Torn On Where To Live - Won't Be Able To View In Person

Submitted by wilsoncoveland t3_ybvzp6 in arlingtonva

Apologies for adding to the abundance of apartment recommendation posts, but I'm about to move to Arlington and will not be able to see anything in person beforehand. I'm currently torn between Origin Ballston and Cortland Rosslyn (formerly the Aubrey). Have you heard or had any personal experiences at either of these apartments? Open to even hearing differences between the Ballston and Rosslyn areas.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

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k032 t1_itj3cea wrote

I probably wouldn't live in Ballston because you'll have to transfer lines to go to work. I would stick to somewhere on the blue or yellow line. Driving here sucks especially for commuting. Have a single line no transfers commute is the best.

Honestly it might even be worth just living down by Crystal City too and that whole south Arlington / National Landing area.

I don't have experience with either of those places really.

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wilsoncoveland OP t1_itj7sis wrote

Good to know about the difficulty of driving for commuting. I'll take a look around Crystal City as well!

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m00fassa t1_itl5phg wrote

Love crystal city, only problem is all the amazon construction now but once it’s done mid next year it’ll be gorgeous. and probably more expensive too 😭. But I highly recommend the area for sure. Lived there for almost 4 years.

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an-itch-in-her-ditch t1_itlyzum wrote

Driving is bad, but where you are considering living and commuting, not that bad. On a bad day it might take you 30-45 minutes. And somewhere else you mentioned you’ll be commuting twice a week? I wouldn’t let the commute be a major factor to be part of your decision considering any of the suggested alternatives. They will all be within reasonable commutes for the region.

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OBJHamSandwich t1_itm6a1r wrote

If I could move anywhere in the area, I'd move to Rosslyn. It's convenient and it's a short hop to the whole city. It's on three metro lines that can get you to both nearby airports, and you can literally walk to Georgetown. Ballston feels very, like, manufactured to me. Obviously the area right by the metro station is very built up in Rosslyn, but there are a bunch of great restaurants and things a few blocks up the hill. Rosslyn all the way, honestly. I live in Courthouse and I wish I would've gone to Rosslyn. Ballston feels like living in a mall.

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mohclark t1_itiyjpj wrote

I don't know those buildings specifically, but Ballston has a lot more to do with restaurants, bars, the mall, etc. Rosslyn has gotten better in recent years, but on weekends it seems pretty desolate. Feels like mostly office buildings and once those workers have gone home - pretty quiet! Easy to walk into Georgetown though.

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wilsoncoveland OP t1_itj0f6n wrote

That's the impression I got from doing some digging online. Thank you for confirming :)

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an-itch-in-her-ditch t1_itj7mz9 wrote

Ballston has more things than Rosslyn. Give us some biographical details, if you’re comfortable with that. Do you plan to keep a car?

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wilsoncoveland OP t1_itj85wy wrote

Mid 20s, will be living with my partner and dog, interested in trying new experiences and getting to know the area, were originally planning on keeping both of our cars

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an-itch-in-her-ditch t1_itlx6n1 wrote

In that case you’d better be prepared to take into account how your cars are going to have a place to live. Reserved parking ain’t cheap, if you can even get it in your building. $100/month would be a bargain. It’s probably closer to $250. Post another thread asking about that. And you also must acquire a VA drivers license and register your car within 60 days of moving to Virginia. Additionally you are also responsible for paying an annual (yes, annual) personal property tax on the value of each vehicle being kept in Arlington. What’s this? I already paid taxes on my car when I bought it? Yes, the dreaded “personal property tax” is a revenue collections statute that allows each county to squeeze money from citizens every year based upon the value of their cars. My advice is either don’t bring your cars, or suck it up and pay up. Yeah, it stinks, but it’s the law. If you try and “hide” your car from Arlington by keeping your out of state car titled in another state (using out-of-state license plates), then don’t. When you get caught (not if, but when) you’ll have to pay a hefty penalty on top of whatever taxes you owe. Arlington has several cars with license plate readers that they park outside of apartment/condos and capture the tags of cars entering/leaving the property. They’ll send you a “courtesy” notice reminding you of your obligations, but eventually you’ll get a bill. And if unpaid, eventually a summons. There are far better ways to see the inside of the local courthouse. Seriously, don’t hide or try to fight it. You’ll eventually get caught. Just chalk it up as a “cost of doing business” to live here.

Welcome to Virginia.

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DUNGAROO t1_itm0nz8 wrote

Based on the buildings that OP is considering I don’t think they’re that concerned about the additional expense of underground parking.

