Get ready for traffic jams from hell. Expect to have to leave 2 + hours early to get anywhere on time. And that was when I lived there back in 2004......I heard its gotten even worse now.
Don't know which exact building I'll be in, but it'll be around the White House/where all the government/historical buildings are. Ellipse? Federal Triangle? National Mall? What do you call that general area? I do hope to live in the city to avoid driving and traffic. I'm hoping to rely on public transportation for the first time in my life (yes I grew up in Tejas).
I left DC a few months ago. $1000 a month is not really doable in a good part of central DC (which I would personally define as having an actual DC address). I lived in Dupont, and I don't know anyone within $300 of that -- with one exception, being a friend who managed to find a relic rent controlled apt. I would be very wary of even a Craigslist ad that was advertising that -- not that they don't exist, you just may not like who your neighbors are. I've never rented off of Craigslist but I did look at one point -- frequently, people will misrepresent their location (near Dupont Circle! but actually closer to the zoo) or proximity to a tube station. You may have some luck looking in Arlington and Alexandria. I recall number of high rises going up there recently, and perhaps they may have high vacancy rates. Reading below, Kim said pretty much everything I would have said.
This place is baller. http://www.kettler.com/apartments/the_metropolitan_at_pentagon_city/ It's in Pentagon City and you won't need a car. Things you are next to: shopping mall, Harris Teeter (like a Whole Foods), metro, best buy, big parks, dsw, ice skating rink in winter, many restaurants, gold's gym and you're a few metro stops away from work $1465 for studios and 1 bedrooms start at $1825. Happy apartment hunting. also check out www.condo.com
That place is WAAAY more baller than I need or am looking for. Which is encouraging because if you adjust price to luxury it will be doable, I'm sure. I'm just conflicted because I just KNOW someone out there is subleasing or renting out at a reasonable price. But they are few and I'm one of those guys who loves nabbing those bargains in a short window. I probably shouldn't expect to land any of those though. At this point, I think I will shift focus to Arlington/Alexandria. Good distance, a tad cheaper... any input on Silver Spring/Takoma Park? I REALLY appreciate all the input and help. Very helpful.
I prefer Marvel, but DC puts out some good stuff. The other publishers are good, too. No need to move to one exclusively.
Lots of good advice in this thread. I moved to Alexandria in 2001 and lived there until I bought a house in DC last November. When I first moved there, I was paying about $850.00 a month for a one bedroom unit. The location is sometime called, "Arlandria" because it's right on the border between Alexandria and Arlington. While it wasn't located close to a metro station, it was very easy to take public transportation into the city. To get into DC for work , I would take the DASH bus (Alexadria's bus system.) It was perfect because I lived right off of 395 and the bus would go a few stops after I got on and get on 395 and go straight to the Pentagon metro station in less than 10 minutes. Call the Lloyd Apartments if you're interested in Alexandria. They have fantastic rent prices, probably still around $1,000.00/mo for a 1 bedroom. Also, all utilities are included in the price of the rent. The complex is located right next to a SUPER NICE neighborhood. Also, it's located right next to the 4 mile run bike trail which can get you easily to all major bike routes in the city. The biking trails in and around DC/VA are pretty awesome. I biked to work 3-4 days a week. It was perfect. I work in the Foggy Bottom area and I was able to get to work in about half an hour and it was on trails for about 90 percent and road only about 10 percent. I live in the northeast now. It's pretty ghetto, but the location is convenient, right next to the Ft Totten metro station. The bike trip to work is 100% roads, so it's a lot different. Still a VERY beautiful ride, though. Best of luck to you finding a place! EDIT: Here's the website for Lloyd apartments: http://www.lloydapartments.com/
