[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

Hey - forgot to mention H Street! It's still sort of under construction (the trolley lines that were ripped out decades ago are going back in), and you have to take a bus (or a cab or drive) to get anywhere, but it's only about 10 minutes by bus to Chinatown, and there's a free shuttle going to and from Chinatown in the evenings. Chinatown is sort of a transportation hub because you're at the red, green, and yellow lines, and a short walk from Metro Center which is the red, blue, and orange lines (that's covers them all!). It's also a 5 minute walk to the mall and the major sites of DC.

So, you might want to check out H Street because it's undergoing a revival and already has all sorts of great bars and restaurants http://hstreet.org/

Palace of Wonders, H Street Country Club, Sticky Rice...all awesome. It's still kind of a gritty looking neighborhood, but I hope this just translates into cheap rent.

Also, I didn't realize the Circulator was even better than I thought because a couple lines run til midnight weekdays and 2 or 3am on Fri & Sat, making it a great transportation option if you live or study or play where it goes. The other lines still stop around 9.

[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

On 4/23/2011 at 8:54 AM, HandsomeNerd said:

carolinesays, thanks for rundown so far!

i'd like to hear your thoughts on the question above, but for gtown instead of gwu.

Georgetown - so pretty! So expensive! All those important people in one place!

Gtown and GWU are pretty close to each other - they share a metro stop (Foggy Bottom), although Gtown is at least a 20 minute walk from it - and kinda uphill (the next closest stop is Rosslyn, across the Key Bridge in VA). So, really for Gtown your choice is to 1) live in the thick of it, 2) live reasonably close to a metro stop and become a fan of long walks or additional bus rides, or 3) live on a bus line that goes straight into Gtown. I don't know what the school offers in terms of shuttle buses. UMD has an extensive network of them, so maybe Gtown does too - it would make sense!

Bus-wise, a lot of the D & G buses that go to Gtown's campus come from expensive neighborhoods as well. Check em out on wmata's DC bus map: http://www.wmata.com/bus/maps/ You might try a neighborhood along one of the Circulator lines (Circulators are cheaper - only $1 vs $1.50 with Smartrip, and still accept transfers, AND they come about every 10 minutes, which is pretty awesome, but the downside is they stop running around 9pm). You'll see on the map http://www.dccirculator.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27&Itemid=11 that the yellow and aqua colored lines go to Gtown, and that the other Circulator lines crossover in some areas.

Arlington might be a good choice for you too. You have be careful about your searches in Arlington though, much like other cities in the area (Silver Spring is another example), the city of Arlington is huge! You need to make sure you're picking something near a metro, or at least a decent bus stop. Clarendon is a metro stop on the orange line in a pretty vibrant area, but others nearby are also good.

I suppose what I really want to say is that you can live in a lot of places and still get where you need to go. It might be easier to decide depending on your "scene." If you favor more conventional neighborhoods, they'll be more expensive, but closer to Gtown (stuff around Friendship Heights (border of MD) / Bethesda (MD) / Adams Morgan / Dupont / Cleveland Park / Arlington). Not to say that everything in those places is straight-laced - certainly not! Dupont is both conservative and wildly liberal at the same time (home to many embassies and drag queens alike). If you're more "indie," you'll like being in Columbia Heights, Petworth, Mt Pleasant, U Street Corridor...if you're very "crunchy," you'll dig Takoma Park. Eastern Market and Capitol Hill are interesting - a cross between very wealthy and some rather poor sections - parts of it wonderfully beautiful alongside parts than still look a bit rundown. It's technically SE though, which is a no-no on some people's lists. My dad is a retired DC firefighter, and not to freak anyone out, but he had a lot of bad stories about fire stations in SE (probably beyond the Capitol Hill section). But things are changing, and many of the places I've mentioned were considered bad neighborhoods until a few years ago. Even where I live in Silver Spring was unfathomable to me 10 years ago.

