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I am moving to the DC metro area and am considering living in DC (Capitol Hill, Columbia Heights, etc.), Silver Spring, or Arlington. I am looking for some pros and cons to the three areas.
You'll have to provide more criteria than that. What's your budget range? Living situation? Do you have kids? Are they school aged? Where is your work (because traffic in the area is horrible)? What type of scene are you looking for? What's your crime tolerance?
MD, DC, and VA all have good and not so good places but it really depends on what type of life you're looking for. As a native to the area (although I don't live in the area anymore) and a frequent visitor I can shed some light but will need more information.
First piece of advice is try to live as close to where you work as possible. The DC area has some of the longest average commuting times in the country. You will really want to deal with traffic and crowded Metro trains as little as you can.
In my opinion, biggest pro of being in DC is closer proximity to cultural events (concerts, art shows, lectures, etc) and nightlife, especially if you are a single person looking to mingle. That's not to say there aren't these things in Arlington or Silver Spring, there's just way more in DC. Also keep in mind that Arlington and Silver Spring are a very quick drive or rush hour Metro ride into DC, but when trying to take advantage of nightlife activities in DC they are a bit farther away than they seem because a) you probably will not be driving into DC for nightlife due to lack of parking and also if you are a drinker and b) at night and on weekends the Metro is MUCH slower. During rush hour you rarely wait more than a couple minutes for a train, but at nights and on weekends 15 to 20 minute waits are all too common.
But if you don't care about nightlife and don't go out that much, it might be worth commuting from Arlington or Silver Spring since you typically get bigger or nicer housing for your money there, especially Silver Spring.
Arlington (this applies more to North Arlington hoods like Ballston, Clarendon, and Courthouse -- Crystal City/Pentagon City has way fewer amenities)
Pros:
Relatively easy parking compared to the popular hoods in DC
Lower crime -- it's extremely rare to see robberies in Arlington
Amenities galore -- more grocery stores than in DC and we don't have "soviet Safeways" like Dupont Circle does
Bigger apartments/bedrooms
Excellent restaurant and bar scene in North Arlington (also like the Mexican food capital of DC area)
On the orange line which serves the vast majority of federal government agencies like Department of Energy, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of State, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, General Services Administration, etc. (also convenient for private sector workers who work downtown)
Very easy to get to downtown areas in general -- in fact easier than it is for a lot of people who live in DC
Mount Vernon Trail is one of the prettiest recreational trails in America
Cons:
Less of a hipster scene and more preppy (guess this could be a pro too?)
Architecture is a little bland in some areas/stale
DC (generalizing Dupont Circle/Adams Morgan/Columbia Heights/U Street areas)
Pros:
More hipster than preppy (guess that could be a con too?)
Excellent restaurant and bar scene (more high-end restaurants than in Arlington)
In the middle of everything so easy to commute pretty much anywhere -- even if you work in Arlington or Silver Spring or Bethesda
Unique architecture/has character
Cons:
Parking is extremely difficult
Higher crime -- robberies are not that uncommon in even the safe neighborhoods in DC
Excellent restaurant and bar scene in North Arlington (also like the Mexican food capital of DC area)
Do englighten us, where in Arlington are these Mexican restaurants and what are they called? All the ones I have been to pretty much suck, and are nowhere close to real Mexican food.
Arlington prob has some of the best Thai food in the area though
[/list]Do englighten us, where in Arlington are these Mexican restaurants and what are they called? All the ones I have been to pretty much suck, and are nowhere close to real Mexican food.
Arlington prob has some of the best Thai food in the area though
Pedro's and Vinny's -- you won't find a better burrito in the DC area. Bar none. El Chilango -- Very authentic. Probably at least top 3 DC area.
There's District Taco but I wouldn't call that authentic for a minute and I personally think it sucks.
For more information: I am in my 20s and have a roommate. We are looking for a 2 bedroom ideally for under 2,000 and we have found several housing options in all 3 places. We will be commuting to Penn Quarter area of DC. Also looking for lower crime, but a city feel with lots of restaurants and other amenities close by.
Pedro's and Vinny's -- you won't find a better burrito in the DC area. Bar none. El Chilango -- Very authentic. Probably at least top 3 DC area.
There's District Taco but I wouldn't call that authentic for a minute and I personally think it sucks.
Thanks - the couple of Salvadorean-owned Mexican places around Columbia Pike I ate at were pretty terrible, and Ive given up on seeking authentic Mexican around here. Will check these two out though.
For more information: I am in my 20s and have a roommate. We are looking for a 2 bedroom ideally for under 2,000 and we have found several housing options in all 3 places. We will be commuting to Penn Quarter area of DC. Also looking for lower crime, but a city feel with lots of restaurants and other amenities close by.
I say go with DC. Get the experience of living in the city, if you don't like it you could always move to ARL Silver Spring or elsewhere.
Arlington (this applies more to North Arlington hoods like Ballston, Clarendon, and Courthouse -- Crystal City/Pentagon City has way fewer amenities)
Pros:
Very easy to get to downtown areas in general -- in fact easier than it is for a lot of people who live in DC
As stateofnature said though, where you work is most important.
This one is not true at all for Arlington. Sorry, but in general if you are in DC you will have better access to DC amenities and its easier to get anywhere in the city. Especially in the case of those all to frequent metro closures. Bus access into the city from Arlington is very limited. Alternate public transit in DC is just flat out more robust. I always find it funny when people from Arlington say stuff like this. I have lived in both Arlington and DC, it is FAR easier to get anywhere in DC if you are actually living in the city (At least west of the river). Especially on weekends and after work hours. The areas in Downtown DC which may be a bit easier to get to by metro (and only metro) tend to be pretty dead after 5 PM. It's a business district. The reality is it is really easy to miss out on things unless you live in the city.
In terms of the grocery store thing, it may have been true once, but not anymore.
I should note, one of the best aspects to living in DC and downtown Silver Spring is the fact it has more robust bus service than Arlington. Keep in mind metro track closures.
This also depends on whether or not you have a car, going car free in DC or Silver Spring is easy, Arlington it may be harder. But if you have a car, Arlington may be easier.
The one thing I should put out there is downtown Silver Spring is more a natural extension of DC, while Arlington is almost like a separate city. Many of the major N-S bus lines end in Silver Spring, and it goes through the heart of both the nightlife areas and downtown. It also runs 24-7, 7 days a week. Arlington has one bus line that goes into the city, and it has limited hours outside of peak commuting times.
The way it has to be considered is Arlington is kind of its own separate small city next to DC, where downtown Silver Spring is more of a neighborhood next to DC that could very well be a DC neighborhood. It is very similar to Ward 4 in DC which it neighbors. Arlington has it's own thing going on, but it's a separate place in many respects. Many DC people though do not go to Arlington though for anything, and many Arlington people are less likely to cross into DC for anything but work. In fact I cannot remember the last time I was even in Virginia, but I am in Silver Spring constantly. The point being is they have their merits, but be aware of the fact that if you are living in Arlington, you are in fact losing out on a great deal more than you would realize if you were living in the city itself.
With that being said for $2000 for a 2BR he is likely not going to get a very nice place west of the river. They are pretty much priced out of much of the district. A nicer 2BR these days start around $2500. $2000 may get you a really nice 1 BR, but that is about it. So I would tell him to pass on DC if only because of the highly restricted budget. It would be very hard to find a place in DC for that amount. west of the river. That's the thing with DC, if the neighborhood is actually worth living in, and the apartment is nice, it will actually cost considerably more.
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