Moving Advice - DC Area?

[bluelou]

Hello,
I will be moving to DC at the end of the summer to take a new job opportunity. I'll be working in DC proper, but I'm trying to figure out where would be a good place to live. I'll be renting, and would like to find something around 15-1800/month for a 2br. I'd love to be able to metro it to work each day.

I'm wondering if anyone has any insight/opinions as to decent areas to live? Craigslist is all well and good, but it doesn't give you a feel for what life will be like in one area versus the other, and I'd be curious to hear people's opinions about DC vs. northern virginia vs. maryland.

thanks in advance for your advice!

[snowdenscold]

Would you like to be somewhere where you can walk to most things, or in a place where driving around in the suburbs will be your main focus? Both can work w/ a metro commute into DC...

[CameronBornAndBred]

No idea what prices are now, but when I lived there my apartments and my friends were always between 21st and 14th streets in Norhtwest, in the upper letter range. (P - T) Dupont circle metro was never more than a 10 minute walk, sometimes much less. I loved the area, and if I lived there again, that's where I'd be. Some of my classmates and friends lived in other areas like Southwest, Georgetown and Adams Morgan, one lived way Northwest close to the zoo. My favorite was always the zone I mentioned first.

[bjornolf]

we used to live at sprinfield station in springfield, VA. There's a metro stop RIGHT across the street. It's also right across the street from springfield mall. My wife and I used to walk to both. They have 2 bedroom apartments, but I have no idea what they go for these days. I just looked, and it appears that they're in the $1500-$2000 range for 2 bedrooms. We moved in in 1999 when they were still building them, so they're about ten years old, which is nice.
http://www.archstoneapartments.com/Apartments/Virginia/Alexandria-Springfield/Archstone_Springfield_Station/

How long are you planning on living here? If it's even just a year or two, you might want to consider buying a townhouse. From what I hear, realty prices are about as low as they're ever going to be. You can get a place for a steal, and because of the military turnover around here, this market WILL recover sooner than most others, so you'll probably be able to sell it at a tidy profit in a couple years.

%%-

[DevilAlumna]

Hmm, hard to give a good answer without knowing more about you -- if you're young and just out of college, live in the district. Capitol Hill, Logan Circle, G'town, Adams Morgan, maybe as far out as Van Ness. You definitely want to be on the metro line, or a very very busy bus line. You'll make up for the extra in rent by saving in taxi fares and parking fees.

If you're not going to be going out after work with any regularity, then along the orange line in Virginia's not bad, but I think the prices have gone up there since I left in 2001. The feel of those neighborhoods seems to be folks in their late 20's to late 30's.

I can't ever recommend Maryland unless it's right on the red line, because, well, it's Md., and I grew up in NoVA. Plus, it's a pain to get into the city via a car from Md.

If you have questions about a specific neighborhood, post it here, and that'll be easier to answer than, "where should I live."

[Bluedog]

Yeah, hard to give advice when we don't know much about you. I lived in Rosslyn (arlington, va) last year, about 1/2 block from the Key Bridge. I enjoyed the area a lot, being close to Georgetown without the prices/parking, and close to the metro. Would recommend it highly. I worked out in Virginia, though, about 30 minutes west of the district.

You can't find a decent 2 BR place in Gtown, Adams Morgan, or Dupont (neighborhoods people suggested) for 1500-1800. Sorry, it's just not going to happen. You'd be even hardpressed to find it in Cleveland Park/Woodley area. DC rent is EXPENSIVE. For a young person who wants to live near some action, I'd definitely recommend Arlington anywhere along the Orange line (Rosslyn, Courthouse, Ballston, etc.). There are a decent number of bars/restaurants and lots of young people, and the metro to DC is like 10 minutes. Not a big deal at all. For a decent two bedroom there, you still have to expect to pay near 1900/month, though, although it's definitely cheaper than DC itself. There are some diamonds in the rough. If you want to save money, it's pretty simple: live farther from the metro. Obviously, not as convenient, but that's pretty much how it goes. You could also check out Alexandria, but I don't find it as appealing for single young people - great for families and a really nice historic downtown area.

