Tysons West - Vienna, VA

Tysons West remained farmland until the 1960s when construction of the Capital Beltway, Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner mall resulted in suburban expansion. Tracts of housing developments took the place of family farms as the area became a bedroom community of D.C. Another wave of growth took place when the Dulles corridor became a major technology center in the early 1990s.

Tysons West lacks an arts scene, but it is home to the Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts. This national park hosts music, dance, theater and comedy acts from around the country. In addition to the museums and historical attractions in Washington, residents in Tysons West can visit Colvin Run Mill, an operational water-powered mill built in 1811.

Great Falls hosts summer concerts on the Village Green as well as seasonal celebrations. Fourth of July includes a parade, events, rides, attractions and fireworks at Turner Farm Park.

For dining close to home, residents go to Great Falls, which has a surprising number of options considering its small size. To celebrate special occasions, locals rely on L'Auberge Chez Francois, an establishment consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in the greater Washington area. This cozy country French restaurant, tucked away between large houses on Springvale Road, takes diners on a culinary journey through the Alsatian countryside with four-course meals. Warm and friendly, but extremely professional, staff usher you through each course. Enjoy the mussels with garlic and butter, or go for the soft shelled crab. For the salad course, try the duck breast salad or Roquefort cheese salad, followed by the twin tenderloins of Angus beef or the poached lobster. Finish your meal with a dark chocolate tart or vanilla crème brûlee.

In the heart of Great Falls Village Centre, the Old Brogue has been drawing crowds since 1981. Locals always see someone they know at this Irish pub featuring seasonal menus served in a neighborly atmosphere. You can sit in the bar area, on indoor or outdoor patios or in the cozy Snuggery. Try the Irish fish sandwich, a beer-battered, flaky white fish in a crispy coating served with horseradish sauce. Alternatively, you can't go wrong with the corned beef and cabbage with new potatoes.

BRX American Bistro sits in a small strip mall three miles from Great Falls Village Centre. The large dining room offers a casual ambiance where diners relax and enjoy tasty meals served by friendly and attentive staff. Try the jerk chicken, Louisiana penne pasta or the chicken piccata.

Nightlife near the neighborhood includes the bar at the Old Brogue and drink selections at restaurants such as BRX American Bistro and Dante Ristorante. For a bigger night out, drive across the river to Bethesda, Maryland, where you can take in a live show at one of two area theaters, or see stand-up comedy at the Laugh Riot at the Hyatt. Other popular spots include The Barking Dog, which features a large dance floor, a pool table and skeeball, or try Tyber Bierhaus with a wide selection of German, Belgian and Czech beers served at long communal tables. See your favorite artists perform at the intimate, acoustically excellent Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, a venue housed in the old Bethesda Theater.

You need a car to get to most locations in the area. Neighborhoods tend to be isolated pockets, and the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit on Route 7, the main artery through the community, discourages walking or biking. On the plus side, ample free parking is available. The Dulles Toll Road, Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway), Route 66, the Fairfax County Parkway and the George Washington Parkway all can be accessed easily from Tysons West, but the heavy reliance on cars means traffic in the area can be brutal.

Those without a car take advantage of the Fairfax Connector, which operates bus routes along Route 7. Metrorail provides another public transportation option. Wiehle-Reston East and Spring Hill Road stations both serve the area. It takes about 30 minutes from Spring Hill Road to the Metro Center station in D.C., and it takes 40 minutes from Wiehle-Reston East to Metro Center. Spring Hill Road has no parking, so the bus makes a good option for getting there, but Wiehle-Reston East has a large parking garage. Hailing a cab isn't an option here, but you can call a local cab company to arrange a pickup or use Uber.

Tysons West includes free parks for hiking, playing and relaxing. Great Falls Grange Park in Great Falls village features a large playground with a variety of equipment. Other parks buzz with weekend soccer, lacrosse and baseball games, including Lockmeade Park, McLean Hamlet Park and Great Falls Nike Park, which also has playground equipment and tennis courts.

Riverbend Park and Great Falls National Park both lure visitors with hiking trails and views of the Potomac River. Visitors enjoy bringing their dogs along for a hike, but dogs must stay on their leashes. At Great Falls Park, the Potomac River rushes over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the Mather Gorge. The 800-acre park features scenic views of the falls, restrooms and a picnic area. At Riverbend, a free public park, visitors launch canoes or kayaks, fish, explore the exhibits at the visitor's center or stop in the snack bar and gift shop. Well-marked hiking trails guide you and can lead you to the Great Falls, perfect for those who don't want to pay the $5 entry fee at Great Falls Park. Riverbend hosts the Virginia Indian Festival each September, where members of native tribes gather to celebrate their culture with hands-on activities and live demonstrations. The Rappahannock dancers and drummers perform traditional dances in native costumes. Admission to the festival costs $5.

For additional hiking and mountain biking opportunities, residents make use of the Difficult Run Trail, which courses through wooded land between neighborhoods and can be accessed from many different locations.

The Washington area's cost of living sits well above the national average, and you can expect to pay 29 percent more in Tysons West than in D.C., and a whopping 89 percent more than the national average. Newcomers to the area often face sticker shock upon arrival, but higher wages and a good quality of life help soften the blow. The community consists of single-family homes with no apartments in the area, and you can expect to pay around $6 for a beer.

Commuting to Metro Center in Washington from the Wiehle-Reston East station via Metrorail costs $5.90 during peak hours and $3.60 off-peak using a SmarTrip card. Expect to pay $1 more if you use a paper fare card. If you drive to Wiehle-Reston East and park in the garage, it costs $4.85 per day. Area gas prices average 11 percent more than the national average.

For local shopping, try the Town of Vienna. Most shops in Vienna sit on Church Street and Maple Avenue, and you can walk between shops in some areas. Check out REfind on Church Street for antiques, home decor, collectibles, and furniture in a mix of consigned and new inventory.

For larger shopping trips, you never have to go too far. To the east lie the malls and shopping centers of Tysons Corner, including high-end stores such as Tiffany & Co. and Bally. To the south sits Reston with its Town Center shops, and to the west lies Sterling with a variety of strip malls and shopping centers.

Safeway, the closest grocery store, lies in Great Falls. Harris Teeter in Tysons and in Reston has a larger selection as well as a hot and cold food bar, a full-service seafood counter, and freshly made pizza. Giant Food and Whole Foods both have locations in Reston and Vienna, so you can grab what you need while you accomplish other errands in either town. In addition, Trader Joe's in Reston specializes in organic produce, wine, and seasonal foods.

The Great Falls Community Farmers Market takes place year-round every Saturday morning in the Great Falls Village Centre. Vendors sell fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, homemade pickles, soaps and lotions, and baked goods.