n till 2010
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Posted By: Scroll
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2006 at 1:21pm
In Genesis chapter 1 (the edited part), the essence of gorilla went before the Lord and said, "I want hair." Saith the Lord, "It's gonna cost you brains."
In other words, nothing's free. Moving farther up north (Springfield, etc) slashes commute time, but costs more in property costs. Moving to F'burg costs way less, but you'll sacrifice time.
Give a good look at 17/Warrenton Road. There's lots of homes there (old AND new), and tons of new shopping under construction. Old-town F'Burg is less than 10 minutes away. I live in Cardinal Forest, just 1/2 mile north of the Geico building. I'm 6.9 minutes from the 17 commuter lot. My AM slug ride is usually 45 minutes, with a 1 to 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon ride home.
I found on average that every mile up/down I-95 is worth $10,000 in the cost of homes, which is why I settled on 17/Warrenton Road.
My 2 bits...
Scroll
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Posted By: shelbybrynn
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2006 at 2:18pm
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For goodness sakes, don't move to Fredericksburg/Stafford/Spotsy unless you like sitting in traffic for long periods of time. I have lived in Stafford my entire life and have been commuting for 17.5 years and I dread the traffic and loss of time every day and it just gets worse each year. I highly discourage people from moving down this way.
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Posted By: getmehome pweeze
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2006 at 1:19pm
xxiv, it seems as if you'll have to make the ultimate decision here. This truly is a matter of give and take, do you give up time for a more affordable/possibly bigger home, or do you pay more, get possibly less, and have more time at home??
If you have the capability of "test driving" the PM HOV, lets say, you have friends out that way who you could slug to a local lot, then get a ride home, or just drive one day, pick up slugs, do the drop off, then drive back north. It sounds a bit much, but that may actually be a good way to see if the drive/$$/location thing is worth it in the long run.
I leave my house at 6:40 ever morning, and get home at 5:30 in the afternoon. Yes, I'd rather get home earlier and not have to travel so far to work. And yes, my husband and I (he also shares the same daily commute) worry about having children and being so far from home..we havent hit that milestone yet.
But, I have an affordable mortgage that offers me a nice sized home in a good neighborhood. I dont pay to get back and forth to work, and I make a better salary working in DC, and living in southern VA.
All of my ramblings come down to, you give, to get, know what I mean?
Slug'n till 2010
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Posted By: Galah
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2006 at 3:07pm
Don't do it!
I commute from Richmond, most days, have for 7 years.
I went for the good house, nice neighborhood, affordable mortgage, and DC wages, I even got a CITY and not just a suburb.
But I leave the house at 0500 and get back at 1900 and spend 4.5 hours on the road - and THAT was after I had discovered slugs (main lane SOV driving added 80 minutes to that commute, VRE adds 60 minutes to it, and AmTrak...HA! they have a 30% on time record)
The scary part is that it is ONLY GETTING WORSE, and there are no indications of improvements on the horizon, no new roads, no new lanes, no expansion of the HOV's no new rail lines...lotsa discussion, no movement.
Yep slugging's great for getting to work but what do you do on the weekends? See a concert/play in DC? catch a baseball/football game? even getting to the river/shore can be a struggle. Try driving from the Fredrickburg train station to southbound I-95 at 1700 ...
Live close to work, HAVE a life
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Posted By: dudte
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2006 at 4:59pm
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I live just off Fx Co Prkwy on the line between Burke and Springfield. On average the commute is 45 - 60 minutes. Rolling Valley slug to 18th Street or Foggy Bottom in the morning is easy, dependable. I can get rides anywhere from 6:00 am to after 8:00 am. In the evening the 19th & F slug line is a little less dependable - sometimes 30 - 45 minutes wait. But it works. I also have other options - 2 different Metro busses (18H, 18R) connect me to the Metro train either at Franconia/Springfield or Pentagon. Costs a bit - $3.50 - 4.00 each way but I read, nap, listen to the melodic "Doors closing"... Commute life in my particular area is diverse, easy, and cheap. I take $80 in pretax Metro checks monthly but prefer to slug. My late nights from Foggy Bottom require Metro. All other things being equally considered the Burke/Springfield area commute is very easy with lots of options. Slug lines to and from Rolling Valley, Bob's, Sydenstricker, etc. Destinations to Pentagon, Le'Enfant, 14th, 18th, 23rd, K, M, Reagan Building, Rossylin, Crystal City. What a system! OPtions, options. I've been here (DC area) for 3 years and have yet to drive into the District for work! And think of all the parking ticket revenue generation I've avoided...
