A new direction in my life.

[MrFun]

Hey Rufus, yeah I have a car of my own but giving the horrible automobile traffic in DC, I want to opt for metro whenever I can help it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Well, you're probably better off in the burbs, then, if only so that you can find a place with a free parking space; either that, or on the edge of the city with a roommate. The problem with the city is that not just housing but everything will be more expensive here than in suburbia, so you really want to budget even less for rent in the city than in the suburbs. OTOH, if I were a young, single man, I don't know that I'd want to live a long train ride away from where the action is (and as far as I can tell, based on the tasteful upscale boutiques down the street with whips and paddles in their windows, I now know exactly where the action is ).

Long story short: living here on your salary (hell, living here on my salary) will involve some hard choices and painful compromises. With any luck, though, you'll gain much more than you lose. Again, good luck!

[Lonestar]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A new direction in my life.

Originally posted by MrFun

I can try Washington DC's website or use Google, to find a good map of the city's public transportation routes (subway, instead of buses as buses are simply stuck in the same horrible traffic).

I would start here, personally.

[MrFun]

Here is a list of apartments I found already, using craigslist.com. If anyone knows anything about the neighborhoods these are located in, I will appreciate the heads up.

$800 1 bedroom in "luxury" townhouse; Willows of Potomac of Rockville, MD

$875 1 bedroom; Hillcrest (not sure of more specific location yet)

$815 2 bedroom; Suitland, MD (walking distance to metro according to ad)

$800 renovated basement efficiency apartment in a family home; northeast Washington DC

$895 1 bedroom; Gaithersburg, MD

$825 1 bedroom; Brookland neighborhood on Fort Drive, NE (few blocks from CUA campus)

$791 efficiency or $841 1 bedroom, Kaywood Gardens Apartments; Mt. Rainier, MD

$900 1 bedroom, Stoney Ridge Apartments; Dale City, VA

$900 1 bedroom; 6024 8th Street NW (Washington DC??)

$867 1 bedroom, Northwest Park Apartments; Silver Spring, MD

$900 studio; Arlington, VA

$878 1 bedroom, Gateway Square Apartments; Temple Hills, MD

[MrFun]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A new direction in my life.

Originally posted by Lonestar


I would start here, personally.

That looks like an excellent website. Thanks!

[DanS]

Here's my strikes and borderlines from the list...

$875 1 bedroom; Hillcrest (not sure of more specific location yet)

Ghetto.

$815 2 bedroom; Suitland, MD (walking distance to metro according to ad)

Ghetto. Although there are some new condos in that area if I'm not mistaken. Lower rung of transitional, at best.

$800 renovated basement efficiency apartment in a family home; northeast Washington DC

Depends on the area.

$895 1 bedroom; Gaithersburg, MD

1.25 hour commute into the city during rush, whether by car or metro.

$825 1 bedroom; Brookland neighborhood on Fort Drive, NE (few blocks from CUA campus)

Depends on the block. This is a transitional area that I knew pretty well about 10 years ago.

$791 efficiency or $841 1 bedroom, Kaywood Gardens Apartments; Mt. Rainier, MD

When I lived in Mt. Rainier about a decade ago, it was somewhat rough. Don't know now.

$900 1 bedroom, Stoney Ridge Apartments; Dale City, VA

Way too far out, unless you dislike the city.

$900 1 bedroom; 6024 8th Street NW (Washington DC??)

Yes, that's in DC. I don't know that area very well. Petworth (south of there) used to be ghetto, but Timex may have a better sense of whether it is now transitional.

$867 1 bedroom, Northwest Park Apartments; Silver Spring, MD

Don't know that area too well, but it's in one of those areas that is inside the beltway, but not very close to anything.

$878 1 bedroom, Gateway Square Apartments; Temple Hills, MD

Ghetto?

[Wiglaf]

Why pay $800 a month to be shot, I can do it for free.

