I was looking through older posts, and noticed in the 'relocation b/c of SO' thread that some of you have lived in DC. i am currently looking to move to the DC area. any helpful hints? what should i realistically expect as far as cost of living, traffic, etc? would silver spring be a good place to live?

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2001

Answers

Traffic: Hellacious. Here's an article about it. Cost of Living: Expensive. Areas to live: Silver Spring or Takoma Park would both be good. TP in particular is pretty--lots of foliage, old victorian houses, strong sense of community, quirky, close to the metro. One bedrooms in those areas are usually $800-900/a month on the low end. Unfortunately the housing market is pretty tight right now (well, it might have loosened up a bit--I was looking for a place two months ago. I ended up getting a place back in Baltimore because it was cheaper. And I got frustrated looking for a place in D.C.). Apartments also go pretty fast. Check the weekly D.C. City Paper (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/class/housing_for_rent.html) for housing listings. If you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

Warning: this turned into a book. I'm just full of opinions tonight!

Things I wish I knew before I moved here seven years ago:

Traffic in DC is definitely miserable (fourth worst in the country, say the experts), and the cost of living is quite high. For most jobs, that does correspond with slightly higher salaries, but it's definitely not a 1:1 increase.

I don't know where you'll be coming from, but expect that the cost of living is around 120% or more of the national average, with salaries in the 110-115% range, depending on your field. Salaries will also depend somewhat on the part of the metro area you're in - the big news recently was that Fairfax County (VA) has the dubious distinction of being the first county nationwide to pass $90k household median income marker. Yes, this means that teachers, police officer and the like largely live outside the county and commute in. It also means that the $90k doesn't go all that far.

Expect a decent 1BR to run at least $1000, with 2BR going anywhere from $1200 to the indecent range. We recently decided NOT to move to a smaller rental while trying to save some more money to buy a house because we couldn't find anything that was still large enough for us (3BR or 2BR plus den) for under $1700 - and some of those were in places I wouldn't walk my pit bull at night. Buying, a 3BR townhouse (1600 sq ft or so) will run you an easy $200-250k+ unless you move pretty far out or find a 'transitional' neighborhood (read: they're trying to move the drug dealers out but haven't quite gotten there yet).

That said, the absolutely most important part of deciding where to live is NOT deciding that until you've gotten a job lined up. The last thing you would want is to settle in Silver Spring and then get a job in Sterling, Alexandria or even Bowie. Bad, bad commutes, all. Whatever you do, do not take on a commute that involves crossing a Beltway bridge (VA-MD or MD-VA). Unless you are very, very lucky, expect your commute to be an hour or more each way. Job-wise, Maryland is more biotech/medicine/military - Virginia is more high-tech/banking/spies 'n' spooks.

If your job is downtown (in DC), think long and hard before taking the job if it's not EASILY Metro-accessible. Parking is available, but is largely in garages at $12+ per day or on a monthly contract, and driving in during rush hour is a nightmare. Make sure you can get to the Metro without the need to park there if at all possible. Shuttle buses run from many condo/apartment communities, etc., and most of the local transit buses have pretty good Metro routes, but they can take a good while. Parking at many Metro stops is next to nonexistent, even if there are thousands of places. (Vienna fills up completely by 8am every day.) Metro is, though, safe, clean and fairly well-run. It will run you anywhere from $3 to $5/day round trip, though many companies will subsidize the cost.

As far as places to live in Maryland, Silver Spring is nice enough, if you like the Maryland side of things. Bethesda is very nice, but also very very pricey. Further out, Laurel and Columbia have their supporters, but the commute is quite long. For a more youthful (college town) atmosphere, College Park is an obvious choice.

On the Virginia side, Alexandria is my favorite, with Arlington and Falls Church close second. Ballston is full of high-rise apartments and is also close-in. Reston and Herndon are nice, though it's tough to find affordable yet decent places to live. Fairfax proper (Ffx city, Burke, etc.) are all nice, but tend to the pricey side. If you want to go further out, Sterling and Ashburn are the 'high growth' areas (high-tech jobs in the Dulles area) in Virginia, with prices rising to match. Centreville is young people in townhouses, and Manassas takes a lot of heat for its 'redneck' reputation, but it's more reputation than fact. Woodbridge/Stafford/Dale City and the like are more heavily military - halfway between the Pentagon and Quantico - but convenient to the south side and heavy on the transient young families.

So, way too much information, yes?

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

Everything above sounds about right on the money.