Maybe some of these blogs might help you decide:

http://dcist.com/

http://www.princeofpetworth.com/

Good for figuring out what to do in DC:

http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/ (look for walking tours! if you visit, a walking tour might help you decide)

To compare what I've said to my actual situation (and let you gauge what you find against my hometown): I live in a 580 square foot studio apt in SS. I'm a 5-7 minute walk from the metro / tons of buses (due to construction - we're getting a new library and a travel depot thing next to the metro), close to tons of places to eat, 2 movie theaters (AFI, anyone?), Whole Foods, Safeway, Giant, and all my utilities are included for $1140 / month. This will sound crazy to some people and pretty damn reasonable to others. I refuse to live in a swankier place (or have a separate bedroom) because I don't see the point. I have a pool and a gym in my building - what more do I need? For the people who are looking to pay $1500 or less for an apt that's not part of a house, you'll probably end up a little further from the metro than you'd like, and you'll need to live in a less ritzy neighborhood, but it's entirely do-able. I don't know if you'd really want to travel all the way from SS to Gtown or GWU - you'll probably find the equivalent to what I have in Arlington and have a happier commute. But if your heart is set on a neighborhood in DC, go for it! There are so many lovely places to live, and so many things happening everywhere.

Almost forgot - I noticed some people were wondering about living expenses in general. I don't have a lot of amenities that others can't live without, but we're all gonna be grad students, right? We're used to this

I use Netflix instead of cable ($10/month). I have a pay-as-you-go phone (I am THAT cheap - I have unlimited texting for $15 / month cuz what the hell - that's what Skype is for ). I have no car, and pay about $100 / month of public trans (using the metro a couple days a week, but mostly using the bus). My renter's insurance is about $130 / year, cuz $20,000 was the lowest I could go. I don't smoke, don't go to bars too often (couple times / month ish?). However, I go out to eat A LOT and I like to buy groceries at Whole Foods (I spend just as much at Safeway because I'm not buying all junk food so I might as well stick to Whole Foods). I easily drop $600-700 / month on groceries and eating out (this is WITH my bf - so it would be less for someone on their own, and a lot less for someone who is conscientious about cooking at home more often). Of course, most of my purchases are in MD, where sales tax is 6%. The 10% tax in DC feels enormous! VA is 3%...just FYI. My eating habits are going to change considerably once I'm in school! Everything else is almost as low as I'm willing to go

I know I've repeated myself a bunch throughout this forum - just trying to put all the vital info in the response. Hope it helps to clarify the picture in your mind - I'm doing the same thing - except for cities in the UK! Finally, living in the same place for almost 30 years pays off

[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

On 4/18/2011 at 10:19 AM, HandsomeNerd said:

how far is silver spring from georgetown?

Kinda far (depending on what you're used to commuting, I guess). Not in terms of miles to cross, but in terms of traffic or trains / buses to use... I'd say about 1-1.5 hours. You could take the metro from Silver Spring to Union Station (about 15min), and a Circulator bus from Union Station to Georgetown (can't remember how long), which gets you right in the middle of Georgetown. Or you take the metro from SS to Foggy Bottom or Rosslyn (about 40min) and walk (more than a bit) or grab a bus (5-10min). I don't know how long it would take to drive, especially since it could vary a lot depending on the day and time of day.

 

On 4/19/2011 at 1:46 PM, tkovach05 said:

I was hoping that those of you who are more familiar with DC than I am could provide some insight on a few neighborhoods. I am moving with girlfriend at the end of the summer. She is in the running for a full-time position (*fingers crossed*), and I will be getting my master's at American University. Her *potential* employer is located near McPherson Square (orange line), and American is in Tenleytown (red line). I will be selling my car, so we are looking for an apartment in a walkable, younger-feeling neighborhood that provides good proximity to at least one of those metro lines. We aren't looking to get a roommate, so we'll need a 1-bedroom for undre $1,500 a month.

Would anyone be able/willing to rank these neighborhoods based on which ones you think are best and/or most likely to fit our needs?

Adams Morgan

Brookland

Columbia Heights

Mt. Pleasant

Petworth

Thanks.

Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, and Mt Pleasant are adjacent to each other (you probably knew that).