I'd avoid Maryland at all costs. I just hate that state and UMD in particular - sorry. But I just find Virginia much more appealing. Although certain things about Virginia annoyed me (car tax?!? what? I had never heard of this in my life). It's a "commonwealth" you know and there is a lot of bureaucracy going on. ;) I somewhat preferred DC but couldn't justify the more expensive rent and longer commute the work. I'd also check out Gallery Place, Logan Square, etc. Definitely stay in the NW region if you want to live in DC itself. I know many many people who did/still do the Arlington -> DC commute.

[DevilAlumna]

I lived in Rosslyn (arlington, va) last year, about 1/2 block from the Key Bridge. I enjoyed the area a lot, being close to Georgetown without the prices/parking, and close to the metro. Would recommend it highly.

Ft. Georgetown Apartments? I lived there from 1998-2001. I considered it as being "stumbling distance" from G'town. ;)

[bluelou]

especially the bit about - we don't know who the hell you are, so how are we supposed to make a good reccomendation? :)

I'm not fresh out of college - I can't even say I'm fresh out of grad school any more. Mid 30's, moving down for a fellowship working at the EPA. i've been living in boston, and found that I'm happier in the more suburban town of belmont than my original experience of a year and half in somerville.

I'll be in the area for a minimum of 2 years, assuming the fellowship goes smoothly, however, as I'm planning a wedding now too, I don't think I'm in a position to buy - which is sad because it really does seem like a great time. I'm not totally concerned about being near nightlife since I'll be helping with wedding plans, and my fiance won't be joining me till jan '10 while she finishes her dissertation in boston.

I grew up in baltimore, and also have a disinclination to maryland, and craigslist seems to suggest that living in the district would be a bit expensive. Until I was 8 (early 80's) we lived in bethesda, which I thought would be fun to return to, until I looked at prices there...so I'm leaning towards VA, though I just know nothing about NOVA....

thanks for the tip on the archstone community. I lived in one in durham and it was alright. I'll have to check them out, especially if i can get to a metro from one.

Thanks again for all the good points. and any more that come!

-Lou

[devildeac]

My son lives about 12 blocks from Union Station (13th, Maryland and G Sts.) in what is technically a 2 BR row house for about $2200/month. However, 4 guys live there with 2 of them living in the basement they adapted with their beds, a loveseat, chairs and rolling "hangars/closets." We started looking for places through craigslist and then just wandered around the Capitol Hill area on a Saturday looking at "for rent" signs and making phone calls. One of the guys and his dad actually found the current house in the same manner several days after we visited. The ones we looked at that were $1900/month were dumps. They are 1-2 blocks from a bus station and about a 12-15 minute walk from Union Station and really like their location. One guy works in a US Senator's office and he walks to work daily, one teaches in Anacostia with Teach for America and the other works "for the govmint." We thought he was a CIA operative but eventually found out it was the Defense Dept.:rolleyes:;). My son has about a 50-55 minute commute to Bethesda everyday to the NIH.

[Jarhead]

Concentrate on the Virginia suburbs, mostly along the Potomac. Stay away from the Route #1 corridor between Alexandria and Ft. Belvoir. The rest of the Virginia suburbs is OK, but, hmm, suburbs. Soak in the whole area while you are there. Tourists from all over the world spend thousands to see it for just one week.

[blazindw]

I'll be the one to shout out Maryland. I currently live in downtown Bethesda, and I love it. I also lived in Friendship Heights (on the Chevy Chase, MD side). I'm right across from the Metro, so I'm downtown in no more than 20 minutes most days. You're equidistant from all the airports, and I actually drive to work somedays...it actually is much better than people's commutes from VA. In downtown Bethesda, there's a great mix of young and middle-aged people, and within about a mile radius there's somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 restaurants and bars to frequent.

The best part is that there are great deals out here for housing...some of the old houses off Wisconsin Avenue are renting 3 bedrooms for under $2000. You can also find some 2BR places for under $2000 and some as cheap as the $1300 range. In Bethesda (or Chevy Chase), you actually are quite close to all the hot spots in the city, and for the majority of them (Dupont, Adams Morgan and Chinatown for social, Farragut North and Metro Center for work), you are already on the red line--no switching lines required!

