[sworthy]

Hey all, my fiance and I are moving to Washington DC beginning in August as she'll be doing graduate work. I have some job prospects lined up, but nothing for sure yet. I'm looking for any advice regarding apartments, geographic areas, and any other lovely tidbits anyone would like to share who has spent time in our nation's capital.

We'd much rather live in a tiny apartment, as long as it is in a nice part of town. I realize DC is fairly pricey, but we should be able to afford as much as $1,500/month or maybe a little more (though less would be much preferred). How is the area around the white house (and a little east and west) for shopping and other conveniences?

Any other details? Fun things to do? Places to stay away from? I've only been in DC for very brief visits, so we don't know too much.

Thanks in advance

[Vi0]

DC's population is about 80% black. So I would suggest learning how to coexist with them without getting killed. Maybe learn some street slang, and wear a big fat gold rope chain around your neck. Buy a really expensive stereo for your car and blare gansta rap out the windows 24/7. If your fiance has a big "phat" booty, you'd better watch out because the brothas are gonna make their move sooner or later. Your pimp hand will need to be stong to control your hoe, if you know whut i'm saying..

[effgee]

Originally Posted by Vi0

DC's population is about 80% black. So I would suggest learning how to coexist with them without getting killed. Maybe learn some street slang, and wear a big fat gold rope chain around your neck. Buy a really expensive stereo for your car and blare gansta rap out the windows 24/7. If your fiance has a big "phat" booty, you'd better watch out because the brothas are gonna make their move sooner or later. Your pimp hand will need to be stong to control your hoe, if you know whut i'm saying..

Why is this pig still a member of this community? FOAD, fudgepickle.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by sworthy

Hey all, my fiance and I are moving to Washington DC beginning in August as she'll be doing graduate work. I have some job prospects lined up, but nothing for sure yet. I'm looking for any advice regarding apartments, geographic areas, and any other lovely tidbits anyone would like to share who has spent time in our nation's capital.

The nice areas of the District include its Monumental Core, Downtown, and Northwest (specifically, the areas west of Rock Creek Park). The bad areas of the District include Anacostia, Southeast, and parts of Northeast. This poverty map should give you a rough idea of places to avoid (the 40-100% poverty census tracts). The one exception on the map is Georgetown, which is shown as being poor because of its itinerant student population.

Check out Georgetown's Off-Campus housing pages for more information:

http://www.law.georgetown.edu/reslif...pus/index.html
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/reslif...dcbrochure.pdf
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/reslif...tings/area.cfm

[Vi0]

Now you see I just don't see how this so-called member of Macnn called effgee can attack me so viciously for trying to integrate yourself into the black culture...

and yet, we have another member giving out bigoted information about avoiding the "poor" - READ BLACK - areas of Washington DC. So I guess it's okay to say you want to avoid the black areas because they're poor, even though statistically all black areas are poor. Really, what's wrong with the black people that you have to avoid and discriminate against them like this? They are a part of DC, like it or not.

[Millennium]

From Washington state to Washington, DC; huh? I made that move myself once, though I was just a child then.

As for fun things to do, definitely check out the Smithsonian; there are enough museums to keep you occupied for days. The new Air and Space Museum center out by Dulles Airport is further away, but not something to miss (there are shuttle buses from the old center, which has plenty of its own neat stuff). The biggest place I can warn you to stay away from is, unfortunately, the roads, but I realize that's may be unavoidable. The Metrorail system can get you most places, but not quite everywhere. Metrobuses cover many of the places Metrorail doesn't go, and both systems extend somewhat into the suburbs, so the transit system is actually pretty good.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, by the way. There's a place called 'Creative Cakes' near DC that you may want to look up; their wedding cakes are to die for, and they range from the fairly basic to the truly ludicrous. They have monthly tastings, so you don't have to take my word for it. http://www.creativecakes.com/; my wife and I did their castle model (probably bordering on "truly ludicrous", but it fit our style).

[effgee]

Originally Posted by Vi0

Now you see I just don't see how this so-called member of Macnn called effgee can attack me so viciously for trying to integrate yourself into the black culture ...

Aww, cutie - all hurt and stuff?

