Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs

[impatientlywaiting26]

19 hours ago, TeaOverCoffee said:

Bumping this thread to ask when people typically begin renting for the beginning of August. I currently live in a college town, so it's normal here to begin renting a year in advance.

Hey @TeaOverCoffee - I'm living and working in DC now, so I can share a little insight.

I think this depends what area you're trying to find a spot in - if you share where you are considering going I can be a little more helpful! Typically if you're looking to live in DC (as opposed to suburbs), you'll want to look for space ~2 months in advance. It doesn't hurt to look earlier, but often I've found that listings for owner-rented spaces and even some apartments aren't up until 2 months before you'd be moving. 

That said - I haven't been a student in DC, so I'm not sure what markets are like around campuses (except that many of them are relatively steep). If you have questions about neighborhoods, etc., let me know!

[Black Beauty]

1 hour ago, impatientlywaiting26 said:

I think this depends what area you're trying to find a spot in - if you share where you are considering going I can be a little more helpful! Typically if you're looking to live in DC (as opposed to suburbs), you'll want to look for space ~2 months in advance.

Universities and colleges in DC have their commencement exercises no later than the third week of May, so you may find that there are many vacancies by the end of May. But you may want to start checking much sooner than June (if you want to live in DC) because students would have to give advanced notice of when they intend to move.

As for the College Park area, where the University of Maryland is located, some of my friends had to put down deposits to secure their apartments at least 6 months in advance for the following school year. But they wanted a particular apartment building that rents out very quickly.

[kayrabbit]

On February 12, 2017 at 11:19 PM, TeaOverCoffee said:

Bumping this thread to ask when people typically begin renting for the beginning of August. I currently live in a college town, so it's normal here to begin renting a year in advance.

When I was looking for a house near UMD for an August move in, I started looking seriously that May, but I had a hard time finding landlords who wanted to talk to me about even 2-3 months in the future (as in, I called people to respond to their listings and they laughed at me). I was looking for places that weren't extremely close to campus though, so most of the people I talked to were trying to rent houses that weren't inhabited by students who'd be leaving at the end of the school year, but were either empty or about to be and that they wanted to fill as quickly as possible. I lucked out in finding a house a few miles from campus that the owner was preparing to rent for the first time and that wasn't quite ready for immediate move in. I actually found that place by checking a university page for housing listings. I think it's this page, which will likely have more private listings at the end of the school year: https://ochdatabase.umd.edu

If you're looking for an apartment, complexes like Graduate Hills and Franklin Park at Greenbelt Station were happy to talk a few months in the future.

[Eshtah]

Hey guys! I am an international student and I just received an offer for a PhD program at Georgetown University. However, I have other choices and am now looking into factors like cost and quality of living in order to make my choice. I have a few questions and would be really happy if you could give me some hints!

I would like to rent a 2 bedroom apartment together with my partner in a good enough area, from where I can either bike to Georgetown (up to 30 minutes) or take public transportation (also up to 30 minutes). How much do we have to expect to pay per month for an apartment like this? Which areas do you recommend? How hard is it to find a place and when should we start looking? What are the pro's and con's about living in Washington D.C. compared to - let's say - California/San Francisco? 

Thanks so much for your insight!

[Black Beauty]

@Eshtah

These are some of the nicer areas in Washington DC but rent will be expensive. In order to find more reasonable priced apartments, you may have to make some compromises. The approximated prices are for 2 bedroom apartments. I suggest you start looking for apartments soon. If you wait until the summer, you may find your choices limited since you will be competing with students not only from Georgetown University, but also from George Washington and American Universities.

The Metrorail has been going through a lot of maintenance track work and has adjusted their times of operation and services. Right now there are a few proposals to cut services and times that Metro operates for the forceable future.

·      Tenleytown/Friendship Heights ($2000 - $4000)

o   Metro Stop(s): Tenleytown, Friendship Heights

o   Located north of Georgetown University's main campus

o   Probably just within your 30 minute requirement

 

·      Capitol Hill/Eastern Market ($1300 – $3900)

o   Metro Stop(s): Capitol South, Eastern Market, Union Station

o   Expect to pay approximately $2500 - $3900 to live on Capitol Hill

o   A bit outside your 30 minute requirement

·      Cleveland Park/Woodley Pa

o   Metro Stop(s): Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, Van Ness ($2200 - $3900)

o   Within your 30 minute requirement

·      Foggy Bottom (approximately $2700)

o   Metro Stop(s): Foggy Bottom, Farragut North & West

o   Located near Virginia's Key Bridge and adjacent to downtown D.C.; this neighborhood is centered between Georgetown and downtown DC.

o   Within your 30 minute requirement

·      Adams Morgan/Dupont Circle ($1800 - $3000)

o   Metro Stop(s): Dupont Circle, Woodley Park

o   Within your 30 minute requirement

Take a look at Georgetown University’s website for more information

https://studentliving.georgetown.edu/off-campus/rental

[Windmills]

Any suggestions for best housing options in DC for the summer? I received an internship offer that would be just south of the National Mall.

