Relocating to DC (apartments, house, neighborhoods)

[soflagirl79]

I'm wanting to relocate to DC after living in Fla for the last 7 years. I'm ready for a change in my life that South Florida just can't offer. Does anyone have an neighborhoods in MD/NoVa or DC that has easy access to the Metro and other public transportation, but not in a bad area or an area that is outrageous in cost???

[PenguinSix]

Originally Posted by soflagirl79

I'm wanting to relocate to DC after living in Fla for the last 7 years. I'm ready for a change in my life that South Florida just can't offer. Does anyone have an neighborhoods in MD/NoVa or DC that has easy access to the Metro and other public transportation, but not in a bad area or an area that is outrageous in cost???

Start with a few questions:

What is your career / where do you plan to work?
What is your housing budget?
Do you have kids (or plan on them shortly)?

While 'DC' proper is only 60 square miles, the overall metropolitan area stretches across DC / MD / VA and even some folks from West Virginia, so once we narrow down a few of those things we'll have a better idea on what to recommend.

[soflagirl79]

I will be working near Massachusetts Avenue and Nebraska Avenue (near American Uni) and will be working as an Intern but the pay is good and aggressive raises over a few years time.. I've know a few people in Northern Virginia, but they don't know the area well enough to point me in the right direction. But they'd be willing to see places since initially to weed out the freaks that are out there.

I'm guessing anything up to $900/month. I do not have any kids, also I'm 29, single and not in any rush to settle down in that department. In terms of a neighborhood, it can be a family oriented neighborhood (that's what I live in now and its perfect) b/c I do like quite surroundings, but it isn't mandatory. I just prefer not to live in or near a college frat row areas... But would like like minded professionals that are close to my age.. I'm used to everything being within a 10 minutes drive and realize that is unlikely in that area, so as long as I'm close to a metro station in the suburbs with easy access into DC that would be ideal..

[PenguinSix]

Mass and Nebraska is a walk from the Tenleytown Metro, or a bus up Mass Avenue. You could live in areas like Cleveland Park or Woodley Park, just a few stops away on the Red Line and with a bit of night life (but also a bit family oriented, i.e. not as nutso as a college area).

You might also consider Glover Park, just south of Mass & Wisconsin Avenue. It's also a bit of nightlife area, but there is no metro so you'd be busing to work probably (or driving).

The only downside to the above areas is that $900 is a bit low for a 1br. If you were willing to share a house with a group you'd be fine, but on your own it might be a bit pricey.

[Pfish]

I agree with Penguin Six (as usual, though I rarely admit to being agreeable ) about both the neighborhoods and the $. 900 is low for a 1 BR. If someone hadn't mentioned the Norwood Apartments (you can google it) in a recent thread I wouldn't have believed $900 was possible in a decent DC neighborhood. Have you checked out Craig's List? Because $1800 ought to land a nice 2BR even in some very hip neighborhoods (U St., Adams Morgan, Logan, maybe even DuPont?) if you can handle sharing your space.