Just so we're clear here, sweetie - I didn't attack you. Apparently, I must have done quite the opposite because within the last two hours, I already received numerous emails from high-ranking FABA (*) officials in which they complained bitterly that I would have the audacity to compare an entire group of their members to someone like you.

So, on behalf and under pressure of the FABA, I hereby retract my statement - you are not a pig. In hoping that the little guys named hereafter are not a member of any nationwide interest group and in reference to the numerical representation of your IQ in your user name, let me state the following - you are plankton (**).

Since you obviously aren't too fond of the Washington DC area, the second half of my post was merely a geographical reference, wrapped in common internet terms - I could just as well have said: "go to hell". Does that work better for you?

Also, if you feel the irrepressible urge to continue to verbally relieve yourself and/or spew your racist drivel, I suggest you send me a PM/email and I'll be happy to illustrate what I would consider a "heated debate". Alternatively, feel encouraged to open a new thread and we'll argue in there. Come to think of it - that would most likely be even more fun than doing so via PM/email.

Just let the guys in here get back to the topic at hand.

Hugs + kisses,




(*) - "FABA" = "Federal Association of Barnyard Animals"
(**) - "Plankton", as in: "A person with the intellectual capacity of a microscopic crustacean"

[macroy]

Better get used to the hot humid DC Summers!! . Seriously, DC is going through some extensive renovations in a lot of areas. But typically, the nicer areas are in the NW. May I ask which school she's attending?

Also, is transportation an issue? if its not, I might suggest living outside of DC ($$ will go a bit farther for similar neighborhoods). Silver Spring, MD is becoming a pretty nice area just north of the DC border and is also right on the Red Line for metro. And you can definitely find some nice places outside the beltway if you have a car and a lot of patience. IIRC, DC is the 3rd most congested city in the States.

Since I grew up in Montgomery County, my 'biased' preference would definitely be there (Rockville, Bethesda, Silver Spring) . But do also research Northern Virginia - I'm just not as familier with that area. Washington Post should have some info on the DC metro areas. i.e. They recently covered the property value increases for the surrounding areas which may give you a good idea of areas that are growing or more sought after.

Finally - I have to put a plug for my mum's condo (hope this is ok) - its right next to the MCI Center (www.galleryplace.com). Brand spanking new and is availabe if you're interested (although its a bit more than your range...).

[KeyLimePi]

I'm spending three-four nights a week at my girlfriends new apartment in Virginia, which is about five minutes (literally) from Washington. I'm really impressed with this apartment complex. It's secure, clean, and has some nice ammenaties (gym, pools, etc.) and it's in your price range. If you're still looking for a place PM me for details.

I'm not really a big fan of D.C....but I'm from Baltimore, so what would you expect!

[LaGow]

We have some friends who live in Bethesda. It's so beautiful and has a great night life, which you can actually walk to from many parts of town. Best of all, my friend claims he's only 20 minutes from downtown, so you may want to look into it.

[dcmacdaddy]

Vio, DC's population is somewhere between 65% and 70% black. As for the rest of the crap you spewed, umm . . . well, it's crap. So not much to say about it then.

f1000, There are nice parts of DC in every one of the quadrants. There are some beautiful neighborhoods in Southeast--That is part of Capitol Hill, you know?--as well as in Anacostia. You've got the Suitland Parkway which is a pretty drive through some nice neighborhoods. Take a trip out to St. E's (the mental hospital where John HInckley lives). You're supposed to be able to walk part of their grounds and they are considred to offer some of the best views of DC, in DC. Near Southeast--the area north of the Anacostia river--will also be the new home of the Washington Nationals baseball team come 2008.

Northeast has the National Arboretum, Catholic University and the Basilica, the train and bus stations, quick access to US Rt. 50 (New York Avenue) and points East and North. There are lots of cute little funky neighborhoods that are being gentrified to make them "safe" for the yuppies--both white AND black--who want to move in.

