Working in D.C., how to decide on car vs. metro?

[Carlingtonian]

You like the walkable city life. You don't mind a small apartment. Your workplace is along the Red Line in DC. And you haven't mentioned the quality of the schools, so I gather that's not a factor. So I'm not sure what living in VA or MD would give you other than a much longer commute (via car or Metro). I don't think the rent will be any cheaper in VA or MD and in fact might quite a bit higher in the walkable types of areas you describe.

Keep in mind that many of the older apartments in DC have been renovated inside, so even though they may be old, they might appeal to you. If you do decide on DC, however, I would advise against owning a car; you'll have to deal with the stress and considerable expense of parking in DC and will also have to deal with the DC DMV periodically. When you need to drive somewhere, you'll have plenty of options with taxis, Uber, and Zipcar.

(FYI, you mean wise counsel. But you got "vacillating" right, so kudos on that.)

By far the worst option on your list is living in Alexandria. Driving in will take you a long time, and WMATA has cut frequency on the Blue/Yellow Lines to accommodate the Silver Line. And then you would have to transfer to Red anyway. So you would have a very long commute--though you might find a modern apartment for less money there. (That said, the walkable areas of Alexandria--Old Town and Del Ray--are also the oldest and the most expensive.)

[BrowneCoat]

(FYI, you mean wise counsel. But you got "vacillating" right, so kudos on that.)

Yes, I did mean counsel - in my defense, I was sleep-deprived and writing late at night over here in Dubai.

Thanks for your input.

[austindoxie1972]

Why don't you live in DC for a year, see if you like it, etc. I think you'll really enjoy being closer to your job and closer to late night activities, etc. If you find you don't like it, after your lease is up get a car and move out to Virginia. By then, you'll have a better sense of the commute, the costs of owning a car, and so forth.

I say this as someone who lived in DC (in zip code 20008) for 10 years. I later moved out to Virginia. I was happy to have had both experiences (though I admit that my DC days were 1993 to 2003, so that is quite a while ago!!).

Hope my input helps!

[BrowneCoat]

Thank you, Austin! That sounds like a solid plan. I am tired of moving though, and I think part of the reason for my indecision stems from the fact that I've moved around quite a bit the last few years and am looking to stay in my new place for as long as I can. Just too tired of moving countries, packing up apartments, and adapting to a new place...

[airjay75]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

By far the worst option on your list is living in Alexandria. Driving in will take you a long time, and WMATA has cut frequency on the Blue/Yellow Lines to accommodate the Silver Line. And then you would have to transfer to Red anyway. So you would have a very long commute--though you might find a modern apartment for less money there. (That said, the walkable areas of Alexandria--Old Town and Del Ray--are also the oldest and the most expensive.)

Just noting with regard to Metro from Alexandria, Yellow Line frequency has not been cut, it has actually been increased during rush hour for those on the Yellow Line (other than Huntington and Eisenhower Ave where it has stayed the same). You have normal YL trains every 6 minutes in addition to YL rush plus trains coming from Franconia-Springfield every 12 minutes. Presumably, OP's commute via Metro would be YL to Gallery Place and transfer to the Red Line. Still probably the longest of the Metro commutes OP is considering, but I don't know if it would be significantly worse that commuting on Metro from Arlington given the Rosslyn tunnel delays frequently encountered by Orange/Silver/Blue Line trains.

[austindoxie1972]

Totally understand the moving thing. I moved 5 times in 4 years due to some odd circumstances (death of a parent, 2 job changes, etc). What I finally did was put most of my "main" stuff in storage and just kept what I really needed in my condo/ apartment. This was the smartest thing I ever did. The problem is that now I LOVE having a storage unit and don't know how I'd live without one. I have a small-ish condo, that allows me low overhead and a chance to live closer into the city.

Anyhow...all the best with your final decision!

[Lilac110]

Originally Posted by BrowneCoat

Thanks everyone, for your quick responses.

I am a teacher, and will have access to parking at school (I think. Will have to check that).

Sure. It's not parking where you live or work, or work, though. It's everywhere else you take a car that's the problem.

Also, be warned that a lot of apartment buildings charge an extra monthly fee for a parking space. I've seen parking fees as high as $100 a month.

[BrowneCoat]

@austin: Thank you!

@Lilac: yes, I've already noticed that about the parking fees.

[ICS67]

Like austindoxie1972, I'm another refugee from Zip code 20008 (maybe on the Key Bridge approach to Virginia there should be an inscription "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled 20008 masses yearning to be free...").

But I digress. If you're working in that area of Northwest Washington, I'd suggest you at least start your search looking at the apartment buildings along Connecticut Avenue from Woodley Park up to around Davenport Street. Any address on or near Connecticut Avenue in that stretch would be just a few minutes' walk from either the Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, or Van Ness Metro station. The buildings range in age from the 1930s to some recent construction, but there is definitely more in the way of older construction. You might want to look at the Van Ness complex (Van Ness East, South, and North -- I think they are condo, rental, and co-op, respectively) because even the condo and co-op buildings probably have rentals, there is parking, and you're one block from Metro.

This whole area along Connecticut Avenue isn't exactly the most happening part of Washington and will never be confused with uber-hip and trendy Adams Morgan, Penn Quarter, NoMa, etc. But it is a very pleasant and safe area; besides the convenient Metro access there are supermarkets, neighborhood stores and restaurants, and easy access downtown. Coming from overseas, this area might make a nice soft landing spot for a year or so until you can decide if it suits your lifestyle or not.

Good luck!