A little bewildered with moving to DC - please help! (Washington: apartments, rentals)

[ilovepizza]

Hi, everyone,

We've read past posts and it's been very helpful! People also seem very kind, so here goes...

We're another 20-30s couple moving to DC with no kids. I managed to get into Georgetown (main campus) for grad school and am grateful, though the stickershock will hit soon.

Here are our...um, issues/restrictions:
- We don't have a car and won't get one, so we figured I'd get on GUTS and the Metro is a must for my husband.
- Since we're walking, we'd want groceries nearby, cafes, etc.
- We'd also like a place where it's safe for me to walk at night.
- We don't really party,and prefer hanging out at people's houses rather than going to bars. So lots of young people is good.
- We want to stay in the District and prefer the city to Ballston, etc.
- We would also like a dog or a cat. Soon.

We're looking for a 1 bed, $1400 for August 1, but it's been scant pickings on craigslist, rent.com, and apartmentshowcase.com. We're also looking at Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Chinatown. Anything we're doing wrong? Should we look somewhere else? Is our rent limit too low?

Also, we've heard you can hire someone to look for apartments for you. Has anyone here done this/heard of this and have anything to share?

Thank you so much in advance!

[orion1778]

Originally Posted by ilovepizza

We're looking for a 1 bed, $1400 for August 1, but it's been scant pickings on craigslist, rent.com, and apartmentshowcase.com. We're also looking at Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Chinatown. Anything we're doing wrong? Should we look somewhere else? Is our rent limit too low?

Probably setting your limit too low - but I haven't researched those neighborhoods so can't say that with confidence.

Originally Posted by ilovepizza

Also, we've heard you can hire someone to look for apartments for you. Has anyone here done this/heard of this and have anything to share?

I did this in a different city. The service was free for user, the locater got paid a placement fee by rental management companies. As a result, he only searched for buildings that were managed by big companies that he had relationships with - this could be a problem in Washington, as a lot of rentals are by smaller landlords. Overall, he didn't come up with any rentals that I hadn't already found. If you can do decent research, you can basically find everything that is out there.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by ilovepizza

We're looking for a 1 bed, $1400 for August 1, but it's been scant pickings on craigslist, rent.com, and apartmentshowcase.com. We're also looking at Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Chinatown. Anything we're doing wrong? Should we look somewhere else? Is our rent limit too low?

You can try some realtor's websites to find smaller or private rentals. Georgetown and Dupont Circle are both very expensive, $1400 is more like a studio price there. You might be able to find something near Foggy Bottom, Logan Circle, or further up Connecticut Ave like Cleveland Park and Van Ness, or out in Capitol Hill (zip codes 20037, 20009, 20008, 20005, 20003). For me, I just looked religiously on CraigsList, got lucky and landed an awesome place.

[SmerkyGrl]

$1400 for a 1 bedroom in DC sounds a bit low. You might want to try Rosslyn or perhaps places like Falls Church or Arlington for lower rents. Both are metro accessible and are relatively walk/bus friendly. Dupont/Georgetown/AdamsMorgan/Chinatown are all expensive places so I highly suggest fanning out a bit.

But on the plus side, you got into Georgetown! Congrats!

[JimGriffith]

With your budget, Glover Park would be an option.

You could walk to campus. The d2 bus goes to the dupont metro and back, then there are the 30's busses that go through downtown.

Neighborhood has a whole foods, variety of ethnic restaurants, some good bars that are more "neighborhood joints" rather than weekend destinations, it's safe, etc.

It's not the greatest neighborhood to be car-less, but honestly you really can't do dupont or foggy bottom on your budget.

And keep in mind "Peapod" for your groceries. It's the delivery service for Giant supermarkets. Not a great idea to do all your food shopping there (especially produce) but we use it once a month for the basics.

[PenguinSix]

- We don't have a car and won't get one, so we figured I'd get on GUTS and the Metro is a must for my husband.

This can be done, I did it for a number of years, but it does get old after awhile. Also your husband might end up with quite a commute depending on where you live relative to the Metro and where he is working. You may consider a Zip car membership for emergencies.

- Since we're walking, we'd want groceries nearby, cafes, etc.

Are you a day by day shopper, once a week or once a month? It makes a difference. If you need groceries every day, then you really have to find a place quite close to the bigger stores as the little corner markets here and there probably won't suffice. Weekly and you have to deal with the 'trudge' of hiking home with groceries and no car. If you can get by with Peapod delivery than you really can expand your living area considerably.

- We'd also like a place where it's safe for me to walk at night.

Metropolitan Police Department

Look at the map. Congressman have been mugged at the Capitol, drugs bought across the street from the White House, and people murdered in Georgetown. You'll have to assess this one for yourself based on your street awareness and comfort level given the statistics.

- We don't really party,and prefer hanging out at people's houses rather than going to bars. So lots of young people is good.

This is sort of crossed. If there are a lot of young people, they're going to want bars and restaurants to go out, not necessarily going over to other people's houses. Gtown, Dupont, Adams Morgan are all filled with young folks, and bars.

- We want to stay in the District and prefer the city to Ballston, etc.

As long as you've seen Ballston and Bethesda and realize that although technically 'suburbs' they probably aren't the suburbs you're familiar with. A lot of what they have to offer is similar to places in DC, without the same tax rate.

- We would also like a dog or a cat. Soon.

This will reduce the available places considerably. Best to look for pet friendly places now rather than have a roil later.


Anyway--Glover Park springs to mind, as does Burleith (just north of Campus). Foxhall perhaps as well. All of them are walking distance to GU more or less, but you'll need buses to get to the Metro.

A lot of this depends on where your husband is working. If he is in Ballston for example, then taking the bus IN to the city and onto the Red line, down to the Orange and back out to Ballston is going to be annoying. I think there might be one bus that crosses the bridge from Gtown but not sure. You'll really have to find someplace centrally located for both of you.

$1400 is a basement in Georgetown, more or less.

[chrisherbert]

I third Glover Park, though it's not the best place to live without a car.

Otherwise maybe you should look at the suburbs. They are certainly filled with young people. Rosslyn would be quite convenient.

[back2dc]

Rosslyn is VERY convenient. Right across the Key Bridge from G'town's campus which you can walk to in 15 - 20 minutes. Georgetown University's transportation system (GUTS) picks up in Rosslyn.

Anywhere in Arlington (or Bethesda, but that's a bit farther) is NOT your typical suburb. Very urbanized to the point that they are almost more built out than parts of DC proper.