DC: Where to live? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm starting in DC soon and am wondering where to live. I am familiar with some neighborhoods but don't have a pulse on most areas.

I'm wondering where it would make sense to live. Even some general leads regarding neighborhoods (including outside of DC) would be helpful. Info:

• Working in the Downtown/Penn Quarter area.
• Single, no pets
• Looking for studios/1BRs; rent budget is ~$3k max
• Most important thing to me is new/clean/updated unit and facilities. I currently live in a new apartment building, and it's great. I also love townhomes and would gladly live in a renovated townhouse space. But I would rather live in a new soulless build than a dated townhouse space.
• I have a car but would rather mostly walk/take public transit/Lime.
• I don't need to be within walking distance of tons of restaurants/bars. I cook at home a lot and am not a huge partier. Having accessible performing arts and a movie theater would be awesome, but that probably comes with proximity to public transportation.
• Having some people around my age (late 20s/early 30s) in the area would be nice but not critical. Dating scene is not a driving factor for me.

Thanks in advance for any insight! I will have a chance to house/apartment-hunt in DC (on the firm's generous dime, no less), so anything from neighborhood to specific buildings would be helpful.

[Anonymous User]

I'm starting in DC soon and am wondering where to live. I am familiar with some neighborhoods (especially Columbia Heights) but don't have a pulse on most areas.

I'm wondering where it would make sense to live. Even some general leads regarding neighborhoods (including outside of DC) would be helpful. Info:

• Working in the Downtown/Penn Quarter area.
• Single, no pets
• Looking for studios/1BRs; rent budget is ~$3k max
• Most important thing to me is new/clean/updated unit and facilities. I love townhomes and would love to live in a renovated townhouse space. But I would rather live in a new soulless build than a dated townhouse space.
• I have a car but would rather mostly walk/take public transit/Lime.
• I don't need to be within walking distance of tons of restaurants/bars. I cook at home a lot and am not a huge partier. Having accessible performing arts and a movie theater would be awesome, but that probably comes with proximity to public transportation.
• Having some people around my age (late 20s/early 30s) in the area would be nice but not critical. Dating scene is not a driving factor for me.

Thanks in advance for any insight! I will have a chance to house/apartment-hunt in DC (on the firm's generous dime, no less), so anything from neighborhood to specific buildings would be helpful.

With your work location, I would say live on either the red or green line. Columbia Heights is on the green line. You could probably make blue/orange/silver work if you like the nice buildings in West End. Red line NW neighborhoods are going to have mostly older apartments, while NoMa will have newer ones at a better price but the neighborhood is slightly less safe (though I never feel unsafe over there either but it depends on your comfort level and if you’ve lived in cities in the past). I wouldn’t look right in Chinatown/Penn quarter but anywhere north or south on the Green line is probably fine. Navy yard has a ton of new builds, and Columbia heights and Mt Vernon Triangle have some.

I prefer NW (it’s where I live and I commute every day with almost no problem on the red line), but I like living near the bars and restaurants in admo/on 14th and the trade off is having an old but beautiful apartment. It would also be helpful if you included your max commuting distance.

[Anonymous User]

You should live in Shaw. It has two metro stations on the green line, music venues (including the legendary 9:30 Club and its new venue, The Atlantis), good bars, restaurants, young people, etc. You can definitely find apartments in your price range.

[Anonymous User]

You should live in Shaw. It has two metro stations on the green line, music venues (including the legendary 9:30 Club and its new venue, The Atlantis), good bars, restaurants, young people, etc. You can definitely find apartments in your price range.

Does shaw have newer build apartment complexes? That’s why I left it off my original post to OP. Totally agree it’s a great spot.

[Anonymous User]

You should live in Shaw. It has two metro stations on the green line, music venues (including the legendary 9:30 Club and its new venue, The Atlantis), good bars, restaurants, young people, etc. You can definitely find apartments in your price range.

Does shaw have newer build apartment complexes? That’s why I left it off my original post to OP. Totally agree it’s a great spot.

Not that poster, but no - Shaw's a prime spot for the older townhomes that OP explicitly said they would not prefer. Agree with your post! My first thought was something on 14th or Navy Yard with Noma after that if more budget-conscious.

[Anonymous User]

I’d recommend Navy Yard. If you live North of M Street, you have access to the Green Line (Navy Yard) and Orange/Blue/Silver (Capitol South) which can get you pretty much anywhere you need to go. Easy access to Capitol Hill if you want a pretty place to walk around.

