I’m back to ask for advice for my dd and her husband. They have decided to move to DC from NYC for his job opportunity in Arlington. No idea yet where she will be working. They would like to have access to the subway system. They would like to stay in the city for at least a year but do not know the neighborhoods. Any recommendations on neighborhoods or websites for searching for apartments? Any other thoughts? They plan to move at the beginning of February. Thanks, guys!
Kids?
No kids but may get a dog.
Well I would not recommend DC to be frank… they would enjoy Mosaic https://mosaicdistrict.com great location and very hip close to the Dunn Loring station in Virginia
That’s an interesting option. May I ask why you wouldn’t recommend DC? Crime?
@HImom your thoughts?
Crime is part of it and DC is still being developed they still have areas that are not safe even with amazing looking buildings… when we moved here after a week my wife wanted to leave as she hated Dc she felt unsafe at night. We quickly move to Fairfax and she loves
Everything you need is located outside of dc…
They can also look at Georgetown orCrystal City in Arlington
As for mosaic if I didn’t have kids we would have moved there it’s amazing shops, a gym, yoga, resturants, a target and a Mom supermarket, cinema, farmers market on saturdays… group exercises on the weekend and lots of activities close by
I agree with staying in NoVA, but not because of crime; I’ve lived in DC area for almost 30 years and it is so much better than it was when I first moved here. DS and girlfriend lived in NoMA area last summer, which is one of the neighborhoods that I feel is “coming up” and they felt very safe. Because of his job in DC, he’ll be moving back there in the fall after law school. BUT - all that said - Arlington is extremely popular with those in their 20’s and 30’s. Easy Metro access, tons of restaurants, bars, shops. Don’t discount the commute; if at least one of them is working in Arlington, the proximity to work would be a huge plus. Amazon HQ2 (well, half of 2) is going to Crystal City, so not sure how that is going to affect prices already.
Good luck to them…DC/NoVA is a great area to live in!
My D and her husband rent in the established neighborhood of Woodley Park, not far from the National Zoo. She’s lived in several neighborhoods prior - DuPont, Georgetown - but likes the quiet environment and the older buildings. What types of things are important to them in a living situation? Will they have a car? D reads PoPville to stay up on neighborhood happenings - looks like quite a few neighborhoods are covered.
It’s all mindset (I lived in nyc in the late eighties so that’s my perspective) but I find DC (on visits) to be safe and invigorating and would recommend they live in the city…areas like Columbia Heights, Dupont Circle, Navy Yard, Chinatown, West End.
I will say that these kids are very city experienced. They have lived in Chicago, Shanghai, Queens and Brooklyn. They tend to be minimalist but they like to eat out and enjoy a vibrant area.
Forgot to add Alexandria totally forgot about that area which is another area would have loved to move too
They are looking for a lease to start February 1?
How much do they want to spend, and how much space do they want?
Not that Arlington is huge but what part of Arlington is her husband’s job located in? If it isn’t along the Metro Corridor then I’d suggest looking in Arlington instead of Fairfax- just to simplify the commute.
If they like to eat out then they should check out the Clarendon area.
In terms of the city, they should look in Shaw or along the U Street Corridor. There are also cool places near the Wharf and Waterfront .
Start by looking at the metro map and seeing the metro stops. Are any of these close to work? Do they want to live very close to their jobs or would like to live in the suburbs? The options they have is to live in the Maryland side (Montgomery county) or live on the Virginia side (Fairfax county) If they are interested in Northern VA any stop on the orange or silver line would be cheaper than living in DC and also safer. We live walking distance from the first stop on the silver line into VA and my daughter is able to take metro into work everyday and she goes all the way down to Georgetown. The metro and bus system here is a lot less complicated than commuting in New York City. If they are interested in Northern VA please feel free to contact me and I can try to provide more information about the area. Many people use the metro and bus system here because traffic is bad and from 66 going into DC (66east) the lanes are HOV meaning at least two must be in the car to travel into DC during morning rush hour.
I believe @himom has a son living and working in Arlington so she too would be a good resource if you want to live closer to work. @1214mom may also be able to provide some information as I believe she has a child that just moved into an apartment in DC.
https://www.wmata.com/schedules/maps/index.cfm
There is a lot of growth in the Tysons/Mclean area in VA. Lots of new high rises coming up. Lots of restaurants, shopping, and job opportunities. (silver line) The mosaic district close to Dun Loring Metro is also very good. (orange line)
My daughter LOVED living in DC. She first lived in Arlington, then near DuPont Circle, and felt DC was a really vibrant, fun place for people in their late 20s and early 30s. She didn’t have a car (didn’t need it) and did not find crime to be a problem. She also has friends who live in Falls Church. Pricey, but still connected to the city.
We have young urban dweller relatives who live IN DC. They happen to live in DuPont Circle…where really, you can walk to a LOT, and the metro is there as well. It’s expensive.
It sounds like the OPs folks lived in NYC…and if that is the case, and they like urban living, living in DC will likely make them happier than living in the burbs. But they have to be able to afford it.
I have recent experience with both places. Good news is that as compared to NYC, apartments in WDC are in greater supply and about 30 % less expensive. Great time of year to be looking. They will have no trouble picking up something they like starting Feb 1st. With the common sense of anyone accustomed to city living , dangerous areas should not be a problem.
Agree with locating the nearest metro stop to son’s work on a map and then living along that line or a line with one connection. If they have the freedom to live anywhere, would consider avoiding bus commutes altogether due to traffic.
Agree with poster above who mentioned Clarendon as a great area to live - due to numerous restaurants and atmosphere. Georgetown, while fun and beautiful , can be more expensive due to the presence of students taking up many rentals. Also, some people don’t realize that Georgetown does not have a metro stop and depending where you are in Georgetown the walk to the nearest metro (Foggy Bottom or Roslyn) can be as much as 20 minutes.
I can’t recommend websites for apartment rentals but Clarendon (for example) has many large apartment buildings with onsite leasing offices . I’m sure it exists, but I also haven’t seen the “brokers fee” in WDC that is ubiquitous in NYC.
Living in MD and working in VA is challenging. Even taking Metro, it’s a significant haul. We’ve been at the end of the Red Line (Shady Grove) since 1990. OTOH, there are a lot of new apartments going up near the station if they wind up working near Red Line stations.
Clarendon/Arlington is hot, hot, hot, and very expensive – for that area, the rents may look NYC-like. If I were a 20-something, I’d probably head to that side of the bridge and go for someplace where I could at least have an easy hop on the Metro to that area. The area around the Navy Yard and Nats Park has been developing rapidly – might be a bit cheaper than the Chinatown area. Parking is a pain, but if they had a car in NYC they know that.
Tenleytown/AU/Friendship Heights stations are still in DC (Red Line), but is less tightly packed. Lots of places to eat within walking distance.
I’d start with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhoods_in_Washington,_D.C. Click through on the neighborhood names and read the entries, especially “Description.” Then go to something like apartments.com to get a sense of rents.
In general, rents are lower in DC than in NYC–at least lower than in Manhattan.