Moving to Virginia to work in Arlington, where to rent? (Wakefield: hardwood floors, apartments)

[Alex307]

Hi All,

I got a job opportunity in Arlington, VA, and currently looking for a 2bed apartment to move into an area with a good high school.
I have been searching the net for few days and couldn't find anything reasonable
I need your advice on a proper area or community that offers good schooling and reasonable rent!
I am looking for something below 2k as my budget is really tight right now, I need to start saving some money for the boy's colleges!
Thank you

[ChristineVA]

As you've found out, there's really nothing "reasonable" in this area. People come here for good salaries but think they are going to pay the housing costs in the area they come from.

It's going to be tough to find a place under $2K that's two bedrooms AND is in a good school district. You'll probably need to be fairly far out from Arlington. What areas were you looking in?

[villabella22201]

Good landlord, responsive. Reasonable rents, garden type apts, no frills like rooftop decks, exercise rooms etc.

https://japroperties.com/

[Seija]

I agree with Christine. I moved here in January and the only reason I am so close to D.C. is because I got a good "deal" on a midrise apartment, but even that is $1,850 for a 1BR. I signed my lease in November when buildings were desperate for tenants because of the pandemic.

Even that is not really a "deal," however, because there are issues in my building with the pipes, my air-conditioning sometimes quits, my allergies tell me there is a mold issue, and there are assorted other issues with things breaking all the time. From what I understand, that is par for course around here, and they really charge a lot for buildings that are in mediocre condition. If I were the guy downstairs, who moved in last April and is paying about $600 more than I am for the same floor plan I have, I would be absolutely irate at all the issues.

There is also a lot of noise from partying. My mistake--I did not realize how "young" my neighborhood is so I caution you against Court House and Clarendon near the Metro lines regardless, even if it seems like a deal.

I think the going rate right now is about $2,600 - $3,200 for 2BRs. If you can push your move off until winter, rents will come down. Not as much as they were last winter, but generally November - February are the best times of year to sign a lease. It might be hard on your kids moving halfway through the school year, though.

[NOVAmtneer82]

$2k for two bedrooms in a good school district is going to cause you to have to look really far out from Arlington. Do you anticipate your budget going up any in the near future? There's a lot of high paying jobs in this area but it then allows for a lot of individuals/ families to have higher budgets therefore driving up housing prices- especially closer in.

[Seija]

Originally Posted by villabella22201

Good landlord, responsive. Reasonable rents, garden type apts, no frills like rooftop decks, exercise rooms etc.

https://japroperties.com/

That one is a couple of blocks from me. I wish they had washer/dryers in the units or I would look there, myself. I hate sharing laundry rooms. Personal preference.

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by villabella22201

Good landlord, responsive. Reasonable rents, garden type apts, no frills like rooftop decks, exercise rooms etc.

https://japroperties.com/

Out of curiosity, I took a look at your link. These apartments reminded me of Buckingham in Arlington. We met lots of people who, like us, had our first apartments there.

Apartments like this are good for those who are starting out. I'm surprised that some developer hasn't tried to buy them to do a tear down. The photos show clean, spare places with tiny kitchens. The hardwood floors are a plus. However, does the landlord require those on the upper floors to put down area rugs? That's something to keep in mind if one wants to rent there.

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by Seija

That one is a couple of blocks from me. I wish they had washer/dryers in the units or I would look there, myself. I hate sharing laundry rooms. Personal preference.

We're like that, too. If an apartment doesn't have a w/d in unit, it's a deal breaker for us at this stage in our lives. In our younger days, we tolerated it but not now.

OP --- Are you and your son willing to tolerate not having a w/d in unit?

Plus, I just saw upthread that if there is a younger crowd living in there, it could get noisy on weekends.

[Seija]

Originally Posted by BOS2IAD

We're like that, too. If an apartment doesn't have a w/d in unit, it's a deal breaker for us at this stage in our lives. In our younger days, we tolerated it but not now.

OP --- Are you and your son willing to tolerate not having a w/d in unit?

Plus, I just saw upthread that if there is a younger crowd living in there, it could get noisy on weekends.

I've walked past there. It seems to be a mix of young people, maybe couples with toddlers, diverse in race. More the crowd to have people over for a barbecue or picnic than a house party.

The other thing I noticed was wall-unit air conditioners. That's another thing I have aged out of. Once menopause hit, I want the whole place freezing evenly.

This is par for course with the more reasonable rents around here. Usually they are laundry room/wall unit kind of places. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, those buildings are probably a lot more solid than the mistake of architecture I am in now, which isn't even 15 years old and already having the problems of a building three times its age. Everything I've read said that the garden-style buildings here and the older apartment buildings that were built before the mid-90s housing boom are pretty well soundproofed and solid.

Hardwood floors are fine but another thing I noticed is that if a building was built with carpeting in mind, the acoustics are awful when they take out the carpeting and put down flooring--which is what seems to be popular around here. Carpets and carpet pads go a long way toward muffling noises, especially in pet-friendly buildings. The dog across the hall plays with hard toys and it sounds like he's tossing billiard balls around. But wood flooring is easier to clean up when Rover has an accident and are generally better for people with allergies.

[villabella22201]

Originally Posted by BOS2IAD

Out of curiosity, I took a look at your link. These apartments reminded me of Buckingham in Arlington. We met lots of people who, like us, had our first apartments there.

Apartments like this are good for those who are starting out. I'm surprised that some developer hasn't tried to buy them to do a tear down. The photos show clean, spare places with tiny kitchens. The hardwood floors are a plus. However, does the landlord require those on the upper floors to put down area rugs? That's something to keep in mind if one wants to rent there.

The building on the website, Wakefield Manor cannot be torn down as it has been added to the Historic Preservation of Arlington. Due to the architect being Mihran Mesrobian.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihran_Mesrobian

https://japroperties.com/wakefield_manor


I live in Wakefield Manor and there is a varied age group, many people have lived here for years. It is a very quiet area.