Organized 31

Ideas from a Military Mom

Military Move to D.C. – Burke, VA

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Organized 31 - Military Move to Washington D.C. - Burke, VA
My dear friend, J., grew up in Virginia.  She married an Air Force officer and moved around the country before returning to settle in Burke, VA.  She’s been an amazing resource for me to learn more about the D.C. area.  I regret that I didn’t grill her more before we moved here.  But, that’s another story.
 
J. has graciously agreed to help me out with this series by telling us what she knows about Burke, VA.

 

Burke is located in Fairfax Country, VA

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Commuting

There are 4 public transportation options to commute to the Pentagon:

1. Express Metro Bus in neighborhoods and Rolling Valley Mall {here} 

2. VRE with free parking garage with service to Crystal City, L’Enfant and Union Station  

3. Slug Lot at Rolling Valley Mall  {here}

4. 20 minute drive to Springfield or Vienna Metro Station

The Express Metro Bus took about 45-55 minutes depending on the number of riders.

My husband preferred the bus because he walked to the bus stop and got on with no extra time for parking a car and then waiting for a train (also, no extra cost for parking). The metro buses in our neighborhood were very much on time each day with no more than a minute off the scheduled time.  Except for the major storm in 2010, the buses came all the way into the neighborhood when it was snowing.

The only time it was better to use the Metro would be on a day that he would or could be coming home before 3:45 pm. The express buses don’t run all day, only during rush hour. So, if the workers were released at noon for some reason, there was no bus available for him to come home at that time. If he didn’t know ahead of time, he would just take the Metro out to Springfield and I would go pick him up there. He also had to use the Metro to come home a few times when he was kept at work past the last express bus.

 

Military Bases

35 minutes by car to Fort Belvoir in Lorton, VA

45 minutes by car to Fort Myer in Arlington, VA (where Arlington National Cemetery is located)

50 minutes south down I-95 to Marine Corps Base Quantico 

 

Medical

There are 2 military clinics approximately 20 minutes from Burke in Fairfax and Dumfries.  Fort Belvoir hospital with emergency room and specialty clinics is 35 minutes away. Bethesda/Walter Reed hospital with specialty clinics is 50 minutes away in Maryland. Active Duty dependents can be assigned to any clinic depending on availability.  Military members at the Pentagon use the clinic in the  Pentagon.

Most local dentists, orthodontists and eye care centers take military insurance.

 

 Housing

Housing is available to rent and purchase from  apartments, condos, duplexes, townhouses and single family homes.  Most homes in the area were built between 1977 and 1989.

Homes within the Burke Conservancy have access to tennis courts, basketball courts, 5 pools, trails, neighborhood playgrounds and buildings that can be rented for events.  There is a strict HOA that must be followed by renters as well as owners in this area.  http://www.burkecentreweb.com

 

Schools


Fairfax County public schools are excellent.  The district website is {here}.   You can use the Fairfax County Boundary Information System {here} to find what schools a specific house address will attend.

The 2 main high schools in Burke are actually secondary schools which means they have grades 7-12 in one building and on the same bus schedule: James W. Robinson Secondary  {here} and Lake Braddock Secondary{here}.  We found this to be an advantage with a student that needed accelerated learning.  An 8th grader can easily take 9th grade geometry with this system.  There is also a very strong school spirit in the secondary schools.  Lake Braddock offers AP (advanced placement) courses in the high school and Robinson offers the IB (international baccalaureate) diploma program and some AP courses.  Both schools offer top academic, athletic, music and drama programs.

 

Airports

Dulles International Airport is about a 40 minute drive, depending on the traffic.
Reagan National Airport is about 30 minutes away by car.

Activities


Burke has access to all sports for children and adults.  Burke has its own soccer {here}  and basketball   {here} leagues   Fairfax Police Youth Club {here} offers 12 different sports, including a Youth Challenged league.   The Virginia Academy of Fencing is located nearby in Springfield  {here}.   Braddock Road Lacrosse offers spring leagues as part of the NVYLL  (children in the Robinson, Lake Braddock and Woodson high school pyramid) for boys and girls  {here}.  This is a very large area around the metro DC beltway and if your child wants to play it, it exists here.

 

Burke has several county parks nearby.  Burke Lake Park off of Route 123 (Ox Road) {here}  has a golf course open year round, trails around the lake, putt putt golf, a children’s train, a Frisbee golf course, boat rentals, picnic areas.  South Run Rec Center off of the Fairfax County Parkway (route 286) {here} has an indoor pool, basketball courts, full gym equipment area, and outdoor fields for baseball, soccer and lacrosse.

 

Other Considerations

This is a military friendly area with most of your neighbors in the military, retired from the military or working as a contractor for the military.

Your children will not be the only child in class attending their 3rd elementary school or second high school.Near-by shopping includes:  Wal-Mart, Target, 2 Giants, 2 Safeways, Kohls, 2 CVS

 
Area restaurants include: Wendy’s, 2 McDonalds, Jerry’s Subs, Chipotle, Subway, Taco Bell, Cold Stone, Friendly’s, Glory Days, Quiznos, Cafe Rio, all major pizza chains

The Burke Connection newspaper is also a great resource of newcomers to this area.  They print a Newcomers Guide each summer and it can be accessed from their web site {here}.   Under the print archives online tab you can scroll down to the guide.  They also have Newcomers Guides for many other neighborhoods in the metro D.C. area.

 

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  5. Eva {Tales of the Scotts} says

    This is super informative for anyone making the move. I’m sure they’d be super thankful for it!!

    Reply
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