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an-itch-in-her-ditch t1_itm9kt9 wrote

Considering they have two cars, that could easily be another $500 a month, not an inconsiderable amount. And some people would freak out by spending that much on parking alone.

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hammerheadjordi t1_itk06xj wrote

Ballston to Amazon would not be a bad commute by car at all, but a bit more inconvenient than Rosslyn to Amazon via metro

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aurora4000 t1_itkuqiv wrote

Rosslyn to Amazon: GW Parkway or 110 - no lights.

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an-itch-in-her-ditch t1_itlzuhk wrote

He said it would be “a bit more inconvenient”, correct?

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aurora4000 t1_itm8rer wrote

Fair point. From Google maps, best route with fewest lights:

The View/Rosslyn to Amazon HQ = 8 minutes

The View/Ballston to Amazon HQ = 13 minutes and tolls if taking 66

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an-itch-in-her-ditch t1_itmehpc wrote

Considering this region, most people would sell their first born to have a commute under a 15 minute time frame.

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Saltymeats t1_itiycio wrote

Will you have to commute, and to where?

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wilsoncoveland OP t1_itj09pd wrote

Good question! Yes, I'll work 2 days a week at the Amazon office (1770 Crystal Drive I believe)

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Saltymeats t1_itj532i wrote

So, I think I would pick Origin over Cortland Rosslyn generally, except if A.) you plan on taking metro consistently to work as your commute will be significantly easier from Rosslyn, and B.) you already have lots of friends in DC and you know your social life will revolve around being in DC, as it’s only one metro stop away from Foggy Bottom. Yes, there definitely isn’t as much going on in Rosslyn generally but the location of the Cortland building is close to a lot of different things and a quick walk to Courthouse. I’ve walked by the building and it looks really nice from the outside.

Origin is a good building and I know people who love it there. Just know that it’s above a mall, albeit a mixed use type mall. But the area around it has a lot of fun stuff to do. And it’s a quick walk from Clarendon which has a lot of nightlife and restaurants. The drive from Ballston to Amazon wouldn’t be that bad, but commuting by metro from there would be more inconvenient.

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wilsoncoveland OP t1_itj7c47 wrote

This is super helpful. Thank you so much! With me being from out of state and not knowing anyone in the area, it'll probably be best for me to live where there are more things to do. And I was also leaning more towards driving vs. taking the metro.

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checkmategaytheists t1_itlfhpz wrote

Your life will be much easier if you take the metro. Driving in this area is difficult - for good reason, it's extremely populated and literally right next to a metro station.

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an-itch-in-her-ditch t1_itm0m9m wrote

Sunday night commute (no traffic example) would take about 10 minutes to Rosslyn and 15 minutes to Ballston. And he mentioned elsewhere he’s only commuting twice a week. Amazon must be generous with work from home.

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aurora4000 t1_itkv37y wrote

Rosslyn is easier from a commuting perspective. The orange line trains can be packed in the mornings but at Rosslyn you can take the blue line directly to work. Driving: Rosslyn to Amazon: GW Parkway or 110 - no lights.

You probably won't need two cars. You can live carfree along the metro lines. Street parking is difficult - if not impossible - pick a place that offers parking.

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FromBayToBurg t1_itlbbqw wrote

>Origin Ballston

Lived in the Origin from Oct 2020-Oct 2021. It's a fine building though the amenities aren't that fantastic for the price you pay. There are 4 elevators in the lobby and very often at least 1 to 2 of them were out of service.

The pool access door would not work from time to time so you needed to walk through the bathrooms to enter.

For the longest time the front door (on Randolph St.) was not locking properly so anyone could enter the lobby of the building -- by itself is not a huge deal since you need a fob to use the elevator, but still concerning for a "luxury" apartment.

The staff was great though. No complaints about maintenance staff or other employees.

I have a coworker that recently moved out due to a 15% rent increase (though that's an issue in the entire area not specifically related to Origin). But even after I had moved out he reiterated all of the same issues regarding elevators and doors on the rooftop.

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DUNGAROO t1_itm0c36 wrote

Both are gorgeous buildings. I’ve seen the amenities of Aubrey firsthand and they’re impressive. I haven’t been inside Origin myself but have heard great things and buy coffee from the Compass on the 1st floor of that building every day. If they’re within budget, you really can’t go wrong with either.

While Roslyn is physically closer than Ballston, it’s a pretty sleepy downtown area with a lot of vehicle traffic. There’s a lot more to eat, drink, and experience in Ballston. If you’re under the age of 35 and/or single I would 100% choose Ballston.

Avoid crystal city and pentagon city. They’re not unsafe they’re just boring without much of a neighborhood vibe.

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