Living alone vs. Roommates

[deletethisname]

I will be moving out to Washington DC this August and I want to get some feedback from those that have lived on/off campus as I have never done that. What was your experience like and do you recommend living alone or with roommates? I do not have any roommates lined up therefore I will have to live with complete strangers (which i do not want to do), otherwise I will just live by myself.

 

Your input and tips are appreciated.

Edited March 19, 2015 by kingthearab

[pavlik]

I will be moving out to Washington DC this August and I want to get some feedback from those that have lived on/off campus as I have never done that. What was your experience like and do you recommend living alone or with roommates? I do not have any roommates lined up therefore I will have to live with complete strangers (which i do not want to do), otherwise I will just live by myself.

 

Your input and tips are appreciated.

 

If you live alone, be prepared to pay for it. Probably the cheapest you can find is $1200 or $1300 per month for a shitty studio/1BD, and that would be a very good find. Probably more likely to find studios for $1400+ and 1BDs for $1500+. If you live with roommates, you can lower that cost to less than $1000, as low as $700 or so potentially (depending on the neighborhood). So it's a good way to save in an expensive city. It won't be hard to team up with incoming classmates or other students in DC, there are thousands coming here every summer. And almost everyone I know here lived with roommates off Craigslist for at least some time, so it's completely normal here. You could stick to looking at houses/apartments only with other graduate students if you want to be sure everyone will be on the same page when it comes to studying, schedules, etc.

 

If cost isn't a concern, then by all means go for your own place. But otherwise, living with other students (even if they're from another school/program) should be a fine experience, plus an easy way to meet people early on.

[camilo9292]

I will be moving out to Washington DC this August and I want to get some feedback from those that have lived on/off campus as I have never done that. What was your experience like and do you recommend living alone or with roommates? I do not have any roommates lined up therefore I will have to live with complete strangers (which i do not want to do), otherwise I will just live by myself.

 

Your input and tips are appreciated.

 

In the same boat as you. Will probably be attending AU SIS this Fall and was worried about this same situation. Following this thread

[Gov2School]

Like Pavlik said, apartments in DC are very expensive, so most young people in DC -- even ones who are not students -- live with roommates, either in an apartment or a "group house" situation (DC has a lot of large row houses, so frequently groups of people, even as many as six, will share a group house).   Most people who find apartments in DC do so off of craigslist, so you can start looking now to get a sense of what prices to pay.  Living alone, even in a studio, can cost between 1200 and 2200 dollars per month, and that does not necessarily include utilities.  A one bedroom can cost between 1500 and 2500 a month, and two bedrooms anywhere from 1800-2700, and so on (these are just estimates, I'm sure you can find more expensive places as well). I'm not sure how that compares to AU housing, but as I said you can look around craigslist and see some current prices.  If you're living with a significant other, you can save a lot of money by renting a one bedroom apartment and sharing it, but if you plan on having an unrelated roommate, you'll need a two bedroom or larger.  Three bedrooms can sometimes be a more affordable option than two bedrooms (if you find a three bedroom for under $3000, and you can find two roommates, that's better than a 2 bedroom for $2400 for example), but they have the added hassle of finding an extra roommate.  

 

The really hard thing about finding apartments in DC is that it's very difficult to do remotely.  There are a lot of young people on tight budgets here (not just students, but congressional staffers, nonprofit employees, etc), so competition for affordable places in good areas is strong, and if you can't come to look at the place in person you'll probably get passed over.  So if possible, it's a good idea to make some kind of temporary housing arrangements for the first 1-2 weeks to give yourself time to look for an apartment, that would be best.  Alternate option would be to come down to DC for a weekend before you start school and try to pack as many viewings as you can into that window. 

[Guest]

General Prospective:

 

I have lived all my four undergrad years alone and off-campus. Like this area, I will also be new to to DC. I will admit that  was more difficult for me to make many friends in my undergrad,especially since I am not originally from this area and many of the students when to high school together.  But living alone was definitely something that I wanted to do when I started undergrad. Off-campus housing is also generally cheaper than on-campus hosing as well. But, DC obviously might be a totally different story.Most graduate programs that I am looking at do not even offer on-campus housing.

