Top Law Schools

I just received an offer from a firm in D.C. to start as an associate in a few months. I'm trying to make a decision fairly quickly, but I'm not very familiar with the D.C. area. I'm married and have one child. We'll need at least a two bedroom apartment and I'd like to have as short of a commute as possible. If anyone has any recommendations on areas where we should look at living and estimates on the price of rent in those areas, we'd appreciate it.

If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

I second this.

reformed calvinist wrote:

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

I second this.

I agree too, what general neighborhood is the firm in though?

lawschoolftw wrote:

reformed calvinist wrote:

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

I second this.

I agree too, what general neighborhood is the firm in though?

Shouldn't be a problem for K. By the way, the commute seems a lot worse if you only look at the metro. Don't neglect the bus. If that's too far, Logan Circle would be even closer to downtown. I know some people who have decently priced places in the SW and Capitol Hill. Those are both pretty quiet areas.

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

Most of this is correct, but the area advertised as "Columbia Heights" includes some areas that are not ones where I would want to live with a wife and a small child. If you wanted to go for ultimate convenience and a safe neighborhood, I would look in the West End. It won't come cheap though.

DC is a weird city (relative to some) because you can go 2-3 blocks and be in a totally different socio-economic setting. I would probably advocate for Northern VA if you have a family. Arlington, Clarendon, and Alexandria are all nice, safe and family oriented. The commute will be slightly longer, but not by much.

bdubs wrote:

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

Most of this is correct, but the area advertised as "Columbia Heights" includes some areas that are not ones where I would want to live with a wife and a small child. If you wanted to go for ultimate convenience and a safe neighborhood, I would look in the West End. It won't come cheap though.

DC is a weird city (relative to some) because you can go 2-3 blocks and be in a totally different socio-economic setting. I would probably advocate for Northern VA if you have a family. Arlington, Clarendon, and Alexandria are all nice, safe and family oriented. The commute will be slightly longer, but not by much.

Yeah, if bland is what you seek, Crystal City is hard to beat.

reformed calvinist wrote:

bdubs wrote:

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

Most of this is correct, but the area advertised as "Columbia Heights" includes some areas that are not ones where I would want to live with a wife and a small child. If you wanted to go for ultimate convenience and a safe neighborhood, I would look in the West End. It won't come cheap though.

DC is a weird city (relative to some) because you can go 2-3 blocks and be in a totally different socio-economic setting. I would probably advocate for Northern VA if you have a family. Arlington, Clarendon, and Alexandria are all nice, safe and family oriented. The commute will be slightly longer, but not by much.

Yeah, if bland is what you seek, Crystal City is hard to beat.

Out of all the places in NoVA, Crystal City is probably the most boring. If I were in OPs situation I would be looking near King Street in Alexandria.

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

Clarendon is crazy expensive.

reformed calvinist wrote:

bdubs wrote:

Bobby Jones wrote:If you want to be in DC, Columbia Heights is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as Dupont, Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill, etc., but it's very metro-accessible (unlike Adams Morgan), there's a lot to do, and it has the only Target in DC. The price varies a lot depending on the building and how close you are to the metro. $2,000 a month for a nice 2 bedroom is probably as low as you'll get.

If you want something less expensive, I would really recommend looking at Arlington/Clarendon and the surrounding area. Slightly better prices, short commute, safe area.

Most of this is correct, but the area advertised as "Columbia Heights" includes some areas that are not ones where I would want to live with a wife and a small child. If you wanted to go for ultimate convenience and a safe neighborhood, I would look in the West End. It won't come cheap though.

DC is a weird city (relative to some) because you can go 2-3 blocks and be in a totally different socio-economic setting. I would probably advocate for Northern VA if you have a family. Arlington, Clarendon, and Alexandria are all nice, safe and family oriented. The commute will be slightly longer, but not by much.

Yeah, if bland is what you seek, Crystal City is hard to beat.

+1

I really liked living in Crystal City. While it is very quiet and "bland" (read: safe), it is easy to get to the exciting places. I stayed at the Buchanan. --LinkRemoved--

There are also really wonderful running trails nearby which were my favorite part of living there.

OP here. Thanks, everyone for your advice! We'd definitely like to avoid living anywhere that isn't safe, I'm going to be spending a ton of time at the office and I don't want to have to worry about my wife and child being safe. Crystal City/Arlington sounds like a really good option. I've heard that the taxes are a lot better in VA than in MD or D.C. proper. Is the easiest way to commute from Arlington to downtown D.C. (white house area) the metro? How long is the average commute?

14th steer corridor NW between K and U is TCR. Columbia Heighs is sketchy as fck.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here. Thanks, everyone for your advice! We'd definitely like to avoid living anywhere that isn't safe, I'm going to be spending a ton of time at the office and I don't want to have to worry about my wife and child being safe. Crystal City/Arlington sounds like a really good option. I've heard that the taxes are a lot better in VA than in MD or D.C. proper. Is the easiest way to commute from Arlington to downtown D.C. (white house area) the metro? How long is the average commute?

"A lot" is a stretch, but they are better. Especially if your wife is working and you're collectively pulling in a lot more than $170k.

Commute from Clarendon to Farragut West is 10 minutes of subway travel time. When you're working late you might have to wait 10-15 minutes for a train, but you should be able to take a cab when it's really late though. Cab is only 15 min.

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.

I live in 14th street corridor around 14th and n. While it is a great place for 20 something's with a lot going on, it can get rough around 14 and r and s and anything in lower numbers depending on how far east you go into shaw. 15-17 and p are ideal, and as the numbers go higher toward DuPont, prices go up but so do the quality of the living areas for family.


I lived in southwest, and I don't know how much I would recommend it for a family. Maybe look at woodley or Cleveland park for some close metros and beautiful family oriented neighborhoods. Maybe also check out mount pleasant.

Columbia Heights would be a disaster if you have a kid. I'd shoot for NoVa

I live in Arlington and love it. NoVa is definitely TCR if you're looking for a blend of value, convenience, and safety.

IDK, I've known a lot of lawyers with kids who lived in Columbia Heights. It is patchy, so maybe not the best place for someone new. Around U Street is more sketchy though. Cleveland Park is a credited option for someone with a family.

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?

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?

Where is your office? It's unlikely that you would have to take multiple trains. Most DC law firms are either in/around the K St corridor, or in the Chinatown/Federal Triangle area. Both of those areas are very close to the Orange/Blue line metros which run to the two areas of Arlington that are metro accessible.

Most of the areas near metro stations in Arlington are safe. I would only avoid Rosslyn because it's very commercial and kind of a deadzone after working hours.

manhattan.

Op again. Are there parts of Arlington that would be less safe to live in?

koalatriste wrote:manhattan.

Nah Weehawken.

Anonymous User wrote:Op again. Are there parts of Arlington that would be less safe to live in?

Rosslyn got kinda hairy this past summer when a million bikers showed up for a motorcycle convention or something. But seriously, Arlington is about as white bread as it gets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo

For a safe area + cheap rent + great living for your wife and child + easy commute, you could look a little farther from the city. I lived in Old Town Alexandria near a metro and my commute to Foggy Bottom became much easier when I moved to Lorton. There’s also Springfield. There is the VRE train to get to the city, you can drive on the HOV lane w/ the carpool system (called slug line) or you could drive from the metro stations there. Lorton also was more family oriented, suburban life. In these areas there are plenty of townhomes and apartments, local and state parks, and it’s really safe. (not only regarding crime, but w/ traffic, women pushing strollers down the sidewalk)