My key suggestion: before you decide where to live do a test run during rush hour to and from your job. IOW: real estate agents lie and will say that it's only "20 minute to DC!" to get you sign the papers. What hey mean is "20 minutes at 3 a.m. when there are no other cars on the road and you are doing 110 mph". So just cause Dale City offers cheaper rent, understand you'll be sitting in traffic for hours (literally)if you are trying to get into DC every morning and don't have enough people in the car to take the HOV lanes.

I suggest Rossyln or Arlington for easy commutes into DC on the VA side. You might even check into Crystal City if you are looking for an apartment but that is a ghost town at night - at least Arlington/Ballston/Clarendon has a nightlife/restaurants/etc. And Rosslyn you can literally walk across the bridge to Georgetown. And in DC I'd look around Dupont Circle area - but do expect that no matter where you are - if you are inside the beltway you are going to pay more rent on your one bedroom apartment than you would for a single family home in most states.

Stay away from Springfield and any commute that has you passing through "the mixing bowl" - a traffic nightmare on it's own without the added benefit of a major construction project underway now and for the next 8+ years. Unless you like the inside of your car a lot, avoid this area.

The City Paper is a good free source for info about the city and surrounding areas. It comes out on Thursdays and can be found all over the city and in most bookstores.

Good Luck!

- t

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

I moved from DC to SF five years ago, but visit fairly often. I used to live in DC proper in Mount Pleasant and I loved it. It was close to Rock Creek Park, near the zoo, you could walk to Adams Morgan, and it was close to 16th street and transport. It isn't as trendy and busy as Dupont or Adams Morgan or anything, but it has a great neighborhood feel and has a good mix of people. If I went back to DC now I would move back there or maybe to Logan Circle, which I love for some reason (if I could live right on the circle). That area and the U street area has been up and coming for years now, especially the U street area from around 13th -18th streets.

I can't say much for the cost of living since I am in SF now and can't remember anything near normal. It wasn't bad when I lived there (you could get a 1 bedroom apartment for 600-800 dollars and we had a 2 bedroom 2 bath 2 story flat with parking for 1100) but I hear it is on the rise somewhat from that. And commuting on the beltway is sucky but I worked in MD and lived in DC so I never did that.

Word on the City Paper. It is your friend.

If you go there go to Meskerem on 18th street and eat a lot of Ethiopian food for me. Good luck!

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

I grew up in DC and lived there for 18 yrs., then moved to NYC and eventually to Connecticut. I've had a few occassions to go back to DC on business in the last 2-3 yrs. Anyway, I read both the City Paper and the Washington Post online these days out of nostalgia I guess, plus the Post is just a very good paper - more interesting and enjoyable reading than the Wall Street Journal or my other favorite the NY Times.

I'm not sure about your preferences in terms of residential areas, but several neighborhoods inside the District might be of interest (and probably comparable in price to some of the suburban neighborhoods already mentioned). They are: Tenleytown (around American University/Wisconsin Ave.), also Brookland in NE Washington around Catholic Univ. (some quiet residential streets and definitely a culturally mixed area), Takoma Park as a neighborhood in DC, Shepherd Park or upper 16th Street, Mount Pleasant (just east of Dupont Circle), and South West. Obviously, Georgetown and Chevy Chase are nice too, and in fact in Chevy Chase (in DC) there may still be some apartments that are not outlandishly expensive.

If you can manage to deal with high rents, I think the residential areas of DC (the city itself I mean) are absolutely wonderful, but of course don't many people feel that way about where they grew up. Being near a Metro rail or bus line, like the L bus routes along Conn. Ave. will be a big, big plus for living within DC. You may not even need a car at all if you decide that's the lifestyle for you.

Enjoy!

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

What sort of environment do you want to live in? If you're looking for suburbia (hard to believe, but some people actually are), avoid this place unless you've got a job Reston or somewhere along the Dulles corridor.

I work downtown on K St., and live in Arlington, right off the VA Square metro stop. That means I've got a nice green neighborhood with parks and trees- and a 15 minute door to door commute, courtesy of the Metro. A decent array of restaraunts, and a number of ent. venues within walking distance. I've been here almost four years, and love the neighborhood.

The downside? JFC, it's expensive. At least by my country standards. A brick three bedroom on .10 acre lot will run you ~$450K. Whether or not that shocks you depends on where you're coming from, I guess. As to apartments, deals can be found, but the guidelines given above are pretty accurate.

If I had to pick another neighborhood, I'd check out Capitol Hill (Dupont's a nightmare if you own a car). If you give us some more details about your interests, I'm sure a few of us here would be happy to give our takes on things.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

I agree - We need more details! Live alone? Group house? Buying? Have a job already? Where is it? etc, etc.

