carolinesays

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

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

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

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.
 
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).
 
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.

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