job near union station, where to live? (apartments, rent)

[rook]

Hi everyone,
I'll be moving by the end of the year to the DC area. Where I'll be working is near Union Station. I'm looking for an apartment and from my research, it sounds like I'll save myself some time by living near a Red Line stop.

Preferences -

I'd like to keep my car but be reliant on public transportation to get to work.
Somewhere that's not just strip malls.
Safety (big surprise!)
I just hit 30 and I'm single so somewhere where there's at least something fun to do at night.
$1,500 max/month (for 1br preferably)
Somewhere where a cab ride < $60 if I stay out late.
Less than 40 minute commute each way.

I might be idealistic so I understand if I may have to forego some preferences.

So far, after asking around I've heard recommendations for Silver Spring, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Takoma Park, Rockville, Mt. Rainier. People also recommend Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church, though they say the commute could be annoying. Those places in VA don't seem that far - is the commute really that bad? I live in NYC and am used to making subway transfers and dealing with crowds and delays. But people say commuting from those places can get nasty.

Capitol Hill was also recommended, but what's parking like there? I can't imagine it's pleasant. I'm rather tired of the "circling for an hour to find a spot" gig. Not fun when you have skis or a thousand grocery bags to unload.

I really appreciate any advice you can offer. I'm a total n00b here so your assistance is greatly appreciated.

[soulquarian]

you can definitely find a place in capital hill for $1500, but parking is a little tight around there. i would suggest looking at "north capital hill" and noma just a bit north of union station.

[joden]

Hi, we are renting in capitol Hill, just by Lin con park at the moment. We haven't had any problem what so ever with parking. If I get home a Friday around 6 pm we might have to drive one block further...otherwise we usually park just outside the apartment. You can easily find something in your price range here and around eastern Market there is plenty of restaurants and bars. We love it!

[akorosdc]

I commute from Alexandria to near Union Station, and yes, the commute's a pain but no, it's not really "that" bad. The worst part about my commute is that I'm not near a metrorail station, so I have to take a bus to the Pentagon, then yellow line up to Chinatown/Gallery Place and then either transfer to the red or walk. It takes me 50-60 minutes. However, if you live near the King Street or Braddock Road metros (Old Town Alexandria, or nearby in Rosemont or Del Ray), then it's much easier (probably 35-45 minutes). With $1500 a month you could find a 1-bedroom near there without too much trouble. Pentagon City and Crystal City are even closer. Parking is, generally, easier in these areas than in DC. Check out exactly where your office is, and if it's a decent distance from Gallery Place, keep in mind you can just easily walk from a yellow line, not just red. As for a cab ride, my roommate regularly cabs from work for about $25 (Foggy Bottom to King St & 395 in Alexandria).

In my opinion, I like Alexandria better than Pentagon/Crystal Cities, I feel it has more character. King Street in Old Town is lined with restaurants/bars and shops, so you can find things to do there or go into DC. The Old Town nightlife crowd also tends to be a little older (30s-40s, some late 20s) than the college-ish frat boy scene in other areas.

[rook]

thanks guys! very useful stuff. i am giving more thought to capitol hill. just wondering, are most places on capitol hill townhouses/brownstones that you openly share with roommates, or that are separate units you rent from a landlord?

alexandria sounds nice. old town looks gorgeous. kinda reminds me of the older parts of philadelphia.


thanks again everyone

[CHIP72]

I'd definitely consider downtown Silver Spring if I were you. The commute is easier than from Alexandria (and the apartment selection near the King Street Metro station isn't as good as in Silver Spring), and there is a good bit of stuff to walk to in downtown Silver Spring. You won't get in the higher end places at $1500/month, but the majority of places will be in your price range.

Capitol Hill in general is nice, though most of the properties are single family. The area is more sketchy closer to Union Station and gets nicer the further south you go down to the Southeast Freeway.

[cmacf1]

I lived in Capitol Hill and LOVED it. Granted, it was a while ago (early 90s)when I was single without kids (I llived there from the ages of 30-34,) so I can't tell yuou about prices of things now. But I can tell you that there are townhouses as well as English basement apartments under the townhouses. To get into the townhouses, you generally walk up 6-8 steps and the basement apartments are down 4-6 steps, so they aren't totally underground. I lived in an English basement. It was cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. There were TONS of places to go to on Massachusetts Avenue as well as Pennsylvania avenue and Eastern Market was wonderful. You could walk to work and therefore, have no costs associated with commuting. And if you wanted, you've got Union Station, Eastern Market and Capitol South metro stations close by to most of Capitol Hill. Finally, regarding parking, I did not usually have problems except on Sunday nights. Then I'd have a hard time finding a place to park. But otherwise, I almost always found a place to park very close to my apartment. I really loved living there and if it wasn't for the husband and kids, I'd still be there!

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by rook

thanks guys! very useful stuff. i am giving more thought to capitol hill. just wondering, are most places on capitol hill townhouses/brownstones that you openly share with roommates, or that are separate units you rent from a landlord?

alexandria sounds nice. old town looks gorgeous. kinda reminds me of the older parts of philadelphia.


thanks again everyone

I honestly think the reason I love Old Town so much is because it reminds me of Old City (which, incidentally, is my favorite area of home). Anyways, Capitol Hill will definitely be more convenient. Most I've seen are townhomes, but from ads it looks like there are a good number of townhomes with several separate apartments carved out of them, as well as some smaller apartment buildings.

I'm actually moving soon to SW DC, about 5 blocks off the Mall & Capitol, which would be another convenient area. The only thing is that some blocks are better than others, so you'd really have to come take a look. There it's also a mix of townhomes and apartment buildings (for example, my townhouse has a separate studio apartment on the bottom level).

[NationsKappatol]

Fort Totten Station - 300 Luxury Apartments at Fort Totten Metro (broken link)

Brand new one bedroom apartments in your price range...never lived in. Quiet, safe, residential area. Attached to the metro that serves as transfer point on red, green, and yellow lines. Your commute would be one train and to work in 10 minutes.

[Uptown_DC]

there are apartments you could move to that are right down the street. Tyler House apartments are nice apartments