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.
I'm sure this question has been done to death but I will be moving to DC for a government job in late August and am looking for suggestions of places to live - my work would be in between the union station metro and the noma metro. I'd prefer to live in a 1br and my budget that I'm willing to spend for an apartment would be $1400. I'm looking for a neighborhood that has a decent nightlife and is in a somewhat close proximity to some bars/restaurants to actually try and meet some people when I move out there. Talked with a friend who used to live out there and she told me that Adams Morgan is equivalent to Water Street (very young crowd who's goal is to get blackout drunk) So I'd like to avoid that area if possible. Dupont Circle is nice but that doesn't really fit into my budget. I've also heard that Columbia Heights is a pretty diverse community which would be my ideal place but I'm that same friend said that she'd never live there - apparently it's a dangerous place according to her but taking that information with a grain of salt. I'd like any suggestions for safe/affordable neighborhoods (and I'm aware that if you apply common sense most places are safe to live in) to live in and am not opposed to living in VA. Also, I don't plan on bringing my car out with me. Any suggestions of neighborhoods would be greatly appreciated!
Much more nightlife and things to do for singles in the city proper than in the Virginia suburbs, and you can easily find something within your budget in the city so I don't think you need to consider Virginia, especially considering where your job is.
Yes Adams-Morgan is known on the weekends for being crowded with lots of drunks in their early 20s, but that's only only on one main drag with lots of bars (18th St) and during the week it's not like that. It's still a great place to live if you want access to the city's nightlife and a car-free lifestyle.
If you want a more mature nightlife scene then U Street, Logan Circle and H Street/Atlas District are the main hotspots for that.
Columbia Heights has been a big dwelling place for yuppies for years now. I've known many people who have lived there for awhile and never had any problems with crime. It has a bunch of bars and restaurants and is close to U Street.
Petworth, Shaw, Bloomingdale, and Capitol Hill are other areas with proximity to lots of restaurants and bars and have tons of younger single professional people in their 20s and 30s where you can find stuff in your budget.
The one thing you have to be concerned with is your budget. Adams-Morgan I can tell you right now is way to high, so you really should not concern yourself. You are in fact priced out of many neighborhoods. Columbia heights is not that dangerous, yeah your friend is a little out of date. The problem with Columbia Heights is it is likely out of your budget. In fact $1400 will be a tight, but not impossible budget for many DC neighborhoods. My only advice is to avoid east of the river. I am familiar with your location, I would look for an apartment on the Red Line. I would suggest Brookland, Takoma(DC)/Takoma Park, MD, and Silver Spring, MD. All of which would fit your desires. They all have restaurants and bars nearby, and you are more likely to find something in your budget out in these areas as well. Petworth is also a good idea, but not on the red line. Eckington might not be a bad place to look, as you would be able to walk to work. The H Street area which is close to the area you will be working you may be able to find an English Basement in your budget.
Thanks! I'll definitely check out those areas. Yeah the $1400 is because I travel a lot to visit family and friends around the country and overseas. I could easily cut my traveling down and go up to $1800 no problem but that just feels insane to me to be paying that much for a 1br apartment.
Columbia Heights isn't crime ridden at all. I'd be cautious about Petworth, Shaw, and Bloomingdale because it is pretty common for people to get mugged there. They're not terrible neighborhoods but they're still transitioning.
It's going to be fairly difficult for you to get a 1BR apartment in a metro-accessible neighborhood for $1400. It's fairly difficult to do that for even a studio.
If you want to live in Virginia, the only places you could live without a car would be Arlington (Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon, Courthouse, Rosslyn, Pentagon City, and Crystal City) or Alexandria (Braddock Road and King Street). Rosslyn, Pentagon City, Crystal City, and Alexandria would be much quieter than the other parts of Arlington.
Also, if you live in Alexandria or Crystal City, you can take the commuter train (Virginia Railway Express) to Union Station for your commute (only 15-20 min commute). The VRE is much cleaner, quicker, and reliable than Metro (especially the godforsaken red line).
Columbia Heights isn't crime ridden at all. I'd be cautious about Petworth, Shaw, and Bloomingdale because it is pretty common for people to get mugged there. They're not terrible neighborhoods but they're still transitioning.
It's going to be fairly difficult for you to get a 1BR apartment in a metro-accessible neighborhood for $1400. It's fairly difficult to do that for even a studio.
If you want to live in Virginia, the only places you could live without a car would be Arlington (Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon, Courthouse, Rosslyn, Pentagon City, and Crystal City) or Alexandria (Braddock Road and King Street). Rosslyn, Pentagon City, Crystal City, and Alexandria would be much quieter than the other parts of Arlington.
Also, if you live in Alexandria or Crystal City, you can take the commuter train (Virginia Railway Express) to Union Station for your commute (only 15-20 min commute). The VRE is much cleaner, quicker, and reliable than Metro (especially the godforsaken red line).
There is 1BRs in Takoma and Brookland for $1400 that are near the metro, so it is doable. I would recommend both neighborhoods, especially since they are both on the red line so a quick metro trip to where he will be working. I should note, the red line is not that bad these days, it is the other lines which have had bigger problems as of late.
I really wouldn't recommend anywhere NoVA if one was working at Union Station, or if somebody is planning on spending time in DC outside of work hours. It is really better to live in the city.
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.
