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Mid-50s, SWM. Moving to DC area for a job at Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which is south of the Mall, near L'Enfant Plaza Metro stop. Have only visited DC a couple times for a couple days each, so most of what I know about the area is from googling today.
Looking for a place to live. Answers to standard questions below. More info given after the questions.
1. Do I need to be by a metro rail? Would I be okay if I were on a bus line?
Metro or bus. I've never been on either in DC, so don't know exactly the pros and cons. Would like to drive to work, but not sure if my job will enable me to have parking and if it does, it'll be expensive. No idea what driving/traffic during rush hour would be like either. Not thrilled about the possibility of catching Covid on public transportation either.
2. How long of a commute to work am I willing to have? Would I be okay driving? Taking the commuter rail? (where will I be working?) I really don't want to have more than a 25-30 minute commute unless it seems obvious that there are benefits in doing so. 15 min would be nice.
3. Would I be willing to live with a roommate or multiple roommates? No. Unless she was a significant other.
4. What amenities do I absolutely need in an apartment -- pets? gym? a/c? washer/dryer? a/c- yes. washer/dryer--probably. gym--would be nice cause I work out 6 days a week. But if there were a gym very close by, that would be fine. No pets. I would want convenient parking at my apt.--not street parking. I'll pay for parking.
5. What is the absolute maximum, with utilities and any fees, I can afford? maybe $3500. I could probably afford more, but I doubt I'd want to pay that much.
6. What is my definition of safe? I'm not too worried about safety. I just very much value quiet, at least inside my apartment.
7. How important is nightlife? family community? schools? None of those are particularly important. But I would like to be at least within a decent driving distance of educated women that I can date.
Looked at Navy Yards, but don't really want the stadium hustle and bustle. I also think that neighborhood hems me in since my understanding is that east of the Anacostia would not anywhere that I'd want to spend any time.
Capitol Hill is a possibility, but would also seem to be hemmed in by the Anacostia somewhat. Any apt. complexes nearby that meet my criteria?
Foggy Bottom might be a possibility. Can anyone suggest an apt. complex?
Woodley Park/Adams Morgan would be possible, but the commute times seem more like 45 minutes because I'd need to change metro lines. Adams Morgan might be a bit too lively for me but maybe not-- just going on what I've read here.
Columbia Heights may be too diverse for me--just from what i googled. never been there. Sorry. If I were younger, it would probably be fine.
I spent an evening in Mt. Pleasant once and it seemed nice, but it seems like it's not near the metro. Is it easy/possible to drive to a metro station and leave my car for the day?
Georgetown--seems like a different kind of place than Mt. Pleasant, but the point and question about the metro still holds.
Arlington (near Pentagon City or Crystal City metro stops maybe?)- Crystal Towers Apts. maybe?
Any other ideas?
To reiterate: quiet and comfortable is what i want. During the week: work, workout, chill. Maybe could meet someone for a date or do something social one night during the week. But I want to be in a convenient area for dating on the weekend--not hemmed in by the Anacostia.
From what I gather, meetup.com in the area seems to be oriented towards young immigrants. The selection on match.com looks very promising though.
Thanks in advance!
Last edited by shaketheground; 06-26-2022 at 07:59 PM..
Reason: I must've hit 'post' by mistake at first.
Sorry about the thread title. I tried to edit it to something more descriptive, but it didn't seem to take the edit. Don't know how to find the moderator to DM them to ask them to change it.
I think you should consider Old Town Alexandria. It's on the Yellow Line which will get you to L'Enfant. It's also on the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) as an alternative. For your age and interests, I think that area will work. Navy Yard is nice, but it's a growing/trendy area, meaning it's still fairly young and the prices are rising. If you'd prefer the lifestyle of Navy Yard (highrises), then I'd suggest The Wharf, which would put you walking distance to work. I'd skip Georgetown. Capitol Hill is fine but it can get competitive and your route to work could often get complicated by security issues. Cross off Foggy Bottom because it's a far younger, university crowd. Woodley Park (and anywhere north on Connecticut Ave from there) would be good for your age. But, as you said, it'll make the commute a little longer and require a transfer. It's a nice area, though, and fits your criteria otherwise.
I think you should consider Old Town Alexandria. It's on the Yellow Line which will get you to L'Enfant. It's also on the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) as an alternative. For your age and interests, I think that area will work. Navy Yard is nice, but it's a growing/trendy area, meaning it's still fairly young and the prices are rising. If you'd prefer the lifestyle of Navy Yard (highrises), then I'd suggest The Wharf, which would put you walking distance to work. I'd skip Georgetown. Capitol Hill is fine but it can get competitive and your route to work could often get complicated by security issues. Cross off Foggy Bottom because it's a far younger, university crowd. Woodley Park (and anywhere north on Connecticut Ave from there) would be good for your age. But, as you said, it'll make the commute a little longer and require a transfer. It's a nice area, though, and fits your criteria otherwise.
