Best Areas in DMV for Young African American Professionals? (Arlington: 2015, apartment)

[ParappaTheRapper2017]

Hi everyone,

I will be moving in a few weeks to the DMV area and I would love your help in finding a neighborhood/area that has a decent amount (I would define this to be at least 20%+) of young-ish (I'm 32) African American professionals. I...

1. will be working in the McLean, VA area
2. would prefer a walkable area (close to grocery store, metro station, convenience store, etc.)
3. am not sure what the average commute (via Metro) is in the DMV but would love to be able to take the
Metro to and fro work to avoid traffic
4. understand that DMV cost of living is expensive (especially with Amazon coming soon) but would
like to cap at $2,000, if possible for a 1 bedroom

If there are any other (recent) threads that address this same question, please post the link. Also, I understand if this criteria may not exist. If that's the case, please provide an alternative. All suggestions are welcomed! Thanks in advance for all of your help!

[MrKnight]

Congrats on your move! I myself will be moving to this same area also in a few weeks, this will be my second time living in this area and I will actually also be working in McLean area lol.. I found a nice studio apartment in Arlington area, IMO it is a perfect spot for one that works in McLean but still wants to have easy access to the city for weekend activities, not to mention, the Silver line metro is a straight shot from Arlington to McLean! Feel free to PM me if I can be of any further help. Best of luck!

[Bigfoot424]

Serious question here so please do not think I am trying to start something and I'm certain the regulars on here know that's not what I'm about. But would anyone here bat an eye if I posted the same thing but stated white male professional? Just curious why in today's climate anyone needs to mention their race as all neighborhoods should be pretty much a mix of all kinds by now. I realize some still need some work but adding a race seems counter-productive. Am I over thinking this?

[ToyVW55]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Serious question here so please do not think I am trying to start something and I'm certain the regulars on here know that's not what I'm about. But would anyone here bat an eye if I posted the same thing but stated white male professional? Just curious why in today's climate anyone needs to mention their race as all neighborhoods should be pretty much a mix of all kinds by now. I realize some still need some work but adding a race seems counter-productive. Am I over thinking this?

It is all kind of confounding, but I do sort of get that a person of any ethnicity doesn't want to live in an area where they are an extreme minority. Without saying my own ethnicity, I lived in a situation where I was about 2% of the 100% population. The other 98% were another race. It wasn't horrible, nothing bad happens, but ideally you want a good mix of people and not an area that is so out of whack. Sometimes, while everyone gets along and it's all nice and fine, you want to socialize more but the cultural difference can impede that. I'm hoping that's all this poster is striving for. I'm guessing you don't want to be an African American and unknowingly rent in an area that is comprised of 98% one other race when you are looking for others with some similar background to socialize with. Not saying they won't socialize with others, but I get it and that's how I'm taking it.

Unfortunately, I didn't really have an answer for the OP. I think this area is pretty diverse but some can be way more White or Asian concentrated. Maybe look in Alexandria, Pentagon City, etc. areas. I think there's a good diverse crowd in these areas.

[Middlin]

Yes, you over thinking this. It's all about perspective. I work in a very male dominated industry and was offered a chance to work in another office of my company. The entire team I would be working with was male. Now, I ended up not taking it for a variety of reasons, but being the only female gave me pause. Not asking for all female, just any!

[slowlane3]

If your future workplace address is "McLean", then it's PROBABLY actually in this place https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tysons,_Virginia a giant "edge city"
with a population of nearly 120,000 employees. Tysons is served by several Metrorail transit stops leading into Arlington and D.C. I recommend you read the discussion thread next to this one - - it's entitled "Single young professional relocating to NOVA - working in Tysons Corner"

[ACWhite]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Serious question here so please do not think I am trying to start something and I'm certain the regulars on here know that's not what I'm about. But would anyone here bat an eye if I posted the same thing but stated white male professional? Just curious why in today's climate anyone needs to mention their race as all neighborhoods should be pretty much a mix of all kinds by now. I realize some still need some work but adding a race seems counter-productive. Am I over thinking this?

Bigfoot, there is research that shows that being in the minority in a given situation has very different effects for white men versus others. Here is an example of research in workplace environments, but which may also be applicable here:

https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465...5.0154.summary

[NOVA_guy]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Serious question here so please do not think I am trying to start something and I'm certain the regulars on here know that's not what I'm about. But would anyone here bat an eye if I posted the same thing but stated white male professional? Just curious why in today's climate anyone needs to mention their race as all neighborhoods should be pretty much a mix of all kinds by now. I realize some still need some work but adding a race seems counter-productive. Am I over thinking this?

Lol it's there but it's implicit.

"Good schools"
"Stay away from Manassas and Woodbridge"
"Some parts of Herndon are sketchy"

When people use words like "sketchy" to describe an area or bemoan the schools, quality of neighborhoods, etc - there's always racial undertones to it and some folks truly don't mean any harm by it, it's just their own blinders that they can't see but let's not kid ourselves here, people make it very clear what they're looking for and who they do and don't want to live around by using certain words.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Middlin

Yes, you over thinking this. It's all about perspective. I work in a very male dominated industry and was offered a chance to work in another office of my company. The entire team I would be working with was male. Now, I ended up not taking it for a variety of reasons, but being the only female gave me pause. Not asking for all female, just any!

Apples and oranges in this case.

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by NOVA_guy

Lol it's there but it's implicit.

"Good schools"
"Stay away from Manassas and Woodbridge"
"Some parts of Herndon are sketchy"

When people use words like "sketchy" to describe an area or bemoan the schools, quality of neighborhoods, etc - there's always racial undertones to it and some folks truly don't mean any harm by it, it's just their own blinders that they can't see but let's not kid ourselves here, people make it very clear what they're looking for and who they do and don't want to live around by using certain words.

"Sketchy" doesn't always have "racial undertones to it". I spent most of my childhood in a town that was nearly 100% white and believe me, there were "sketchy" areas that I knew to avoid. The people who lived in those areas were white. As a young kid, I learned to give those neighborhoods a wide berth.