[Highlander]

I work weekly in Reston, VA, which is only a few miles from Dulles. There is a metro stop fairly close by (>1 mile), and it has a very suburban feel to it. I know little to nothing about the DC area, but have heard Arlington and alot of the places between there and Dulles are nice. Traffic I have heard is a nightmare in a lot of places, so I would figure out your normal commute and see how it works during rush hour.

[JBDuke]

I work weekly in Reston, VA, which is only a few miles from Dulles. There is a metro stop fairly close by (>1 mile), and it has a very suburban feel to it. I know little to nothing about the DC area, but have heard Arlington and alot of the places between there and Dulles are nice. Traffic I have heard is a nightmare in a lot of places, so I would figure out your normal commute and see how it works during rush hour.

There is no true Metro stop within a mile of any place in Reston. There will be in the future, when the Dulles extension gets built out that far. And there are Metro bus stops all over Reston that will take you to a Metro stop in Vienna or Falls Church. But no rail service to Reston for a while yet.

[BlueDevilBaby]

I've lived in south Arlington for nearly 20 years now and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Crystal City is very convenient to metro, shops, park, bike trails, airport and town. However, I lived there over 10 years ago and have no idea about rent amounts now. As someone already mentioned, the Clarendon area is very popular. Excellent shopping. I just don't seem to get over that way very much.

[Turk]

I'm a big fan of Arlington, although we lived there so long ago any intel I have about specific areas and price ranges is outdated. Mrs Turk and I found the combination of metro access, bike trails, and other recreational opportunities in Arlington couldn't be beat. Even some of the nicer rowhouse nieghborhoods in DC were a bit too claustrophobic for us. I also believe there is a better variety of apartments, duplexes, and single-family houses to rent in Arlington than in the district proper.

I saw most of our friends leave their rentals (of whatever type or flavor) to buy starter townhouses in God-forsaken North Gaithersburg MD or South Fred-necks-burg VA in exchange for a 1 to 2 hour commute downtown and trembled in pure horror. We chose to keep renting instead so we could stay inside the beltway until it was time for us to leave.

So my advice is to figure out what you really like doing for fun when you're not working, and narrow down the candidate neighborhoods accordingly. Then the next step is to figure out the type of house / apartment you really like and go for one of those. I wouldn't recommend buying anything unless you know you'll be there for at least 3 years absolute minimum.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I'm partial to the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor along the Orange line in Arlington (zip=22201), but that's b/c I've lived along here since 2002. It was rare that I ever needed to leave a 2 mi radius of my apartment in Courthouse. To me, that was a great time.

Clarendon prices are expensive, but you can find a 2br in your price range somewhere along here, Va Square and Ballston may be better bets. You also may have better luck finding a good price in craigslist or the CityPaper rather than looking at managed highrise properties.

[4decadedukie]

Welcome to DC. I have lived in the metropolitan area for 27 years and believe it is a GREAT place to live and work.

You did not advise us of many germane issues, including children’s educational needs and partner requirement. However, presuming you are moving to DC alone, here are some PERSONAL observations:
1) It’s smart, if possible, to live proximate to Metro station;
2) I prefer the NoVa suburbs to Montgomery County, but others disagree;
3) There are substantial community, cultural, and political differences – even in NoVa – between the inner ‘burbs (Arlington, Old Town Alexandria, and Falls Church) and the outer ones (Fairfax, Loudoun)
4) Don’t consider Prince William or Prince George’s Counties;
5) DC is great, but it is expensive, has many areas that are quite unsafe, and often demands that you pay twice – through taxes and through private services – for basic benefits like security and education;
6) The inexpensive/free recreational/cultural opportunities are vast and simply terrific;
7) If you’re an alumnus, the Duke Club of Washington is a superb vehicle to meet people and to enjoy your fellow Dukies;
8) If you will commute by car, drive the likely route several times during rush hour – it is usual that a 20- or 30-minute non-rush drive becomes over an hour in madding congestion.

Please “private mail” me with any questions.

[Highlander]

There is no true Metro stop within a mile of any place in Reston. There will be in the future, when the Dulles extension gets built out that far. And there are Metro bus stops all over Reston that will take you to a Metro stop in Vienna or Falls Church. But no rail service to Reston for a while yet.

