Posted: 7/21/2013 6:05:26 PM EDT
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specifically, ones to avoid.
I would be working downtown not too far from DuPont circle. I'd like to find a place in DC proper, so just considering what parts of the city to avoid. |
That morning "For Action!" the bugle did call,
And we had a hot breakfast, of powder and ball.
And we had a hot breakfast, of powder and ball.
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If you plan to live in D.C.. please consider abandoning gun ownership as it will be a lot easier on you. Seriously, D.C. does NOT want any gun owners in the district. They might put up with you, but expect police run-around, harassment, etc. with every government encounter. Car owners are second in line for .go contempt in D.C. (cameras everywhere; licensing is a nightmare, parkings a bitch, 2nd worst traffic in U.S.; #1 in ACCIDENTS).
IF you still insist on living in D.C., understand that there are 4 quadrants; the ONLY livable one is North West (where I used to live). Glover Park is a decent place close to Georgetown and accessible to DuPont. Best advice: find a place in Northern Virginia. Not perfect, but worlds better than D.C. |
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Seriously, live in Arlington. If you can afford DC rent, than you can afford Arlington rent too. Let me rephrase that; anywhere you would want to live in DC, the rent in Arlington is going to be around the same. The Metro system is fairly reliable and very easy to navigate (you know, when they aren't killing their customers). I used to live between VA Square and Ballston Metro near Lee Hwy and a 2 bedroom-2 bath was going for $2000 a month; a one bedroom, one bath would be cheaper.
If you love your guns and freedom, stay in VA. |
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Thanks for the replies.
A clarification: I'm doing the geographical bachelor thing. My guns will be in the family home with my wife and kids in PA. I'll just be staying in DC during the week and going home on weekends. I'm interested in living in DC proper, as I want the minimum hassle possible for the daily commute during the work week. I don't know if that changes the calculus for offering advice, I probably should have included this in the original post. |
That morning "For Action!" the bugle did call,
And we had a hot breakfast, of powder and ball.
And we had a hot breakfast, of powder and ball.
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Not necessarily. DC has become a bit of a alternative commute city; most people that live in the city or just around it will bike, walk, or ride metro to work. Parking sucks and the commuters that travel further distances (that's me) clog up the roads (we have really bad traffic). Most apartments right around Metros are going to be at a premium; if you can live 1/2 mile or so away from one you're going to save a lot of money. What's the dress code/expected attire at your job? If you can dress down (ditch the suit and tie), walking to work is actually quite enjoyable. As mentioned above, if you must live in the city, stay in NW DC, it is by far the safest. Some parts may be nice during the day; however, at night can get dicey.
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| i lived in arlington and drove to arlington for work..... people who lived 30 miles away from DC and took the metro in to work in DC made it there faster almost. My 4 mile drive took me at least a half hour everyday and my brother in law rode his bike and beat me to work everyday. |
Award: 24/365s best trained my dag to bring me beer
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1) how much are you willing to spend per month?
2) how comfortable are you around urban non whites? Those are really the 2 things it comes down to. I've lived in a few places uptown and also NE. All were decent (IMO) neighborhoods, but I haven't lived in dc proper in 4 yrs. |
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I will reiterate what others advise. If you can, find a place in NOVA. I have lived in VA, MD, & DC. I currently live in MD and work throughout DC, specifically with crime and criminals in DC. DC is unique in many ways in terms of crime patterns. Very nice neighborhoods are often areas of extreme criminal activity. A nice peaceful neighborhood or block can be totally screwed by one bad house.
I grew up in NY and spent a lot of time in the Bronx area. As bad as crime was, it seemed to be isolated to certain areas. If you avoided those areas, you were fine. DC is a bit different. Each and every neighborhood is riddled with pockets of crime. That is unless you're talking about the Palisades or upper upper NW. But even there you have your burglaries and theft from autos as much as anywhere else. It depends really on you, and what you can tolerate. You will probably never be mugged, raped, or shot, but we all play the odds. If you can afford DuPont then by all means live there. Crimes against innocents in that area is limited to theft from autos and the occasional mugging. But DuPont commands a shit ton of Police resources so crime there is usually property related. Having said this, My wife and I looked at VA when we moved from DC, but couldn't swing it financially. Our budget put us in Woodbridge and Manasses, which has its own set of issues. We are looking to move to VA soon, since we have a young one who will be entering the school system in a few years and MD is a no go for that. I would be happy to advise you on specific addresses in DC, and give you my opinion on specific blocks if you like. You can PM or email me with questions. Financially speaking, if you invest in DC you'll end up making money.... even in the crappy neighborhoods. Regards, -Coop |
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Originally Posted By JeremyAR-15:
Seriously, live in Arlington. If you can afford DC rent, than you can afford Arlington rent too. Let me rephrase that; anywhere you would want to live in DC, the rent in Arlington is going to be around the same. The Metro system is fairly reliable and very easy to navigate (you know, when they aren't killing their customers). I used to live between VA Square and Ballston Metro near Lee Hwy and a 2 bedroom-2 bath was going for $2000 a month; a one bedroom, one bath would be cheaper. If you love your guns and freedom, stay in VA. +10000 Stay OUT of DC as much as possible. |
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." - Voltaire
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If you are doing as you say then it makes perfect sense to live in DC proper. The reasons to live in VA instead of DC are to do with residency and getting away from the city on the weekends. If your weekends are not going to be in the metro area anyway and you will not be a DC resident, then you might as well live in DC. That way you can avoid the hassles of DC traffic.
I used to work near Dupont as well. The "West End" area of Foggy Bottom has a bunch of nice apartments and you could probably walk to your office from there. I know several colleagues who do this. I don't know your budget but there are a variety ranging from expensive to moderate (there are students there after all - albeit rich GW students). There are also townhouses all around that area and both townhouses and apartments around Dupont itself, but Dupont is expensive. There is also Logan Circle as previously mentioned but that's expensive too. Dupont/Foggy Bottom is generally pretty safe as is really everywhere in NW unless you like to hang out with drug addicts or enjoy getting into late night brawls on M St or in Adams Morgan. If you bring a car try to get off street parking, whether it is at the office or at home. Parking is horrible in that area. |
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Originally Posted By VaFish:
I used to live in DC, a 5 mile commute in town took almost as long as the 20 mile commute when I moved to the suburbs. Get a apartment in VA near metro. You will be much happier. +1 to this. DC is going to crush you in terms of rent if you're looking for a short term place in the city in a nice neighborhood. I've got a few friends who do it and they pay more for a one bedroom apartment than I do for my town home in Alexandria. Also, its generally a shitty city to live in. When I PCSed here I kept getting parking tickets because my car, registered in Tennessee, didn't have a front license plate. Never mind the fact Tennessee doesn't require, let alone issue, a front license plate. I can't tell you what a nut roll that was to fight each and every time... |
I'll 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th the recommendations for Arlington. However, if you are that concerned about living within walking/quick biking distance of your job (and don't mind being surrounded by obnoxiously self-righteous hipsters), refer to my handy-dandy map I've prepared for you: BTW - The prices quoted are for 1BR rentals.
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I lived in a nice little efficiency apartment in DC for a while. Not cheap but here's the Link.
It's right in between the State Department and the Kennedy Center so no worries about security. About 3 blocks from Foggy Bottom metro and lots of conveniences. Good luck! |