[DogsArePeopleToo]

I will likely end up at Georgetown for grad school, and although I have lived in DC many years back, I realize I have very little practical information about living arrangements in the area. I'd appreciate any insights into grad life in the area. Specifically, if you could speak to these questions:

• What parts of Georgetown do grad students usually live in?

• With Georgetown being so expensive, what's the going rate for a small studio apartment located in close proximity of the university?

• What localities outside Georgetown proper are reasonable, price- and commute-wise?

Many thanks!

[hlsny]

Hi! I'm most likely attending George Washington University and am looking for apartments fairly nearby. From what I can tell, around the Georgetown/Foggy Bottom/DuPont areas, I've only seen studios for $1400/month or more. Since it would be ideal for me to be close to campus, I think I will be looking for roommates in this area, as I have heard you can get triple digit rents in DuPont w/2-3 people.

If you can stand the longer commute, I have seen studios for rent in NE Washington DC that rent between $835-$950. SE DC seems to be similarly priced but again, somewhat more inconvenient. Would you consider Arlington/Rosslyn? I think you can get stuff slightly cheaper there but I am having trouble finding apartments in that area on the metro, honestly.

[Pythia]

I can't speak from the perspective of a grad student at Georgetown but I can speak from an undergrad perspective. I got my degree from a different DC university, but I took classes at Georgetown and commuted a lot. Even in areas of DC that are less expensive and not as swanky, I'd say $1400-1500 is about the average starting price for a studio/1 bedroom, especially in areas closer to GU.

My friend lives in Glover Park in a $1500 apartment with 1 bedroom and a small den (big enough for a roommate) and I don't think she pays for all of the utilities. It is a quiet neighborhood with young professionals and some families, and (if I remember correctly) it's a 15 minute walk from Georgetown. There are buses that stop in the neighborhood, but the metro is a bit far. From what I've seen, generally apartments further from a metro stop tend to be slightly cheaper than others, but anyway, you could always check out this neighborhood and the neighborhoods in that section of DC.

Another consideration is Virginia. A lot of 20- and 30-somethings live there. Pricing is not vastly different from DC but some places are less expensive. Plenty of students at GW and GU commute from NoVA and I know there is a free Georgetown University shuttle from the main campus to Virginia (I believe it's somewhere in Rosslyn).

[DogsArePeopleToo]

On 3/23/2017 at 10:34 PM, hlsny said:

If you can stand the longer commute, I have seen studios for rent in NE Washington DC that rent between $835-$950. SE DC seems to be similarly priced but again, somewhat more inconvenient. Would you consider Arlington/Rosslyn? I think you can get stuff slightly cheaper there but I am having trouble finding apartments in that area on the metro, honestly.

At this point, frankly, I might as well gird myself for the long commutes of the NE. A friend had a studio for  $950 in Adams Morgan back in the good old days of five years ago. AdMo now boasts $1,400 studios. I definitely would consider Arlington or Rosslyn, even Alexandria, where I stayed back in 2012. It's just that prices have gone up significantly. Rent might even get a bump in the fall when so many of us will be flocking into DC.

And thank you for the insight, @Pythia. I once met a GU grad student who stayed on 16th and Spring Road, in an apartment where I used to live...which was a rather long commute to Georgetown. But the shuttle to NoVA is news to me. I'll look into it. I also hadn't thought of Glover Park. I have a former colleague who lives there and might be able to help.

[Pythia]

12 hours ago, DogsArePeopleToo said:

At this point, frankly, I might as well gird myself for the long commutes of the NE. A friend had a studio for  $950 in Adams Morgan back in the good old days of five years ago. AdMo now boasts $1,400 studios. I definitely would consider Arlington or Rosslyn, even Alexandria, where I stayed back in 2012. It's just that prices have gone up significantly. Rent might even get a bump in the fall when so many of us will be flocking into DC.

And thank you for the insight, @Pythia. I once met a GU grad student who stayed on 16th and Spring Road, in an apartment where I used to live...which was a rather long commute to Georgetown. But the shuttle to NoVA is news to me. I'll look into it. I also hadn't thought of Glover Park. I have a former colleague who lives there and might be able to help.

No problem! I know the feeling and I hope you find a good place to live. If you do decide on the NE, there's also a shuttle line from the Law School as well as from Dupont Circle. I commuted from the NE and sometimes took the Dupont shuttle. I'm pretty sure there's additional routes but the three I've named are the ones I saw the most.