[Provost Harrison]

Just admit it, everything in DC is a ghetto...

[Wiglaf]

Georgetown

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Just admit it, everything in DC is a ghetto...

Fairfax County.

[Timexwatch]

I'll wait to hear back regarding the questions I PM'd you, but here's a general read:

$800 1 bedroom in "luxury" townhouse; Willows of Potomac of Rockville, MD

It's in outer bumfu** for me. General rule of thumb about anything Maryland: Montgomery County is generally good, Prince George's County is mostly crap. Rockville is out there, but accessible by metro. The problem is that the Red Line has been suffering from peformance-related issues, and only about 50% of red line trains run up that far during rush hour.

$875 1 bedroom; Hillcrest (not sure of more specific location yet)

Nice residential neighborhood (the city council chair hails from here) surrounded by the ghetto. I'm not sure what your ethnic persuasion is, but here's a general rule: Unless you're African-American, never under any circumstances live on the other side of the Anacostia. I know it sucks to hear (and sounds bad), but unfortunately that's reality.

$815 2 bedroom; Suitland, MD (walking distance to metro according to ad)

Could be ghetto. Might be right next to the metro, but that generally means there's nothing else in the area but your condo.

$800 renovated basement efficiency apartment in a family home; northeast Washington DC

Depends on the neighborhood.

$895 1 bedroom; Gaithersburg, MD

Not even close to the city. Has to be a bare minimum 1.5 hour commute+

$825 1 bedroom; Brookland neighborhood on Fort Drive, NE (few blocks from CUA campus)

Depends on the block and the proximity of CUA students. CUA and the church keep many areas looking nice, and the area surrounding Providence Hospital is decent, but certain areas are block by block. Retail sucks generally in that part of the city. Not near a metro. The North Capitol bus is not a route you want to be waiting around for late at night.

$791 efficiency or $841 1 bedroom, Kaywood Gardens Apartments; Mt. Rainier, MD

Stumped. Only have biked in the area.

$900 1 bedroom, Stoney Ridge Apartments; Dale City, VA

Practically Quantico. Prince William County is out there. Also known as "the sticks". Driving into where 395 meets 495 every day will make you want to slit your wrists.

$900 1 bedroom; 6024 8th Street NW (Washington DC??)

Anything with a quadrant (NW/SW/SE/NE) notation is in DC. Don't know the block, but it could be decent depending. Being east of Georgia makes me want to say no, but it's upper Northwest and in an area full of detached houses or rowhouses, so it could be a good deal. No metro anywhere near it.

$867 1 bedroom, Northwest Park Apartments; Silver Spring, MD

Not near a metro, and the online reviews aren't positive. Silver Spring is pretty reasonably priced, but it's also Central American immigrant central. If you're comfortable with with that, then give it a peak. Silver Spring itself I could go either way. Good transit, starting to build a downtown, etc. This place, not sure. It has the look of dodgy apartments: http://www.kayapartments.com/

$900 studio; Arlington, VA

Probably fine. Depends on what part of Arlington. In general, Arlington and Fairfax are decent places to live. Things to consider: Taxes are lower and there are places to go, but can be a pain in the neck to commute via car to work, and the metro can be crowded.

$878 1 bedroom, Gateway Square Apartments; Temple Hills, MD

Could be the hood and/or the sticks.

Here's a map I threw together that you can use as a rough guide:

Click here

Obviously YMMV, and there are pockets of good areas in bad, but it works for most young professionals.

[DanS]

Very useful map. I might quibble with some notations, but overall, spot on.

FYI, Brookland has the Brookland/CUA metro stop, so at least part of the neighborhood is reasonably close to metro access.

[Timexwatch]

Just added some more so there's context, points of interest, etc.

[MrFun]

Great map, Timex! I will definitely keep this as a reference.

However, the descriptive texts you have on the left side is cut off so I cannot read all of what you have typed.

[MrFun]

DanS, so what parts are not ghetto where I can afford to live?