You have access to restaurants but, if you cook at home (like me), it’s important to have a good kitchen. Most all of the Navy Yard buildings are new and have nice kitchens. For the newness to cost ratio, it’s pretty tough to beat.

I personally wouldn’t recommend NoMa (I didn’t like it much when I was there) but I think Shaw/Columbia Heights/U Street would be a good fit if you can find a building though you may not appreciate the noise/bustle of being next to a dining district. Cleveland Park and Woodley Park are much quieter and the buildings are older but still nice and you are close to Rock Creek Park if that is your thing. Someone suggested West End which may also be a good fit but can be hit or miss with buildings.

[Anonymous User]

You should live in Shaw. It has two metro stations on the green line, music venues (including the legendary 9:30 Club and its new venue, The Atlantis), good bars, restaurants, young people, etc. You can definitely find apartments in your price range.

Does shaw have newer build apartment complexes? That’s why I left it off my original post to OP. Totally agree it’s a great spot.

Not that poster, but no - Shaw's a prime spot for the older townhomes that OP explicitly said they would not prefer. Agree with your post! My first thought was something on 14th or Navy Yard with Noma after that if more budget-conscious.

Shaw has a ton of new buildings (and renovated rowhouses, which OP also said they were open to)

[Anonymous User]

My max commuting distance is flexible--I have had sub-10 minute walking commutes and 1hr+ driving commutes. I would rather not have to walk 10 minutes to get to the metro. I probably wouldn't live farther a way than a 20-30 minute metro commute without a clear reason (much cheaper housing, for example).

I prefer NW (it’s where I live and I commute every day with almost no problem on the red line), but I like living near the bars and restaurants in admo/on 14th and the trade off is having an old but beautiful apartment.

Are a lot of the NW apartments updated/renovated?

I like 14th and would not mind living nearby (I seem to recall new builds near U Street), but those may be exorbitant.

[Anonymous User]

You should live in Shaw. It has two metro stations on the green line, music venues (including the legendary 9:30 Club and its new venue, The Atlantis), good bars, restaurants, young people, etc. You can definitely find apartments in your price range.

Sounds good to me! 9:30 Club is great (at least from the few times I have been there).

Also, re: the last sentence--is rent in Shaw more/less expensive on average than in other areas?

[daolivesea]

I’d also recommend the DuPont Circle/West End neighborhood. Access to the red line and also walking distance if the weather is nice. With you budget, you can find some newer units there too.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Are there any neighborhoods out of the ones mentioned so far that have known vibes (whether good or bad)? My sense is that most neighborhoods in DC are more similar than different and that the main dividing line is socioeconomic. But I'm not sure whether certain areas are known for being especially bohemian, conservative, LGBT-friendly, religious, full of politicos, etc.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Are there any neighborhoods out of the ones mentioned so far that have known vibes (whether good or bad)? My sense is that most neighborhoods in DC are more similar than different and that the main dividing line is socioeconomic. But I'm not sure whether certain areas are known for being especially bohemian, conservative, LGBT-friendly, religious, full of politicos, etc.

Bohemian: doesn’t truly exist due to expensive rent, but Adam’s Morgan, Mount Pleasant, parts of Georgia Ave and north of H street NE will be seemingly more Bohemian than say Georgetown, Kalorama, Navy Yard, 14th st, Capitol Hill, NOMA. (Also, caveat that this discussion is about “yuppie” areas).
Conservative: doesn’t really exist in terms of voting Republican, but the areas near American U, Kalorama, Georgetown, Palisades, etc will be the Conservative part of the dem party. If very important, check the mayoral primary results for the real feelings. If you need conservative, you’ll have to go to the Rosslyn - Clarendon - Ballston corridor, and pentagon city. This is where conservatives who want to live in the city but have guns go.
LGBT: P street in between DuPont and 14th is the heart.
Religious: no where in particular, you’d just have to find a church / synagogue / mosque community.
Politicos: Capitol Hill, maybe Navy Yard.

[RebelRebelAmoeba]

Agree with what has been said so far. I’d add that there are some nice newer buildings around H st NE, some of which are walking distance to union station and Noma metro. This also puts you not too far from some nice parts of the city in the Hill. You could also consider the deluge of new buildings near Union Market, though I’d suggest staying south of Florida Ave so you’re not literally in Union Market itself (though it’s just fine and has lots of restaurants etc). Finally, for your criteria, mt Vernon area is a decent pick. New buildings, walking commute, proximity to Shaw bars and easy to reach most of the city.

[Anonymous User]

I grew up in D.C., and Shaw was the portion of the NW quadrant where folks went to get shot.

