Relocating to VA/MD/DC area for graduate school... willing to commute (Germantown: apartment complexes)

[S_taylor19]

I am looking to relocate to the Arlington area for graduate school at Marymount University. I am looking for a place that is inexpensive to live that is pet friendly (I have one small and one large dog). I am sure I will rent as homes seem much more expensive there than Louisville Kentucky where I currently live. Either an apartment or a home to rent would be fine. I would like to pay around $800 - $1100 (or less) if that is possible. I would not mind to commute if the price difference was worth it. I am looking into areas in VA as well as MD. I will be a college student which means I will not have a lot of money so I would like to find a not so expensive place to live but still in a safe area. I am not really particular on the type of neighborhood whether it be suburbs or a social area, as long as it is safe. Any ideas of where to start looking? Maybe that will give me a better idea. I have never been to the area so I don't really know where to begin. I will be visiting the area at the end of June to visit the school and look at different housing options. I am hoping to move there at the beginning to middle of next year.... Thanks so much!! =)

[jayman1981]

Hello my friend. Well let me get straight to the point. I would suggest a couple of things. First 800-1100 is a little doable maybe in Prince William County, Va (Woodbridge, Dumfries, Triangle). Note: Prince William County is pretty far from Marymount. Oh I forgot route 1 outside Alexandria city limits is probably doable. Also in Prince George's County, MD. Now I will catch some flack for suggesting P.G. because this area sees this county as the worse or a war zone. It really isn't. but like anything you have your good and bad areas. I would also suggest looking at craigslist for a rental. They tend to have cheaper rates than the rental advertisements. My next suggestion is try looking for a roommate. That will cut your cost dramatically. If your not aware Arlington County (Where Marymount is located) is a very expensive county. So in order to stay close buy I would highly suggest a roomate.

Hopefully this won't discourage you, but it's expensive in the D.C. area. People tend to do the following in this area, they commute in from a good distance away, Have a room mate or they just have a very good job that affords them the opportunity to live close by. I'm pretty sure there will be people to help you narrow your area of search. Have fun at Marymount and congrats on getting in. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this area.

Originally Posted by S_taylor19

I am looking to relocate to the Arlington area for graduate school at Marymount University. I am looking for a place that is inexpensive to live that is pet friendly (I have one small and one large dog). I am sure I will rent as homes seem much more expensive there than Louisville Kentucky where I currently live. Either an apartment or a home to rent would be fine. I would like to pay around $800 - $1100 (or less) if that is possible. I would not mind to commute if the price difference was worth it. I am looking into areas in VA as well as MD. I will be a college student which means I will not have a lot of money so I would like to find a not so expensive place to live but still in a safe area. I am not really particular on the type of neighborhood whether it be suburbs or a social area, as long as it is safe. Any ideas of where to start looking? Maybe that will give me a better idea. I have never been to the area so I don't really know where to begin. I will be visiting the area at the end of June to visit the school and look at different housing options. I am hoping to move there at the beginning to middle of next year.... Thanks so much!! =)

[CaliTerp07]

If you're open to a roommate, that will give you a LOT more options. I'm a current grad student at marymount, and I get a lot of emails from students looking for roommates. $800-1100 isn't going to give you many options within a reasonable commute of Arlington. Remember too that you may be willing to drive an hour, but if you're in class all day and have an hour or more commute to get home, your dogs won't like being alone that much.

Alexandria, VA is really dog friendly, so that might be a good place to start your search (stick to east of 395). Arlington would be my top choice for convenience purposes (you really can't put a value on commute here--10 miles can add an hour at the wrong time of day), but unless you are willing to take on a roommate, I don't think it's doable.

Depending how large your dog is, your best bet may be to find a private landlord. My dog is only 30 lbs, and it was still difficult to find a pet friendly apartment that didn't gauge us for having her. (We settled on a place with a non-refundable $250 security deposit and $40/month additional in pet rent). Many, many apartment complexes have a pretty low weight limit on pets (and nearly all have breed restrictions in place).

[sungerle]

Also - be careful when you say you are willing to commute. EVERYTHING in the DC metro area is a commute. You may think 20 miles is no big deal, but your commute will be terrifying. I had a 12 mile commute from Germantown to Bethesda - 45 minutes. I had no idea it would be that bad, so I just want people to be aware.

Arlington is very expensive, but a great area if you can find a deal. The Clarendon area is great, but again, expensive. I fully second the suggestion to find a roommate - it is very hard to find a one bedroom that si going to be in that price range in the location you want.

Another thing - a lot of people in that area have basements that they rent out. If you get lucky, you can find a great basement apartment for much cheaper than an actual apartment. I rented a basement apartment for a few months and since they live in the house, utilities were included. It's also a good short term option.. maybe you want to move there first, learn the area, learn what kind of commute you can tolerate, and find a roommate. I was hesitant at first but it really worked out for me