Hmm. I saw a sign on 267 for the Metro at the Fairfax exit last night, and assumed that was the one people had talked about. I guess that must be a bus stop then, because Vienna sounds like the closest one people have mentioned.

Interesting. What (if any) timetable exists on the Dulles extension? Any ideas?

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Hmm. I saw a sign on 267 for the Metro at the Fairfax exit last night, and assumed that was the one people had talked about. I guess that must be a bus stop then, because Vienna sounds like the closest one people have mentioned.

Interesting. What (if any) timetable exists on the Dulles extension? Any ideas?

I think I read 2012 for the first Silver Line phase which stops at Wiele (Reston). They need to hit that mark to receive the federal funding. I would guess that means even longer for service to Dulles and further out into Loudoun.

[Bluedog]

Hmm. I saw a sign on 267 for the Metro at the Fairfax exit last night, and assumed that was the one people had talked about. I guess that must be a bus stop then, because Vienna sounds like the closest one people have mentioned.

Interesting. What (if any) timetable exists on the Dulles extension? Any ideas?

It'll get to Reston by 2013. The entire silver line, which will go slightly past Dulles, is expected to be done in 2015. It was initially proposed in 2002, got approval in 2004, but didn't get all the funding necessary until Dec 2008. So, yeah, it's a ways away.

http://www.dullesmetro.com/pdfs/Dulles-Fact-Sheet.pdf
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120302256.html

[snowdenscold]

Hmm. I saw a sign on 267 for the Metro at the Fairfax exit last night, and assumed that was the one people had talked about. I guess that must be a bus stop then, because Vienna sounds like the closest one people have mentioned.

Interesting. What (if any) timetable exists on the Dulles extension? Any ideas?

Vienna is the end of the Orange Line.

http://www.dullesmetro.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Line_(Washington_Metro)

[snowdenscold]

Vienna is the end of the Orange Line.

http://www.dullesmetro.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Line_(Washington_Metro)

That copy/paste went awry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Line_(Washington_Metro)

[bjornolf]

If you live move to Arlington, I've heard that the Crystal City Restaurant is really good. I've never been there myself, unfortunately, but I've been told by several people that it is excellent.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

If you live move to Arlington, I've heard that the Crystal City Restaurant is really good. I've never been there myself, unfortunately, but I've been told by several people that it is excellent.

Funny, but VA laws prohibit these establishments from being any good.

[bjornolf]

Really? I've talked to several people that said the food was pretty good and that they'd taken their wives there for the food. Maybe they were just pulling my chain. Have you been there? I assume you're pulling my chain about the law thing. That just seems wrong to me if it is.

[BlueDevilBaby]

My ex boyfriend would go CCR on occasion and every time his buddies from PA came for a visit. Under no circumstances would I ever dream of going with him. Not my kind of entertainment.;)

[Rich]

If you live move to Arlington, I've heard that the Crystal City Restaurant is really good. I've never been there myself, unfortunately, but I've been told by several people that it is excellent.

Bjorn,

I truly hope you are joking/playing a joke since the Crystal City Restaurant is a strip club right in the heart of Crystal City (next to an Exxon, a Chinese restaurant, and a 7-Eleven).

I used to live in Crystal City and would recommend the area if you're young, want to be around other young people, want proximity to the metro and good shopping (the Underground and the Pentagon City Mall), and don't care too much about grass. We used to call it "Concrete City," but I was among friends who went to school together at GWU so we enjoyed it there and it's very easy to find grass on one of the many, many bike trails, which are among the best in the country. After I graduated I worked down the block in one of the Crystal Towers so my commute was unbelieveable. I ocasionally had lunch at the Crystal City Restaurant, but that's another story! :D

[Rich]

Really? I've talked to several people that said the food was pretty good and that they'd taken their wives there for the food. Maybe they were just pulling my chain. Have you been there? I assume you're pulling my chain about the law thing. That just seems wrong to me if it is.

Actually, I recall the food being better than the, ummm, entertainment. With some decent clubs in DC being so close, the Crystal City Restaurant doesn't bring in much "talent."

[bjornolf]

Which Tower did you work in? I was in Crystal Plaza 2 for about four years.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Small world. I have lived in Crystal Square and Crystal House. I loved CC for its convenience but it is concrete city.

