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Hi! Next summer I'll be moving to DC to work at the World Bank.
I'd like to know if the surrounding area is safe and also where would be safer to live . I've read that it is wise to stick to the Northweast and that Downtown, Dupont Circle and Georgetown are relatively safe areas, but i'd very much appreciate your opinion, since I'm quite lost and concerned.
Hi! Next summer I'll be moving to DC to work at the World Bank. I'd like to know if the surrounding area is safe and also where would be safer to live . I've read that it is wise to stick to the Northweast and that Downtown, Dupont Circle and Georgetown are relatively safe areas, but i'd very much appreciate your opinion, since I'm quite lost and concerned. Thank you!!
The World Bank and IMF are tucked in between the White House and the campus of GW University. It is quite safe there, as it is in all of downtown proper. The idea that only the NW quadrant of DC is safe meanwhile dates from decades ago now, a time when many parts of NW were not safe after dark either. All that has changed. Washington is still a city, so it does have its share of crime (overall, the rates are about the same as Lincoln, Nebraska), but some of the nicest addresses in DC these days are in NE and SE. There are lots of nice places still in NW of course, but this isn't Baghdad we're talking about here. Hundreds of thousands of people are able to go about their business here every day without giving crime a second thought.
And you don't have to live in DC to work at the World Bank. Many of my neighbors in McLean, Virginia, work at the Bank; you could also consider neighborhoods in Arlington, especially along the Orange Line (Virginia Square/Clarendon/Ballston) if you'd like to commute by Metro.
Thank you for your quick reply! This whole change of continent is making me extremely anxious, and reading the news on DC's crime rates didn't help.
Could you recommend me specific neighbourhoods in DC and outside?
What about the prices? I have no idea how pricey the housing in the US is.. Being the capital, DC must be quite an expensive city, but could you point some values?
Also, is it safe (i'm getting paranoid, sorry) to live by myself or should I look for a roommate?
Yes, long distance moves, particularly into areas that one is not familiar with, are worthy of some anxious thoughts. Doing some research and seeking out local opinion (as you are doing) is a very good idea. This is a process that can be done right if one puts one's mind to it.
As for specific neighborhoods, it would help to know what your interests and lifestyle preferences are. You could have the urban excitement of a place like Penn Quarter with its shops, museums, theaters, and galleries...or the elegant rowhouses of Capitol Hill...or a nice little place with a vegetable garden in the back yard in the nearby Virginia suburbs. It all depends on what you would like your life here to look and feel like.
In a general sense, the DC area is indeed an expensive one, particularly in the more upscale areas, but not atrociously so. There are other major urban areas that are at least as expensive. Washington would be in the upper tier, but not necessarily at the top of the list. Many people of all sorts do indeed live on their own here, and there are always those bargain areas out there where you can get more of what you want for your money while still keeping the actual amount of money under some control.
And again, the safety situation need not be much of a concern. You are more likely to be knocked down in the street by a speeding bike-messenger than to be the victim of an actual crime. There is crime here, and given its overall rather tame crime rates, the number of murders is a bit alarming, but except for those living in the very roughest of neighborhoods, crime is not at all an issue in day-to-day living. Getting a seat on the Metro during rush hour would be a different story...that could well become a part of day-to-day living.
Most of the places where most people live in the DC area are very safe. As far as specific neighborhood suggestions, as saganista noted, there are many options, depending upon your budget and lifestyle. Here are some questions to consider:
Do you have a driver's license? Are you willing to drive to work (or to a suburban Metro stop)?
How much can you comfortably spend on housing?
Do you want an apartment, townhouse, or single-family house? (There are some single-family homes in Arlington, for example, that are not much bigger than a 2 BR apartment, so that might work well for a single person).
Do you want to live within walking distance of stores, churches, restaurants, bars, museums, etc., or would you prefer to live in a secluded residential area?
How long of a commute are you willing to tolerate?
Transportation - I don't have a driver's license so i can only count on public transportation, which I'm used to, and my two feet (I would like an area in which I could feel comfortable walking by myself). As for the commute... both in Portugal and Spain (the two countries where I lived, while studying), I used to take 20-30 minutes to get to my university... I guess that up to an hour would be ok... (is this ridiculous in DC terms?)
Would it be possible to live 30 minutes walking distance from the bank?
Budget - I am not yet aware of what my salary will be, since it's an internship grant offered by my government and the values have not been established, so far. In my country I had roommates and we had a two bedroom apartment for 800 euros (about 1000 dollars). I think I'd be able to spend around 1500 dollars in housing (maybe a bit more, depending on the grant, but the government's never too generous:P)
But i'm also concerned with other expenses such as Gas, Phone, Internet and Electricity. If you could give me any idea on how much I'd be spending on this.
Neighbourhood - I'd rather live in a lively area, within walking distance of restaurants, stores... places with lots of people. I get a bit scared of desert streets after dawn... As for the type of housing, I have only lived in apartments, so I guess that would be the first thing I'd look for.. Townhouses are not in the city center, right?
Any neighbourhoods that would fit these preferences?
For $1500 a month you can afford a studio or small one bedroom apartment almost anywhere. Since you are working at the World Bank I might suggest Dupont Circle, which has all of the amenities you could want, lots of foot traffic, and is only one metro stop (or a 20 minute walk) from the World Bank. Georgetown would also be a nice fit (although there is no metro there). Both are quite safe areas. You could also be as far out as Woodley Park or Cleveland Park, which are quieter residential areas but with lively strips of restaurants and bars. Both are on the "Red" metro line.
Will you be working at the World Bank just for the summer, or for a year or more?
If the former, you should consider sub-letting an apartment from a student at George Washington University (which is essentially across the street from the World Bank). Not sure how this is done these days -- back in the 80's, we had to use bulletin boards, but I imagine that there is a more efficient Internet method now.
If you'll be here for awhile, and you really want to walk to work (and in the summer in DC that is a sticky proposition; also not always fun in winter), you could live in Foggy Bottom, the neighborhood in which GWU and the World Bank are located. There are some nice quiet residential streets, but plenty of stores, restaurants, etc. and lots of foot traffic. You could walk over to Georgetown when the weather is nice. The Foggy Bottom Metro station will make it easy for you to get around DC without a car.
My internship is 9 months long. Which i have realised could be a problem, because many contracts require a "one year lease". I'm a bit lost in terms of your contracts.. For example, I've seen some one bedroom apartments which would be big enough for two.
And there's another girl from my country coming to washington as well, to work at the Inter-American Development Bank. Is it possible to rent this kind of apartment for two people. Are there any restrictions?
What's the difference between leasing, renting and sub-letting?
Thank you so much!!!
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