My recommendation would be the inner neighborhoods of the Arlington Courthouse area. It has all you want is a peaceful and relaxing area but vibrant and with lively nightlife in nearby Clarendon, as well as restaraunts. There are also a ton of apartment/condo complexes in the area and many have parking as well as pools. The area has plenty of bike trails if you're into that, for biking jogging or walking and there are a number of local gyms including a YMCA. You could take the Orange Line from Courthouse, Clarendon, or any point along that corridor to L'Enfant Plaza Metro.
My recommendation would be the inner neighborhoods of the Arlington Courthouse area. It has all you want is a peaceful and relaxing area but vibrant and with lively nightlife in nearby Clarendon, as well as restaraunts. There are also a ton of apartment/condo complexes in the area and many have parking as well as pools. The area has plenty of bike trails if you're into that, for biking jogging or walking and there are a number of local gyms including a YMCA. You could take the Orange Line from Courthouse, Clarendon, or any point along that corridor to L'Enfant Plaza Metro.
Thanks! I had wondered about that neighborhood, as well as a comparison of Alexandria vs. Arlington. Location-wise, Arlington seems better, more proximate to DC as well as Montgomery County, Md. Although it looks like there aren't enough bridges over the Potomac, which would make dating someone on the other side more difficult.
Seems like living on the DC/MD. side of the Potomac might be a little nicer (am I right?), but taking 2 subway lines to work is something I probably don't want to do.
Leaning towards looking at the Wharf district of SW DC and seeing if I can make that work. 12 min walk to work would be nice.
But, if not, I'll consider the courthouse area of Arlington also.
That area of Arlington is literally within a mile, or less, to Key Bridge which lands in Georgetown. Yeah, DC is okay but it's decidedly a city feel (half-ass city, but city nonetheless) and all that comes with it. That means crime, noise, traffic and parking issues. It's far from peaceful and you indicated you wanted quiet and comfortable. The beauty of the Courthouse area is that it has a semi-urban nature with the conveniences of such, but lacks the harsh city vibe that many prefer to live without. It's also more spread out. Also, the DC government is a royal mess when it comes to city services. Arlington seems to have their s_____together for the most part.
That area of Arlington is literally within a mile, or less, to Key Bridge which lands in Georgetown. Yeah, DC is okay but it's decidedly city and all that comes with it. That means crime, noise, traffic and parking issues. It's far from peaceful and you indicated you wanted quiet and comfortable. The beauty of the Courthouse area is that it has a semi-urban nature with the conveniences of such, but lacks the harsh city vibe that many prefer to live without. And the DC government is a royal mess when it comes to city services. Arlington seems to have their s_____together.
If you look in that area I would focus on Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Virginia Square, and Ballston. They are all along the Orange line and get further away from DC in that order. They are all very decent neighborhoods with tons of rental units but obviously Ballston will be 4 Metro Stops before you even hit DC at Foggy Bottom. So if you want to keep your commute shorter you might look more into Rosslyn and Courthouse which are very short distance to DC. I would look at the Metro Map if you haven't already to gauge if the commute works for you. I will also add to my previous comments by saying that you will get more and better housing for your buck in Arlington than DC. Probably won't get a pool or parking in DC without paying through the nose. In Arlington that's very easy to find, particularly in condo buildings.
Last edited by bostongymjunkie; 06-30-2022 at 07:22 PM..
Ok, so let's say I don't want to live in VA.
I also was told I have my parking paid for at HUD, where I'll be working.
Google maps shows no more than a 20 minute drive from the Woodley Park metro during rush hour and no more than a 30 minute drive home during rush hour (taking Rock Creek and Potomac parkway). Does this sound correct?
Also, I was told today that many people in DC are still working from home, and, therefore, there is less traffic. Are the commutes likely to be significantly longer than that when people stop working from home?
If I want a shorter drive than Woodley Park, which would be better: Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, or Wharf area of SW DC, given that I am looking for quiet. I suppose if I just can hole up in my apartment during the week when I get home from work (except for the gym), it might not make too much difference, assuming I can find an apartment with thick enough walls, and maybe tall enough to avoid street noise.
Sorry about all the questions, but I guess that's partly what the forum is for. Thanks.
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