Where to live, do I make enough, and what to do (Washington: apartments, leasing)

[WHCemployee]

So I have been offered a job at Washington Hospital Center for 61,000 but I am not sure whether this is enough to live on. My wife and I are considering moving but not sure whether we can survive on this income. She would prefer not work, wants to get an MPH--if you have any advice on where she should apply please let me know. What areas should I look in? I am not afraid to take transit, but I have no clue about where one should live. We would most likely rent for a couple years and then would look for a home (assuming purchasing a home is out of our budget). We do not want to live that far out, about 20min transit ride. If you have any ideas on what rent would cost in the areas you suggest, please do list them. I am in need of desperate help because she believes we cannot live on that salary and thus does not want to move.

Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

[CaseyMac]

I think renting-wise, you should be fine. I would look at living in Downtown Silver Spring. I am a Virginian so I'm sure there are some Marylanders here who can help me out, but SS is like due north of Wash Hosp Center and close by to boot. The drive in should not be bad (under 30 mins) and SS has gone through a tremendous revitalization. We're talking tons of restaurants, Whole Foods, movies, etc. And it is on Metro's Red Line (Silver Spring station). Brookland is the closest station to Wash Hosp Center and there may be a shuttle (I know there is a shuttle to Childrens Hosp which is next door).

One thing you need to know is that the area around the hospitals are quite rough. You do not want to live there at all. Now you will be fine driving to work and during the daytime taking transit (I think....), but if you have any night hours, you need your car. Once on the hospital campus you are fine, but understand that lunch will be in the cafeteria and not out as there really is nothing nearby anyways, aside from a Quizno's I believe on Michigan Avenue.

I know moving here is confusing and the biggest thing I can emphasize is what you have already said you plan to do: RENT UNTIL YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE AND CHOOSING TO LIVE CLOSE TO YOUR JOB. You have no idea how far ahead of the curve you are by making these choices! Best of luck to you in your new job and things will work out!

[NOVAmtneer82]

I would also recommend the Silver Spring area. You will be fine as long as you are OK with renting. I know people making 20 grand less per year than you and they are fine. You also won't be making 61K forever so with time you will be able to afford more.

People must think DC is some crazy expensive place where you have to be a millionaire to live. I notice all the time newbies on the forum seem to think you will be begging on the street corner even with a six figure salary...it really isn't that bad.

[LIS123]

DC is expensive, that's for sure. It maybe exaggerated on some of these forums, but it's not a fun place to live when money is overly tight. Two people on $60-65K is definitely not a lot of money.

About MPH programs: GWU SPHHS is the only accredited MPH program in DC proper. If your wife gets in and doesn't mind the commute, Bloomberg (Hopkins) is considered the best PH school in the nation. Which concentration within PH is she looking at? Generally, schools offer: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Policy/Mgmt, Global Health and a couple others (maybe Occupational/Environmental). GW might be high on the list for Health Policy, but Bloomberg is far superior across the board (more or less). If she's living near DC, she'll still have access to opportunities at Gov't agencies. I think Bloomberg has its own application system (not SOPHAS) and closes its application cycle much sooner than other schools.

[NOVAmtneer82]

True, I keep forgetting that even though all of my friends started slightly below 60K, most of us were in apartments/ share houses with 2 or 3 people.

If your wife is in some sort of masters program that will also be difficult because you have that added cost, and if GWU is the only one, well be prepared to take a big hit financially. If your wife is concerned about your financial situation then she might truly want to look into getting at least a part time job. Undergrad tuition/living fees the last time I heard were nearing the 50K per year range and that was several years ago. Johns Hopkins isn't much cheaper and although Baltimore is only 35ish miles away, the commute from DC is BRUTAL.

I personally think you will be OK as long as you are willing to accept a 1 bedroom apartment. If you wanted to try and save some money then perhaps even rent a studio apartment. Check craigslist, I've found there to usually be better deals than just going directly through a leasing office. You mentioned you would like a 20 minute commute, keep in mind that rarely if ever happens in the traffic clogged DC area. Even if you take transit, you will more than likely spend at least 10 minutes just walking/driving to the station.

[LIS123]

One thing to distinguish is that, while people can get by here in modest incomes, that's basically what they're doing: simply getting by. If you want to live in a nicer place and have more money for discretionary spending, you do need a much higher income. It's great that so many museums and cultural venues are free. That said, I think it's tough to live here when money is tight, especially in the face of a lot of very wealthy people and with expensive items/activities you can't afford but will see left and right.

An MPH from GWU will probably be around $50-55K tuition and fees. Books would be separate. Bloomberg is probably not much cheaper, but it's a much better school. If your wife really wants to maximize the ROI of her Public Health education, she may want to consider Bloomberg instead. If she wants an MPH, that's fine but she should have a reason for getting one and know (in advance) where she would like to end up after earning the MPH (with some notion of how the MPH will help her get there). It seems some people just get an MPH and that's a poor use of time and money. The best ROI is typically found in the quantitative fields: Biostatistics and Epidemiology. I read that the public sector claims a 47% shortage in Epidemiologists (roughly 1200). It'll probably get worse. If she has an MPH or MS in Epidemiology from Bloomberg, she'll do fine.

[jm67]

Bloomingdale (1 St, between Rhode Island and Channing) is a five minute walk from WHC, and there are some rentals that would work on that budget. Depends on your tolerance for gentrifying neighborhoods, but it's pretty quiet.

[lettermark]

Originally Posted by mtneeratheart

..it really isn't that bad.

Spoken from someone perfectly happy renting a showbox, I'm guessing.

[NOVAmtneer82]

Not sure what a "showbox" is but I rent a house in Arlington and yes I'm perfectly happy...thanks for wondering. Just because you don't earn enough money to enjoy life in the DC area doesn't mean others don't.

[marcoreese]

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