<p>My daughter has a job offer in Washington DC and is looking for an affordable 
apartment. She’s lived in Brooklyn NY so understands crazy high prices of the city. Any tips on places or websites besides the obvious Craigslist and realtor.com? She would be working close to the White house. Loves public transportation and will probably ditch her car.</p>
<p>Maybe our daughters should get together… mine will be starting grad school at Georgetown this fall.</p>
<p>Maybe so - my daughter just finished grad school last month! Roommate wise, I think her boyfriend is going with her. I’ve heard it’s a great city for twenty-somethings.</p>
<p>Define affordable. </p>
<p>If your daughter and her boyfriend plan to share a one-bedroom apartment, they should be able to find lots of choices, in nice neighborhoods in the District or close-in Virginia suburbs, for $1000 per person per month or less. </p>
<p>If they want two bedrooms, or if she’s going to go for a studio apartment on her own, prices will be higher, of course. But they’ll still be lower than the price of a comparable apartment, with a comparable commute, in New York.</p>
<p>Also, you don’t need a rental agent in DC. You can just pick a neighborhood and Google it. Try “apartments Connecticut Avenue” or “apartments Pentagon City.” You’ll find lots of information. Your daughter can identify apartment buildings on the Internet, check out what people think of them on Yelp, and simply call them to see if anything’s available. To a New Yorker, this concept may seem bizarre. But DC is not New York. Just be careful about the neighborhood. DC has some horrible slums.</p>
<p>GWU, in the Foggy Bottom area, is about 4-5 blocks from the White House. She should search craigslist for rentals in the Foggy Bottom area (‘foggy bottom’ as a keyword in the search) if she wants an area like that. It’s close enough to just walk to the WH and is in an area with a lot of students and as such there might also be sublets or room rentals available. It’s a pretty safe area, close to the WH, walking distance to anything she needs including the Metro. It’s not exactly a cheap area though but if she rents just a room or something the cost might not be too bad. </p>
<p>She could also check to see if any of the dorm rooms at GWU area are still available for a summer rental if it fits her timeframe.</p>
<p>This is an adult daughter, 27 years old. She will not want to be in the midst of undergrad students or any kind of student housing. I didn’t mean to imply that she was a New Yorker, just that she’s lived in NYC area, so realizes that she won’t find an inexpensive apartment. Good to hear that she won’t need a broker, that always seemed cumbersome to me. </p>
<p>Thanks for the tips on where to live.</p>
<p>What kind of neighborhood does she want urban? Suburban? Trendy? Sleepy? </p>
<p>How much can they pay?</p>
<p>I recommend Dupont Circle and Woodley Park areas. Places along the Red Line north of the White House are safe. Areas around U Street, west of 13th Street are also very trendy.
My D who lived in Dupont Circle for several years post undergrad (now in Manhattan post grad school) would not consider living outside DC.</p>
<p>
Well, the Foggy Bottom/GWU area also has a lot of non-GWU people living in the area since it’s adjacent to some large employers including the State Department, IMF, White House, and many more.</p>
<p>Dupont Circle is just a bit further away than Foggy Bottom but not much.</p>
<p>Use Google Maps to check out whichever area you’re considering. Use the map view to get an idea of the distances, including to the Metro, as well as buildings/businesses in the area, and then use ‘Street View’ to get an idea of what it actually looks like.</p>
<p>I’ve got to say that I checked out this crime map [Washington</a>, DC Crime Map - Showing Crimes in Washington - Crime Statistics, Alerts and Reports - Crime Stops Here](<a href=“http://spotcrime.com/dc/washington]Washington”>http://spotcrime.com/dc/washington) and couldn’t figure out what area would be safe! Appreciate the suggestions. I really am unsure about how much she is willing to pay because she might decide to find a two bedroom place with another friend, besides the boyfriend. </p>
<p>I’m not sure how to classify what kind of neighborhood she would like other then NOT suburban or sleepy. Urban, quirky? Independent films, ethnic restaurants, museums. This Mom would prefer safe…</p>
<p>Van Ness on the Red Line is relatively affordable, safe, and fun…a lot to do and a good mix of young people.</p>
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<p>Yes, but the vibe is quite different; this is important to my kids when they were looking for housing.</p>
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<p>Check out U Street area. Fits all criteria.</p>
<p>Woodley Park is a good choice, with some older apartment buildings that are only mildly expensive rather than outrageously expensive. You can also go a little farther out on the Red Line, to the areas near the Cleveland Park or Van Ness Metro stations, and find more of the same.</p>
<p>Three people sharing a two-bedroom apartment might do well in Pentagon City, which is basically an upscale shopping area with a bunch of trendy apartment buildings in it.</p>
<p>Columbia Heights (cheaper and lots of kids) and Adams Morgan.</p>
<p>Even kids who work in the burbs want to live in DC. It is a kid’s haven.</p>
<p>My D had been considering Chinatown before she ended up in Columbia Heights. There are a lot of areas with young people.</p>
<p>I second the DuPont
Circle area. It’s full of action and very convenient. Not cheap but good!</p>
<p>My daughter works a couple of blocks from the White House and lives in Columbia Heights. Loves it and it’s easy to see why from visiting her. Easy commuting access (on the subway or on multiple bus routes that run up and down Sherman, 11th St, 13th St, 16th St).</p>
<p>There are brand new apartment buildings surrounding the METRO station in Columbia Heights. Or, if she’s got three or four people, shared townhouses are really popular. As long as you aren’t ‘stupid’, safety is not an issue.</p>
<p>S lives in Glover Park, just north of Georgetown. He has 2 supermarkets within walking distance (he doesn’t have a car) and can get to work and entertainment by bus. He also considered Dupont, Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights, but he got this place on craiglslist first and didn’t want to keep looking.</p>
<p>Regarding safety, your D would probably want to stay in NW DC.</p>
<p>Son found a studio apartment for his internship on Craig’s List in the Dupont area. He loved living in this area!</p>
<p>It wasn’t cheap ($2250/month), but it did include all utilities, furniture, internet, and even pots, pans, and linens. He can’t wait to get back to DC! All he needs is a job–:)</p>
<p>It always makes me sad to hear about young people moving to DC, and limiting themselves to all white neighborhoods they think of as “safe”. Don’t get me wrong, Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, Glover Park – all of these are nice neighborhoods, although the first two are super expensive, and the last is inconvenient with no metro station. In addition, none of them have the diversity that makes DC such an amazing place to live.</p>
<p>Dupont Circle is more fun, but also super expensive. </p>
<p>I’d think about Columbia Heights, along 14th St, the blocks between 14th St (where the metro is) and 16th are tough late at night.</p>
<p>I’d also think about U Street, I know many people who live there and love it.</p>
<p>Mount Pleasant and Adam’s Morgan are both great, although they’re more residential so you’ll need to be a little more vigilant coming to and from the metro at night.</p>
<p>If I wanted something quieter, more of a family neighborhood, I’d think about Petworth, Brookland, or Takoma. The last two wouldn’t be quite as easy without a car.</p>
<p>Finally, if predominantly white areas with restaurants and other amenities, and metro stations is the goal, I’d at Bethesda and North Arlington. Both offer the same things you’d find along Connecticut Ave, but at a more reasonable price.</p>