Springfield is ok...but I'm also no fan of what we locals call NoVA (Northern VA = one word...sprawl). It has its nice areas and since it has a metro stop, that makes it worth looking into further. it's kind of an industrial area that has built up suburbs around it. Driving-wise, the Springfield area is where the beltway around DC (495) splits with the north to south main corridor (95)I'm not familiar w/NoVA barns and also haven't heard any horror stories from that area.