Burke

Mostly families who plan to stay around for a while. There are also military family and singles who don't want to be too close to DC.

Lots of restaurants are within driving distance, and there are several coffee shops, too. No bars or clubs, though! It's a quiet area.

If you don't mind a commute, it's a really nice place to live. 1-3 bedroom apartments and townhomes are anywhere from $1,200-1,800, and all I've seen are spacious and well-laid out. Most are a very convenient driving distance to grocery stores.

You have to drive everywhere. There are nice walking paths along the road and several parks, but the closest Metro is 15-20 minutes by car. There is quite a bit of parking (non-metered!), so having people over is easy to accommodate. The bus system has a presence there, but most routes only run during rush hour.

Move in mid-month between October and February or March for a prorated first month and possible deals on rent.

If you're renting, you'll have to pay a pet fee, but it's a great area for them. There are walking paths and parks galore, so that's fun with pets.

Go out to eat with friends and have people over. There are a couple of shopping centers within 15 minutes with good shopping and restaurants, but Burke itself is largely residential. There are coffee shops there, and several parks where you can take a picnic or relax on the lake for the day.

Burke Lake Road is the main one going from Braddock Rd. to Franconia-Springfield parkway. There are a couple of shopping centers with grocery stores and coffee shops there. The area is well-lit and quiet, so if that's what you're looking for, it's perfect.

No gyms closeby, but there are several Giant grocery stores, a Wal-Mart, several CVSs, and the like.

The closest schools are about 5-10 minutes away in the Annandale neighborhood, but several families live here.