Alexandria Apartments (Arlington, Woodbridge, Fairfax: apartment complex, rentals, house)

[tmac9986]

I'm moving to Alexandria and am trying to figure out the best options for apartments. My job is in the Old Town area. I don't want to spend over $900 a month, but I also don't want to live anywhere ghetto. Is this possible in Alexandria? Are there cheaper places outside of Alexandria that are easy to commute from? Any recommendations as to where I can get the biggest bang for my buck?

[CaseyMac]

$900 is rough for a studio/efficiency in the DC area as a whole. You really will want to up that figure to $1050 minimum for Arlington/Alexandria.

I think you need to consider having a roommate OR finding a basement apartment. Maybe you could find a basement apartment in a house and offer a lower figure than the landlord is offering in exchange for some house work.

Or you could get a second job to support yourself living alone.

Good luck to you.

[Yankeesfan]

Glancing through Craigslist, I don't see anything under four digits in Northern VA for just one person. However, if you look under shared rentals you'll some in your price range. Most of them are probably further than you want to drive so be sure to check out the commute (we can help you with that!) before committing to anything.

[sweetPeach22304]

I recently relocated to Alexandria, because I work on capitol hill. I don't think you'll find anything decent for only $900.00. As someone suggested, you should look into getting a roommate.

Check out:

Apartments.com
Apartment ratings.com
Rent.com

[sweetPeach22304]

Actually, I just thought about one apartment complex in Alexandria called EOS, but from my understanding, it's roach and mice infested.

When I first moved to Alexandria and used rent.com, I was trying to figure out why EOS's rent was so cheap. After reading the comments on Apartment ratings.com, I quickly figured out why.

Good luck.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by sweetPeach22304

Actually, I just thought about one apartment complex in Alexandria called EOS, but from my understanding, it's roach and mice infested.

When I first moved to Alexandria and used rent.com, I was trying to figure out why EOS's rent was so cheap. After reading the comments on Apartment ratings.com, I quickly figured out why.

Good luck.

Please dont base your decision on Aptratings.com alone. At least visit it before making a decision.

That said youll probably have to go out to Woodbridge to find anything close to $900 for a single rental. Just to warn ya traffic is BAD.

[Tone509]

There are some apartment complexes along the Route 1 corridor in the Fairfax County section of Alexandria that might fall under $900. I would recommend these areas with hesitation as while the buildings themselves are in decent shape, the attitudes and habits of a fair portion of their residents leave something to be desired. I know from personal experience.

You might also be able to rent out the basement of a private owner's home. Looking through the usual search channels should turn up some prospects.

Other than that, you'll really have to up your minimum rent to $1000 or consider finding/becoming a roommate. Commuting from Woodbridge would cause you to break even if not lose money when you account for the cost of gas or transit.

[terrence81]

Now speaking as someone who has never willingly lived alone (was in between roommates for a month) I of course am pro-roommate. Yeah it will be very hard to get a one bedroom or even a studio in that price range. Although I have seen some but heard horrible things about them so cheap for a reason. Yeah I know calling $900 for a studio cheap is crazy but hey welcome to VA.

So yeah I say get a roommate you'll get a much nicer place than what you'd be able to afford on your own. With a roommate you could start looking at places in Old Town if you like city life although Old Town is super expensive so you won't get much but it won't be in the hood. Or for something more suburban you could look at Kingstown.

[juniperbleu]

Try the Foxchase of Alexandria apartments. It won't be under $900, but you should be able to find a 1-bedroom for close to that price. You can either drive to Old Town (15-20 minutes during rush hour) or take the complex's shuttle to the King Street metro.