what is a good salary range needed to live in Washington, DC?

[adelphi_sky]

[sendaraven]

Well, looks like I spoke too soon - apparently this has not fallen through and I got an email from my recruiter this morning that the job offer is on the way. I haven't gotten it yet but I tried reaching out to an apartment locator to do some preliminary research and I couldn't get through on the phone and they still haven't replied to my email; can anyone suggest an apartment locator for the DC/MD/VA area? The one I tried is padfinders but I can't get through to them.


More questions:


1. We still haven't discussed the salary number but I'm guessing it'll be somewhere in the realm of perhaps $70,000-ish or maybe a bit more (wild guess). Any neighborhoods or areas around the area that would be good for renting with that budget? I'm single, no kids/pets or anyone else to worry about, car fully paid off and no debt or expensive habits.



2. How is the climate there? It's north so of course the weather is colder but how bad are the winters there? A lot of snow, or worse, ice? Dry or wet?



3. How is the Metro or any other public transit there? I tried to read the long thread here about it but most of the latest discussion seems more focused on crimes.



TIA

[bufflove]

Congrats on the pending offer. Without kids to worry about, where to live comes down to:
1. Budget (hope your offer is solid!)
2. Job location (you mentioned DC, but specific neighborhood and what metro line it sits on will be important information)
3. What amenities/vibe you are looking for. Someone who loves to hit up bars, concerts, etc. will be very different from someone who wants a more chill residential neighborhood.

Winter is fairly mild. Some years will have a decent snowfall or two, other years have effectively no snow.

Metro will likely make sense for your work commute if you're able to live and work on the same metro line. Safety is more of a concern in recent years, but being a victim of random crime is still very rare.

[sendaraven]

I have an appointment to talk with the recruiter this afternoon, till then I probably won't get to see the offer letter or sense of the budget but being that this is a federal agency and a mid-level job, I don't have high hopes of it being much more than I think it is. The location is right at the heart of where all the major DC agencies are, close to the White House, etc.



I have zero interest in bars, concerts, etc. - I invented homebody and I don't leave my home or drive after dark unless I absolutely have to. I need peace and quiet above all so no places with people who drink/party/make loud noise or play loud music at all hours. The only amenity I have to have is in-unit laundry, strange as that sounds. I'm also totally fine with studio apartments as long as they're not closet-sized.



I'm getting really super frustrated with DC apartment locators though. I've tried calling at least 5 of them and none of them answer the phone or return my emails. So weird.

[sendaraven]

Okay seriously does anyone have any idea how to get hold of an apartment locator service there? I've tried contacting at least 5 different ones but no reply whatsoever to any of my calls, emails, nothing. Are they all on strike or something because it's weird.

To update my situation a bit, I believe my salary is around $88k after the dust settles. Not sure that's enough for DC one bedrooms or studios near the bus services so I'm also open to both Maryland and Virginia, whichever has warmer weather being my first choice if possible. I did ask if the job can be done fully remotely which it can, nevertheless they're expecting me to move ugh. Any suggestions for locators, neighborhoods, apartments etc. are very welcome, TIA.

[DCarea]

Originally Posted by sendaraven

I have an appointment to talk with the recruiter this afternoon, till then I probably won't get to see the offer letter or sense of the budget but being that this is a federal agency and a mid-level job, I don't have high hopes of it being much more than I think it is. The location is right at the heart of where all the major DC agencies are, close to the White House, etc.



I have zero interest in bars, concerts, etc. - I invented homebody and I don't leave my home or drive after dark unless I absolutely have to. I need peace and quiet above all so no places with people who drink/party/make loud noise or play loud music at all hours. The only amenity I have to have is in-unit laundry, strange as that sounds. I'm also totally fine with studio apartments as long as they're not closet-sized.



I'm getting really super frustrated with DC apartment locators though. I've tried calling at least 5 of them and none of them answer the phone or return my emails. So weird.

For quiet, I would suggest apartments along Connecticut Ave in neighborhoods like Cleveland Park and Van Ness, or ones near Cathedral Heights. These are all in Ward 3, with access to Metro or bus lines.

[goldenage1]

There is not a significant difference in the weather between Maryland and Virginia regarding coldness. There may be somewhat more snow the further west you go towards the mountains. But some years there are big, wet snows east of the city. There may be one day a year when cars and buses cannot be out.

You might also look at high rise buildings along the Bethesda/Rockville corridor. Many are close to Metro or a ride-on bus stop. Also look at the Wheaton/Silver Spring area which is on the other leg of the Red Line. BTW, Realto.com has a search engine which finds units with a washer and dryer.

[sendaraven]

Thanks for the suggestions from the last two posts. I'll look into those.

I've tried searching apartments search engines on my own but I just know too little to nothing about these areas to make much of the results. For major moves I really need to find a locator service that will actually reply so if anyone knows of one that advises anywhere in these areas, please post your thoughts. Thanks.