Good. That opens up a lot of possibilities and is much cooler than working in say, Herndon. I lived in DC from 1986-1992. I first lived in some crappy run-down Capital Hill row houses on the edge of respectability, right next to Union Station. Only got burgled once... guy used the downstairs window bars to climb into a second story window. Living on the Hill was a blast and really convenient since that's where I worked at the time, but I was also poor. I was living on about $500 a month with $303.50 going to rent. When I started earning a bit more, I lived in the Shirlington area of northern Alexandria just south of Crystal City. It was a nice apartment/condo complex (Martha Custis Rd) and I had the end unit of a 4 unit building set in the trees. From there, I could bike to my job on the Mall most days and there was really good bus service for the inclement days (met some babes on the bus and the neighborhood was full of young gals trying to make their way in the world... lots of Hill staffers, students at GW and Mason, agency interns, and Pentagon secretaries). There was only a short distance on streets before you could access a bike path just south of National Airport and pedal into DC. I loved crossing Memorial Bridge, bopping around the Lincoln, and then down the Mall and Constitution to work. Good restaurants and tennis/hoop courts were easily available and it was a safe place to park your car. When I decided to move in with the gal who would eventually become Mrs. rimrocker, we got a place in Arlington between 66 and Lee Highway (17th Street) just west of Key Bridge. It was old but very big house that had been divided into apartments. We had 10 foot ceilings, a foyer, dining room, huge LR and BR. and a pink bathroom... still the best apartment I ever had. Anyway, the bike path was right out the back door, so we'd bike in from there as well... down through Rosslyn, by TR Island, and over Memorial Bridge. If we didn't do that, it was an easy walk to a Metro stop. Point is, you can make a lot of things work. Biking is very big in DC and most work places make accommodations with a safe place to park your bike and a shower facility. Regardless of where you live, you should get a good bike that can handle grates and curbs. I knew a fair amount of people who split a huge townhouse in Adams-Morgan, but that has apparently gotten really trendy, so I have no idea what a room would go for. Also had friends who lived in walkout basements on Capital Hill, but those are probably too pricey as well these days. Dated a gal who lived around Dupont Circle, but she was a lawyer and had a bit of money. Dupont is a funky, gay, interesting neighborhood that was being hit hard by AIDS when I was there. I assume it is still expensive and trendy. It's no big deal to share a house in DC... in fact, you can meet a lot of people by glomming onto your roommates' networks. It was odd for me, coming from Texas, to see so many houses with 4 or 5 or 6 people living in them, as I always thought the thing to do would be to have your own individual place... but it is a different culture in DC and the houses/rooms are big enough that you can have some level of privacy. A lot of folks loved it. Anyway, DC is a great, great singles town and once you get settled, you'll enjoy your time there. You can also set up some friendships and have some experiences that will last a lifetime. Good luck, and let me know if I can give you more info.
Fantastic information. Thanks so much. So key take aways: - Living in the city is probably out of the question (unless it's in a group setting -- which is actually fine with me if it's with the right people -- or in the ghetto) - Should probably focus in VA - Might consider biking to work. I know lots of people do it, especially in Austin, where biking is pretty big too. But just the idea of showing up to work all sweaty and needing to shower there (and that's if they have showers)... I'm sure it's just one of those things you'll get used to... Anyway I'll keep y'all posted. If there's anymore apartment suggestions, please list em. Again, thanks so much.
Silver Spring, Md is huge and mostly ghetto. If you live in one of the nice buildings in downtown silver spring, it'll work: metro, lots of police, mall, shops, whole foods. Tacoma Park, MD is all ghetto. this place is nice in SS http://www.condo.com/Condo-For-Rent...ilver-Spring-The_1-Bedroom_1-Bathroom_6887313 just stay close to the metro There are areas in DC that are in between that ghetto and revitalization phase. The Atlas neighborhood in NE is an example. Younger people with money have been moving in, but today there was an aggravated robbery where this African business owner got pistol whipped in the middle of the day. This looks nice too, and is close to the capitol. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/apa/1865076577.html but the price seems a little low. Buyer beware...it says close to metro, but that area is where all the congress people have 2nd homes, so I'm thinking it must be on the far edge of Capitol Hill and closer to the ghetto, bc the price seems a little low.