Adams Morgan = depends on exactly where you are, but something on the red line is closest, trendy neighborhood (i.e. expensive), but closest of your choices to McPherson Square and American (AU is kinda lonesome - most students leave the neighborhood for their fun)

Brookland = Brookland / Catholic U station (red), immediate area around Catholic U is alright but getting closer to NY Ave station (red) isn't great, rent will be cheaper than Adams Morgan and probably on par with Columbia Heights

Columbia Heights = Columbia Heights station (green / yellow), recently revitalized so rents are going up, pretty much everything you need is here (even a Target! not saying you need that, just saying they put EVERYTHING in here)

Mt Pleasant = hipster heaven, similar feel to Columbia Heights (perhaps less "commercial" feeling now) but metro is further away, so rent might be cheaper

Petworth = Petworth / Georgia Ave station (green / yellow), probably the cheapest of your selections, not as far along in the process of revitalization, more "up-and-coming"

If you want to get cheap and see more of the city, look for places to live on bus lines that will go to your school / job. The bus is $1.50 (with SmarTrip, which you will obviously get!), and trains are more expensive and fares tend to increase more. Buses also conveniently have free transfers that last 2 hours, so some round trips can be made on a single fare. Plus, neighborhoods close to metro stations tend to be more expensive.

If you go outside DC...

I would forget about the western end of the red line (Bethesda / Friendship Heights are closest) entirely because they're all expensive and some areas aren't very walkable (or attractive, depending). If you venture the other way on the red line, Silver Spring and Takoma Park (TP is half in DC, half in MD) are often cheaper than the places on your list. Forest Glen (not exactly close to stuff) / Wheaton / Glenmont aren't as pretty, but are do-able if you want to save on rent. MD on the green line isn't as nice (stay north if you do look into it), but cheaper. Prince Georges Plaza has a lot of amenities to offer now, but is not the pleasant walkable typically "DC" neighborhood you're probably dreaming of. Stay out of the blue / orange MD side (somewhat near the Anacostia area - tho Anacostia is technically on the green line - that another person posted about - and let me add that Chinatown isn't near Anacostia). If you are inclined, Arlington (blue / orange VA side) is loved by many, wouldn't be outrageously expensive, and would provide relatively easy commutes for both of you. Of course, much of it isn't as pretty and "DC-like" as the neighborhoods you're considering. In fact, I think NoVA is mostly crappy looking (think 1960s-80s plain-government-monstrosity type buildings, obvious exceptions being Alexandria and old single family home areas of Arlington).

 

On 4/7/2011 at 12:22 AM, flotsam said:

If George Washington U is the school of choice, is having a car there going to be outrageously expensive? I know nothing about housing in that area and if most rentals come with (safe) parking. I guess most students live in MD or VA. How is grad student housing in those areas?

I wouldn't keep a car for GWU. I don't know about housing in that particular area, but it's close enough to Georgetown (Foggy Bottom station is in the middle of the campus) to make me believe it's probably really expensive.

[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

Just noticed you might be going to Georgetown. As you didn't mention living there (cost of living is completely ridiculous!), you might look into Arlington (on the orange line) because the metro ride will be short and the rent won't be as bad. I would also try looking at neighborhoods with direct bus lines to Georgetown because the metro is quite a walk to the school (Georgetown is between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom - you can see the wide expanse! ), though it can be done. Here's the link to the bus maps: http://www.wmata.com/bus/maps/ Also check out the Circulator http://www.dccirculator.com/ It has 2 routes going to Georgetown and it only costs $1 to use.

I wouldn't even consider using a car there unless you enjoy obscene amounts of traffic and absolutely terrible parking.

Good luck!

[Liverpool, UK]

I can't offer any insight, but I'm looking for the same information. I'm strongly considering Liverpool John Moores Uni...

[Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs]

Hello! I have just decided to make the move from Miami, FL to Washington, D.C. I'm very excited but know that cost of living is very expensive in D.C. (and higher than in Miami). I've looked through the forum but can't seem to find a place where the talk is specifically about D.C. So I have a few questions for anyone who is able to answer them:

(1) Where are some good (and safe) places to live? I've heard good things about Dupont and Adams Morgan. What should I expect to pay in these areas?

(2) Is it recommended to not have a car in this area?

(3) How good/bad is public transportation?