[SmartDevil]

Again, we don't know you.....your age....whether you are single....have kids, etc.....let's assume you're in your 20s or 30s, unmarried and w/o kids.

Are you excited about DC or was it just where you happened to land a job? Are you into culture, history, politics, or nightlife?

If so, it is almost imperative you live in the city, at least for a couple years, to get the DC experience.

Live in the suburbs and you'll barely scratch the surface of the excitement that living in DC offers. It energizes and exites you 24 hours a day.

That's not to say that there aren't wonderful things about some parts of the suburbs.

Where you should chose depends on what you're seeking.

[merry]

I can't ever recommend Maryland unless it's right on the red line, because, well, it's Md., and I grew up in NoVA.

LOL, I grew up in Maryland and that's how I always felt about NoVA!



Plus, it's a pain to get into the city via a car from Md.


Never had any problem with that either, and always thought it was nice to have so many possible routes into the city none of which involved a traffic-jam-prone bridge. Your comment reminds of of people from NYC and NJ who claim DC's streets don't make sense ("all those letters and numbers and states and CIRCLES for heaven's sake!") It's just a matter of what you are used to, really.

[Reisen]

Just to jump in, we've lived here since graduating Duke in 2002, and are headed to NYC this summer.

I would definitely go somewhere along the orange line in Northern Virginia. Bethesda is great, if you have the $$$'s, but I think most things you would want would be outside your stated price range.

Assuming proximity to metro is important, that leaves Vienna (definitely doable, my place in Vienna is less than a mile to the Vienna Metro), Falls Church, Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon, Courthouse, or Rosslyn. There aren't a ton of apartments near the two Falls Church metros, so I would think Ballston, VA Square, Clarendon, or Courthouse would be your sweet spots. I'm not a big Ballston fan, so I would try Clarendon or Courthouse. Neat areas that are the right mix of City and Suburbs.

Craigslist them.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I'm not a big Ballston fan

It's the bus stop isn't it? You know I'm right. ;)

[bjornolf]

I'm telling you, if you don't want to move a little further out and buy a place, and DC is too expensive, Springfield Station is pretty nice. They have a bus stop right out front and a metro station right across the street, as well as a pretty decent shopping center. And Alexandria is like five minutes away, as well as Kingstowne.

[Turk]

~snip~ Your comment reminds of of people from NYC and NJ who claim DC's streets don't make sense ("all those letters and numbers and states and CIRCLES for heaven's sake!") It's just a matter of what you are used to, really.

LOL - I loved the DC (and Arlington) street naming convention - give me any address and I know how to get there - don't need no stinking GPS!! Mrs Turk never quite appreciated the elegance and simplicity...

But what goes around comes around - I have a much harder time in Philly. I keep getting all the "tree" streets that run east and west mixed up whenever I go down there and wind up off by a couple of blocks, and (usually when I'm in a hurry) on a one-way number street heading the wrong way... I'll take my chances in DC or NYC anytime...

[Rich]

Which Tower did you work in? I was in Crystal Plaza 2 for about four years.

I was in the South Crystal Tower when the Patent & Trademark Office owned it. I specialize in trademark law and started out at the PTO after law school. I think EPA was in the North Crystal Tower. Now the US Trademark Office is in Alexandria.

[Rich]

Small world. I have lived in Crystal Square and Crystal House. I loved CC for its convenience but it is concrete city.

I had friends in those buildings. I lived in the Hampton, which is probably the only property in the area not owed by Charles Smith (whose wife's name is Crystal). The Hampton is on South Eads and 14th Street (?), across the street from the Marriott.

[bjornolf]

I was in the South Crystal Tower when the Patent & Trademark Office owned it. I specialize in trademark law and started out at the PTO after law school. I think EPA was in the North Crystal Tower. Now the US Trademark Office is in Alexandria.

Yeah, I was PTO when it was in Crystal City. My wife still works for the PTO, though, yes, she's in Alexandria now (though she works from home 99% of the time). What years did you work there? Do you still work in IP? For a firm? Which one? My wife might be familiar with it. She works in lathes, cutting tools, routers (the cutting kind, not the IT kind ;) ), and milling machines.