Washington, DC and Maryland suburbs

[ExpensivePink]

i actually live in CP and have not experienced any issues. I'm a single female and I've felt nothing but safe in my neighborhood. We are not near the main drag (Route 1) but we're still technically considered CP,. I'm close to the major highways (495 and 295), as well as along the campus shuttle AND metro route. I have a car but really don't *need* one.

 

There are some neighborhood gems in College Park, Greenbelt and Laurel; iif you are adventurous you might try finding housing along Metro's "Green Line" - so you won't have to transfer if you take the train (http://www.washingtonpost.com/rentals/).

 

Another suggestion is to go ahead and subscribe to your program's student listserv. Many times you'll find people subletting or seeking housemates.

[merrysoprano]

Hi DC/'burbs people! Just wanted to give a little bit of advice on one area. I'm from Frederick, and I've seen a few people, just in browsing this thread, that have asked about it, so hopefully this will help people moving to the area and considering Frederick. It's a really great, growing town. I think many consider it a rural town/D.C. exurb, but it's definitely got its own personality. Downtown Frederick in particular is really awesome; very historic, super cute, great bars/restaurants/music, and good shopping. There's a local liberal arts college, Hood, so there's a bit of a college population, but the bulk of Downtown is comprised of young professionals and families. You can get a very nice apartment (like, even a 2 bedroom) for ~$1500/mo. And, like much of MoCo, Frederick has a lot of typical suburban sprawl with every chain you could ever wish for. The public schools are great. The city's blossomed within the last ten years and with the ever-encroaching Metro Area I expect it to get even better. So, I think it's a really viable option for someone who is commuting to D.C. or NoVA. Okay, there's my glowing review.

[brandnewtothis]

Hey everyone,

 

It looks like DC has changed and the housing market has changed since this was last an active discussion.  I think this needs a revamp.

 

I've been looking through Craigslist and it's really hard to find good but affordable housing in a lot of the areas mentioned here, especially along the blue and orange lines (which I need.)

 

I've also noticed in terms of crime, different neighborhoods have shuffled numbers around, even in just the past 2-3 years.  In 2010 there was an article about a neighborhood being a quiet, safe, rural town, and this year there was an article announcing that crime has gone up and that its metro stop is not officially the most dangerous metro stop.

 

 

So, what's up with DC?  Anyone got any advice for housing along the blue/orange lines?  If that doesn't pan out well, does anyone have an idea for how to find affordable housing along the red line?

[batcathat]

In addition to the above requests, does anyone have suggestions for locating housing other than craigslist? I've been watching it as well the last couple weeks and it isn't giving me much hope. Is there somewhere else people generally advertise rental properties?

[annieca]

Washington Post has a nice service on their website.

 

Considering College Park again. I'm naturally wary of Prince George's County but having commuted from NOVA to American History every day for an hour each way, I'm also wary of living too far away. I think the prices have definitely jumped since I first started looking. When I was first looking I could find studios for $800 around College Park and now I can't find anything less than $1200 a month.

[ion_exchanger]

@Annieca, have you looked at Silver Spring in Montgomery County? There aren't many apartments close to $800, but there are some under $1200. They might not be luxurious, but that all depends on what you want. Many buses run between the two cities.

[avalle]

Live in Baltimore and commute! Rent in Baltimore is insanely cheap, and the commute is not bad AT ALL! Maybe 30-40 minutes down 95S. or you can take the MARC (I think).

Baltimore also has way more of a social scene, with great arts, music, and a lot of young professionals and artists living in the city. College Park is pretty quiet and boring (and kinda pricey), and D.C. is insanely expensive and in my own personal opinion, doesn't have the same personality that Baltimore does. 

 

That's just my opinion. Best of luck! 

[annieca]

I lived in NOVA (Franconia-Springfield near Fort Belvoir) in the summer of 2012 and I can certainly tell you that if you can avoid driving - DO SO! We would commute from Springfield to Rosslyn by car every once in awhile and it would take at least half an hour, usually more. I don't know if the Maryland side is better or worse, but it's something to be aware of. That, and parking costs are atrocious.

 

The train - you can take the MARC from Baltimore to DC but it's not a feasible option for College Park because you'd have to go into DC and change at Union Station and then change again because Union Station is on the Red Line and College Park is on the Green. It doesn't make sense in my opinion to live in Baltimore if you're going to take the train and go to College Park. Drive, maybe, but still... the Beltway is the most disgusting thing I think I've ever seen.

[MaitreTea]

I am attending Georgetown for graduate school in the fall, and I currently live in California. So long-distance apartment/room share hunting will be pretty stressful. I might be able to stay with some friends so I can hunt in person. I'm thinking of living in Rossyln, Clarendon, or Courthouse. There's a free shuttle service that Georgetown offers that runs from the Rosslyn Metro. Will I be able to get away with something under $1300? I might prefer an efficiency (probably can't afford a one bedroom) but I might have to resign to the fact I'll need to have room mates. Does this seem plausible? I've been browsing mostly on Craigslist, but are there any other places I can look for listings?