I have lived on and off in DC since 1988. Where to recommend you look for a place highly depends on how you feel about the 'burbs. I myself would never consider living out there, one b/c I dislike the suburbs, two b/c I love the city, and three b/c I would *never....ever* sit in traffic. Four, (if I'm honest), b/c it allows me to be smug about people that live in the suburbs and sit in traffic.

Seriously, I live in Mount Pleasant and LOVE it. Most apts. there are basements, which run from $900 - 1,100 (one bedroom). Other than that, you've got lots of group houses in MP. South of here - Adams Morgan (my old 'hood) will run you $1,000 for a hole, and upwards. You're not getting into a 1-bed in DuPont Circle for less than $1,500 I would say, no matter the condition.

The City Paper is definitely your friend. Extra advice: They put their listings online either Tues or Wed at 3:00pm (can't remember which!). This has changed the apt. hunting game in DC from a weekend activity to a Wed/Thurs night activity, so be prepared to look that way. When I got back here a year ago, I was often told to bring my checkbook with me - to write a deposit on the spot. I think the market has loosened a bit since then.

Anyway, as others have said, please give us some more details and we'll be happy to give you more advice.

Two more things to add: DC is a great city and I hope you are excited to move here.

And, sorry if I offended any 'burb dwellers...

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

It doesn't offend me, but perhaps it's because I don't consider where I live to be a burb (see my neighbor Curtis's post above). I mean, south of Chevy Chase is technically DC, but it's arguably a lot more suburban than Arlington's Orange Line corridor. We're actually closer to downtown DC via Metro (or by car, even) than someone with a 6300 31st Street DC address. Plus, Arlington used to be DC. I can't remember whether it split because, like Alexandria, it wanted to keep its slaves. But I digress...

Oh, hi Curtis.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

Burbs start at East Falls Church. Arlington ain't burbs any more than Glover Park or most anywhere iu NW. Plus, burbs don't have 700K three-bedroom townhomes (my new sticker shock example- right 'round the corner from you, Aziz).

I've long said that Arlington should join back up with DC, taking our constitutional rights (and until recently, our Sen.) with us. I'm tired of NoVA behing held hostage by people who've never been to a bigger city than Richmond.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Yeah, I saw that $700K townhouse you're talking about. Whoooaa. *boggle*

I live in Arlington, too; it ain't cheap, but I do enjoy the area a lot.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

Thank you so much for all of the information. I'm excited so many people have answered. To answer your question, Lynne:
I'm moving to that area with a friend, and we're looking to rent a 2 bedroom apartment. Since neither of us have a definite job yet, we are pretty open to living in different places. She plans to work in DC, and I plan to work in Maryland, so we're looking for a place convienent to us both. I'm actually looking seriously at working for a company in Columbia, but I'm concerned that there is no way to find a place in between there and DC where we would both have reasonable commutes. I commute 23 miles right now, but that translates to 40 minutes here. I'm aware that the same amount would probably take much longer in Dc, but I'm not sure how long.
We're just out of college this past year, and used to crappy apartments in poor but safe neighborhoods. I'd like to keep it that way, with an emphasis on safe. Authentic Thai and Mexican restaurants just around the corner would be a plus. A neighborhood that's dyke- friendly would be great, but I think Dupont Circle is too pricey for us. Preferably, there would be a lot of different kinds of people in the neighborhood - class, ethnic, and sexual diversity would be wonderful.
We're also looking at spending $1100 or so a month, but I don't know how realistic that is. We live in a 2 bed, 1 bath apartment now that costs $410/mo, all utilities included. I know there's no way to find that there, but I'm not quite sure what the comparable price range would be.
Thank you so much for all of the replies. Keep 'em coming!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Jenn, commute times vary remarkably depending on the time of day. If you can be reasonably flexible with your work schedule, you can hit the road before or after the worst of the traffic and encounter no real delays. If you have to make the drive during the thick of it, there's really no avoiding it. All roads into the city are stacked up.

One solution to your problem though might be to try to live closer to the district. The person working in DC will have no worse traffic than anybody else, and the person working in Columbia will have a "reverse commute," in that the thick part of the traffic will be heading the opposite direction ... into the city as you're going out in the morning, out of the city as you're coming in in the afternoon. If you can avoid the Beltway, it'll be a pretty easy drive most days.

Cost is a factor, but there are ways to minimize it. If you live in Columbia, $1100 a month is probably quite enough. When I first moved here, I lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Silver Spring that cost $650 a month with utilities paid. The same complex had two-bedroom units for maybe $800. Only hitch is, no air conditioning, but window units are relatively cheap.

