graduate student (Arlington, Alexandria, Annandale: apartments, rent, how much)

[absolutUF]

I will be moving to NoVA in early 08 to go to Marymount University. WHERE do I live??? I'm not afraid of a commute but would rather live within Metro distance... I'm going to be working some but focusing on studying so something not TOO expensive would be the best. I need something small and cozy in a liberal area. thanks in advance to anyone who has some input..

[SmerkyGrl]

What's your definition of "too expensive"? For some that's $1500 a month, for others, that's a $600k house.

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by SmerkyGrl

What's your definition of "too expensive"? For some that's $1500 a month, for others, that's a $600k house.

Exactly...and should we be assuming you're buying or renting? Makes a big big difference, especially with the inner suburbs...

Welcome to Northern Virginia!

[absolutUF]

I have been in Florida forever so the thought of $1000 for a 500 sq. ft flat is gross but I know there is a huge difference between Fl and VA. < $1200 pr/month is about it for me. I know that narrows things done a bit but I will have a significant other to help with the bills... I will be traveling that way in December to scope things out. I need a game plan of where to look. THanks again

[SmerkyGrl]

$1,200 might be a bit tight to find a decent place in Arlington but if you come over to Falls Church, which isn't more than a 15-20 minute drive, there should be plenty of cozy apartments in the price range. Heck, my 895 sq ft 1 bedroom is $1169 a month and its very nice with the exception of coin-dispenser laundry--which is extremely annoying.

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by SmerkyGrl

$1,200 might be a bit tight to find a decent place in Arlington but if you come over to Falls Church, which isn't more than a 15-20 minute drive, there should be plenty of cozy apartments in the price range. Heck, my 895 sq ft 1 bedroom is $1169 a month and its very nice with the exception of coin-dispenser laundry--which is extremely annoying.

Heck, you can even find a 1BR in Arlington for $1200 or under, but it might be a 60 year old complex. I agree; it will be key to find a 1 BR with a in-unit washer-dryer - you don't know how much you value such a thing until you don't have it.

Liberal leaning areas, for what it's worth, start with Arlington and also include Falls Church and Alexandria City. Fairfax County is much more that way these days, especially in Springfield, Annandale, Fairfax City, and the area of Fairfax County that's called Alexandria (which is south of the city of Alexandria.) Start getting out too far into Fairfax County and it gets a little sanitized, which is perfect for some but doesn't seem to be your cup o'tea. I'd focus on Arlington if you can find something that fits your budget, and also include Falls Church 22046 and 22042, especially if you can find something that's closeby to the West Falls Church, East Falls Church, or Dunn Loring metro stations. Marymount University is off the Ballston metro stop, but Ballston can get *very* pricey.

If you're interested in finding areas that are liberal in a political sense, a good idea would be to check out the voting patterns for our last Senate race in 2006, where Sen. Webb beat the incumbent Sen. Allen by a few thousand votes - basically a dead heat statewide. The link to look up by county/neighborhood/etc. is General Election- November 7, 2006 (http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/web_docs/Election/results/2006/Nov/htm/index.htm - broken link).

Hope this helps!

[absolutUF]

Thanks for the living info.. I have been able to check out some great places..since I will have a roommate it is not as much a problem . but another thing... it looks like around Marymount Uni. there aren't any Metro stops???? whats the deal with public transport??? How much does it cost a year? Would it be crazy to live in D.C. and commute out??? I found a quaint little apartment building Lexington Apartments in d.c. Since I have noticed that the rent is much more around NoVa does that mean everything else is more expensive as well??? gas, food, going out? And where do I find info about registering vehicles, registering to vote and all that mundane jazz??? city website???

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by absolutUF

Thanks for the living info.. I have been able to check out some great places..since I will have a roommate it is not as much a problem . but another thing... it looks like around Marymount Uni. there aren't any Metro stops???? whats the deal with public transport??? How much does it cost a year? Would it be crazy to live in D.C. and commute out??? I found a quaint little apartment building Lexington Apartments in d.c. Since I have noticed that the rent is much more around NoVa does that mean everything else is more expensive as well??? gas, food, going out? And where do I find info about registering vehicles, registering to vote and all that mundane jazz??? city website???

Marymount University has complimentary shuttle service to and from Ballston Metro: Marymount University Campus Map (http://www.marymount.edu/map/directions/ - broken link)

It would not be crazy to live in DC and commute out at all, though living in DC is probably a bit more expensive than NoVA, and the neighborhoods can be wildly different in quality and safety, where NoVA neighborhoods have a lower variance on those counts. Also, it'll cost you 2-3x more to insure your car in DC than it will in VA.

Registering to vote in Virginia - Virginia State Board of Elections : Registering To Vote

Registering to vote in DC - District of Columbia: Board of Elections and Ethics: Main Page

Arlington County web site - Official Site of Arlington County Virginia : : Arlington, Virginia

DC web site - District of Columbia

Hope this helps!

[dwiggin3]

Try Westover Apartments...managed by AHC. I've been there 5 years and love it. My rent is below 1K a month which includes most utilities. We have a few oddballs but they're nice.

[absolutUF]

Dwiggin3: where are they? DC/Arlington???