new to the area

Hi!
We just moved to the area from a small town and have a few questions... First off, how safe is the area? Second, what are the "best" ways to get from here to crystal city and alexandria? And finally, any reviews on the day spa "Radiance" by Safeway?
We appreciate any feed-back on these questions and Thanks for your help!

 

WELCOME!

IMHO, the immediate neighborhood is very safe. Certainly, we do have occasional crime but it is very infrequent.

As to commuting, get a SmartTag. IF you are not familiar with this, it is a sensor for your car that allows you to go through the appropriate lanes without having to stop to pay the tolls. Tolls are automatically deducted from a credit card pre-payment that is setup when you get your device. You will need the SmartTag because the Greenway/Toll Rd will be your "best" route for the initial part of the commute.

 

Thanks! We are happy to be here and felt like this was a "safe" neighborhood. We will check into the smart tag soon. Although, the toll road is pricey, it seems to be the way to go.

 

Don't think of it as pricey .. think of it as costing less than the time you'll waste sitting in traffic on surface streets. Of course, alot depends on the time you leave in the morning !!

There are other scenarios too ... Loudoun County Transit buses travel to Rosslyn, the Pentagon and DC. Or from Cascades to the West Falls Church Metro.

http://inetdocs.loudoun.gov/transportation/docs/commuterbusserv_/index.htm

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

NO, THE GREENWAY IS PRICEY, MAKE NO MISTAKE. The Toll road is reasonable,

 

Thanks for the link to the Loudon County Transit. Anybody have any reviews on this?

 

Kat,

I use Radiance regularly for spa treatments. I actually prefer it to Elizabeth Arden.

 

I've used it to ride downtown several times. I don't work there regularly, but every now and then I have to go down there for a week, the bus is excellent. Folks are friendly. The busses are like Greyhound busses, not like metro busses.

 

For Crystal City, you can also take the Fairfax Connector bus from Wiehle Avenue off the Toll Road in Reston. The 989 departs from Reston and makes one stop at the Pentagon then makes several stops in Crystal City. You can see the schedule below:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/schedulesmaps.htm

 

I'm new to this area too .. is there any update on Metro coming to Dulles Airport and beyond ? ( or is that just a pipe dream )

[8D]

 

Probably a long ways off, if at all. If they had put the baseball stadium out here then it would have brought the metro our way a lot sooner.

 

Check out http://www.dullestransit.com/.

If I remember correctly, as I read in some newspaper a while back, current plans for the Metro calls for completion of the Falls-Church Dulles Airport sector in the year 2009 and from Dulles to Ashburn (I think it stops somewhere close to Ryan Road near the Greenway) in the year 2015. All this, assuming the right clearances/funding/etc. are obtained.

However, I was unable to find definitive info on the website.

 

Thanks for the info...I hope it happens in 2015 ... But I won't be holding my breath ..