There is no variance when you drive against traffic from DC to Tysons. I was doing this regularly up until 6 years ago. There is a hell of a lot more variance with the crappy metro system.
My suggestion was that (with his budget) the guy lives in a mediocre place walking distance from Cap One and he will pay maybe $1000 less in rent. When he wants to go somewhere interesting then he can drive (~15 min) or now take the metro into DC. I don't see the point in living in a mediocre, over-priced place around Clarendon or Rosslyn; it is a very sterile area. You pay $$$ for being close to downtown DC. You can get the same shopping around Tysons and McLean. There is a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods (across the street from each other) just a mile or two down route 7 toward Falls Church.
Originally Posted by
GUWonder
Just the variance in drive times for getting across the bridges to go between McLean and Georgetown or Foggy Bottom was enough to make me advice people working in McLean to do what it takes to avoid the bridge crossings. In the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, it was less of an issue.