Going to school in Gaithersburg in January (apartment, house)

[luthienxx]

I will be going to school in January in Gaithersburg.(hopefully) I am a 26 year old female, I will be living alone. My husband is a Marine and will be stationed in Japan for a year, so I figured I might as well go to school while he is gone.

So, I will be looking for a 1br/1bathroom apartment. My biggest concern is safety and cleanliness. I would like a commute no longer than 30 minutes(since traffic tends to turn 30 minutes into 90 minutes), and looking around it seems like any decent place is around $1,300-$1,500. I would love something less expensive than that, especially considering utilities will tack on at least another couple hundred dollars.

But, like I said safety, safety, safety. I will have no one nearby, I am originally from Ohio.

Right now I live in Woodbridge, so it is a bit of a hike up there, So I would like to see as many decent places as I can in the next two weeks before I go back to Ohio for a couple of months.

I've done a lot of internet searching, but it is hard to tell from most ratings since there are usually 10 or so spanning the past 2-3 years. Lots can change in that amount of time. Good or bad.

Any help on places to definitely avoid, or places to check out would be very, very much appreciated.

Thanks so much.

[Tuneful]

I cannot comment on specific apartment buildings but, given your budget, I would suggest you consider either a lower-level apartment in someone's house (if you are OK with people overhead--the number of people can be important--like, one quiet person vs. a family) -- or a shared situation. Yes, I know, no one usually wants to "go back to roommate living" but the reality is that this is a very expensive area and if you find a person (or persons) you think you could be compatible with it can feel safer and less lonely as well as give you more space, maybe a better neighborhood etc. Craigslist is a good source. You will be asked for your references and it is fair for you to ask too for names of their past tenants or roommates as references. Or, maybe you could find another F who needs a place and look for a place together. It's only a year. Good luck!

[dkf747]

Check the Fields of Gaithersburg on School Drive.

[Tuneful]

Maximum income limits apply at the Fields complexes. Just FYI.