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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: purple monkey on July 14, 2016, 03:24:52 PM

Title: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 14, 2016, 03:24:52 PM
Looki,ng for suggestions for 1 bedroom apt at least 800 sft.
Safe and close to the bethedsa.
Need to be safe.
Hoping for 2K.
TIA
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: Migrator Soul on July 14, 2016, 03:29:45 PM
What a coincidence, I am also looking for housing in DC, though likely within the next 4 months or so. Everything there is quite expensive :/
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: AMandM on July 15, 2016, 01:22:08 PM
Purple monkey, do you need to be close to the Bethesda metro station specifically?  Would you consider apartments close to other red line stations?
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 16, 2016, 05:48:13 PM
Yes, I would consider other redline.
Moving there in the future due to medical reasons.
Thank you for responding.
PM
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: SwordGuy on July 16, 2016, 06:44:38 PM
Safe and close to the bethedsa.
Need to be safe.

Then why would you move to DC?

Seriously, DC is much safer than people give it credit for.
When I lived in downtown DC people from the suburbs seemed to think that if they took the metro to downtown they would be mugged, beaten, mugged again, raped, and then mugged again, and possibly murdered, all within 50 feet of the station exit.   It was ludicrous.


Do you get drunk/stoned and wander about at night?   Wander about alone at night after midnight?
Hang out with criminals or those with substance issues or with anger management issues?  Do you act like a victim?

If the answer to all of those is "No." then you should be relatively safe.

Do you pay attention to your surroundings and take pro-active steps to avoid problems before they become serious problems?

A "Yes" answer would be good for that one.

If you picked the wrong answers to the questions above you're unlikely to be particularly safe anywhere you live.

I lived in downtown DC in the Eastern Market area and in the Lincoln Park area.  I routinely saw young women out walking home alone at night.   Clearly downtown DC wasn't as dangerous as people believe.   The Lincoln park apt was around $600 11 years ago.   Can't help you with the Bethesda area at all.  I just wanted to calibrate your fears against reality on the ground.  Might save you a bundle...
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: MsPeacock on July 16, 2016, 06:49:46 PM
If you need to be close to the medical center metro stop at NIH and/or Walter Reed, consider looking northward on the metro red line towards Rockville. There are many apartment complexes close to the metro stops which are along Rockville Pike (355). The areas are safe, easy access to beltway, NIH, BETHESDA, etc.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 16, 2016, 08:25:31 PM
I need to be in DC, near the Bethesda area.
I need up to date numbers for apts.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: AMandM on July 16, 2016, 09:16:22 PM
You should not have any trouble finding a 1BR for under $2k.   Here's a few data points.

Right by the Brookland-CUA metro stop (on the red line), there 's a new development that includes 1-BR apartments starting at $2017.  If you can get luxury for $2017, you can get perfectly fine for less.

One stop closer to Bethesda, at Rhode Island AVe, there's a similar development with 1-BRs starting at $1856.

If you don't mind a transfer to the green line, my daughter rents the basement of a house, with 2 bedrooms, for $900, a ten minute walk from the West Hyattsville station.

Lots of scope for you!
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: CapLimited on July 17, 2016, 02:05:43 PM
Looki,ng for suggestions for 1 bedroom apt at least 800 sft.
Safe and close to the bethedsa.
Need to be safe.
Hoping for 2K.
TIA

You have an advantage in not having to be in downtown DC.  Based on a fast search on Apartments.com, you should be able to find a nice apartment in Rockville for $1600-$1700 near Rockville Town Square, which is quite safe and close to Rockville metro.

You should not have any trouble finding a 1BR for under $2k.   Here's a few data points.

Right by the Brookland-CUA metro stop (on the red line), there 's a new development that includes 1-BR apartments starting at $2017.  If you can get luxury for $2017, you can get perfectly fine for less.

One stop closer to Bethesda, at Rhode Island AVe, there's a similar development with 1-BRs starting at $1856.

If you don't mind a transfer to the green line, my daughter rents the basement of a house, with 2 bedrooms, for $900, a ten minute walk from the West Hyattsville station.

Lots of scope for you!


Brookland and Rhode Island Ave are a long ride on Metro -- unless you are planning to drive, you might want to focus on neighborhoods between Cleveland Park Metro and Rockville.

Give yourself some time to lease an apartment before you actually need to move -- if vacancy is tight, it could be a month or two before the apartment you want becomes vacant.



What a coincidence, I am also looking for housing in DC, though likely within the next 4 months or so. Everything there is quite expensive :/

Migrator Soul, I have been thinking about you since you posted your previous thread -- I wish I had better news, but it's likely you will have to loosen up on your budget a bit to be within walking/biking distance to the White House.  If it weren't for your need to be at work sometimes outside of Metro operating hours, you could live in Northern Virginia or the Maryland suburbs and be within your budget, but inside the city, you are looking at around $1500 for a small studio (unless you find a group house, but that may not be optimal with your little cat.)
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: sabertooth3 on July 18, 2016, 05:26:34 AM
I have no clear idea of DC area geography, but my friend is renting out her condo in Falls Church for $1800 + electric (she'll cover the other utilities)-- see link for details:

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/Falls-Church-VA-22042/house,condo,apartment_duplex,mobile,townhouse_type/2097957566_zpid/67132_rid/featured_sort/38.888727,-77.153979,38.839674,-77.242299_rect/13_zm/?view=public

It is a nice place and from what I know of her she will be a good landlord.