[nahuja32]

Hey @DogsArePeopleToo, 

I'm going to be attending Georgetown as well. I've heard the best places to stay are in Glover Park and in Rosslyn. In fact, I've already found a place to stay (Eaves, Glover Park) and will be paying $710 per month. From what I've heard, a 2 bedroom apartment shared among 3 people turns out to be pretty reasonable. 

I'd recommend you take a look at Eaves, Glover Park online. It's a popular place to stay among students and is only a 7 min cycle away! 

Best,

Natasha Ahuja 

[DogsArePeopleToo]

13 hours ago, nahuja32 said:

Hey @DogsArePeopleToo, 

I'm going to be attending Georgetown as well. I've heard the best places to stay are in Glover Park and in Rosslyn. In fact, I've already found a place to stay (Eaves, Glover Park) and will be paying $710 per month. From what I've heard, a 2 bedroom apartment shared among 3 people turns out to be pretty reasonable. 

I'd recommend you take a look at Eaves, Glover Park online. It's a popular place to stay among students and is only a 7 min cycle away! 

Best,

Natasha Ahuja 

Thank you, Natasha. I was looking at Glover Park after @Pythia also suggested it. As you pointed out, a shared apartment is possible within the $700-900 range, but I'm hoping to get a studio apartment. Nothing is below $1,400 within an hour-plus commute of Georgetown. That complicates things a little. But it's still too early and we'll have to cross the bridge when we get to it. I do look forward to meeting you in the fall!

[Eshtah]

I am an international student and will be attending Georgetown as well. I was wondering on what websites people usually search for an apartment and if there are any offline resources. Anything would be helpful! And how early will you start looking? 

[DogsArePeopleToo]

8 minutes ago, Eshtah said:

I am an international student and will be attending Georgetown as well. I was wondering on what websites people usually search for an apartment and if there are any offline resources. Anything would be helpful! And how early will you start looking? 

Hi Eshtah, congrats on your acceptance to Georgetown! That makes the three of us on this thread accepted to Georgetown. I don't know of any offline tools unless it's a personal network of friends or contacts. One of the main online tools to use for apartment hunting that I used when I lived in DC and that people recommend is Cragislist, which has a dedicated DC page: https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/ (its barebones design can throw people off, but it's a legit website and it works! Though beware of scammers.)

Most apartments or sublets become available a month or a few weeks before the tenant is expected to move in.

I plan to start the search process in earnest a couple of weeks or a few days ahead of my arrival. That gives me time to schedule a visit to the unit and see it firsthand as soon as I arrive.

Some apartment complexes have leasing offices, so you might have better luck dealing with them. They have greater flexibility about start dates, apartment visits, etc.

If you want to share the space, DC is full of grad students and young professionals (20- and 30-somethings) who live in shared spaces. The rent, naturally, is lower in these arrangements and you usually get good roommates, though tales of inconsiderate or messy roommates are not unknown.

Best of luck!

[hlsny]

I will be a graduate student at GWU this coming fall, and am looking to rent in NW Washington. For those of you with experience renting in DC, do you think $1000/month is a reasonable budget for a shared apt with 2-3 roommates in this area? Like within a 30-minute walking radius of GW? I've heard it can be done but honestly I am having trouble finding anything online that looks like it would be in this price range. 

[pandalove]

Hello, everyone

I will also be attending Georgetown in the Fall! I have been looking for apartments/studios/rooms on Craigslist, Padmapper and Georgetown's housing website for some time now, just to have a good idea of the possibilities. They posted on the Facebook group for incoming students that Georgetown is finalizing an agreement for graduate housing at two locations in Northern Virginia, so we'll see about that...

Ideally, I wish I could find an affordable room (below $1000, utilities not included) not so far from the main campus (30/40 min walk max), but my boyfriend will be moving in with me and most people seem not to be fond of the idea of having two people share a room (although we would obviously pay double for the utilities). In addition, we'll be moving from overseas, so we can't really schedule apartment visits and naturally most landlords (and current tenants) want to meet their prospective tenants/housemates before making any decisions. So it is very likely we will have to get a studio, which is at least $1300/1400  I really hope we can find something cheaper, we are on a very tight budget.

[hj2012]

1 hour ago, hlsny said:

I will be a graduate student at GWU this coming fall, and am looking to rent in NW Washington. For those of you with experience renting in DC, do you think $1000/month is a reasonable budget for a shared apt with 2-3 roommates in this area? Like within a 30-minute walking radius of GW? I've heard it can be done but honestly I am having trouble finding anything online that looks like it would be in this price range. 

