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I'm at a point in my life where I'm looking to settle down permanently. I'm a female, white, single, no kids, 30s, I can't drive due to disability. I grew up in Upstate New York and have a particular fondness for the Northeast, but I have lived and traveled almost everywhere. Right now I'm working in a school district in Texas. A lot of people have suggested that Washington, DC would be a good fit for me. I have been to DC a few times but haven't spent enough time there to get a good feel for the city. Not sure if it's truly right for me or which neighborhoods would be best. What neighborhoods do you think would be best suited for me? Feel free to list other cities you'd think would be a good fit. Thanks so much in advance!
Must haves
-a dense, walkable environment where you can get to everything by walking (grocery, stores, movies, etc)
-Easy access to nature, mountain/forest area, trees, parks
-Left leaning politics
-Strong economy/job opportunities
Nice to have but not needed
-public transportation (I prefer walking to where I need to go as opposed to taking public transportation but sometimes I'll take Uber, subway, or buses)
-Non extreme weather
-Fun things to do/leisure (I like zoos, theme parks, cafes, libraries, adventure parks, being out in nature, etc)
There are a lot of neighborhoods in DC that meet your walkable criteria--MtP, Columbia Heights, Georgetown, SW Waterfront, Capitol Hill, Tenleytown, Shaw, Brookland.
What do you consider extreme weather? DC has very hot, humid summers--we usually have stretches well over 100 degrees, and these stretches will get longer and more frequent in the coming years. That can make it quite difficult if you are reliant upon walking in that weather to get around, or even if you are reliant upon waiting for buses.
We do also occasionally experience hurricanes, although it's pretty rare that DC's experience is anything more than heavy rain.
As already said, what is your budget and what kind of housing are looking for? DC is a very expensive place to live.
I'd say anywhere up in further NW since you want to be around nature. I'm guessing somewhere close to Rock Creek Park and such. Woodley Park, Tenleytown, Chevy Chase, and Cleveland Park come to mind.
I'm at a point in my life where I'm looking to settle down permanently. I'm a female, white, single, no kids, 30s, I can't drive due to disability. I grew up in Upstate New York and have a particular fondness for the Northeast, but I have lived and traveled almost everywhere. Right now I'm working in a school district in Texas. A lot of people have suggested that Washington, DC would be a good fit for me. I have been to DC a few times but haven't spent enough time there to get a good feel for the city. Not sure if it's truly right for me or which neighborhoods would be best. What neighborhoods do you think would be best suited for me? Feel free to list other cities you'd think would be a good fit. Thanks so much in advance!
Must haves
-a dense, walkable environment where you can get to everything by walking (grocery, stores, movies, etc)
-Easy access to nature, mountain/forest area, trees, parks
-Left leaning politics
-Strong economy/job opportunities
Nice to have but not needed
-public transportation (I prefer walking to where I need to go as opposed to taking public transportation but sometimes I'll take Uber, subway, or buses)
-Non extreme weather
-Fun things to do/leisure (I like zoos, theme parks, cafes, libraries, adventure parks, being out in nature, etc)
Thanks for your input!
No offense, but I think the sticker shock coming from Texas to the DC area might be pretty intense. Seriously, it's WAY more expensive here than almost anywhere in Texas (and most of the Sun Belt in general). If you can get over that, the world's pretty much your oyster around here. DC is a world-class, in many places achingly beautiful city that's built to human scale with loads of walkable neighborhoods, world-class attractions (many of them free because of your tax dollars through the Smithsonian Institution), amazing historical sites, central location that's within a day's drive to most of the East Coast and much of the South and Midwest, educated, well-travelled and interesting population (though often a bit snobby), some of the most innovative and progressive politics outside of the West Coast, Boston and New York, stable and ever-growing economy for those educated enough to participate in it, and some of the most beautiful and underrated local, state and national parks in the country along with vast swaths of postcard rural landscapes nearby. You're near mountains, beaches, cities, suburbs, small towns and practically any environment you'd want to explore. It's one of the few cities in the United States that doesn't require a car to live in and you can even live in the close-in urbanized suburbs like Arlington, Alexandria, Bethesda or downtown Silver Spring and get around relatively easily car-free as well.
Seriously, come check it out at least. It may or may not be your cup of tea but it's honestly a pretty magnificent and special place. It's not a perfect place, no place is, but I'm pretty proud of living here.
I'd say anywhere up in further NW since you want to be around nature. I'm guessing somewhere close to Rock Creek Park and such. Woodley Park, Tenleytown, Chevy Chase, and Cleveland Park come to mind.
Or Ward 5/6/7, which offer access to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Kingman Park, National Arboretum, and Hain's Point. Western edges of Ward 3 likely wouldn't be called 'up in further NW' but offers easy access to the C&O Canal and the Glover Park area, with GW Parkway runs just across a bridge.
It's not like Rock Creek Park is the only nature in the District.
If you'll be living on a teacher's salary, then there's almost no way you'll be able to afford the lifestyle you're seeking in the DC region. If you're willing to live a bit of a hike from Metro, along bus routes instead, and be in a studio apartment, then check out upper Wisconsin Avenue, Cathedral Avenue, and maybe upper Connecticut Avenue. All those areas are close to woods and parks. If you want mountains and forest, they aren't far, but you'd need a car. The entire area is left leaning, and the job market is generally good. If you're open to other cities, Richmond and Baltimore might be better for you budget and have similar weather to DC.
If you'll be living on a teacher's salary, then there's almost no way you'll be able to afford the lifestyle you're seeking in the DC region. If you're willing to live a bit of a hike from Metro, along bus routes instead, and be in a studio apartment, then check out upper Wisconsin Avenue, Cathedral Avenue, and maybe upper Connecticut Avenue. All those areas are close to woods and parks. If you want mountains and forest, they aren't far, but you'd need a car. The entire area is left leaning, and the job market is generally good. If you're open to other cities, Richmond and Baltimore might be better for you budget and have similar weather to DC.
Well they specifically said 'working in a school district', they didn't say teacher. They could work in administration, facilities, security, HR, or finance.
BTW, DCPS teachers have a starting salary of $55k, and can earn up to ~$30k additional by signing on as for after school programs, hall monitors, etc. The average teacher earns over $75k (which is some of the highest earnings in the nation). This is much higher than the average DC resident earns.
I'd say anywhere up in further NW since you want to be around nature. I'm guessing somewhere close to Rock Creek Park and such. Woodley Park, Tenleytown, Chevy Chase, and Cleveland Park come to mind.
I concur and some of the best rental buys in the city exist north of Van Ness along the Connecticut Avenue corridor up to the Chevy Chase neighborhood on the DC-MD line. There isn't a nearby Metro stop but the Van Ness station is within a 10-minute walk in most instances and the Connecticut Ave buses are very frequent in less desirable weather. Check out buildings like Connecticut Heights, Ellicott House, The Frontenac, 4801 Connecticut, The Chesapeake and The Brandywine which are in a heavily wooded area just a few blocks west of Rock Creek Park trails. It's a very safe area with consistent patrols of DC Police, Uniformed US Secret Service (due to the embassies in the area) and US Park Police, plus its walkable to every amenity imaginable.
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