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Posted By: sluDgE
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2006 at 9:14am
Agree 100% with dudte! Many options in Burke.
My typical morning commute from the time I start the car in the driveway to sitting at my desk near the P'gon is about 35-40 minutes. And that includes a morning rendezvous with the car pool. Best thing is the return trip in the afternoon is the same amount of time, and is seldom affected by Friday afternoon and holiday southbound I-395/I-95 traffic.
Burke/Springfield/Lorton is not a bad commute, and I would think any commute that begins and ends north of the Dumfrees HOV merge is almost as good. Also, that $10,000 housing cost per mile that someone mentioned is a factor the potential F'burg resident probably should consider depending on the type and size of housing he and his bride-to-be want.
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Posted By: getmehome pweeze
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2006 at 9:30am
Now see, that's what gets me- Why pay more to live in Burke, to have the SAME commute time as living in Stafford or the Burg for less,with(snicker) less congestion??
Slug'n till 2010
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Posted By: happycommuter
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2006 at 10:56am
quote:
Originally posted by getmehome pweeze
[br]Now see, that's what gets me- Why pay more to live in Burke, to have the SAME commute time as living in Stafford or the Burg for less,with(snicker) less congestion??
Slug'n till 2010
Hey GMHP,
The commute time may be the same but you have to consider where the person is going. DUDTE may be going in further in DC than other people so his commute may be the same as others who don't travel into DC(such as the Pentagon). You also have to consider where DUDTE gets dropped off and may have to walk a bit to his office. The bottomline is he has soooooooooo many options on how to get to work(metrobus, metrorail, VRE, carpool, slugging). Does metro have busses and rail down in Stafford, NO. So, that now just leaves 3 options. Also how late does VRE, carpools, and slugging go to? If DUDTE has to work late he can at least rely on metro since they operate late at night. Not sure about VRE's timetable but I could bet that slugging and carpooling doesn't go into the late night. I would rather have a house up here and have the tax write-off than deal with the commute. Again, what happens when bad weather hits? WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!! Traffic comes to a super crawl. Take a snow/ice day, who wants to lose a day of leave because of something like that. Metro runs regardless of the weather(unless it's something like a blizzard). I'm glad that I bought up here. I made sure that it was close to work and I don't have to worry about any weather problems or kid problems(heard about people being burden because of the distance factor). I STRONGLY URGE ANYONE WHO THINKS OF BUYING DOWN SOUTH TO RECONSIDER AND BUY CLOSE TO WORK.
I have nothing against you GMHP. At least you only have 3 more years of work :)
TRAFFIC IS HERE TO STAY IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT JUST SIMPLY MOVE AWAY
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Posted By: getmehome pweeze
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2006 at 11:59am
lol...three more years of slugging, 2010 is when Fluor project's their "HOT" lanes will open.
Slug'n till 2010
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Posted By: sluDgE
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2006 at 1:17pm
GMHP,
[:p] So there's no truth to the rumor (from your "Slug'n till 2010" closing) that you're getting up in age and that they're getting ready to put you out to the NoVa retirement pasture in 2010? Some slugs were afraid that might be the case. [:p]
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Posted By: getmehome pweeze
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2006 at 1:26pm
Nah, too young for that. Just my sarcasm about HOT lanes ending slugging as we know it.
Sorry people, your stuck with me!!
Slug'n till 2010
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Posted By: sable2
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2006 at 2:34pm
Happy's post is too long for me to quote, but I'd like to expound upon the part about the weather... Today for example its "just" raining and already VRE has promised us not-so-happy commuters at least 30-40 minute delays. [:(] Thank GOD there's a bar downstairs in my bldg. I'm gonna have at least two servings of somekind of white liquor for this trip home!! [:o)]
But hey, I'm not tryna rub my curmudgeon-ness off on anyone -- I realize we all gotta make choices here. Before I began working in Rosslyn I worked in Richmond and clearly, the commute southbound on 95 from F'burg is much less time-consuming and stressful than the northbound. In order to make way more cheese-chips-moulah-scrilla-dividends (baby), I made the choice to go North for work AND deal with the challenges of northbound commuting. So I'm dealing with it... today I'll just be dealing with it alco-pathically since I'm not driving.[}:)]
Enjoy!
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Posted By: Bob
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2006 at 9:51am
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bumping this over the spam
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