Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hey all,
My wife and I (& cats) are moving to DC this summer, and I'll be working at Andrews, with my wife working near Howard U. We're eying the Capitol Hill neighborhood, with a focus on the area between the Capitol and Eastern Market.
I am curious to hear people's opinions of the area, and specifically what my commute might look like during standard commuting hours.
Thanks for any input!
According to Google Maps it'd be around 30 minutes, which sounds realistic since most people are commuting in to the city. You might have some heavy traffic in Capitol Hill cos of all the people coming in, but you should be fine otherwise.
The area is very nice. Your commute will take you through some of the poorer parts of town but you'll be fine.
If you do this, you will have to drive to Andrews. The closest Metro is Suitland and you will have to take a bus to the base. I also should warn you that they are concerned about increase congestion around the base once the BRAC happens. Your commute will be nice because it will be a reverse commute but once you get around the base it could get ugly.
I work at Andrews, coming in from Northern VA. Forget about using the metro; getting around Andrews requires a vehicle.
The best way from DC is to get on Suitland Parkway; it's around 20 minutes to the base. To avoid the morning congestion at the main gate, consider using the north gate off Suitland Pkwy or the west (Pearl Harbor) gate off Dower House Rd.
WATCH YOUR SPEEDS: both the DC and MD parts of Suitland Parkway use extensive speed cameras. There are some 'tricky' areas near the DC/MD border where the speed limit changes.
The area you're looking at would be ideal for you and your spouse; however it is costly. Another option may be the Silver Spring area north of DC. Idealy your wife will want to take the Metro to work.
As far as BRAC goes, I believe they are moving some activities off of Andrews, which may actually reduce some of the congestion.
Another possibility is you could live in Greenbelt, or College Park, MD, where your wife could take a Green Line metro train directly to Howard Univ, and you would have a rather short commute on the Beltway to AAFB.
Appreciate the input everyone.
I think we both are leaning towards Capitol Hill which seems like a fun area, and it sounds like my commute wouldn't be too bad.
I used to work near there (Ft McNair) and watched most of those highrises go up. That area is up and coming but it lacks the character of the more established neighborhoods nearby. Most of the local businesses still cater to the workers in the area, but you have better bars and restaurants within walking distance (especially the 8th St corridor). One big plus is that it's very convienently located near Capitol Hill, Waterfront, I-295, Suitland Parkway, and the metro at Navy Yard.
Overall I think this area has good potential and this is a great time to make a move. If I wanted to buy into DC right now, I'd take a good look at this area too.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