Thanks in advance for any advice :-)

- Nervous about DC -

Dupont and Adams Morgan are certainly nice places to live (and party in), but are VERY expensive. Among people I know, several live in Columbia Heights because it offers many amenities and is not quite as expensive as other neighborhoods. Being from Silver Spring, I've chosen to stay in Silver Spring because I find that rent is cheaper, sales tax is lower (6% in MD vs 10% in DC), and I live a few minutes walk from a huge transportation hub that can get me anywhere I need to go (Silver Spring Metro is on the red line and is the hub for many buses going further out in MD as well as many areas of DC - for example, there are buses going directly to Chinatown / the Mall or the White House or Dupont). Takoma Park (located adjacent to Silver Spring) is even cheaper than Silver Spring and has a small town-ish feel in some respects. Arlington (and its various neighborhoods) is also a very popular place to live on the VA side of the city. If you know where you will work / study it would be easier to make a recommendation about a specific neighborhood to check out. If you are open to areas outside of the district you will probably find cheaper rent, and as long as you are on a good route to your job or school, getting around won't be much of a problem. In general, stay away from anything in the SE, as well as the suburbs in that area. If the rent looks too good to be true, it's usually in a crappy neighborhood. Try craigslist to get an idea of the prices. You might try this too: http://dc.about.com/od/neigborhoodprofiles/u/Neighborhoods.htm

Transportation kinds sucks no matter which way you do it. I prefer to sit on a bus or train and zone out than deal with driving here. I absolutely can't stand the traffic, and everyone knows we have plenty of that around the clock. When I owned a car (until 9/2009), it was completely paid off and by my calculations using the metro wasn't any cheaper. However, that was with 2009 gas prices. You will find public transport isn't cheap (well, the buses are still cheap, and I use them more), but the hassles of owning a car in this city were more than I wanted to deal with. When I need to go somewhere further out or I have a lot to carry, I just use zipcar. Metro's website is helpful in some ways, but the trip planner is not reliable for figuring out the most efficient route. www.wmata.com You can download the pdfs of the DC / MD / VA bus maps and then look at the individual route schedules if wmata recommends anything that involves too many transfers or an insanely long amount of time to get somewhere.

[Getting Experience while doing Online Program]

I've read that one of the most important factors, if not the most important factor, in getting a job after getting an MLIS is having relevant experience when you graduate. I live in a city where there are no universities that offer the MLIS degree. So I would have to do a program online. I don't have any issues with this. The only thing I am worried about is how I would get work experience while doing the program. Do colleges that offer online MLIS degrees have arrangement for their online students to get work experience and be employable once they complete their studies?

I know you posed awhile ago, but from what I understand from many people who have graduated from such programs, getting work (paid or unpaid doesn't matter) experience is a priority. Most people say that they learn the most from actually DOING the job, rather than discussing the theory.

[San Jose State U]

I'm still very much on the fence about whether I want to do an archives or library track. I used to consider UMD as an option, since I'm from the area and did my undergrad degree there, but I've been talking to recent graduates who think the archives program has gone downhill (although, yes, there are may opportunities here for internships /jobs / volunteering). I'm not sure about the library concentrations.

I've been working at the National Archives in College Park for 8 years - 2 as a student employee and 6 as a researcher. I'm hoping to start some volunteer work in a library just to even out this perspective

Does anyone really decide between one thing or another? I'm kind of a fan of trying a bit of everything, but I don't know how easy it would be to do that, or how prepared that wold make me for the working world.

Thanks for the replies - I neglected checking back, but I really appreciate your help and information.

[San Jose State U]

I've talked to hiring librarians (public) and they've said the graduates that have been interviewing in the past few years out of San Jose are "surprisingly" well-qualified compared to their peers. I don't know the sample size, but they seemed to agree that San Jose is an under-rated gem. At the (UC) library I interned during my senior year there was a San Jose grad student interning in the special collections department. She said she liked the program because she could go half-time for a 3 year program and either on-line or on-campus allowing her to get precious work experience under her belt.

Some of my UC professors (not familiar with library science) poo-poo'ed my suggestion I apply to San Jose, recommending Berkley instead. Take that for what it's worth.

Ok - sounds decent. My friend helped clarify the MARA issue that slipped by me. The Archives specialization is ALA accredited, but the MARA program is not (maybe it will be someday). Thanks for your help!

[San Jose State U]

No GRE, no letters of recommendation, no personal statement. I could apply for this program tomorrow(!), but I'm wondering how awesome can it possibly be to have so few admissions requirements (transcript, fee, app)?

Also, any thoughts on their MARA program? I lean toward Archives specializations but I'm not completely convinced about what I want to do. There seems to be a lot of merit in generalist lib sci programs...or am I off-base thinking that too?