Broadband + Pets + Public Transport -- Rental? Asking too much? (Alexandria: apartments, rentals)

[artfan1]

The situation is this:

I am relocating from New England to the DC area, which I hope will be for a job.

I have 2 terminally-ill pets that I refuse to give up on yet (1 dog with congen. heart failure, 1 cat with cancer). They will live with me until they go to heaven.

I don't see broadband or high-speed advertised in any of the 'features' sections in NoVA apt. rentals. Is that generally not standard?

I have a car, but I'd rather not drive it. Any other mode of transportation to get to work is preferable to me -- bike, feet, and/or train.

I have kids in college who will visit for short periods, when I can guilt them into it, so I need at least 2 bedrooms.

And my budget is miniscule (at least until I sell my house in New England) -- I think I can pay $1500 per month rent.

It would be nice to find a place with nice neighbors, doesn't have to be a 'Lucy and Ethel'-type deal, but where people actually care about the community.

Am I seeking the impossible? Rental apt/townhouse/house in DC area with all of the above?

Thanks for any help.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by artfan1

The situation is this:

I am relocating from New England to the DC area, which I hope will be for a job.

I have 2 terminally-ill pets that I refuse to give up on yet (1 dog with congen. heart failure, 1 cat with cancer). They will live with me until they go to heaven.

I don't see broadband or high-speed advertised in any of the 'features' sections in NoVA apt. rentals. Is that generally not standard?

I have a car, but I'd rather not drive it. Any other mode of transportation to get to work is preferable to me -- bike, feet, and/or train.

I have kids in college who will visit for short periods, when I can guilt them into it, so I need at least 2 bedrooms.

And my budget is miniscule (at least until I sell my house in New England) -- I think I can pay $1500 per month rent.

It would be nice to find a place with nice neighbors, doesn't have to be a 'Lucy and Ethel'-type deal, but where people actually care about the community.

Am I seeking the impossible? Rental apt/townhouse/house in DC area with all of the above?

Thanks for any help.

As someone who lost a cat and dog to cancer and old age, respectively about two years ago, I empathize and commend you for wanting to keep your pets comfortable.

Where will you be working? Along with the budget that you provided that can make a big difference. For the moment, I can say that in the generally most convenient areas, your budget might get you a 2BR apartment. A TH would be a stretch, and a home would either be tiny or located in the rare undesirable area.

Broadband should be available in the "average" apartment but not necessarily Verizon FIOS. As you can imagine, public transportation convenience (particularly to the Metrorail) and rental cost are positively correlated.

[artfan1]

Thank you Tone509. I am not sure where I will be working yet, but have applied for a number of federal jobs in DC, so there will be that commute.

On the other hand, I do not need the schools, so that's not a factor in where I move.

So I guess -- WiFi or broadband is generally included unless they specify that it isn't?

(at some point, I might be asking you for a referral to a good local vet, as well )

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by artfan1

So I guess -- WiFi or broadband is generally included unless they specify that it isn't?

(at some point, I might be asking you for a referral to a good local vet, as well )

I can't speak for apartments; however, if you were to rent a privately owned townhome or single-family home, the burden would most likely be on you to get your own internet access. Most homes have a choice getting DSL, broadband, cable, or FIOS, so you would select what you wanted and go from there. A landord might already have FIOS to the house so you might be forced to get that but I'm not sure if that would be included in your rent payment or as a separate bill. My father-in-law rents out a few townhomes and he does not provide any internet access in the rent cost. All utilities (including internet) are in the renter's name.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by artfan1

Thank you Tone509. I am not sure where I will be working yet, but have applied for a number of federal jobs in DC, so there will be that commute.

On the other hand, I do not need the schools, so that's not a factor in where I move.

So I guess -- WiFi or broadband is generally included unless they specify that it isn't?

(at some point, I might be asking you for a referral to a good local vet, as well )

Assuming that DC is where you will end up, here's a few town/neighborhood suggestions:

Springfield (suburban sprawl; apts closest to Metro not always desirable);
Huntington (likely shortest commute; improving neighborhood);
West End Alexandria (economically diverse; Van Dorn Metro nearby);
Shirlington/Fairlington(connecting buses; Shirlington somewhat hip);
Old Town Alexandria (SE quadrant has value apts; quaint yet active).

All of these are more or less near the Blue or Yellow Metrorail lines.

[CaliTerp07]

I've rented from 4 different places in the last ~4 years (I'm one of those crazies who enjoys moving...). 2 private landlords, 2 managed complexes. All of them were wired for broadband, but it was up to me to call verizon, cox, or comcast and set up the account/pay the bill. I've yet to see any apartments where it was included in the rent, but it's always possible to get it if you are willing to pay for it.

As a fellow pet lover, I hope you can find what you're looking for! It's relatively easy to find a pet friendly rental (many apartments allow animals with a pet deposit, and I was able to find private landlords who were okay with it too), and every neighborhood I've lived in here has TONS of dogs going for walks every evening

[bmwguydc]

If you don't mind a little bit of an extra commute, I'd also consider Fairfax-Oakton. You could find a decent 2BR around $1500, and if you're in the City of Fairfax (or some adjacent areas) you can take the city's CUE bus to the Metro at Vienna-Fairfax. It's more convenient and reliable than some of the apartment van/bus services that head to the station from other areas. And, your budget might stretch a little bit further.

It's never easy when you have sick pets, and one of my family dogs passed away in December at 18 years of age, and the last year she was declining, but didn't come to the point where she could not continue until a couple of days before Christmas. And, two of my cats from childhood passed at 18 and nearly 21 years old, respectively, a couple of years ago (separate incidents). You're not far from pet lovers in the DC suburbs.

[Aristocat]

Apartments will vary as to the amenities that are included in the rent. Where I live heat and cable are free, its wired for broadband but you must pay for that separately. However, I live in Prince William County which is completely lacking in the safe/friendliness you desire. As Tone 509 mentioned Springfield is a nice area with great commuter options as the furthest south metro stop. (Anywhere in NoVa is going to have bad traffic). You could try calling some apartments and asking them what kind of packages they have. Often, they will offer very different amenities within the same complex and websites can be unclear on this.

[artfan1]

Thank you very much, all of you, for advice. I guess I will look in MD as well, I suppose most people do, right? Is there a huge difference in 'bang for the buck', or is MD pretty comparable to VA?

[bmwguydc]

Close-in Maryland is pretty comparable, if you're looking in an area like Bethesda/Chevy Chase/parts of Silver Spring. Some of the commutes in Maryland can take an eternity, though, and the red line trains are the most crowded in the system, I believe.