[ion_exchanger]

Have you tried the Georgetown website for off campus housing? I've browsed it and there are a few apartment listings there. I don't remember if there is a roommate finder feature on there.

[MaitreTea]

I have; however, I'm not so sure that the roommate finder feature is helpful, I don't think people have used it recently

[Kadisha]

I have; however, I'm not so sure that the roommate finder feature is helpful, I don't think people have used it recently

 

Check your inbox.

[Miskina]

Which MARC train line can we take from Baltimore to DC? I'm definitely thinking of living in Baltimore instead of DC.

[ion_exchanger]

You can either take the Camden line or the penn line. The Camden line runs between the Baltimore Camden station and union station in DC. The Camden only runs during am and pm rush. The penn line runs between union station and Baltimore penn station and for certain trips all the way out to Aberdeen. This train runs frequently between 5am and 10pm. Keep in mind that both of these trains run Monday through Friday only. Hope this helps!

[Miskina]

Are there other cities that are less expensive than D.C., as easy to go to as Baltimore,but also faster to go to than Baltimore? I'm worried that 1 hour train each way + taking the subway will be tiring...

[ion_exchanger]

It will be tiring, especially when you factor in delays on both the Marc and subway. I would suggest cities in Montgomery county, such as Rockville, silver spring, etc. You can catch the red line downtown, but also drive to Baltimore. I'm not quite understanding your question. Do you want to be able to go to Baltimore sometimes, or a city that is as easy to get around as Baltimore?

[Miskina]

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. I actually want to live in a city that is easy to reach from D.C. (where I'll go to school), such as Baltimore, but in less time that it would take if I lived in Baltimore (I.e closer to D.C than Baltimore). Are the cities that you suggested accessible by train ? Unfortunately I don't drive so I would need to use public transportation. Again, thank you for your help.

[ion_exchanger]

So I'm guessing that you will be attending George Washington. Yes, the cities that I mentioned are accessible by train/bus. The cities I mentioned have many apartment buildings that are near the train station. You are fortunate in that you have multiple options. The cities that you can focus on are silver spring, rockville, shady grove, bethesda (expensive!) in montgomery county, greenbelt, hyattsville, college park, largo, capitol heights, landover, and new carrollton in prince georges county. All of these cities have very different feels, and depend on what type of environment you would like. I'd be happy to elaborate if you would like. Some students who attend schools in DC actually find that living in northern virginia is better for them. Cities such as alexandria, arlington, ballston, and clarendon are metro accessible.

[TheWB]

Any current suggestions on an affordable neighborhood in D.C., or the immediate suburbs? I know this thread has quite a few suggestions, but D.C. seems to be gentrifying really rapidly, so what was affordable three years ago doesn't seem to be anymore. My girlfriend and I are both more or less from the hood, or at least poor/working class urban neighborhoods, so it doesn't have to be a beautiful place or murder-free, it just has to be reasonably safe (not Washington Highlands) and cheap ($1000-1200/month for a 1 bedroom).

 

I'll be at Georgetown, so something within an hour's commute would be nice.

[ion_exchanger]

@THEWB: I don't know much about living in the district of columbia, I've always lived in the suburbs of Maryland. If you look at the the post a couple up from yours, the cities that I suggested that are in Prince Georges County may be good for you. All are within an hour's commute.

 

@ajollycossack: Craigslist seems to be the go-to for looking for sublets. If that is still too sketchy for you, luckily there are plenty of summer sublets in this area. DC is a hotspot for summer internships with all the agencies in the DC area. I would suggest going to the websites of schools in this area, i.e Georgetown, GWU, American, CUA, GMU, UMD, etc and looking to see if they are advertising summer sublets on their housing websites. I have heard that this sometimes helps people.

[Tupacalypse]

I might be attending American in the fall and was interested in cheap housing in NW DC or somewhere along the red line.  Safety isn't as much of a concern for me honestly, or at least paying less rent is a priority.  I wouldn't mind living in the ghetto as long as its near the Red line or within walking distance to American.  Does anybody have any suggestions?  I'm looking for around 600-800$ for a 1BR or 1000$ for 2BR

[PsychGirl1]

Anyone living in a house and looking for another roomie come August? I don't really want a roommate in my tiny cohort (so much could go wrong there), so I'm looking at either microscopic studios or shared houses- but know minimal people in the area, and even studios are expensive. I'm interested in Silver Spring, Rockville, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, DC, etc.- as long as it's safe and within 0.7 miles of the red line, I'm there :-D. PM me if you're interested in talking more and seeing if I'd be a good fit!

[PsychGirl1]

<Crickets>

[batcathat]

Hi all!

Does anyone from the area have any thoughts on Hyattsville?

[bgdgcg]

I am a single female that knows very little about the DC area. I would love some feed back on what areas are safe for a female to live alone and the average rent. 

 

Thanks!