I live in the DC suburbs and Falls Church to Bethesda would be a very long slog, either by car or public transport. I second those who are saying to live north of Bethesda near the White Flint, Twinbrook, or Rockville stations. They are all very safe neighborhoods that still have sub $2k pricing near the Metro.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 18, 2016, 06:23:30 AM
I need something ONLY in DC with the requested requirements.
Thank you.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: Gondolin on July 18, 2016, 07:40:21 AM
A cursory Craigslist search reveals a half dozen postings that meet your requirements within walking distance (<5 blocks) of the Bethesda metro station.

Can confirm that what you want is easy to get. Not sure what else you're looking for from this thread.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 18, 2016, 08:18:31 AM
A cursory Craigslist search reveals a half dozen postings that meet your requirements within walking distance (<5 blocks) of the Bethesda metro station.

Can confirm that what you want is easy to get. Not sure what else you're looking for from this thread.

Do not want Bethesda, want DC appt. CLOSE to the Bethesda area.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: Gondolin on July 18, 2016, 09:20:12 AM
Oh ok. My bad. In this case more information would help, specifically the balance you want to strike. When you say "in DC" how close to downtown/ the mall do you need to be? Do you have a car?

Friendship heights is in DC and very close to Bethesda... But, it's 9 miles from the White House. There's probably a band of locations on the red line that'll work though things get pricey fast once you cross Rock Creek into AdMo.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 18, 2016, 09:48:16 AM
Will have a car.
Don't have to be near White House, but close to Bethesda.
So that is why I am having such a challenge and thought that folks in the Metro area would know more than simple internet searches.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: mozar on July 18, 2016, 10:27:06 AM
Wmata.com has a metro map you can look at. You can also look at a regular map to see what's near Bethesda, and craigslist has a search apartments in map view function. Is there a particular reason you need to live in dc?
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: Gondolin on July 18, 2016, 11:15:42 AM
Quote
folks in the Metro area would know more than simple internet searches.

People seem to think this quite often but, unless you're looking to do something really unusual there's no "insider knowledge" on housing that residents of a city get over non-residents. The most up to date prices on apartments are those listed publicly on the market right now.

Best we can do is suggest neighborhoods based on your definition of "near" Bethesda and "in" DC. At any location in DC you will be within 10 miles of Bethesda. With a car, this is quite "near" by most definitions.

You can "near Bethesda and in DC " where you are .25 mi from Bethesda and 9 mi from downtown DC or vice versa. Or anywhere in between. Lots of neighborhoods along that line with very different character and price ranges.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 18, 2016, 11:25:29 AM
Wmata.com has a metro map you can look at. You can also look at a regular map to see what's near Bethesda, and craigslist has a search apartments in map view function. Is there a particular reason you need to live in dc?

Taxes are less and it is due to health reasons.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: mlejw6 on July 18, 2016, 12:46:49 PM
How about this?

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/house,condo,apartment_duplex,mobile,townhouse_type/451091_zpid/1-_beds/38.952125,-77.061936,38.945016,-77.079918_rect/15_zm/

I see plenty of 1 BRs in that area that are less than $2k, but they're all less than 800 sq ft. Looks like that is your limiting factor. If you can stand a smaller place, you can open up your options a little bit.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: mozar on July 18, 2016, 01:46:37 PM
I think you are penny wise and pound foolish op. You can have a 800sq ft apt in Rockville for 1500 or a 800sq ft apt near American University for 2500. So you would rather pay an extra 1k a month to save 1k a year? And most of the tax savings are for property owners and the working poor.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: Migrator Soul on July 18, 2016, 05:09:21 PM



What a coincidence, I am also looking for housing in DC, though likely within the next 4 months or so. Everything there is quite expensive :/

Migrator Soul, I have been thinking about you since you posted your previous thread -- I wish I had better news, but it's likely you will have to loosen up on your budget a bit to be within walking/biking distance to the White House.  If it weren't for your need to be at work sometimes outside of Metro operating hours, you could live in Northern Virginia or the Maryland suburbs and be within your budget, but inside the city, you are looking at around $1500 for a small studio (unless you find a group house, but that may not be optimal with your little cat.)

Yeah, I keep coming to that conclusion myself. I mean, with the pay differentials, I will be making about 75K, so I suppose it isn't that bad.. but still not optimal. If only the duty day started a bit later, I could commute on the metro. I definitely appreciate the thought for sure :D
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: purple monkey on July 19, 2016, 07:20:55 AM
I think you are penny wise and pound foolish op. You can have a 800sq ft apt in Rockville for 1500 or a 800sq ft apt near American University for 2500. So you would rather pay an extra 1k a month to save 1k a year? And most of the tax savings are for property owners and the working poor.

For the FIFTH time, I need to be in DC specifically.

If it were about only money, I would not consider DC.

It is about health reasons.



Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: pbkmaine on July 19, 2016, 08:13:24 AM
I guess we are not understanding what health reasons keep you from leaving the District.
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: AMandM on July 19, 2016, 09:08:30 AM
DC craigslist currently has 53 listings for apartments under $2000 with 800+ sq. ft. within one mile of zip 20008 (this is the zip code for the zoo, 5 metro stops from Bethesda).  Good luck!
Title: Re: Apt. In DC
Post by: mm1970 on July 19, 2016, 10:18:02 AM
I guess we are not understanding what health reasons keep you from leaving the District.
A very short google shows threads and articles that suggest that certain procedures may be covered by DC medicaid that aren't covered by MD or VA.

So I'd guess that it is either Medicaid or Obama-care related (better costs, more options, certain procedures covered that others aren't).

Just guessing though.