Southwest, the quadrant where I live, is sort of the undiscovered area of DC. I had lived in the DC area for 6 years before taking time to really explore it. Now I have lived in Southwest for almost five years. It is small, quiet, mostly residential, although recently developers have discovered what makes it nice and are trying to build over every piece of undeveloped land. The city has plans to redo the only major commercial center in Southwest (Waterside Mall) to bring in more stores, shops, restaurants and the like. I enjoy loving here because it is nice and quiet. I had lived in Dupont Circle for two years previous to moving to Southwest and there is such a world of difference between the two neighborhoods. Dupont is a fun place to go out, have dinner, or see a movie, but not a great place to live, IMHO.

Northwest is what everyone outside of DC thinks of when they think of here. All the major universities, Embassy Row, K Street, the National Cathedral, Georgetown, upper Northwest neighborhoods like Cleveland Park, Tenleytown, Cathedral Heights--THIS is the are that is north of Rock Creek Park, f1000. Northwest is also home to the U Street corridor, the famed Black Broadway where the likes of Duke Ellington made their presence felt. Northwest is also home to a large Hispanic immigrant population in the Adams-Morgan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. (You have to go out to Falls Church and Annandale, VA to find a big Vietnamese community or go to Rockville, MD for the "real' Chinatown community.)

Northwest also has the White House but that is really the upper boundary of the Federal Core of DC which is comprised of the Monumental Core on the Mall as well as the Capitol, White House and some areas around each of them. The monumental core is what draws the tourists, the federal core is what draws the workers.

I don't know much about suburban MD but it looks like Macroy has you covered there. I can tell you about Northern Virginia--So can Simey, he'd better post in here soon. There are lots of little neighborhoods that offer their own unique, although increasingly homogenized, style. Find someplace within a mile of Metro--either along the Orange or Blue line--so you can have an easy way to get around town and your girlfriend can have an easy way to get to school. Of course, the closer you get to a Metro stop the higher the rent goes. Use mass transit whenever possible as driving in the metropolitan DC area SUCKS big-time.

And when you get closer to moving out here, shoot me an e-mail and I can give you more specifics. If you come out for a pre-move visit let me know and I'll show you around town. I've been living here for 12+ years and have done it dozens of times for family and friends.

[jokell82]

I say skip DC and move to Arlington (as close to DC as you can basically get). The Courthouse are of Arlington is great, as are Clarendon and Ballston. I like that area much better than DC.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

f1000, There are nice parts of DC in every one of the quadrants. There are some beautiful neighborhoods in Southeast--That is part of Capitol Hill, you know?

While that's true, I'd tell most first-time visitors to shy away from certain areas until they knew the city better.

And Capitol Hill is so close to the, well, Capitol that I just lump it into the Monumental Core area.

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

Southwest, the quadrant where I live, is sort of the undiscovered area of DC. I had lived in the DC area for 6 years before taking time to really explore it. Now I have lived in Southwest for almost five years. It is small, quiet, mostly residential, although recently developers have discovered what makes it nice and are trying to build over every piece of undeveloped land. The city has plans to redo the only major commercial center in Southwest (Waterside Mall) to bring in more stores, shops, restaurants and the like. I enjoy loving here because it is nice and quiet. I had lived in Dupont Circle for two years previous to moving to Southwest and there is such a world of difference between the two neighborhoods. Dupont is a fun place to go out, have dinner, or see a movie, but not a great place to live, IMHO.[/B]

I agree that Southwest has been overlooked for too long, but parts of Southwest below M Street are still slums. The waterfront east of Buzzard's Point is also full of foul industrial property. As long as the 295 freeway cuts Southwest off from the rest of D.C., the quadrant is going to remain hard to develop. The National Capital Planning Commission has proposed demolishing the freeway, but I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon.

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

Northwest is what everyone outside of DC thinks of when they think of here. All the major universities, Embassy Row, K Street, the National Cathedral, Georgetown, upper Northwest neighborhoods like Cleveland Park, Tenleytown, Cathedral Heights--THIS is the are that is north of Rock Creek Park, f1000.

I thought those were areas WEST of Rock Creek Park.

[sworthy]

Wow, post late and night, wake up, and look what happens! Thanks for all the great advice so far, and especially to dcmacdaddy for the touring offer (which I might do if I get a job interview). I didn't mean to set off any race issues with my "nice neighborhood" line, and just to clear things up, my fiance is non-white herself. The city we live in currently (Tacoma, WA) leads the nation in car thefts -- we thought we'd like to be in a place where we feel a little safer.