Also, a lot of technology companies here have been laying people off for the last few months. That may mean apartment space is less expensive now, because the demand is decreasing (although I haven't shopped apartments in the last three years, so that's just a guess.)

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

I agree with Michael above, in that the city seems to be your best bet. I'll say again that Mt. Pleasant is great, and seems to meet all of your "needs" - lots of different kinds of people, good food, no attitude, etc. $1100 is in the bottom end of the range for a 2 bed anywhere in the city.

A newly gentrified neighborhood called Logan Circle could also be an option in that price range.

I will finally suggest Takoma Park with the caveat that I don't know it well and hope that someone else will pipe up and add some details. I've been there and it's very pretty, seems to have good neighborhood life, is something of a hippie enclave from what I've heard...

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2001

Sadly, I think you're gonna have a hard time finding a 2 bedroom, but it is not impossible. I lived in Mt. Pleasant too when I first moved down here after college - and it sounds like a neighborhood you would like (good mix of ppl, fun stuff, gay-friendly). However, all the houses are getting bought up since they put in a new metro stop there, so group houses and apartments are harder to come by, and more expensive. Columbia Heights is right near by, but is VERY "transitional" - so the rents are better, but the neighborhood, while close to many good things, is a bit sketchy.

I live in Capitol Hill and love it. It's very neighborhood-y, with good restaurants & little parks. And lots of other queer people too. However, one bedroom basement apartments seem to be running around $1000+ so finding a place that worked could be really hard.

Takoma Park is pretty nice - much quieter than the city and lots of lesbian couples. The rent is much cheaper, and you'd be okay if you got a place near the metro. If you don't have a car though, it is not as convenient as living in the city.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2001

I had an efficency in a run down building for $495/month. It was located on 13th and Mass. Ave, NW, which was a GREAT location (if you don't mind the prostitutes). This was in 1998. The rents are out of control in 2001! I am looking for a 2-Bedroom pad in DC, and SE seems like my only alternative. I also lived in Columbia Heights...11th and Columbia Road, NW. I loved that area. I was one of the five white people until you get around 16th Street, and that was in 1995. Today I see white people all around 14th Street. 14th Street was the other side of the tracks, white people do not pass go, but I never once was fearful of anything(I am white). But the theory surrounding the happenings in DC is true - they are trying to get rid of all of the lower income Black people and replace them with upper class White people. I love those areas for their diversity, but I wouldn't want to be categorized as a White girl trying to take over the place. And I wouldn't want to be there in five years surrounded by a bunch of white people :)

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

If you can back up an income claim of somewhere between 33-45K, there's a modern two bedroom two blocks from the Metro in Arlington avail Aug. 1st.

Call for details ;)

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

You guys bought a house?

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Might as well have, given all the work we're doing on this place. Just renting, for now. Found a duplex going for seven or eight hundred under market (ignorance is bliss, in this case), and couldn't pass it up. Moved one very long block away from our last homestead.

As to the old place, my bet is that management is going to try and hold us to our lease (I'm breaking a month early), and claim that they couldn't rent it out to minimize damages (and thus claim an extra months rent from me). Never mind the six month waiting list. So sue me. Please.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

I live in the DC area - in the far out 'burbs of VA - and I have a 10-minute commute to my job in one of the "technology corridor" companies. I love living in the suburbs...lots of trees, grass, space, and even a few cows on the country roads. Not much crime, plenty of parking, and great parks and recreation. (I feel I have to put in a good word for the 'burbs here!)

I've lived in Laurel, MD (which is closer to your price range, but not too convenient to the city), and College Park, MD (in your range and more convenient now that the metro goes there). I have a friend who lives in the Briggs Chaney area of Silver Spring (MD) which is pretty close to Columbia, and not too far from the Silver Spring metro, if you're looking for something in between DC & Columbia. She has a 2-br which recently went up to about $1200 per month. There's definitely not much nightlife there, though. The downtown area of Silver Spring can be quite expensive (~$1400 a month for a 1-br) but it is a little more interesting and there's more to do. If you're young and hip and cool, DC proper would probably be more fun for you. :)

The reverse commute thing doesn't always work...for example, some people that work at my company live in DC and they spend a long time commuting out here on the Dulles Toll Road. It's not as bad as the other direction, but it's not a breeze. Just be careful and make sure the reverse commute isn't bad before you lock yourself into anything.

Good Luck!

-- Anonymous, July 16, 2001