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Hi, I've been offered a job in DC. It doesn't pay that well but it would be agreat experience for me, so at the moment I'm in the midst of deciding whether to take it or not. One of my concerns is primarily the safety of the city, followed by the cost. I will have to live on 2100USD monthly, but at the same time want to live somewhere safe. I come from a city that has a very low crime rate for it's size, so naturally all these stories about DC crime rates are freaking me out a bit. What I basically wanted to know was whether it's as bad as it's made out to be, and could I afford to live in a safe, nice neighborhood for that price. I was also wondering how much the average costs of groceries are.
Cheers.
Last edited by cybele54; 12-08-2009 at 08:19 AM..
Reason: fixing spelling mistakes
At 2100 monthly, you would have a hard time finding a place to live. Most financial advisors recommend not spending more than about 30% of your income on housing. That would be $630/mo. Even in a 'group house'--i.e., with roommates--you are going to have a hard time finding something. Group house rooms run around $950+.
As for safety, everyone is going to have a different opinion about that. DC is without a doubt more crime-ridden than most cities of comparable size and larger. That is both violent and non-violent crime. Whether or not you can live with that depends on what your expectations are. In most neighborhoods west of the Anacostia you can walk around at night but in many you would be wise not to wear your headphones. Even in nicer neighborhoods there is more sidewalk violence--muggings, assaults, etc. In most neighborhoods it wouldn't be wise to leave anything visible in your car. There will be many dedicated DCers who follow my response with anger and outrage at my suggestion that DC is not just as safe as Dallas or Atlanta or Philadelphia.
Your question about groceries is just way to vague to answer. Some people spend a few hundred a week on groceries. Others spend $50. It depends on how much you eat and what you buy.
Yeah, I have to disagree with kodaka. I make around 1900 a month and live some-what comfortably even though I also have about 400 a month in student loans. My group house is only 425 a month, which is ridiculously low but exists around the suburbs, and I am right smack in the center of Old Town Alexandria-- but I also lived in Stadium Armory, which doesn't deserve its bad rap, for seven months in a house with a gourmet kitchen and a jacuzzi for 700 dollars a month. I don't have a car, and can afford to use taxis every once in a while. Something to pay attention to is that state taxes vary wildly, with Virginia being the lowest. Even though my boyfriend makes more than me (darn that equity gap), I take home more than him because of Virginia state taxes.
Edit: I forgot to mention that one reason I chose Alexandria was the low crime rate. Although Stadium Armory wasn't dangerous per se, the metro ride and walking at night did make me uncomfortable. I enjoy the diversity of the Del Ray region, the corny tourist side and neighborhood protection of old town, and the metro accessibility of King St station.
As for groceries, I used to budget around 100 a month, but I have gotten it down to 70 a month using Harris Teeter (which I know from living in NC) and knowing the dates that Whole Foods does special sales (I live two blocks from Whole Foods). The prices are a little more here than they were in NC, especially meat and nonperishable items.
Long story short-- budget out everything, and you will be fine. I just recently started eBaying and that gives me extra money for an occasional happy hour. You won't be living in the lap of luxury, but for me, moving out here was DEFINITELY worth it, despite the small budget. Hope I helped!
DC is without a doubt more crime-ridden than most cities of comparable size and larger. That is both violent and non-violent crime. Whether or not you can live with that depends on what your expectations are. In most neighborhoods west of the Anacostia you can walk around at night but in many you would be wise not to wear your headphones. Even in nicer neighborhoods there is more sidewalk violence--muggings, assaults, etc. In most neighborhoods it wouldn't be wise to leave anything visible in your car. There will be many dedicated DCers who follow my response with anger and outrage at my suggestion that DC is not just as safe as Dallas or Atlanta or Philadelphia.
No anger or outrage from my end, but I think your comments regarding crime are misleading. Yes, as a whole the District has a higher crime rate than most cities of comparable size, but as has been discussed on here ad nauseum, a city-wide crime rate isn't a particularly useful metric to guage the safety of a city, particularly considering that very few people spend equal amounts of time in all of the city's neighborhoods--and crime is not equally dispersed throughout the city.
You say that "even in nicer neighborhoods there is more sidewalk violence", but compared to what? By "nicer neighborhoods", I assume you're referring to places like Dupont, Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, Penn Quarter, Cleveland Park and so forth. So, compared to what comparable neighborhoods in comparable cities would crime in those neighborhoods be higher? That certainly hasn't been my experience, and I've been living in central DC for years.
The truth of the matter is that, with the exception of some rather exceptionally bad areas (situated mostly east of the Anacostia and certain pockets of northeast), DC is largely as safe as any any other city in the country. Yes, there are occasionally street muggings in Georgetown--in much the same way that you'd find street muggings in pretty much any popular neighborhood in a major city.
Location: Far Northeast, D.C. and Montgomery County, MD
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you'll be able to survive on that budget if you move to Prince George's County, Md or Prince William County in VA. Theres a few SAFE areas in those counties that are safe.
It depends on whether or not you have a car and how long you're willing to commute. If you have a car then I'd recommend the VA suburbs or Montgomery county, MD. If you don't have a car then the city would be the spot. I'm thinking Capitol Hill would be a good starter neighborhood, fairly affordable area.
I'm thinking Capitol Hill would be a good starter neighborhood, fairly affordable area.
Capitol Hill a "starter" neighborhood? Are you joking? Maybe 20 years ago it was, but it's certainly not now. It's one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city.
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