 

For graduate school, I think the friend/connection thing won't be as difficult if you still choose to live alone. Unlike undergrad, we will constantly be with people within our field and most of us will be working and studying with people in our field as well. So, you can still always have that chance to network with others. This is also making me think about that Admitted student day thing, so I that I can have an early outlook on the housing situation.

Edited March 19, 2015 by Guest

[Atlas445]

Hey kingthearab here's something for you to check out.  It's a DC area rent heat map.  Gives you an idea of what's possible and where it is.  As someone living in the area, I would strongly suggest not living in the blue areas of Maryland, just trust me on that.  In any case the rest is a mixed bag and I'm sure you could find something affordable either with a roommate or without one.

[deletethisname]

Hey kingthearab here's something for you to check out.  It's a DC area rent heat map.  Gives you an idea of what's possible and where it is.  As someone living in the area, I would strongly suggest not living in the blue areas of Maryland, just trust me on that.  In any case the rest is a mixed bag and I'm sure you could find something affordable either with a roommate or without one.

 

Thank you very much for that resource. I am looking at Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Cleveland Park. I want to be close to the metro. I assume the blue areas are similar to the South and West Side of Chicago aka Chiraq? 

[Atlas445]

Thank you very much for that resource. I am looking at Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Cleveland Park. I want to be close to the metro. I assume the blue areas are similar to the South and West Side of Chicago aka Chiraq? 

 

You assume correctly

[Gov2School]

Keep in mind that DC also has a reliable bus system, so you don't always have to live right by a metro station in order to easily get around without a car (it's also a very walkable and bikeable city, since the majority of it is very flat).  It may be worth trying to find out what bus lines service your campus, just so you can expand your housing search.   If you want to live near the metro in Dupont, Adams Morgan, or Cleveland Park, be prepared to pay top dollar, as those are some of the priciest neighborhoods in the city (along with Logan Circle and the West End area around GWU) for renting, and rent anywhere near a metro station will be higher.   If you're looking for neighborhoods where rent may be more reasonable (keeping in mind that in DC "reasonable" is relative), you could look at Mt. Pleasant, Columbia Heights, Navy Yard, Southwest Waterfront, Bloomingdale, or Petworth.  In my expereince there are deals to be found for renters on Capital Hill as well, but it requires some searching.  

 

And as a general apartment hunting note, look closely at the exact location of any housing.  People will advertise an apartment as being "steps from X desirable location" when in actuality it's pretty far.  Good idea to check the Walkscore, and also to find out where the nearest grocery stores are.  Finding good quality grocery stores in DC can be a challenge, and apartments near new grocery stores are some of the most desired commodities in the city. 

 

Finally, just to flag, the red metro line is the oldest line in the system and notoriously the least reliable, so you may want to look at places where you're served by more than one method of public transport (multiple metro lines, bus and metro, etc), rather than reliant on just one line.  

[Atlas445]

And don't be afraid to look around in the Northern Virginia areas either.  Sometimes there are some great deals to be had, and even if the commute is long you could still end up saving yourself a lot of money every month on rent, which can make it worth your while.

[pavlik]

Gov2School is right, basically everyone wants to live in Dupont Circle/Adams Morgan (and to a lesser extent, Cleveland Park). I'd start with where your classes are--i.e. if GWU, then Foggy Bottom, SAIS is in Dupont, Georgetown, AU is in Tenleytown, etc.--and look around the immediate area there and areas well-connected to that by rail or bus. Biking is also an excellent way to get around--usually faster than any other means of transport (even driving) for distances under 2-3 miles--although some of the hills in NW DC can be killer (the rest of the city is pretty flat). Also, it will save you occasional frustration to live where you don't need to transfer buses/metro lines to get to campus--i.e. live on the blue, orange, or silver lines if you go to GWU, red line (which, as noted, is a hot mess 50% of the time) if SAIS.

 

Here are some general neighborhoods you and other students coming to DC may want to look in:

 

Brookland: It's in NE DC, but on the red line and manages the rare combination of being cheap, reasonably safe, and connected. Catholic University is nearby, so there are a lot of students in the area. I think they got a new grocery store lately.

 

Mt. Pleasant: quiet corner of NW DC between Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights. Not super close to a metro but has bus lines and is a 10-15 minute walk from metro stations. Bikeable to/from downtown, although it's on a hill.

