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Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:06 am
by Mike12188
Anonymous User wrote:With a kid, CoHe would be a disaster. I'd personally shoot for Cleveland Park if I were you, it's in DC, it's a really nice and fun area, and (as fits the name) there are a few parks and good kid-friendly areas nearby. Plus it's on the red line so your commute will be minimal.
+1 Cleveland Park and even Van Ness are pretty cheap compared to Dupont. Also Columbia Heights is disgusting. Don't live there.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:05 pm
by ringo
Anonymous User wrote:OP here. Would I have to take one or multiple trains to get from Arlington to the office? Are there sketchy parts of Arlington that we should avoid?
If you are working downtown you shouldn't have to switch trains. The Orange/Blue lines go from Arlington/Alexandria right through downtown. I think you said White House area, so that would be Farragut West or McPherson Square which are both on those lines

Though I agree with others that Alexandria has some minor advantages over Arlington for those who are past their mid-20s, I will point out that you will spend twice as long on the train commuting King Street (Alexandria)-->McPherson Square as Clarendon (Arlington)-->McPherson Square.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:15 pm
by hooma
If you do want to stay in the city but in a neighborhood with a safer, more family-friendly feel, I would at least check out Capitol Hill around Lincoln Park/Eastern Market. Be careful about much broader areas that are also advertised as Capitol Hill but are sketchy, like anywhere NE (A-D streets NE are probably fine, but not metro accessible). Eastern Market is also on the blue/orange line.

FWIW I live in Rosslyn (first metro stop in Arlington), and it's...fine. There's no sense of community, but it is a really easy commute.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:47 pm
by Shaggier1
Columbia Heights is not TCR, unless you just REALLY want to live close to a Target.

This, on the other hand, is sound advice:
14th steer corridor NW between K and U is TCR
.

I plan to move back to DC within the next few years, and I definitely plan to look around this area. Might be different if I had a kid, though...

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:59 pm
by Big Shrimpin
Shaggier1 wrote:Columbia Heights is not TCR, unless you just REALLY want to live close to a Target.

This, on the other hand, is sound advice:
14th steer corridor NW between K and U is TCR
.

I plan to move back to DC within the next few years, and I definitely plan to look around this area. Might be different if I had a kid, though...
I've lived in the area for a few years and, based upon my experience, seems like there are lots of people in the area with kids. Right now, by my rough count, there are 2-3 new restaurants and 3-4 new condo projects currently in the works. This 14th street area, imo, is the best spot for trendy/not ridiculously expensive eateries in DC. Moreover, the number of high-end condo projects has really helped to clean the area up. Sure, there are a few remaining pawn shops, etc., in the area, but as far as cost/comfort goes, this area is the best. It's not as expensive, generally, as DuPont, yet offers almost all the culture/environment DuPont offers. It's not as dangerous as Columbia Heights, and finally, it's not as gross as Adam's Morgan.

Everyone has an opinion on DC neighborhoods. But if you're looking for a young-ish (read: mid-20s-30s), fun, vibrant, and cost-effective neighborhood in DC, I think this 14th street corridor has it all. If transportation is an issue, you can walk down to McPhereson for Blue/Orange, over to DuPont for red, and up to U street for green/yellow (admittedly, however, each metro stop, depending upon where you live, could be 0.5 mile walk...but then again, America is fat, in part, because people are so goddamned lazy).

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:08 pm
by bdubs
Big Shrimpin wrote:
Shaggier1 wrote:Columbia Heights is not TCR, unless you just REALLY want to live close to a Target.

This, on the other hand, is sound advice:
14th steer corridor NW between K and U is TCR
.

I plan to move back to DC within the next few years, and I definitely plan to look around this area. Might be different if I had a kid, though...
I've lived in the area for a few years and, based upon my experience, seems like there are lots of people in the area with kids. Right now, by my rough count, there are 2-3 new restaurants and 3-4 new condo projects currently in the works. This 14th street area, imo, is the best spot for trendy/not ridiculously expensive eateries in DC. Moreover, the number of high-end condo projects has really helped to clean the area up. Sure, there are a few remaining pawn shops, etc., in the area, but as far as cost/comfort goes, this area is the best. It's not as expensive, generally, as DuPont, yet offers almost all the culture/environment DuPont offers. It's not as dangerous as Columbia Heights, and finally, it's not as gross as Adam's Morgan.

Everyone has an opinion on DC neighborhoods. But if you're looking for a young-ish (read: mid-20s-30s), fun, vibrant, and cost-effective neighborhood in DC, I think this 14th street corridor has it all. If transportation is an issue, you can walk down to McPhereson for Blue/Orange, over to DuPont for red, and up to U street for green/yellow (admittedly, however, each metro stop, depending upon where you live, could be 0.5 mile walk...but then again, America is fat, in part, because people are so goddamned lazy).
Having lived in this neighborhood as well, I don't know that it's the best option for an overworked lawyer with a wife and kid.

