relocating to DC area - cost of living/neighborhoods, etc.? (Washington: apartments, rental)

[greenlee2]

I have been living in Chicago for many years and am currently interviewing in DC in anticipation of relocating there. I am a bit uncertain about which neighborhood to look for apartments - the cost of living, i.e. grocery shopping, daily expenses, etc. compared to Chicago. What type of reality check do I need to adjust my Chicago pocketbook and lifestyle? Keep inmind we are the third highest taxed city in the country right now! Should I look in Fairfax, Alexandria or even consider Bethesda then commute on the Metro? What about owning a car? How far is Herndon, Va from downtown DC? Is there a commuter train to Herndon? What about Bethesda, Fairfax, McLean, Alexandria etc? I am interviewing in donwtown DC and also the 'Dulles Corrider" otherwise known as the Herndon area. I love DC and the East Coast, have relatives in CT and MA and am itching to finally move to the DC and/or surrounding area. I have researched online and am subscribing to "Roll Call' and "Washingtonian" but would like a real world take from a DC person regarding the 'real deal' on each neighborhood. And yes, I know that I cannot afford Georgetown! Thanks for any help!

[PenguinSix]

Since you are coming from somewhere else and are pretty flexible, I'd strongly recommend 'job first, apartment second'. Some of the areas you've listed would be nutzo commutes from one to the other and just not worth it. There are no trains to Herndon and the bus into and out of the city from there is a bit of a hike. I'd really recommend finding a job and once you have that settled selecting the neighborhood.

[silverspringer]

PenguinSix offers great advice. Herndon is far enough from the city that you'd want to consider a different set of housing options if you got a job there. You'd also want a car out there.

[Hephaestion]

You can't live in Herndon, or any suburb, without a car. Bethesda is by far the best suburb in DC and it has some good rental deals in it if you keep looking. It also has subway access. But if you work in Herndon, you need to live in VA unless you want to live in your car. Do you have kids? Do you want to have a car here? If not, living in Dupont Circle or Foggy Bottom could be great for you. If you have kids, I'd look for a place in Fairfax County, Bethesda or Rockville.
Here's my take on various DC neighborhoods..
Dupont Circle - best place to live without a car, very walkable, very fun, very close to everything, on the subway, great Sunday Farmer's Market, great variety of people, most Europeans moving to DC want to live in Dupont Circle, mostly expensive but not as expensive as NYC, and if you can share expenses with a roommate it's more affordable. Has a Safeway & a Whole Foods grocery.
Cleveland Park - lots of NPR folks seem to live there, it's more suburban but has subway access and lots of great shops and restaurants, has a large Jewish population, is close to the National Zoo and the National Cathedral, is safe and quiet. Has a large Giant grocery and 2 small grocers.
Georgetown - snob city, no one seems to like living there no matter how charming their home is, its just too crowded and congested, very overpriced, and not as safe as you'd think. No subway access. Has a Safeway.
Foggy Bottom - Tons of students, subway access, close-in, better for young people, has a great Trader Joe's grocery store. Quick access to Georgetown shops. Access to Circulator buses.
Capitol Hill - subway access at Capitol South and Eastern Market, walkable, close to the Capitol & Mall, has lots of panhandlers on Pennsylania Ave., has a great flea market on weekends, has a Safeway but it's a schlep to get to it.
Columbia Heights - lots of new stores and condos but its still home to gangs and violence on the streets.
Mount Pleasant - for my money the most beautiful residential area in DC along with Kalorama, but too close to Columbia Heights to be called safe. Has a Safeway and access to Adams Morgan nightlife, but you have to be cautious and watch your back.
Van Ness area - bland architecture and no sense of community, but it has a big Giant grocery, subway access, and is safe.
Chevy Chase DC- quiet and pretty residential area, lots of elderly residents, has a Safeway and some nice neighborhood shops on Conn. Ave., close to big-time shopping and subway access Friendship Heights on Wisconsin Avenue. On weekends you see countless dads pushing baby strollers on Conn. Ave. Very good public schools.
U Street/Shaw - gentrifying area, has nightlife on U Street, historic area, has a Safeway, still has pockets of unsafe areas. 14th Street has many new stores but still looks ugly and uninviting.
Logan Circle - some lovely architecture, has a Whole Foods, their Caribou Coffee is the best coffee shop in DC, has lots of theaters on 14th St., but in spite of massive new building and gentrification, some spots are still depressed and ugly.

