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I will be moving to the DMV area with my girlfriend in September and would GREATLY appreciate help to narrow down our apartment hunt as much as possible. We won't have the benefit of a house hunting trip and are conducting this search remotely from Hawaii (with the benefit of some local friends who can check out the places we find).
We are professionals in our late 20s/early 30s. I'll be working near Tyson's Corner and she'll be working near the Capital.
Our criteria are:
-1 bedroom minimum
-Budget under, or close to $2000 a month; $2200 max
-Safe to walk alone at night
-Urban over suburbia
-"Character" over brand new communities
-Within walking distance (i.e., 5 blocks or so if possible) to metro
-Close (walking or a short metro ride) to grocery stores, bars, restaurants
-Close (within 30 min commute, if possible) to the Capital
I've been lurking on these forums for some time and have read numerous other posts describing neighborhoods and pros/cons of places to live in the DMV area. Based on those posts, I've narrowed my list to the following:
-Old Town Alexandria
-Logan Circle/Dupont Circle
-Eastern Market/ Cap Hill
-Arlington
-Woodley Park
My questions are:
-Am I missing anything, or should I NOT be looking at one of these neighborhoods?
-Which of these would best match what we are looking for?
-Is my budget realistic?
-How far out should we expect to sign a lease? 3 months or 2 days before we move in?
First off, Arlington is not a neighborhood, it's an entire city (legally speaking a county) unto itself with many different neighborhoods, most of which would be well over 30 minutes to the Capitol via public transit. The Rosslyn or Court House neighborhoods might be under 30 minutes if you live very close to the Metro and your girlfriend's job is very close to the Capitol South Metro station, but in a lot of people's opinions those neighborhoods don't have much in the way of "character." But "character" is very subjective. Google Street View is a good way to determine if an area meets your own personal definition of "character."
Second, I would recommend scratching Old Town. It's a lovely area but a very long commute to Tysons Corner and likely over 30 minutes to the Capitol once you factor in walking to and from the Metro and waiting for the train.
So that leaves Logan Circle, Dupont Circle, Woodley Park and Capitol Hill. Your budget is realistic for a 1 bedroom in any of those areas. 2 bedroom... probably not. They all are reasonably safe at night, definitely urban and not suburban, all have grocery stores, bars and restaurants (Woodley Park technically doesn't have much bars, although it is a 10 minute walk from Adams Morgan which has the one of the highest concentrations of bars in the city).
All have little in the way of brand new construction and I would say they all have character, but again your opinion might differ and you should look at pictures or Google Street View.
Capitol Hill is the only one that pops out to me as making the most sense for your situation. It's obviously the best commute for your girlfriend since she could just walk to work, which she couldn't from the others unless she's up for a pretty long walk. It's also probably the best commute out of those five DC neighborhoods for you because the Hill has the Capitol South, Eastern Market and Potomac Ave Metro stations, all of which are on the Silver line that goes directly to Tysons Corner. The other areas are on the Red line, which means you would need to ride to Metro Center and then transfer to the Silver Line. Transferring usually isn't a big deal during rush hour. It just takes a few minutes. But if you have to take two Metro lines instead of just one you double your chances of running into a train with mechanical problems or another issue that could snarl your commute.
Some parts of Logan and Dupont are within walking distance of the Silver Line at McPherson Square or Farragut West, so that could dull the advantage for the Hill.
Signing a lease 3 months in advance? Even a few weeks in advance is difficult. Most desirable places get snatched up within days of going on the market.
-Old Town Alexandria
-Logan Circle/Dupont Circle
-Eastern Market/ Cap Hill
-Arlington
-Woodley Park
My questions are:
-Am I missing anything, or should I NOT be looking at one of these neighborhoods?
-Which of these would best match what we are looking for?
-Is my budget realistic?
-How far out should we expect to sign a lease? 3 months or 2 days before we move in?
Thank you so much!
I agree with the poster above about Alexandria. Scratch that off the list. Total wast of time based on what you're looking for.
The best areas on your list for your needs are:
-Logan Circle/Dupont Circle
-Eastern Market/ Cap Hill
The only area I would add is NoMa because it is close to the Capital as well. It also has some "character". Another area you might like is 14th street or U street. Depends on your noise tolerance though. Those areas are very vibrant with a lot of night life.
As the other poster said, good apartments go very fast. There is little time to think about an apartment before reserving it. I've had situations where I come to see a place and its gone the next day. I will give you a step by step on how I have found apartments in DC. Hopefully this helps:
1. Create a list (carved in stone) of things you MUST have in an apartment. (amenities, location, price, etc.)
2. Search online to find places that qualify in the neighborhoods you like. Then create a list of all the places.
3. Pick a month where you are comfortable starting your lease (say May or June for example).
4. Call each place on your list and ask them if they have anything available for the month you want to move.
5. Once you hear a "yes" for something that meets your criteria, apply for it immediately and pay the security deposit right away to reserve it.
I suggest starting with your first choices first and going down the list. Once you get a "yes" you need to take action and there will be zero time to think. So make sure you do all your thinking when you make your list.