General things to consider for DC housing:
Safety/comfort of neighborhood
Proximity to a metro
Proximity to a grocery store

Things for this guy:
Schools - DC public schools are awful. ~95% of lawyers in who live in DC send their kids to private school. Arlington Public Schools are some of the best in the country
Non-public transportation - I would want a car if I had a family. Having a car in the city is crappy, expensive, and annoying. It's nbd in Arlington/suburbia.
Neighbors - As a family, you will be in the minority in DC. Finding people to be friends with (especially for your wife and kid) will be easier in a more family friendly area.

This dude is not the typical young person on TLS.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:10 pm
by ilovechicago
OP, I'd check out the Shirlington/Fairlington area. Fairlington is a collection of apartments and townhouses right at the Arlington/Alexandria border. The units were built to house Pentagon workers during WWII and converted into condos in the 70s. It's is a lovely neighborhood with lots of trees plus numerous pools and tennis courts. Neighbors are great-- lots of kids and dogs. Parking isn't an issue. You'd have to take a bus to the Pentagon Metro (although there is now a bus that goes to Federal Triangle in DC), but the total commute would average 45 mins-an hour, depending on the time of day. It's a 15 min/$20ish cab ride from the White House. The Shirlington "strip" (lots of restaurants, shops, a library, a Harris Teeter, a movie theatre and a regular theatre) is about a mile away and within walking distance of all of North Fairlington. It has has really developed in the past 5 or so years.

http://www.fairlingtonvillages.com/link ... _id=294449
http://villageatshirlington.com/

You can find rentals on Craigslist or Long & Foster, which has an office in the neighborhood. We rent a 2 BR, 2 BA 3 level townhouse for $1950.

Please don't waste your time with Columbia Heights. I don't know why people pretend it isn't still completely dodgy.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:19 pm
by sundance95
ringo wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:OP here.

Though I agree with others that Alexandria has some minor advantages over Arlington for those who are past their mid-20s, I will point out that you will spend twice as long on the train commuting King Street (Alexandria)-->McPherson Square as Clarendon (Arlington)-->McPherson Square.
Lies. Yellow line->Gallery Place->Farragut North ftw. Even better if your office is in Penn Q/Chinatown area.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:02 pm
by ringo
sundance95 wrote:Lies. Yellow line->Gallery Place->Farragut North ftw. Even better if your office is in Penn Q/Chinatown area.
Huh? I'll admit I didn't even think of this (can you tell I live on the Orange line?), but the Blue line is still TCR:

King Street to Gallery on Yellow is 20 minutes. Plus another 5 min. to get to Farragut North. Plus an extra walk south to get to the office.

King Street to Farragut West on Blue is 21 minutes.

Also, these times don't even account for changing trains, which was part of the OP's question. Changing may not be a big deal during rush hour, but when you aren't leaving the office until 8 it can make a difference.

ETA: But this all distracts from my point, which is that the commute would be half as long on the Orange line.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:28 pm
by dusk2k2
I do not recommend any of the areas that the other posters recommended. With a wife and small child, the correct answer is clearly to live in upper Northwest. This means Cleveland Park, Van Ness, Tenleytown, or Friendship Heights.

Why? If you ever want your child to attend public school or even attend any school near them, you HAVE to live in upper northwest. The rest of DC is great for young people just living it out, but once you have a child, you need to think about where they can go to school. For example, think about Columbia Heights. Once your child is school age, you will be forced to send them to private school if you live there, and even worse, the private school will be all the way on the other side of town, making it annoying for your kid to get ot school.

The only schools worth attending in DC are any elementary school in upper northwest (Murch, Lafayette, Janey, John Eaton). For Junior High, they have to attend Alice Deal. For High School, Woodrow Wilson.

Unless you want your kid to attend private school, which I do not think is worth it, you have to live in those school zones. Even if you do want them to attend private school, all the good private schools are in upper northwest. Its much easier to send your kid to Maret or Sidwell or Edmund Burke, or whatever if you are living in the area (I'm talking about in getting your kid to school). Moreover, and this is a big deal, it will be much easier for your kid to make friends if he lives in the neighborhood. Trust me on this, the parents of your friends will think you live in the hood if you are living in Columbia Heights or somewhere like that and your kid will always have to trek real far to get to his friends houses.

Anyway, I'm born and raised in DC and just giving you my two cents if you are actually planning on living there with a family. If you are really scared of DC schools, then I suggest you move to Northern Virginia or Maryland (bethesda, chevy chase, or potomac).

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:08 pm
by 2LLLL
Bethesda and Silver Spring >>>>>> NoVa

Maryland public schools are #1 in the nation. If you're in VA, you have to settle for lowly #4. Both crush DC, which is #49.

But, Cleveland Park is a beautiful area, and if you live in Quebec House (which is at the corner of Porter and Connecticut about a block from the Red Line) you can get a 2BR for ~$2k, at least when I lived there last year.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:31 am
by tipler4213
What's the word on Falls Church?

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:41 am
by bdubs
tipler4213 wrote:What's the word on Falls Church?
Too far, but probably OK for someone with a family looking for extra space (i.e. wants a full blown house).

