Relocation from London to Washington, DC (for sale, apartments, rent)

[Julija]

We are relocating from London to Washington, DC and would appreciate any advice you could offer on apartments and area to live in.
My husband will be working in Springfield (Zip code : 22153). We are also expecting a baby so safe, friendly and professional neighbourhood is our priority.

We are a professional couple (both journalists) and looking for a nice 2 bed. It would be good to be close to my husband's work but at the same time we are a city people and would like something with character (similar to london cozy areas full of cafes and shops, parks or Greenwich village in Manhattan).

Any advice, web links you could offer would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance

Julia

[soulquarian]

if your looking searching for an area with a cosmopolitan feel, i would suggest dupont cirlce, adams morgan, or the u street corridor. but be warned: rent is expensive in those areas.

since you're going to work in springfield i would consider looking at arlington or alexandria city to avoid a nasty commute. they're both diverse areas and are both right across the potomac, giving you quick access to the city. my homeboy just moved to arlington and i've been impressed by what arlington has to offer - you can walk to grocery stores, shops, and the public transportation is better than average. also, it's hella safe and the schools in both areas are top notch.

[LDNMAN85]

While all the areas the poster mentioned are great to live in, they still don't compare to the ease of living in London. So expect to have to walk a bit further for things and be prepared to get a license and rent a car now and then. Prices are expensive but are nothing compared to London. While the last poster is right in saying how expensive rent is, compared to londcon its pretty cheap. Expect to pay the equiv of 2 quid for a beer, 10 for a good dinner, and groceries are much cheaper. Having lived in both places I much prefer London but DC is very good for a American city and is a great place for kids. Good luck.

[silverspringer]

Perhaps Alexandria? The historic downtown, known as Old Town, is zip code 22314 (I think). It has as much charm as you'll get in the U.S. There are lots of shops, restaurants, people eating at sidewalk tables with their dogs, community spirit, waterfront parks where you can feed ducks (which will be very entertaining for the baby), historic houses, coffee shops, an international newsstand and at least two "Irish pubs." It's an urban neighborhood with lots of strollers (and an almost fetishistic fondness for dogs). There's the added cultural value, for you, of living in the American South.

DC proper is an option but an unpleasant car commute to Springfield. (Is the job near a metro station?) Alexandria would save commuting time and avoid river-crossing.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by silverspringer

Perhaps Alexandria? The historic downtown, known as Old Town, is zip code 22314 (I think). It has as much charm as you'll get in the U.S. There are lots of shops, restaurants, people eating at sidewalk tables with their dogs, community spirit, waterfront parks where you can feed ducks (which will be very entertaining for the baby), historic houses, coffee shops, an international newsstand and at least two "Irish pubs." It's an urban neighborhood with lots of strollers (and an almost fetishistic fondness for dogs). There's the added cultural value, for you, of living in the American South.

DC proper is an option but an unpleasant car commute to Springfield. (Is the job near a metro station?) Alexandria would save commuting time and avoid river-crossing.

I agree (and yes, it's zip 22314). I think Old Town would probably be the best balance between working in Springfield and urban/cute area. The commute won't be too bad for your husband, and it's a short drive (~15 minutes) or metro ride (~20 minutes) to downtown DC. I'm not so sure about the "South" part, but it will have much more of that "real Virginia" character than other areas in Northern VA.

Despite being a suburb, it has an amazing amount of character, probably because of it's history and that it was created as its own town/city before DC came into the picture. It's all old brick buildings, brick sidewalks, with lots of pedestrians. There are fantastic restaurants, cozy little coffee shops (and I'm not including Starbucks), and small stores. It reminds me a lot of Old City Philadelphia (if you've ever been there). Also, Alexandria in general is very diverse; more so than DC, which is pretty segmented.

[back2dc]

First of all this is NOT the American South. You are 4 hours from New York in one direction while 4 hours in the other will get you to Virginia Beach. Alexandria has absolutely nothing in common with Atlanta, Raleigh or Charlotte.

Having visited London the neighborhoods closest to what you're looking for will be found in DC and not the suburbs. If you had to choose suburbs I would choose Arlington, but it's going to have a very "newish" American urbanism, similar to California more than New York.

The grittier New York feel is only in neighborhoods in the District (aka DC) and I would second the recommendation for Adams Morgan if you're trying to capture a more ethnic slice of London, Dupont Circle and Logan Circle for more stylish areas and Foggy Bottom and Georgetown for more posh. Also be sure to check the area near the cathedral or the neighborhoods near the zoo, too. Good luck.

[hyattsvillemd]

i was not sure if you were aware but Springfield is Virginia and not WDC but it is the tri state area.

VA is very expensive to live in. it seems like the Common Wealth has a tax for everything. I would suggest your best bet would be to contact a realtor. I can give you a number if you would like. I have been working with this person for a while. he was very good and the next home i purchase i will go thorugh him.

hope this helped.

[Julija]

Dear All,

Thank you so much for all the tips you had to offer i really appreciate it.
Is there a free web site where i can browse for properties for rent?

Julija

[juniperbleu]

apartments.com and rent.com are useful, as is apartmentshowcase.com, but for anything privately-owned you'll have to check out craigslist.org, or a realtor's website (like Long & Foster or McEnearney).

I found my place on Craigslist, as have others I know, and am very happy with it.

[PenguinSix]

craigslist: washington, DC classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events is a good one.
Washington City Paper is also a good site.

I also recommend USA : British Expat Discussion Forum for some info on culture shock, paperwork, taxes, schools etc and other things you'll need to know coming from the UK to the US.