 

Tenleytown: further away, but still in DC and on the metro line. Good grocery stores, safe, fairly car-friendly if you're bringing one. Near AU, bus access to Georgetown also. (red line)

 

Glover Park: Not near a metro, but fairly cheap, safe, and neighborhood-feeling area north of Georgetown. Walkable to both Georgetown and AU, decent bus access to Foggy Bottom and Dupont. Lots of grad/med students from AU/Georgetown/GWU here.

 

Rosslyn: in Arlington just across the river. Not the most character, but very close to Foggy Bottom (one station) and Georgetown (across the bridge and free shuttle). Fairly cheap. Lots of GU/GWU students. (blue/orange/silver line)

 

Shaw: Just east of Logan Circle (which is just east of Dupont). Rapidly gentrifying and hip area. Close to (parts of) downtown. Metro station and all that (green and yellow line)

 

Petworth:Similar to Shaw, but north of Columbia Heights instead. Further away from downtown and up a hill, but it's a fairly popular neighborhood (also green/yellow line)

 

Cathedral Heights:kind of the no-man's-land between Glover Park and Tenleytown, but has a brand-new grocery store that's super nice and is connected by bus to Georgetown, Tenleytown, and Foggy Bottom (a pretty long ride for FB though). Apartments are cheap here, and it's very safe, but pretty boring and not near a metro. Best views in town, though. And a good pizzeria (called 2Amy's). On what I think is the tallest hill in town (hence the views), so biking should be fun.

 

That's a short and biased assessment of some neighborhoods. I think the most important thing is to 1) figure out what your budget is then 2) figure out what your values in living are--short commute, fun vs. quiet neighborhood, safety and 3) find a neighborhood and apartment that suits your needs. It's difficult to do remotely and too far in advance (most landlords don't bother advertising until a month or so before the apartment becomes vacant), but it's manageable once you're here.

[deletethisname]

Pavlik, that is a sick guide! Thanks a lot. This should be posted in the city guide section.

[Guest]

Haha yeah. I just literally copied and pasted pavlik's post into a Word document for future reference.

[deletethisname]

Any redditors out there will find this resource on Washington DC valuable: https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/wiki/moving

[user727]

Any thoughts on english basements?

[_kita]

My experience with roommates has been a bit crappy. There's always discrepancies about household management and payment. Make sure the communication is fantastic. 

 

However, I highly suggest roommates for the money problem. With a tight, fixed income, any bit helps. Also, with a roommate you have split more costs that might have been unavailable to you before. Just make sure to communicate responsibilities, expectations, and have the ability to have space from each other (in your home as well as out of it). Grad school is stressful enough without having a stressful home life. 

 

I actually chose to move 1 1/2 hours away from my campus for living situation. My roommates were inconsistent, and their behaviors worrisome. So I ended up moving in with my boyfriend 2 years before we expected. It's working out well, but there's still a lot of communication over responsibilities. I made it clear initially that during the school semester, I get hyper-class focused and no time for household stuff. He's realizing the truth of it finally... we're working out a system, but talking about it is key.

[Guest]

I'm leaning towards roommates now. I'm attending GWU unfunded at the moment and spitting out ~24k strictly for a 1 bedroom apartment sounds daunting when I can direct that money to more worthy opportunities. I seem to have better luck finding 2 bedroom apartments @ 1k and cutting rent down to only 500-700$ versus praying for and finding a nice affordable single apartment. I also would like to stay somewhere close to my campus.

As for the crappy roommate thing, I hope to live with a fellow graduate student. Given both of our points in life as grad students, you would presume that there would be some type of responsibility and less childplay. I've never lived with anyone before and hope to not have to deal with anyone crazy.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Guest

[intlmktng]

 I seem to have better luck finding 2 bedroom apartments @ 1k and cutting rent down to only 500-700$ versus praying for and finding a nice affordable single apartment.

 

How exactly do you plan to do this in DC?

[pavlik]

How exactly do you plan to do this in DC?

 

Seconding this. If a bedroom in a 2BD apartment is $500-700, it’s one or more of these: a) not a 2BD, b ) not in DC but a far-flung suburb like Rockville, c) not anywhere near a metro station, d) not in what could be described as a “safe” part of town, and most assuredly e) not near downtown or GWU. In fact, you’re not going to find anything for $500 here. Unless you share a bedroom or live in Baltimore.