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:40 am
by Anonymous User
is it a shorter commute to the white house area from Crystal City or Church Falls?

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:49 am
by hooma
Anonymous User wrote:is it a shorter commute to the white house area from Crystal City or Church Falls?
Crystal City, but barely. As someone else said, the two areas are completely different. Crystal City is all high rises and Falls Church is more suburban. Use this to calculate metro travel times: http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/trippl ... m_solo.cfm

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:21 pm
by echamberlin8
To the OP, you don't happen to work at Wilmer, do you? Just curious, since you said something about the Farragut West stop, which is right by Wilmer. I know this because I work here too! Merely as a project assistant however. I'm trying to get into law school next year.

I live in Rosslyn, which is only two stops from Farragut West, and I found a very cheap area in a very nice, quiet neighborhood. I have coworkers who live right by the office here in DC, but it's very expensive. I would find a nice quiet place in Arlington, perhaps. It's a good bit cheaper. I would search around, though, since it's hard to find a nice place for less than $1k/month, but it's totally doable. I pay less than $800/month!

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:53 pm
by Anonymous User
OP here. No, I don't work at Wilmer, but I appreciate your suggestions! The prices you've mentioned must refer to studio or one bedroom apartments. Because I have a wife and a child, we'll need at least 2 bedrooms. We'd like to find something as close as possible to a metro stop in a good (safe) neighborhood and hope to spend less than $2500/month.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:35 pm
by echamberlin8
Anonymous User wrote:OP here. No, I don't work at Wilmer, but I appreciate your suggestions! The prices you've mentioned must refer to studio or one bedroom apartments. Because I have a wife and a child, we'll need at least 2 bedrooms. We'd like to find something as close as possible to a metro stop in a good (safe) neighborhood and hope to spend less than $2500/month.
Well, I actually live in a 2BR apartment. I calculated it per person, but we pay only $1450 total for our place per month. I do know that there are several families in our apartment complex, and that it's mostly an older crowd than me and my roommate. Even if it isn't big enough for you, I do know that there are definitely plenty of family-size options in Arlington. I think it's definitely worth looking there. It's a very easy commute to the Farragut West station as well. I do it every morning.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:38 pm
by Anonymous User
How long is your commute? Any suggestions on how to find an apartment in Arlington other than craigslist?

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:03 pm
by echamberlin8
Anonymous User wrote:How long is your commute? Any suggestions on how to find an apartment in Arlington other than craigslist?
Let's see...I leave my house at 8:30, walk to the metro station (8:40), take the train and arrive at Farragut West (8:50), and then come into work at about 8:55. So not long at all. Depends how close you live to the metro station obviously. I would choose an apartment that is close to the metro, although that is going to raise the price of it somewhat.

My roommate and I checked all of your average places, but what ultimately got us the apartment that we found was a real estate agent that we went through. If you want, I'm sure she would be fine with me recommending you to her. I don't think she cost any money. The apartment owners just have to give up part of their first month's rent to the agent for getting them business. I believe it worked that way (it's been a while--I've lived in Arlington for 1.5 years).

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:08 pm
by DC818
I'd suggest taking a look in Chevy Chase, MD--just over the DC/MD border. Many friends of mine who work downtown commute on the Red Line from the Friendship Heights station, and it's roughly 35 minutes door-to-door. MD income taxes are cheaper, and the area has a great mix of residences and city life. Just be sure to get a place within walking distance of the metro.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:47 pm
by Anonymous User
DC818 wrote:I'd suggest taking a look in Chevy Chase, MD--just over the DC/MD border. Many friends of mine who work downtown commute on the Red Line from the Friendship Heights station, and it's roughly 35 minutes door-to-door. MD income taxes are cheaper, and the area has a great mix of residences and city life. Just be sure to get a place within walking distance of the metro.
Taxes are cheaper in Maryland than Virginia? I've heard the opposite.

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:56 pm
by echamberlin8
My grandparents lived in Chevy Chase and it is a really nice neighborhood. Isn't it a bit pricy though?

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:59 pm
by bdubs
Anonymous User wrote:
DC818 wrote:I'd suggest taking a look in Chevy Chase, MD--just over the DC/MD border. Many friends of mine who work downtown commute on the Red Line from the Friendship Heights station, and it's roughly 35 minutes door-to-door. MD income taxes are cheaper, and the area has a great mix of residences and city life. Just be sure to get a place within walking distance of the metro.
Taxes are cheaper in Maryland than Virginia? I've heard the opposite.
Maryland has deceiving tax rates because both the State and the county assess income taxes. Combined the state + county taxes in MD are higher than in VA.

Also, Chevy Chase and Potomac in MD are generally out of the price range of a young associate (in a general sense, i'm sure you could find something affordable if you really looked).

Re: Where to live in D.C.

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:51 am
by johndhi
jumping in to say hi. didn't read the whole thread but I live in DC.

check this website: http://www.padmapper.com/

I think a cool place to live if you're going to be working at Farragut would be Logan Circle.