Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > District of Columbia > Washington, DC
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 01-04-2010, 03:43 PM
 
4 posts, read 7,535 times
Reputation: 12

Advertisements

Hi,

I am hoping to move to DC within the next few months for a new job. I will be earning (initially) around $52,000 with the potential to earn a few thousand more in the near future. My office will be near the L'Enfant station. I am also applying to several law schools in the city for this fall.

I am looking for a one bedroom apartment in the surrounding suburbs of DC, near a metro station. Preferably in an area with individuals like myself (I'm a single male in my late 20's). I'd want something that would be easily accessible to my office and potential school (within half an hour of the city).

I know there are probably hundreds of posts similar to this out there, but I am just looking for some good ideas of where to narrow my search down to and potential costs.

Thanks for any consideration.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-09-2010, 04:20 PM
 
Location: Washington, DC
605 posts, read 2,156,503 times
Reputation: 388
If you want to live on your own, budget at least $1000/month for a one-bedroom. Housing within a half hour of the city is expensive. Commutes of a half hour or more are possible even living within DC. If you really must live closer-in, you can get a bedroom in a group house from about $600 to $1000. Do a Craigslist search and see what comes up. Also think critically about your budget. The upward limit of affordability for housing expenses (rent + utilities) is generally considered to be one third of your gross income minus debt. But your particular needs might dictate a lower housing allowance. Figure out your financial needs and goals rather than letting what you have left over after rent dictate how you plan.

As for where to live, you're probably not going to get too many responses to this post because it is so general. You'll clearer direction if you specify a budget. Also, what are your other priorities for housing? Do you need to have parking? Do you prefer the city or the suburbs? Are you comfortable with the idea of living in a transitioning neighborhood? What amenities do you expect to have nearby?

Folks on C-D are most helpful if you do your research and then come back asking for details. For example, if you want opinions on a particular neighborhood or the relative advantages of one area over another. Also, if you see a rental you like, people here can generally tell you if it's a fair value.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-10-2010, 09:55 AM
 
4 posts, read 9,646 times
Reputation: 12
Default Where to live

I work near L'Enfant Plaza myself, and you can live virtually anywhere in the Metro area and get there pretty easily (though you may need to transfer lines).

I would recommend Silver Spring for you, it's a pretty easy commute down to L'Enfant (transfer at Gallery Place from the Red to the Green/Yellow). You can get a one-bedroom for probably $1200 there, and it would be within walking distance of the Metro.

If you can spring for slightly more money in rent (around $1500), I'd recommend Van Ness/Forest Hills. You can get a good deal on rent now in this neighborhood. For example, I live within 2 minutes of a Giant grocery store, a CVS, and a red line metro stop. It's not the most exciting neighborhood but it has all the basics. Plus, its within easy commuting distance to two law schools (American and Howard).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > District of Columbia > Washington, DC

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top