 

Case in point: my first rental in DC was a month-to-month room in an older 2BD1BA for $750/month (utilities included). It met conditions c) and e) of the above—the closest metro was a 15-minute bus or bike ride away and was about 20-30 minutes from downtown/Foggy Bottom, while still being in DC. That was over 2 years ago, and it was a wonderful deal, despite the tiny kitchen and decrepit window A/C unit.  Looking back, I regret moving closer into town for a slightly pricier and even more decrepit 2BD in Adams Morgan. Turned out the Adams Morgan apartment was next to a Spanish discoteca (not the best place to get sleep Thu-Sat nights), had rats, and a shitty roommate (who stole from me and left drugs all over the place).

 

A more realistic budget to live in a 2BD near Foggy Bottom or a metro station would be $900 (on the low end) to $1300. Higher prices probably preclude roommates like the 2^nd one I had.

Edited April 13, 2015 by pavlik

[Guest]

^Perhaps, I was too mistakenly unrealistic n that post and didn't mean to say 500-700$ (especially for certain parts of DC like Foggybottom) lol . I haven't even been up to DC yet (or the DMV area) and even considered staying up in the Arlington VA area. But as Pavlik said in his first post, I have indeed been able to find 2-bedroom apartments online that cost around 1300-1800(apparently not in the Foggybottom area, but off elsewhere).So, I'm just keeping my doors open for options where rent will cost less than 1k (with a roommate) and will continue researching before I can make it up to the DC/DMV area within May or so.

[Guest]

Thanks for the post above mine as well by the way. I think the sooner I make a visit to DC/DMV the better. But for now, I will just use this thread, Craigslist, etc until that time gets closer.

[_kita]

Thanks for the post above mine as well by the way. I think the sooner I make a visit to DC/DMV the better. But for now, I will just use this thread, Craigslist, etc until that time gets closer.

 

Try to only use Craigslist as a final source. Your university should have off-campus housing threads you can use. Then, at least, you'll have a better funnel. Craigslist usually is where you find more of the scam artists, trade "in-house care+ other services for free rent" etc. I've found 1 good roommate that way, but seem the only one I've known with good luck on there. >.<

[user727]

@pavlik

Thanks for all your useful posts! I have some questions

How were you able to find roommates? Craigslist or did you use school resources like the housing website?

When you lived further away from the campus, how was the commute especially during winter? I was advised to live within walking distance from the campus, but I am currently weighing this option against living near a metro stop/shuttle stop.

Thanks in advance!

[Guest]

Update:

 

I made my first flight to DC and stayed for four days. It was a stressful process because most of the buildings in DC were high rise buildings with floors that go up to the double digits and some even required a certain income/cosigner in order to be occupied.  And yes, they are expensive. I had hit up many DC/NoVA areas (Shaw, Dupont circle, Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Pentagon City, Crystal City, Downtown Arlington). As a note though, avoid Southwest and Northeast DC folks...especially if you have night classes like me. Anyway long story short, I found a nice one bedroom apartment for under $1600 in a suburban area within Northern Virginia. It's a traditional apartment complex with each building only having 3 floors. I might be putting myself in a hole, but I couldn't do the roommate thing with random people. I'm 17 hours away, missed the Admitted Student day, and that was the only visit that I will ever make to DC until classes starts up (I only stayed for 4 days). I've also never roomed with anyone in my life and probably won't be but many people consider 'fun/outgoing' material, haha.

 

Craigslist was sketchy for me. Most sellers only putted their email addresses and not their phone numbers. I would email many people a couples times yet would never receive a reply back. While I found my apartment old school style (searching on ground), this website was awesome right here: http://www.apartments.com/washington-dc/studio-beds-1-baths-900-to-1600/. It lets you know if there is are metro/bus stops, foodmarkets, restaurants, etc near the apartments that interest you.

 

For transportation, I am hopping on a busstop that is next to my apartment. That bus will take me to a metro in Pentagon City. Then that train will take me on a 9 minute ride to Foggy Bottom. Thankfully, I only have classes 2-3 times a week.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Guest

[RCtheSS]

All I can say is, welcome to the DMV region and its exorbitant cost of living!