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 CitiD, I have a job offer on Wisconsin Ave in DC. I'm moving from NYC. I need advice on the best areas to live in that accomodate my ideal neighborhood and my Chow/Pit puppy. My ideal neighborhood will be diverse in age and ethnicity, have great restaurants, parks to walk my dog and a vegan/vegetarian market (something like Whole Foods). I'm in my late 40's and female. I don't want to be the oldest person on the block but I'm not looking for a senior citizen community either. My ideal apartment or townhouse is no more than $2100, and within a 30 minute commute using the Metro. I will be bringing my car, if I have to drive to live in my ideal neighborhood how long would the commute be and how is parking in the city? Also, are Craigslist and Trulia the recommended sites to use to find an apartment - can you recommend any other sources? Thanks in advance for your help.
Last edited by NYMOMINNC; 04-03-2013 at 08:55 PM..
I would look into Old Town Alexandria. Old Town is easily accessible to most of DC, and the location itself offers some great food and drink options for the 30s - 40s crowd.
There's the Meridian at Carlyle apartments where you can get a nice luxury 1BR 1BA apt within your price range and I believe they are pretty pet friendly. They are also located right next to one of the best Whole Foods I've been to in the DC area, and the King Street metro station is located just a couple of blocks away.
Whichever neighborhood you choose, you'll have to find a private landlord. Just about every apartment complex in this area has breed restrictions. No chows. No pits.
Thanks about the advice on renting from private owners. In the DMV what areas/neighborhoods best fit my description of ideal neighborhood? Since my search will now be more targeted to private owners I will need to be more specific about the areas to look into. Would it be more feasible that I would find what I am looking for in Maryland or Virginia - is DC totally out of the picture?
Depends where on Wisconsin - georgetown, friendship heights, somewhere in between?
Im not a fan of a commute from Alex to to upper NW, myself, not when there are closer alternatives.
In general upper NW DC is diverse in ages - but not so much ethnically, its mostly whites with a few asians and I guess a few yuppie african americans. The edgier areas in DC where whites and blacks create a "swirl" are areas where almost all the whites, at least, are young though. As in under 30. For a mix in both ethnicity and age, maybe downtown Silver Spring would fit the bill - and that would be fairly close if your job is all the way at the Md end of Wisconsin.
If the job is in Georgetown, you might consider South Arlington. Shirlington has a regionally well known dog park, dog friendly restaurants, and is pretty mixed in ages - and the nearby parts of South Arlington are ethnically diverse.
I think there is a big difference between living in DC proper and in the suburbs, although these may have areas that are walk-friendly. I think the Northern VA suburbs might be a bit too far for your commute, although it depends where on Wisconsin Ave your job is (since it runs northwest to the MD border all the way from Georgetown, which is right across the river from VA).
Dupont Circle and Woodley Park are great, safe neighborhoods in DC which have a ton of restaurants within walking distance and are both on the Metro's Red line (which runs roughly along Wisconsin and Connecticut Aves.). Dupont Circle is a little more diverse ethnically than Woodley Park, but not by a ton. Age-wise, though, they are very diverse. Glover Park is right on Wisconsin Ave and is also very nice, has a few restaurants, and is walking distance to Georgetown. It also has a Whole Foods. It is mostly white folks in their 30s-40s (as is most of upper and NW DC west of Rock Creek Park).
Friendship Heights (right along the MD/DC border on Wisconsin) is another idea, although it can be pricey. There are some restaurants there, although a good number of them are the upscale chain sort, it is right on the Metro, and there is a Whole Foods right there. Another poster suggested Silver Spring in MD, which is nice and has a lot of things to do - movie theaters, shops, restaurants - but unless you're driving to work, it probably wouldn't make much sense, since there is no direct Metro connection between that part of MD (which is on the Green line) and upper NW DC.
In terms of apt searching, PadMapper, Hotpads, and CL are my go-to's. Good luck!
Oh, and DC in general is very dog-friendly. There are dog parks across the city - there is one right between Adams Morgan and Woodley Park, one in Dupont Circle, and one planned a few blocks from the Friendship Heights Metro. See Dog Parks
maybe south of tenleytown metro on Wisconsin. it's dog friendly with nice places to walk, there's a whole foods, and you'd be close to work which is a huge plus. you could find something for that price assuming you're looking at 1-2 bedrooms.
Awesome advice - 4000 Wisconsin NW - does this location change your suggestions?
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.