[greenlee2]

Thanks everyone! Special thanks to 'Hephaestion' for your very detailed list. It is very, very helpful so thanks for taking the time. How nice of you so thanks so much. How is the metro/rail commute from Bethesda? What if I have a car there? What if I don't have a car there in Bethesa, reagrding grocery shopping, clothing shopping, typical errands, etc.? I am female, forty and divorced with no kids. Living here in Chicago has gotten to be pretty darn expensive thanks to Mayor Daley and Cook County Board the past few years... tax, tax, tax and spend liberal Democrat machine here! Ikow the real deal living here for over 15 years and it isn't pretty. Not to get too political, but just wait for Obama's taxes that are coming -truly "spreading the wealth" and turning this country into a larger version of Chicago... which is broke right now- there is a black hole where our tax money disappears to and it will jolt eveyone into reality and off the kool-aid and euphoria. Don't trust/depend on the govt. to solve your problems! It's a mess here!... and lorded over by one politcal party! As far as a job... yes I am job hunting and know that once I get an interview, it's usually a month or so process until the offer so I have started to do some research on the neighborhoods. I travel to DC several times /year but tend to stick around Dupont Circle, Georgetown and the SW Street waterfront and yes, no way could/would I consider Georgetown! I am trying to decide whether to sell my car or bring it. Having a car is expensive here in Chicago and I pay to park my car in a garage. Trying to find street parking here is a challenge, especially during the winter months which drag on forever and Cubs games in the summer. Sorry to get political. I hope this president does well but so far, everything that I am seeing is going to go the way of England where 70% of the population uses govt programs and you have to wait months to get into see a govt health specialist once they pick him/her for you! Scary stuff. Canada has waitin lists for health specialist as well. A lot of Canadians come here to get treatment! Okay enough politics. I know there are a lot of Obamatrons out there that will attack these facts. Thanks again everyone. Let's cross our fingers on this administration. Thanks again everyone.

[lackadaisi]

DC is a very democratic city. Given your oddly placed political rant, I would assume that you would not like living inside the city. Please don't.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by lackadaisi

DC is a very democratic city. Given your oddly placed political rant, I would assume that you would not like living inside the city. Please don't.

There are plenty of Conservatives in the City. For example, most of the Republican young staffers live in DC and The Heritage Foundation houses all its interns in DC proper.

Chicago politics (I don't consider then liberal as much as kinda like a non violent Mafia family ) are are little 'different' from East Coast liberal politics. Please be more patient and polite with her

[lackadaisi]

I completely agree that there are plenty of conservatives in the city. I am friends with many happy conservatives here. But, I don't think that living in the city is generally the right choice for non-tolerant conservatives (the rant was not limited to Chicago politics).

[mississippimagnolia]

DC is a very democratic city. Given your oddly placed political rant, I would assume that you would not like living inside the city. Please don't.

That wasn't very nice. And there are plenty of Conservative Republicans in the D.C. area.

What about the Palasades? We lived in a beautiful townhouse right on the water for several months while we looked for a house. If we didn't have kids, we likely would have stayed right there.

[jaamkie]

Originally Posted by lackadaisi

I completely agree that there are plenty of conservatives in the city. I am friends with many happy conservatives here. But, I don't think that living in the city is generally the right choice for non-tolerant conservatives (the rant was not limited to Chicago politics).

I have to agree with previous commentors that DC politics might annoy you as much as Chicago seems to do. Not just a Democrat vs Republican thing, but rather an issue of competent local government vs ongoing foolish scandals- I mean Marion Barry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is still a Councilmember, and the current Mayor Fenty has had quite a few petty egotistical tiffs in the news as well... Not to say avoid the whole area, but maybe consider Bethesda or Arlington just so you can sneer at local DC politics instead of being enraged by them.