She's going to be attending George Washington University - is that considered the northwest? We'd like to live in an area where we can walk to things (or at least have easy metro access). Is there a specific area that is considered "downtown"? Most of the jobs I'm looking at are in Arlington, but it's my understanding that it has more of a suburban feel?

macroy also brought up transportation. We have two cars currently, but I think we're going to leave one with my future sister in-law, as she currently doesn't have a car. Will we be ok with one car? Her school is right on a metro line, so she should be ok, right? Generally the metro goes everywhere you'd want to go?

Millennium - thanks for the wedding cake ideas! Our wedding plans are mostly set, though very hectic -- we're actually having two ceremonies, one in the SF Bay Area for my family, and another in France for hers (that will be the bigger, "main" wedding).

[Millennium]

macroy also brought up transportation. We have two cars currently, but I think we're going to leave one with my future sister in-law, as she currently doesn't have a car. Will we be ok with one car? Her school is right on a metro line, so she should be ok, right? Generally the metro goes everywhere you'd want to go?

If her school is on a Metro line then you're probably golden. I don't know what your work plans are, but if you can find a workplace near a Metro stop then that's even better.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by sworthy

She's going to be attending George Washington University - is that considered the northwest? We'd like to live in an area where we can walk to things (or at least have easy metro access). Is there a specific area that is considered "downtown"? Most of the jobs I'm looking at are in Arlington, but it's my understanding that it has more of a suburban feel?

The four quadrants of D.C. are defined with respect to the Capitol; thus, G.W. is in the Northwest.

Downtown is a rather discrete area that sprawls for many blocks (due to building height rules). You should be able to Google for maps delineating the area.

Arlington has several areas that are more urbanized than others. Rosslyn, for example, is a tight cluster of highrises just across the Potomac from Georgetown. Pentagon and Crystal Cities to the south consist of a looser network of highrises. In general, though, Arlington does feel densely suburban. Some people point to Arlington's high standard of living as a reason for the District to return Anacostia back to Maryland.

Originally Posted by sworthy

macroy also brought up transportation. We have two cars currently, but I think we're going to leave one with my future sister in-law, as she currently doesn't have a car. Will we be ok with one car? Her school is right on a metro line, so she should be ok, right? Generally the metro goes everywhere you'd want to go?

Zipcar might interest you.

EDIT: They have a discount for G.W. students.

[SimeyTheLimey]

GW has its own metro stop (unlike Georgetown). It's on the Orange and Blue lines, so sensible places for a student to live would be anywhere on those lines. Several good choices have already been mentioned -- Capitol Hill, Ballston, Clarendon and Courthouse. Don't overlook the possibility of looking a bit further out to Falls Church and Vienna, Crystal City, or Alexandria. If you go a little further out your money will go a bit further (in exchange for an extra ten minutes on the train). Also, your car insurance will be quite a bit less expensive in Virginia than DC.

I used to live in Brooklands in North East. That's another up and coming neighborhood that is relatively inexpensive. It's on the Red Line by Catholic University. It's in NE so it is cheaper, but you would have to change trains for GW.

Another possibility is to go somewhere without metrorail. That will drop the cost somewhat and probably get you a bigger place, but you will have to check out parking by school, or investigate the bus routes. Check out the Palisades (a neighborhood north west of Goergetown). No metrorail, but safe and pretty with lots of houses that you can rent (though you would probably need to share).

The bottom line is there are lots of nice places but prepare to pay for convenience. $1500 a month is getting to be on the low side for even a one bedroom apartment. DC is full of young professionals with relatively high incomes, so competition is stiff. Don't forget to include annual rental and metro increases in your budget. This is a booming area, and we pay for it.

Metrorail/Metrobus has a web site here Fairfax County, Virginia has its own overlapping bus system here.

Oh, and ignore the racist blatherings above. But I don't have to tell you that.

[wdlove]

The Metro is a great system so you should be fine with just one car. One thing that I still remember while waiting in line to visit the White House. A lady said that DC was a great to visit, but wouldn't want to live here. She was referring to it be very warm and muggy.