Am I missing something, or do all of these commenters want OP to die?

[Anonymous User]

I grew up in D.C., and Shaw was the portion of the NW quadrant where folks went to get shot.

Am I missing something, or do all of these commenters want OP to die?

This is a wild comment - when was the last time you lived here?
OP - Shaw is a relatively safe area where I feel comfortable walking on my own (as a woman). It’ll probably depend on your comfort levels with cities generally. If you are someone that’s aware of their surroundings generally, Shaw is a good choice. No part of the city (even the NW areas largely considered the safest) are without crime. Are you going to get shot in Shaw? Very very doubtful. On a safety scale, it seems Shaw below U is very safe, with Bloomingdale next, and Le Droit Park last. (Assuming you’re lumping all these together as Shaw)

[Anonymous User]

Shaw has changed dramatically in 10 years

[Anonymous User]

Shaw has changed dramatically in 10 years

Is current Shaw similar to current Noma? or is one safer than the other?

[Anonymous User]

I grew up in D.C., and Shaw was the portion of the NW quadrant where folks went to get shot.

Am I missing something, or do all of these commenters want OP to die?

This is a wild comment - when was the last time you lived here?
OP - Shaw is a relatively safe area where I feel comfortable walking on my own (as a woman). It’ll probably depend on your comfort levels with cities generally. If you are someone that’s aware of their surroundings generally, Shaw is a good choice. No part of the city (even the NW areas largely considered the safest) are without crime. Are you going to get shot in Shaw? Very very doubtful. On a safety scale, it seems Shaw below U is very safe, with Bloomingdale next, and Le Droit Park last. (Assuming you’re lumping all these together as Shaw)

I moved away in 2015.

[Anonymous User]

Shaw has changed dramatically in 10 years

Is current Shaw similar to current Noma? or is one safer than the other?

Shaw is definitely safer than NoMa, but safety all across DC has nosedived post-pandemic.

[Anonymous User]

I grew up in D.C., and Shaw was the portion of the NW quadrant where folks went to get shot.

Am I missing something, or do all of these commenters want OP to die?

This is a wild comment - when was the last time you lived here?
OP - Shaw is a relatively safe area where I feel comfortable walking on my own (as a woman). It’ll probably depend on your comfort levels with cities generally. If you are someone that’s aware of their surroundings generally, Shaw is a good choice. No part of the city (even the NW areas largely considered the safest) are without crime. Are you going to get shot in Shaw? Very very doubtful. On a safety scale, it seems Shaw below U is very safe, with Bloomingdale next, and Le Droit Park last. (Assuming you’re lumping all these together as Shaw)

I moved away in 2015.

I lived in DC in 2015 and Shaw has changed a LOT even since then. In 2015 it was still beginning to gentrify.

[Anonymous User]

Shaw has changed dramatically in 10 years

Is current Shaw similar to current Noma? or is one safer than the other?

Shaw is definitely safer than NoMa, but safety all across DC has nosedived post-pandemic.

As a woman in her 20s, I avoid NoMA on foot and alone but feel safe in Shaw below U. More about the surrounding neighborhoods—Shaw is surrounded by denser residential neighborhoods (and Gallery Place to the South). NoMA borders what used to be a more industrial/warehouse centered area in NE. Sometimes walking around in NoMA I feel like I’m in a deserted area next to a highway.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thanks for the additional information. Just so I have a baseline as to the safety discussion, how do the areas being mentioned (Shaw & NoMa) compare to Columbia Heights? That's where I have spent the most time living short-term recently.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thanks for the additional information. Just so I have a baseline as to the safety discussion, how do the areas being mentioned (Shaw & NoMa) compare to Columbia Heights? That's where I have spent the most time living short-term recently.

Columbia Heights is rougher around the edges compared to 14th street below U and the from 14th to North Capitol and Bloomingdale. However, when you go south on North Capitol beyond O St NW you start to enter an area of NOMA that has a tight concentration of halfway houses, mens shelters, rehab places, fast food joints, Ben’s liquor, Fed gov fortress like buildings, and highway style traffic that gives it a different character than Columbia Heights, Shaw, and idk south NOMA or West NOMA. The further away you stay away from the intersection of New York and North Capitol the more you’ll enjoy life.

[Anonymous User]

Columbia heights has declined rapidly in recent years. I would also avoid NOMA.

[Anonymous User]

Where is the best place to live for folks who are gonna work in government in the NOMA area, since this thread suggests NOMA is sketch?