Thank you StateofNature and Chriz Brown, both, for your helpful input. I will, reluctantly, scratch off Old Town and focus more on Cap Hill/ Eastern Market and Logan/Dupont Circle areas. And Thank you Chriz for the tips to find apartments.
One question that remains deals with timing. I understand that properties go FAST, but are they often listed for immediate occupancy, or listed for future vacancies (e.g., listed now for June)? I was under the impression that places go fast but that they may be listed several weeks/months in advance. I guess I have seen both in my craiglist searches so far, but is there a norm or "typical" scenario that you have come to see?
If they go fast for immediate vacancy, my plans will change quite a bit -- in addition to looking now, I'll plan on a short term rental for a couple weeks until I find a place in September once I'm there.
Thanks again, this is all very helpful! It is a bit nerve-racking planning a nearly 5000 mile move without great familiarity with these neighborhoods.
Thank you StateofNature and Chriz Brown, both, for your helpful input. I will, reluctantly, scratch off Old Town and focus more on Cap Hill/ Eastern Market and Logan/Dupont Circle areas. And Thank you Chriz for the tips to find apartments.
One question that remains deals with timing. I understand that properties go FAST, but are they often listed for immediate occupancy, or listed for future vacancies (e.g., listed now for June)? I was under the impression that places go fast but that they may be listed several weeks/months in advance. I guess I have seen both in my craiglist searches so far, but is there a norm or "typical" scenario that you have come to see?
If they go fast for immediate vacancy, my plans will change quite a bit -- in addition to looking now, I'll plan on a short term rental for a couple weeks until I find a place in September once I'm there.
Thanks again, this is all very helpful! It is a bit nerve-racking planning a nearly 5000 mile move without great familiarity with these neighborhoods.
The general rule in DC is people give 60 days notice if they are moving out. So if you call up different places today, they will be able to tell you what is available up to 60 days from now.
However, don't assume that just because an apartment won't be available until May 3rd it means you can wait that long to reserve it. It can be gone tomorrow because someone else called up/walked in and reserved it.
The general rule in DC is people give 60 days notice if they are moving out. So if you call up different places today, they will be able to tell you what is available up to 60 days from now.
However, don't assume that just because an apartment won't be available until May 3rd it means you can wait that long to reserve it. It can be gone tomorrow because someone else called up/walked in and reserved it.
Got it, that was my understanding but I wanted to make sure. Thank you!
Capitol Hill is a wonderful area -- interesting architecture, great restaurants, walking neighborhood, Metro, young professional population, etc. Close by are also Navy Yard and H Street. Both of those are worth a look.
Are you planning on taking the Silver Line to work? If so, I would definitely look for somewhere off of the Silver Line. With delays you could easily end up waiting 12 minutes for a train to Tysons so you don't want to have to bother with switching from another line like the red line (could easily end up an hour door-to-door commute).
If you're driving, Capitol Hill/Eastern Market will be easier than anywhere else in DC. Getting to and from highways to Dupont Circle can be a PITA, especially during rush hour. Also parking is relatively easy on Capitol Hill compared to Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, etc.
You can easily get an apartment with your budget. And definitely scratch Old Town Alexandria off your list -- the commute would suck for both of you and the nightlife blows.
Are you planning on taking the Silver Line to work? If so, I would definitely look for somewhere off of the Silver Line. With delays you could easily end up waiting 12 minutes for a train to Tysons so you don't want to have to bother with switching from another line like the red line (could easily end up an hour door-to-door commute).
If you're driving, Capitol Hill/Eastern Market will be easier than anywhere else in DC. Getting to and from highways to Dupont Circle can be a PITA, especially during rush hour. Also parking is relatively easy on Capitol Hill compared to Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, etc.
You can easily get an apartment with your budget. And definitely scratch Old Town Alexandria off your list -- the commute would suck for both of you and the nightlife blows.
I'd love to have the option to take the metro (silver line) to work but will more than likely drive most days. Sounds like our search is going to be centered, at least initially, on the Capital Hill/Eastern Market/Navy Yard areas. Thank you for your advice!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DCforever
Capitol Hill is a wonderful area -- interesting architecture, great restaurants, walking neighborhood, Metro, young professional population, etc. Close by are also Navy Yard and H Street. Both of those are worth a look.
Thanks! I wasn't expecting to get such consensus on the ideal neighborhood, but since we have, it makes the search quite a bit easier. I appreciate it!
I'd love to have the option to take the metro (silver line) to work but will more than likely drive most days. Sounds like our search is going to be centered, at least initially, on the Capital Hill/Eastern Market/Navy Yard areas. Thank you for your advice!!
Thanks! I wasn't expecting to get such consensus on the ideal neighborhood, but since we have, it makes the search quite a bit easier. I appreciate it!
Transportation-speaking Dupont is doable. A 10 minute walk south on busy and cosmopolitan Connecticut Ave to the Farragut West stop and pick up a Silver Line to Tysons from there.
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