[MacNStein]

Moving to Washington DC - Suggestions?

Don't.


<shudder>traffic</shudder>

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by sworthy

Wow, post late and night, wake up, and look what happens! Thanks for all the great advice so far, and especially to dcmacdaddy for the touring offer (which I might do if I get a job interview). I didn't mean to set off any race issues with my "nice neighborhood" line, and just to clear things up, my fiance is non-white herself. The city we live in currently (Tacoma, WA) leads the nation in car thefts -- we thought we'd like to be in a place where we feel a little safer.

She's going to be attending George Washington University - is that considered the northwest? We'd like to live in an area where we can walk to things (or at least have easy metro access). Is there a specific area that is considered "downtown"? Most of the jobs I'm looking at are in Arlington, but it's my understanding that it has more of a suburban feel?

macroy also brought up transportation. We have two cars currently, but I think we're going to leave one with my future sister in-law, as she currently doesn't have a car. Will we be ok with one car? Her school is right on a metro line, so she should be ok, right? Generally the metro goes everywhere you'd want to go?

Arlington is not nearly as suburban as it once was. All along the Metro corridor--The Orange line has stops at Rosslyn, Court House, Clarendon, Virginia Square, and Ballston within Arlington County--there is high-density housing, mostly high-rise apartments and condos. Just a few block either side of this area--North of Wilson Blvd. or South of Clarendon Blvd.--you find less dense, residential areas. You could probably find one of the post-war duplexes in that area for $1500/month.

"Downtown" is either going to be Foggy Bottom, which is student housing around GW, or the West End, quite pricey from what little I know of it. There is some residential areas around Gallery Place, the Penn Quarter, and on/near Massachusetts Avenue which are East of the White House. But these have all been built-up recently and seek out the dual-income young professionals Simey mentioned. All the rest of your housing is going to be north of K Street and West of 7th Street. The Shaw neighborhood East of 7th Street is being rapidly gentrified due to the presence of the new DC Convnetion Center but there are still enough pockets there where living take on a bit of the "Urban Pioneer" attitude.

One car will be plenty for you two to run errands and get out of town. As someone else mentioned before, if you can't get there on Metro you can usually get there on Metrobus. I actually enjoy the bus more, it just takes longer to get places because they aren't quite as frequent. Palisades and Glover Park are two areas on the Metrobus system that are nice, quiet, predominantly residential, and rather safe.

One note, if you are into biking you can go everywhere on bike in DC. It has a terrific network of paths in and through the city with an extensive feeder system tied into Arlington County's bike path system. I actually commuted for 2.5 years from Court House (in Arlington) to where I work downtown without ever having to ride on the road. The only drawback is they don't maintain the bike paths in winter.

Get yourself a good map of DC that shows the various neighborhoods overlain with the Metro system. This will give you an idea of where to look and allow you to make your choice in light of your various commuting options. You only have so many hours in a day so make a wise choice that limits the amount fo time you spend commuting to and from work. Because all of us here can agree that commuting to and from work is a big pain in the ass.

Of course, I have only a 15-minute walk to work but I got pretty lucky both with my job and with the place I am living when I moved to Southwest back in 2002.

[RobOnTheCape]

The museums are nice, and there is a lot to do besides, but everytime someone brings up D.C., I think about when I transferred with 5 others down there from Boston to work for the three summer months(this back in the 94 or 95). In that span 5 out of the six of us either had a crime perpetrated against us or saw one occurring. Mine was when I woke up and the owner of the house mentioned that someone had gone through all the yards on the street late that night and stolen all the yard tools in the sheds. That was minor, in comparison to the assaults on tourists, car break ins etc...

The managers of the company I worked for were literally scared for their lives to fire people for fear of getting killed. Thus the product was screwed in comparison to what was normal in Boston. The job was a trolley tour driver for those green and orange rigs cruisin through today.

It seems that you can't walk straight through anywhere very long till you have to detour around sketchy parts.

As liberal as all the others said they were, one bailed within the first month, and all the rest couldn't wait to get back home, including me.

