Moving from Salt Lake City to DC! :) (Washington: rent, house)

[miss_polka_dots]

Hello. I'm a single, mid 20's female, planning to move to DC from Salt Lake City, Utah. I have a BA degree (International Studies), and am moving mainly to find a job/gain work experience in DC (preferably an International Human Rights nonprofit or something similar), before I apply to grad school.

My questions...

1. Can I do without a car in DC? I would prefer to sell my old car before I move. If I live near Metro/Bus connections, I presume I'm going to be taking these quite often, and will thus have little need for a car, right?

2. My rent budget would be somewhere between $500-$800. Is this too low? I'm thinking... I might get a job paying about high 20's (low end) to high 30's (high end). Where can I find a place within the $500 or $600 up to $800 max? I would prefer to live in the DC area, not too far out in VA and MD.

Thanks in advance!

[bacano]

Originally Posted by miss_polka_dots

Hello. I'm a single, mid 20's female, planning to move to DC from Salt Lake City, Utah. I have a BA degree (International Studies), and am moving mainly to find a job/gain work experience in DC (preferably an International Human Rights nonprofit or something similar), before I apply to grad school.

My questions...

1. Can I do without a car in DC? I would prefer to sell my old car before I move. If I live near Metro/Bus connections, I presume I'm going to be taking these quite often, and will thus have little need for a car, right?

2. My rent budget would be somewhere between $500-$800. Is this too low? I'm thinking... I might get a job paying about high 20's (low end) to high 30's (high end). Where can I find a place within the $500 or $600 up to $800 max? I would prefer to live in the DC area, not too far out in VA and MD.

Thanks in advance!

It depends. If you live in DC itself, a car is really a pain. If you live out further then not so bad. If you live near a Metro and don't intend on needing a car for getting out of town much the you'll be fine with the Metro.

Your rent budget is somewhat low unless you have roommates. If you are LDS...there is a large LDS population in the area that share apt. If not, there are a lot of people looking for roomies on craigslist. Kinda scary though if you don't know the people

[Bluefly]

1. You can do fine without a car. Sign up for Zipcar if you need one.

2. You'll be rooming with people on that budget. Be sure you have money saved up to sustain you through your job hunt. DC has a lot of great jobs in your line of work, but a lot of really qualified people are going after them. Expect to compete against people with Masters and PhDs and find a way to set yourself apart. Give it 4-6 months if you don't have anything lined up. Maybe plan to wait tables or something to eb the outflow of cash.

[PenguinSix]

I've lived without a car. It's entirely do-able. Is it the most convenient option? Well, no, as there are times and things for which you will need a car, but you should explore zip car or just renting (or bumming) a car now and then for other things.

That said, I think you should really plan out where you live and where you work to see if you can't minimize your commuting pain. If you are working in DC proper, you might look at living in the same area if possible so as to be able to walk to work, or just a quick few stops on a bus.

Your budget is on the low side. You won't be living by yourself, unless it is in some rather sketch areas. You should probably consider the group house, which is a bit of a Washington tradition. Gives you some 'friends' from the get go and helps you adjust to some of the city with people who have been here a bit longer.

[miss_polka_dots]

Thank you all so much!!!! Very helpful. Yes, I plan on having roomates.

[PenguinSix]

Originally Posted by miss_polka_dots

Hello. I'm a single, mid 20's female, planning to move to DC from Salt Lake City, Utah. I have a BA degree (International Studies), and am moving mainly to find a job/gain work experience in DC (preferably an International Human Rights nonprofit or something similar), before I apply to grad school.

FWIW, I would recommend you read this article in the Washington Post.

Fulfillment Elusive for Young Altruists In the Crowded Field of Public Interest - washingtonpost.com

Coming to Washington to do a few years in a non-profit or working in human rights, etc is a lot like going to Hollywood to be an actor or going to New York to work in an art gallery, i.e. EVERYBODY is doing it. The competition for some of these jobs is far more intense than you might imagine, with plenty of people post-Grad school accepting slightly more than intern wages for some of these positions that 'make a difference'.

I'd hope you'd check out that article just so you know what you are getting into. I'm not mentioning it to talk you out of coming to DC, far from it, but I know many who have come to DC to get involved in these sort of things and be a bit depressed when they realize how tough it can be to find one of those jobs. Of course your mileage may vary (I have friends who got these kind of jobs in 3 days, and friends who spent 18 months looking).

[Carrot2000]

Here's a good place to stay until you acclimate; I live here when I first moved to DC. The rooms are small, but it is safe, affordable and the location is convenient. The Official Website of Thompson Markward Hall

[TheseGoTo11]

Originally Posted by miss_polka_dots

Thank you all so much!!!! Very helpful. Yes, I plan on having roomates.

Don't listen to others discouraging comments, plenty of people here are fulfilled at not-for-profit, as long as they're really into the cause.

And yes, group house all the way on your budget.