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Hi all,
I will be moving to DC in December with my 9-month daughter and my husband. We currently live in Middle-East and have never been to the USA. The closest metro station to our job is Farragut West station. While the topics in the forum gave us a decent idea about the area, we still need some advice on our specific situation.
We are looking for a two bedroom apartment in the Arlington Area and close to metro station. I prefer garden style apartments, but that seems to be hard to find with close proximity to DC. I managed to find one close to Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station located on Lee highway (US-29) for $2500; would you consider that a reasonable distance for a daily commute to DC? A reasonable rent? Would you consider garden style apartments as safe as high-rise apartment buildings? The other option is in Ballston area, which is closer to DC, with similar rant, but in a high-rise apartment building. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in high-rise apt buildings?
Safety is our top priority.
No car, so proximity to metro is important.
We are not into buying a house.
You're working right in the heart of downtown, on the orange and blue lines which will run right through most of Virginia. However, Farragut North (red line) is only one block away, so you might also want to add to the mix areas along that line as well.
First bit of advice--plan to rent for 3 months. You are really going to want to get a feel of DC that we just can't give you over the Internet. My advice would be to check out craigslist.org (click Washington DC) and review the 'short term' rentals that are available. Find someplace that looks good, and then use that place as a 'base' for your long term search. There are so many things that you'll never know renting over the Internet so it's best not to get locked into something until you have a better view on the ground. It's almost a universally recommended thing when moving to a new city (or a new country)--rent first for a few months to get your feet on the ground.
As for a high-rise vs. your own apartment. Some of the advantages of a big apartment building include building superintendents who you can call for repairs, and a bit of a security (locked doors/card systems to get in). Of course not everyone uses the security and some maintenance guys are idiots, but these are things you should look around for.
In Virginia, I'd consider Roslyn, Ballston, Clarendon neighborhoods for a real quick commute to Farragut West. In DC proper you could consider Woodley Park/Cleveland Park/Tenleytown (American University Park) and Bethesda, though the rents are probably a bit more as you head up there. Those areas are also pretty safe by the way. I'm gathering because of your daughter's age school really isn't a big issue just yet.
You can live without a car in the DC area, but there are times when you really would like one. For example if you wanted to go to an International grocery, or shopping out at Tysons, or to pick someone up at Dulles airport. You might look into a ZipCar / Flexcar membership for those times, grabbing a car when you need it and paying by the hour.
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