My advice would be as others have mentioned, live outside of D.C. and commute, but keep your sense of security and quality of life, by getting out of there by days end. But then again, it alls comes down to level of comfort. Some live on the Hill, and haven't a concern about walking around there day or night. Not for me, or the family.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally Posted by RobOnTheCape

The museums are nice, and there is a lot to do besides, but everytime someone brings up D.C., I think about when I transferred with 5 others down there from Boston to work for the three summer months(this back in the 94 or 95). In that span 5 out of the six of us either had a crime perpetrated against us or saw one occurring. Mine was when I woke up and the owner of the house mentioned that someone had gone through all the yards on the street late that night and stolen all the yard tools in the sheds. That was minor, in comparison to the assaults on tourists, car break ins etc...

You still have to be careful, just like in any large city, but overall, the crime rate in DC has dropped considerably since 1994-95. It's particularly dramatic in some of the city neighborhoods that we have been describing. Many of them have gone from being considered unsafe, to transitional, to safe in the space of the last 10-15 years.

The Washington Post has a crime directory here where you can look up reports by neighborhood.

[dencamp]

I've lived in the Shaw neighborhood for going on seven years. It is just south of Howard University and east of the U Street/Adams Morgan core. While most people who visited my place 5-6 years ago felt like I lived in a bad neighborhood, I have never had a problem. One of the main things that changed neighborhoods was that the city's government cracked down on out-of-state property owners who where letting buildings that they owned remain derelict as a tax shelter. Nothing like greed paired with a complete lack of civic pride.

Anyway, since the combination of tougher property laws and the similar general gentrification of many US urban cores, the Shaw neighborhood now looks safer. The advantage to the neighborhood is that I can and do walk to work every morning (25 minutes to the Golden Triangle, 35 minutes to GW) so I don't have to worry about traffic or Metro. Similarly, it is a fifteen to 25 minute walk to Chinatown, the Mall, Adams Morgan, U Street and yet I don't have to deal with the side effects of living in an entertainment corridor (friends in Adams Morgan tend to get sick of cleaning vomit from their porches). Also, my neighborhood has none of the parking issues that others have. I have lived in two different places in the neighborhood and I have never parked off of my own block.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by dencamp

I've lived in the Shaw neighborhood for going on seven years. It is just south of Howard University and east of the U Street/Adams Morgan core. While most people who visited my place 5-6 years ago felt like I lived in a bad neighborhood, I have never had a problem. One of the main things that changed neighborhoods was that the city's government cracked down on out-of-state property owners who where letting buildings that they owned remain derelict as a tax shelter. Nothing like greed paired with a complete lack of civic pride.

Anyway, since the combination of tougher property laws and the similar general gentrification of many US urban cores, the Shaw neighborhood now looks safer. The advantage to the neighborhood is that I can and do walk to work every morning (25 minutes to the Golden Triangle, 35 minutes to GW) so I don't have to worry about traffic or Metro. Similarly, it is a fifteen to 25 minute walk to Chinatown, the Mall, Adams Morgan, U Street and yet I don't have to deal with the side effects of living in an entertainment corridor (friends in Adams Morgan tend to get sick of cleaning vomit from their porches). Also, my neighborhood has none of the parking issues that others have. I have lived in two different places in the neighborhood and I have never parked off of my own block.

Howdy neighbor!

Yeah, I walk to work too, 15 minutes from my door to the Mall--I work at the American Indian museum. Although I do sometimes miss biking in to work from Arlington on the bike paths.

As for people puking on porches in Adams-Morgan, that is why I left Dupont. I didn't have a house but I lived on the top floor of an 8-story building and on Friday or Saturday nights you could hear all the partying going on in the street below, even in Winter. Plus, in SW, I pay $50/month for off-street parking. That's right, I didn't forget a 0, I pay just $50 a month for an off-street parking spot in my condo complex.

[mitchell_pgh]

I work in DC and live in Alexandria.

There are some great places to live, you just need to look around. The metro is VERY clean and easy to access. Amtrak is also very easy to use. For around $100 round trip you can find trains all over the place.

It will take you months to see the basics in DC... and a lifetime to see it all. The bars are cool, but expect to pay a bit more for everything. It's not NYC crazy, but it's a little more.

[historylme]

Arlinton is quite nice to live a play.