Los Angeles to DC Possible Relocation (real estate, apartment, condos)

[RedJet]

I might be relocating to DC for a job in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. I'm in my late 30's and love the idea of living in the city and not having to drive.

After a 2-year work stint in Russia, I've been paying next to nothing to live at my mother's place in L.A., and now I have to tell my potential boss how much of a cost of living adjustment I need. Turns out LA is more expensive!

My questions:

1. What neighborhoods/zip codes have decent apts or condos/townhouses that would be near the office (metro or walking)?

2. What are the rents like for a 1 or 2-bedroom place with parking?

3. Does anyone know how much I should ask for relocation costs (have to keep it low)?

No Virginia, though. I just get busted going to Dulles for reckless driving and probably won't be able to get a driver's license there!

Also, I'd like to avoid the student/party neighborhoods. Culture, not burbs, though!

Thanks!

[Carrot2000]

1. Off the top of my head, I think the Capitol Hill south area or Penn Quarter would be a good choice if you want to walk.

2.Penn Quarter rent: probably $1800+ Capitol Hill: probably $1200+. Parking will be easier in Capitol Hill.

3. Relocation costs: Hmmm, if you have to put down a full months security deposit & first month's rent, you'll may need around $3000 just for housing, so keep this in mind when asking for relocation expenses.

[RedJet]

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep those prices and neighborhoods in mind. I'm still waiting to hear if they want me now that they have to pay to relocate me...

[fcs]

You can see rents on craigslist. I would look at areas such as downtown silver spring and Friendship Heights where apts often come with parking.

[Kalika]

Just a heads up...don't expect an increase in your disposable income in DC. I moved here from L.A. 3 months ago, and have found DC to be MORE expensive than L.A. was. If you want to live in the NW section of the city (the nicest), expect to pay no less than $1500 for one bedroom apartment. Many are in the $1800 and up range. And real estate? That's another issue altogether!

If you are not planning on bringing a car, things might be a little better for you. Most places (in the District) charge for parking. Add a monthly car payment onto that, and L.A. starts to appear economical.

DC is a very exciting city, don't get me wrong, but has many of the headaches L.A. has. For example, the traffic is HORRIBLE. The 405 has nothing on the 495, let me tell you!

Best of luck!

[RedJet]

Thank you, Kalika! That's really useful information because the official charts say DC is cheaper. It only seems that way if you want to live 70 (!) miles away.

It sounds like the best approach is to find out apartment prices near Pasadena (where I work now) and near my potential workplace in DC to give a more realistic picture.

Thanks!

[matt345]

Originally Posted by Kalika

DC is a very exciting city, don't get me wrong, but has many of the headaches L.A. has. For example, the traffic is HORRIBLE. The 405 has nothing on the 495, let me tell you!

Yes DC traffic is horrible, despite having one of the best subway systems in the world. The way I see it, the DC metro area as a whole (not just the city) is just as car dependent as LA. Once you get beyond the small dense central core of DC, it's sprawl and autotopia in all directions. Sure, the subway is nice for commuters, tourists, and fun seekers, but that's only if they are going in or around city.

With places like Bethesda, Arlington, Ballston, etc., the DC area is becoming increasingly multi-centered. Many people use the beltway (495) to get to work, commuting from suburb to suburb instead of suburb to city. It's very similar to how in LA, there's Century City, Pasadena, Wilshire Corridor, and Santa Monica in addition to Downtown. As I said the DC Metro system is wonderful for getting in and around the city, but very impractical for getting from one suburb to the other. I get the impression that suburb-to-suburb commutes are more common in the DC area than they are in most other cities.

That is one possibility as to why 495 and all the other suburban freeways are so backed up, despite the presence of the excellent DC Metrorail. Also, LA's traffic problems are caused by the enormous amount of cars on the road. The DC area doesn't have nearly that many cars (smaller population), but the roads weren't designed to handle the capacity that they do have. Many freeways only have two lanes in each direction. That's unheard of in LA!

[goldenmom7500]

RedJet,

I laughed when I saw your original post (in a good way). My sister lives in LA and has a Ph.D. in Russian; her husband came from St. Petersburg. (She is always trying to get to Russia; he wants to be in the U.S., too funny).

When she has had trouble finding jobs in academia (she specializes in Russian Poetry, maybe 19th century) I always encourage her to go to DC, but so far she keeps finding another post ... so far so good.

[I did foreign service environmental stuff overseas and in DC, but recently moved away from dc].