It's been about 5 years since I lived in DC, but even back then finding rent under 1K a month was challenging. It can be done if you happen to get lucky - I'd join and keep an eye out on student housing listservs and DC housing facebook groups. If you're willing to expand your geographical radius, apartments in VA - especially past Clarendon, tend to be cheaper - check around Virginia Sq/Ballston and Crystal City.

[Moccalatte]

Is there public trans from Columbia MD to UMD?

[DogsArePeopleToo]

13 hours ago, pandalove said:

In addition, we'll be moving from overseas, so we can't really schedule apartment visits and naturally most landlords (and current tenants) want to meet their prospective tenants/housemates before making any decisions. 

Congrats on getting into Georgetown! Exciting times.

I'm in much the same boat as you in that I'll be moving from overseas. The rent for studio apartments are also quite unreasonable as you mentioned. But in case you missed it, there's a thread on these forums about managing remote renting with some excellent pointers from current and former students. Best of luck and hope to maybe see you on campus!

 

[Black Beauty]

@Moccalatte Yes, there is public transportation from Columbia MD to University of Maryland, College Park. 

Depending on where you reside in Columbia MD, you would need to take at least 3 buses and it will take a little over 2 hours each way.

You can take a combination of buses and metro rail and that should take you about 1 hour and 45 minutes each way.

If you are attending UMD and planning on living in Columbia MD and taking public transportation, you may want to consider moving a bit closer to College Park. 

[Moccalatte]

What are cheap yet nice neighborhoods that are one bus or metro away from UMD? Is there any neighborhood that is similar to Columbia but closer to UMD?

[caffeinatedK]

Hello all,

I am also going to attend Georgetown and I am looking for apartments fairly nearby. But, I just found out many landlords require that potential tenants earn somewhere between 2-3 times their monthly rent in monthly salary. That means that if I earned $28,000 per year (the amount of my stipend is $28,000), I couldn't expect to rent any place that costs more than $1,160. But from what I can tell, I need to pay at least $1500 for a studio or 1 bedroom in areas closer to Georgetown. Is there any way I can get a rental without meeting the income requirement? (Since I am an international student and my family is in Korea, I cannot get a guarantor in the US.)

Thanks in advance!

 

On 3/27/2017 at 10:42 AM, pandalove said:

Hello, everyone

I will also be attending Georgetown in the Fall! I have been looking for apartments/studios/rooms on Craigslist, Padmapper and Georgetown's housing website for some time now, just to have a good idea of the possibilities. They posted on the Facebook group for incoming students that Georgetown is finalizing an agreement for graduate housing at two locations in Northern Virginia, so we'll see about that...

Ideally, I wish I could find an affordable room (below $1000, utilities not included) not so far from the main campus (30/40 min walk max), but my boyfriend will be moving in with me and most people seem not to be fond of the idea of having two people share a room (although we would obviously pay double for the utilities). In addition, we'll be moving from overseas, so we can't really schedule apartment visits and naturally most landlords (and current tenants) want to meet their prospective tenants/housemates before making any decisions. So it is very likely we will have to get a studio, which is at least $1300/1400  I really hope we can find something cheaper, we are on a very tight budget.

Congrats on your acceptance!! I will also be attending Georgetown this fall (my subfield is sociolinguistics!) So glad to see someone who is going to attend GU linguistics department! It is so hard for me to find the right place at the right price

[fruitcat]

On 3/29/2017 at 3:54 PM, Moccalatte said:

What are cheap yet nice neighborhoods that are one bus or metro away from UMD? Is there any neighborhood that is similar to Columbia but closer to UMD?

I'm not familiar with Columbia, but my friend lives in the Greenbelt area and loves it. 

Also yes, finding studios in D.C. under $1400ish will be very hard, if they're around $1100 or below, they will usually have income limits, which might not be an issue on a grad stipend. A group house room around $1000 is much more do-able, but location dependent. I always plug biking in D.C. to get around the city and immediate suburbs! The infrastructure is always getting better, and the biking community is super awesome and active. 

Lastly, I know this is potentially creepy, but my group house has rooms opening up late spring! And my room will be open starting August! We're in Petworth (residential, a little far out from downtown, but great community), a 10 minute walk from the Green/Yellow line, rents around $800, 6 people in total but spread across three floors and three bathrooms. One roommate has done grad school and UMD and Georgetown, another did undergrad at GW. Feel free to PM me if you're interested or have D.C. questions in general. 

[pureint16]

Does anyone who is currently attending UMCP (or used to attend) mind sharing what he or she thinks about staying in the following residential areas (in terms of safety etc.)? Thanks!

1. Pontiac St/48th Avenue (next to Baltimore Ave and near Best Western Plus)

2. Nantucket Rd/Rhode Island Ave area (near Hollywood Elementary School/Hollywood Plaza)