Working in Alexandria, but living in.... (apartment, house, neighborhoods)

[SouthernInDC]

I am moving to DC in August to start a new job. I will be working based out of my apartment/house; but i will spend the majority of my work day driving around the alexandria area to various offices. The good thing is, I can make my own schedule. I'm told morning traffic has usually calmed down by 9:30 and as long as I am back at my house by 3:30, I should miss most of the afternoon traffic.

I am wanting to live IN the district, but I will be living in Alexandria area.

What areas would be the best to live in, considering this? I've been told Capitol Hill/Eastern Market; SW Waterfront would be logistically good moves; but i also like Van Ness, Glover Park, Cathedral Heights, Georgetown, Logan Circle, and DuPont. I've found places in each place within my budget I like.

I realize the latter list of places is farther from Alexandria than SW and Cap Hill, but is it THAT much longer? Like... doubling my time to work? What do you think?

Also... I've gotten mixed reviews on SW water front. Some people say it's great. Others say it's..uhh... ghetto. Thoughts?

Thanks!

[yankee.peddler]

If you're set on living in the District and working in Alexandria, then I think Capitol Hill (which includes Eastern Market) and the SW Waterfront would be the best options (relatively speaking). The Waterfront area has certainly improved over the past ten years and is a viable place to call home.

All your other options are in Northwest and Upper Northwest. Getting down to Alexandria from there is going to be a pain for you. Trust me. Even though you're not going to be driving in rush hour, you're going to be constantly fighting city traffic along arteries like Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenues in order to get to the Key and/or Roosevelt Bridge.

Also, keep in mind that none of these neighborhoods are particuarly car-friendly. Unless you have a place with a dedicated parking space, you will constantly be searching for street parking. Street parking in places like Dupont and Logan Circles is hard to come by.

Have you thought about living in Arlington or Alexandria?

Good Luck!

[stateofnature]

Street parking in pretty much all of Capitol Hill is pretty easy if you can parallel park well.
The SW Waterfront isn't necessarily "ghetto" but it is relatively empty of the amenities you'll find in those other neighborhoods you mentioned: restaurants, bars, retail etc. It does have a Safeway though.
I would wager that both the Waterfront and Capitol Hill are about 15 minutes closer by car to Alexandria than the NW neighborhoods like Georgetown, Dupont. That number can be longer given traffic delays in the city. Easy access to 395 is the key factor here.

[HurricaneDC]

I'd definitely go with Capitol Hill or SW Waterfront. I especially like the areas of Capitol Hill near the Capitol South and Eastern Market metros. Easy access to 395, and since you'd be reverse-commuting you won't hit much traffic.

The problem with those NW neighborhoods is that a lot of people are driving through there. You'd be fighting just to get on one of the highways... once you get on the highways you'd be fine, but don't underestimate how horribly congested the non-highways can get.

That said, you wouldn't be driving for as long as it takes people to drive in from Fairfax, Bowie, Germantown etc. But considering what you're paying for, it might feel like you're getting the short end.

[RamblingMan]

All the neighborhoods you are considering have a lot going for them, but I agree with the idea that Southwest Waterfront and Capitol Hill would have the easiest commute to Alexandria.

On the other hand, if I knew that my work would be centered on Alexandria, I would pick Old Town over any of the DC neighborhoods. You'd be close to your work, you'd have an urban/walking lifestyle that would be as good or better than most DC neighborhoods, and you could still easily metro or drive into DC if you wanted. Housing costs would be about the same.