Author Topic: seattle to dc?  (Read 1731 times)

NowClear

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seattle to dc?
« on: August 10, 2019, 10:28:38 AM »
i'm headed to dc for a final set of interviews for a new job in about a month.

i'm hoping to suss out the organization more so i'll have a clear idea if i want to accept or not should i be offered the job. but, given this is a big cross-country move i also want to do some additional thinking about washington d.c. as a place to live. i've already scoured cost of living calculators, explored housing listings, etc, but looking for a mustachian perspective.

appreciate thoughts from anyone with d.c. living experience, or uplifting for a big city change. a few things i'm wondering about:

--weather. i've always lived on the west coast, so the east coast humidity is intimidating. tips to handle?
--cost of living. although i've examined calculators per above, appreciate any local frugal tips.
--neighborhoods. are there neighborhoods i should explore while i'm in town to get a head start on narrowing a housing search if needed? i don't own a car and would prefer to keep it that way... the job is located downtown.
--reality of uprooting life. i've relocated before, but just up and down the west coast. any questions i should be thinking through? or advice you might have?


thanks!

SwordGuy

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2019, 10:43:07 AM »
I lived in cheap apartments in the Eastern Market area and the Lincoln Park area.   
I was working there during the week and went home to NC on the weekends.
Both were workable places to live.

The white folks who lived in the suburbs were convinced that if you stepped outside the metro stations in downtown DC you would be mugged, raped, mugged again, sodomized and then murdered -- all in the first 15 minutes.

The reality was I would see young women out jogging at 11pm at night.    Since I saw the same ones on a repeated basis it appears the white suburbians were suffering from Tiny Details Exageration Syndrome.





januarian

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2019, 11:05:26 AM »
--reality of uprooting life. i've relocated before, but just up and down the west coast. any questions i should be thinking through? or advice you might have?

This is less practical and more emotional, but the one thing that I kind of underestimated when moving from the east coast to the west coast was the time change and how it would affect my ability to stay in touch with/see friends and family frequently. You have to time phone calls carefully, and it's much more expensive to fly back and forth not just in the cost of the plane ticket but also in the cost of time- you pretty much have to do the red-eye one way or lose an entire day to flight time + 3 hour time difference. I'm not sure what kind of network you may or may not be leaving behind, but if you have important relationships you want to preserve, it's worth thinking about/planning for this in your budget (from both a time and $ perspective).

MonkeyJenga

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2019, 01:17:24 PM »
I moved from DC to Portland this year. I wasn't there for long, but I have a lot of experience with East Coast humidity. It'll be an adjustment, but more places have AC. The mosquitoes may be a bigger issue if you ever want to go outside at dusk or god forbid go hiking.

You can lower your income tax, and probably your rent, if you live in VA. Lots of places in Arlington let you bike/metro to downtown.

So much free entertainment if you like museums.

Like januarian said, the biggest hit might be the connection to your network on the West Coast. DC to NY was trivial, but going back from here won't happen for a long time.

mozar

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2019, 07:33:35 PM »
What is your budget? The neighborhood isn't as important as being able to get from home to work without transferring to a different metro line or bus. There are also express buses that you can get direct to work. DC is pretty bikable but DC is on a big hill. For example if you worked on K street (downtown) and you lived in Petworth you're going to have a downhill ride in the morning and an uphill ride in the evening.

NowClear

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2019, 08:45:28 PM »
thanks for the input so far. good points especially about the time change and how disruptive that can be to keeping in touch with networks back home--i'd obviously thought about the distance, but the time change hadn't occurred to me.

in terms of housing budget: from what i've explored on rental listings, no neighborhood seems to be out of reach for what i could swing. i only need a one bedroom place. however, i'd rather spend less than i can "afford" especially if i can do that with a short commute time, and in a neighborhood that allows me to walk for most everything. (sorry for not going into specifics about income.)

good tip about being on the same bus/metro line! i do have an e-bike, which has been very helpful with seattle's hills.


YttriumNitrate

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2019, 10:21:14 PM »
--weather. i've always lived on the west coast, so the east coast humidity is intimidating. tips to handle?
I grew up in the DC area, but haven't lived there in two decades, so I can't really comment about the other things, but I do know about the weather.

June, July, and August are miserably hot and humid, and the place is buzzing with swarms of annoying mosquitoes tourists. The winters are cold enough to get some snow, but not very much. However, the way people react to this small amount of snow is hilarious (as long you're not stuck in traffic due to some fool acting hilariously). The spring and fall are quite nice.

mozar

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2019, 08:47:43 AM »
Since you plan to bike and you can live anywhere I recommend living in a studio on a major artery so that you have a straight shot to work. The major arteries are usually state streets.

Loretta

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Re: seattle to dc?
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2019, 12:02:27 AM »
Regarding humidity, stay hydrated. It can zap your energy fast outside.  Allergies can be pretty bad for transplants to the area. 

Definitely try to remain car-free as long as possible.  It’s not a very popular choice here but can be a huge money saver. 

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!