Pentagon City neighborhood and metro (Arlington, Alexandria: sublets, rent, houses)

[jeff87]

I'm a college junior with a job in D.C. for the summer, looking for housing in NoVa within walking/biking distance of metro stops, with a somewhat tight budget (up to $1000/month). I'm checking out a lot of sublets in multi-room houses on craigslist, and found a very tempting one several blocks from the Pentagon City metro stop and mall. It's in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood of Arlington.

Does anybody have experience with the neighborhood? It kind of looks like a little foresty few blocks surrounded by highrise/I-395 wasteland. Is there anything nearby to do or see, or would I have to hop the metro to Old Town Alexandria or Clarendon for any NoVa nightlife? Also, is rent of ~$700 for a one-room sublet in a 4BR house too good to be true? Most other options I've seen bump up against my $1000 ceiling...

Also, because I'd be commuting by metro, does anybody have experience with the Pentagon City metro station at rush hour? Are northbound Yellow Line trains all packed by the time they reach Pentagon City?

Thanks very much!

[slduvall]

Depending on your "rush" hour the yellow line can be pretty crowded by the time it reaches pentagon City. I've seen lots of people switching from the blue to the yellow at Crystal City to cross the river..in the winter or bad weather they wait till CC because it is underground. Of course it will loose quite a few people at the pentagon, and you might snag a seat. The key is not to hang around the escalator...move down the platform. And remember the most important thing about the metro...don't stand on the left on the escalator! Major pet peeve of commuters! Nothing says new to the area or tourist than that Welcome to the area...

[juniperbleu]

I know some people who live/lived in Aurora Highlands and loved the area. Regarding nightlife, you'll most likely end up in DC or Clarendon, neither of which are a hassle to get to from Pentagon City.

I didn't deal with the Pentagon City metro, but I used the yellow from Pentagon for a while. In my experience, it's really not that bad (especially in the summer, unless you go to work when the tourists come out). It can get crowded, but nothing like the orange line.

[Tone509]

I'll agree that by taking the yellow line, you would probably only need to stand until the next stop (Pentagon) as a fair number of people get off there.

And yep, unless you think you might like the retail ambiance of the Pentagon City Mall, you'll be heading to Clarendon/Ballston or Old Town Alexandria.

$700 sounds reasonable for a quarter-share of a house. Of course, checking the place out for yourself will determine whether it's right for you.

[utennvolsfan]

One of the nice things about Pentagon City is that it's a good jumping off point to get to downtown DC and elsewhere. With both the Pentagon City metro and the Pentagon metro right across the highway, you have some flexibility. And the Pentagon has a huge bus transit center as well.

As for nightlife and whatnot in the Pentagon City area, you do have Pentagon Row. During the summer they usually have live music in the courtyard area on Thursday nights. All the restaurants have outdoor seating and there is a pretty good happy hour crowd.

[Tone509]

Thanks for the note about Pentagon Row. I had forgotten about that.

[utennvolsfan]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Thanks for the note about Pentagon Row. I had forgotten about that.

You're welcome.

Before we moved, we had quite a regular happy hour crowd that met at Sine's. And there's something for pretty much every kind of food you might be looking for. Well, not everything, but you get the idea.

Plus in the winter they put up the ice skating rink there. There's a Harris Teeter and a Bed, Bath & Beyond all right in that shopping center too.

[slim04]

For a summer sublet, take what you can get and do it quickly. Thousands of interns head to DC for the summer and there is a very limited supply of short term housing options. It's not uncommon to reply to 10 ads and find 8 already rented and healthy competition for the other two places. Even spaces in dorm rooms or frat/sorority houses go pretty quickly.

You aren't going to find a perfect place, but you probably aren't going to spend a lot of time there anyways.