Where around DC/MD?VA is both safe and affordable? (real estate, apartments)

[dukevn]

Hi all,

I have a little 2.5 y son and a new born girl, and we are moving down to DC/MD/VA area soon because of work (I will work in Bethesda). I have been reading and doing research for long. I want to find a place safe enough for little kids and not very expensive (1200~1500 for 2 bed apt) so that we can afford it.

I found that Fairfax, VA is a one good choice (though is pretty far and needs time to commute to DC). Any other thinkings? Any input will be much appreciated.

Thanks,

D.

[ceejamon]

DC will be out of the question. If you want to live in a safe area, you would struggle to find a 1 bedroom in that price range.

Silver Spring, MD is worth looking into. It's not far from Bethesda. The Downtown portion has many nice apartment buildings and is very safe yet urban and walkable. It also has a DC Metro stop, so you could hop on to do things on the weekend in DC. Finding a 2 bedroom in your price range might take some looking, but is doable if you find the right kind of move-in special.

You might consider looking north into MD, like Columbia, MD. It's a little drive north, but it is far more affordable that the immediate DC area and is very safe. You'll find the area is comprised almost entirely of families. The commute down 29 is not terrible. The schools in Howard county are some of the best in the nation, which will be a concern before you know it.

Here's a list of resources that might help:

1) Craigslist is a great resource for apartments in and around DC, but it's overwhelming if you don't know where you want to live. Start the process by determining the AREAS you like, then look for apartments in those areas. The search function and price limitations on the site are your friends, but only once you have your bearings.

2) SpotCrime allows you to plot different types of crime on a map so you can see what areas are safe and which are shady. You'll see some very clear trends in DC. I focus mainly on shootings, burglarly, and robbery. Assault is most commonly against people the assailant knows. Theft can happen anywhere.

3) Once you've got some areas in mind, HotPads plots out apartments from various sources on a map. The Google Real Estate Search tool on Google Maps (click My Maps) is decent, too.

4) Google Maps is a FANTASTIC resource for looking into areas. If you're interested in living in DC and want to use the Metro, click on "My Maps" to get the DCist Metro Map overlay. Then, use walking directions or the distance measurement tool to see how far an address is from a metro. 1/3 mile (1760 feet) is the ideal range I'd look for if possible. It's a short walk, and is quite manageable even in bad weather.

5) Use Google Street View to check out the neighborhood around a building to make sure it's a well-kept area. I'd pass on a nice building across the street from a boarded up one. Also, look at the parked cars. Clean, newer model cars tend to speak well for an area. You don't have to look for Lexus logos, but a trend of run-down beat-up cars may belong to residents that don't take care of their stuff and probably won't respect YOUR stuff. (Nothing to do with race or class-warfare. Just a fact of life. I'm lower-middle class, of a darker persuasion, and drive a Ford.)

6) ApartmentRatings.com helps you find buildings that LOOK nice and may have nice "model/demo apartments" but have serious management, pest, or other problems. See what former/current residents have said. It's not a site to find your apartment on, but rather it's a site to check on a building that you might be interested in.

7) Look into what's near an address using Google Maps. It's nice to have a grocery store, dry cleaners, pharmacy, etc nearby. It's even better to have it within an easy walking distance. DC is one of the most walkable cities in America - take advantage of it!

[tedanderson]

You might consider looking north into MD, like Columbia, MD. It's a little drive north, but it is far more affordable that the immediate DC area and is very safe.

Or even one of the outskirt communties of Baltimore. That's where all of the DC area residents go when the get fed up with the cost of living.

Use Google Street View to check out the neighborhood around a building to make sure it's a well-kept area. I'd pass on a nice building across the street from a boarded up one. Also, look at the parked cars. Clean, newer model cars tend to speak well for an area.

That is a good start but don't be deceived. There are many undesireable communities that maintain a very well kept appearance to lure in prospects who don't know any better. It's almost like they play this game where they know that nobody wants to live there so they "white-wash" their image to get you to sign a lease.

To add to the previous poster I will give you items #8 and #9:

8) Take off a few days and get a hotel out here to scout out a few potential neighborhoods. Drive through the neighborhood late at night, early in the morning, and sometime between the hours of 3 and 6 PM. A bad neighborhood's true uglyness comes out between the time when school lets out and a couple of hours after sunset. Now that we are starting to have more daylight in the evening hours, that's usually prime time for nefarious activity.

9) If a rental manager wants you to make a deposit and/or sign a lease before showing you an apartment, that is a direct indication that you should look elsewhere. Also, if you are shown a model apartment, ask to see the ACTUAL apartment that you are considering. I was once given a NASTY apartment after being shown a pretty model. I was in a crisis at the time and the price was right so I didn't mind but it surely could have been a devistating situation for a young woman with 2 young children.

[akorosdc]

Definitely look in MD. DC is too expensive for something you'd want and VA would be a long commute. In addition to the other suggestions (which are all good) you could try looking somewhere like Rockville or Gaithersburg. I've seen ads for 2-bedrooms in that price range and they're decent areas. I have friends in Rockville who love it, and my other friend spent the summer in Gaithersburg.

Also, unless you absolutely, positively need to be very close to a metro station, look a few miles away. There are often buses running to a station (in case you can't drive, although you can park at the Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook, and Grosvenor stations) and the apartments are a little cheaper. There's a large premium here for being 1) inside the Beltway (495), and 2) walking distance to a metro station.

[dukevn]

Thanks for all useful information and fantastic advice/experience. I will start looking at Silver Spring/Rockville. It seems that Fairfax is not that worth of commuting.

Also, unless you absolutely, positively need to be very close to a metro station, look a few miles away. There are often buses running to a station (in case you can't drive, although you can park at the Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook, and Grosvenor stations) and the apartments are a little cheaper. There's a large premium here for being 1) inside the Beltway (495), and 2) walking distance to a metro station.

I can drive, and I dont mind driving, but parking at work in rush hours is a nightmare, so I would avoid it and try public transportation (metro). Can I drive and then park at, say Rockville Metro Station, and then take Metro to work?

If looking at Rockville / Silver Spring area, what type of apartments I should choose: town house or condo? I have a feeling that living in a condo inside a community will be much safer and also better (with leisure like playground and pools for my kids). Any advice?

Thanks in advance,

D.

[dkf747]

Parking lots at Metro stations fill up very early. Either walk or take a bus to Metro.

[typical guy]

Look at the grosvnor area. There are a lot of apartments around the metro stop there. I'm not sure you can find a multi-bedroom one in your price range but they definately have one bedrooms in that range. I think a two bedroom would cost you 1700.

You could look north towards Germantown or Frederick. you should be able to rent a house in Frederick in that price range. It's going to be half an hour or 45 min to commute but it might be what you're looking for.

Also, you can take the MARC train from up there.