advice needed - moving to DC area (apartment complex, lease)

[buckaroo]

greetings,

I will be moving in February to work for the IMF, and would greatly appreciate your advice on places to live. I know the commute is horrible by car, so I intend to use the metro (Farragut West and Farragut North seems to be pretty close to work). My main criteria is safety, and to live within a short walking distance to the Metro. I will be looking for a place that allows shorter term lease (3-6 months), as I plan to buy later on.

I did some research and it seems that north of Bethesda is the place to be. Could anyone kindly recommend a place to stay? I don't mind a longer commute on the red line.

Thanks much.

Sami

[Nober]

The White Flint area in North Bethesda has many short-term housing options along Marinelli Road and Old Georgetown Road within a short distance of the metro station. A commute from the White Flint station to Farragut North should take about 30 minutes. Using the Farragut West station would require a transfer at the Metro Center station.

In addition, the Grosvenor-Strathmore metro station on the Red Line also has apartment and townhouse options on Strathmore Hall Street and Tuckerman Lane.

Good luck!

[Kensington]

One stop further out on the red line is Twinbrook station. There is an apartment complex that has short term options on the corner of Halpine and Rockville Pike. You could walk to Whole Foods from that complex and there are a few cafe and fast food type eating options right there.

You might also look closer in around downtown Bethesda and Friendship Heights. There are shortterm options at both metro stops as well as restaurants, shopping, etc. within walking distance.

Bethesda and Rockville are nice, but if you're really just looking for a short term lease, I'd rent something in Arlington. You'll have a much faster commute into downtown on the metro. Do you have kids? This would also impact where you want to live.

[buckaroo]

Thanks much for the reply. I do have kids, but they would join me later, at which time I would start looking for a house to buy. During the first 3-6 months I would be staying alone in a 1 bedroo apartment.

Regarding Arlington, would that be around the Arlington Cemetary metro station?

Many thanks.

[muaranah]

Definitely not at the Arlington Cemetery Metro. Most likely near the Rosslyn or Crystal City stations.

[itrade]

No one "lives" near the Arlington Cemetary stop. And that's not a joke...

[smakawhat]

North of Bethesda is kind of far but not too bad, but it's also very suburban and "strip mally". If that's your thing then more power to you, but the neighborhoods are not really hip, they're very loaded with franchises etc...

[saganista]

The pizazz factor in Arlington would be around the Court House and Clarendon Metro stops on the Orange Line. Very easy commute from there to the IMF via Farragut West (18th & I Streets). Those areas are a little pricier than some. Crystal City on the Blue Line is another option as per above. It's mostly highrise, condo stuff with not as much going on after work, but at least its inhabited at night, which isn't always the case in downtown Rosslyn. I'd actually like the Red Line suggestions also, although Farragut North would leave you an extra 5-7 minutes of walking over Farragut West. You can see how the streets are laid out around the various Metro stations at the Metro website (http://www.wmata.com/maps/maps.cfm?fromMenu=MapsAndStations.0 - broken link). Click on the icon in the middle...

[DC resident]

The place to move surely is not North of Bethesda. Rockville is overcrowded and has nothing more than strip mall after strip mall to offer. The place to move would be NW DC or Arlington county in N. VA.