Moving Away from Campus, into the City

[slx]

I'm a UMD grad student who is living close to the campus, but I'm considering moving to Washington DC.

I'm feeling pretty isolated here, there's nothing to do and while DC is not too far away, you don't really get to make use of what DC has to offer if you're not really living there. While as a grad student I'm be pretty busy, I don't want to live as if I'm in a solitary cell for the next 5-6 years. As a gay male in his mid-twenties, I feel I'm wasting a good opportunity by not living in a city like DC. 

I don't mind commuting to campus (right now I take the UMD shuttle), the only thing I'm worried slightly about are the costs. For those who know the area - is DC doable (with roommates) on a monthly budget  of $1300-1400?

Has anyone done this or something similar to this - moved away from campus, instead of moving closer to the campus? I'd be glad to hear any advice anyone can give.

I'm posting this as a new thread instead of posting it in the "DC & Suburbs" thread because I'd like to hear from anyone who's been in a similar situation.

[foldingtime]

I'm a UMD grad student who is living close to the campus, but I'm considering moving to Washington DC.

I'm feeling pretty isolated here, there's nothing to do and while DC is not too far away, you don't really get to make use of what DC has to offer if you're not really living there. While as a grad student I'm be pretty busy, I don't want to live as if I'm in a solitary cell for the next 5-6 years. As a gay male in his mid-twenties, I feel I'm wasting a good opportunity by not living in a city like DC. 

I don't mind commuting to campus (right now I take the UMD shuttle), the only thing I'm worried slightly about are the costs. For those who know the area - is DC doable (with roommates) on a monthly budget  of $1300-1400?

Has anyone done this or something similar to this - moved away from campus, instead of moving closer to the campus? I'd be glad to hear any advice anyone can give.

I'm posting this as a new thread instead of posting it in the "DC & Suburbs" thread because I'd like to hear from anyone who's been in a similar situation.

This is a month later, so perhaps a bit late. Also, to be clear, I don't go to UMD, so take what I say with a grain of salt. My SO went to UMD, so I'm pretty familiar with it, and we still go there about once every 2 months (I'm a Georgetown person). Still, I've never actually lived at UMD, so that's why I'm offering this prefatory comment.

Since you live in College Park, I'm sure you have a good idea of what the costs of living in DC would be. Yes, 1300-1400 a month is doable with roommate(s). It would be stretching a bit in, say, Dupont or Georgetown, but almost anywhere else in the city would work. How much are you able to spend just on rent? In how small a space are you willing to live? What's your favorite part of the city? I'd say your best bet is Columbia Heights or Mount Pleasant; which, I'm guessing, are where most UMD people live if they want to be in the city, since they're both just off the green line. Or, if you want to come in a bit further on the Green Line, you could live off U Street. It's just as lively there, and a bit closer to downtown and all that.

My suggestion is to pick your favorite part of the city and then pick somewhere where you can walk to that place. Then, check to see if it's an easy commute to UMD. My favorite parts of DC are Dupont and Adams Morgan. So, I live in Adams Morgan. I can, and often do, easily walk to Mount Pleasant, Dupont, Columbia Heights, or Woodley. While AdMo is fairly close to the Green Line, it would be a pain to walk to and from there everyday, day in and day out. When I use Metro, I use the Red Line. Rents in this neighborhood are roughly 2grand a month for a full 1 bedroom, or about 1300 for a studio. If you look around Adams Morgan, U Street, Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant, you should be able to easily find a nice 2 bedroom for around 2500 or so. You should be able to find a big 1 bedroom or 1 1/2 bedroom for around 2000. I guess, really, it depends on: 1) how far you can stretch your 1300-1400, and 2) how close you are willing to live with your roommate. If you're having more than 1 roommate, then, of course, things change a bit.

I hope you go for it! I love DC. It's a great city for walking around and exploring. DC has a completely different feel to it when you live here. Most people I know that don't like DC don't actually live here. So, they say, for example, "Ew! Adams Morgan! That's a place for Frat Boys!" because Adams Morgan is a madhouse Friday and Saturday nights, filled with drunk college kids. If you can, visit your favorite neighborhoods during the middle of the day on a regular weekday. That's how I fell in love with Adams Morgan. You'll probably hear all kinds of things from people about each neighborhood. Make sure you find out how close those people actually live to that neighborhood. For example, you'll hear people say that Columbia Heights is dangerous. Well, yes, certain parts of Columbia Heights aren't too great (14th and Girard). And, yes, there've been 3 shootings there in the past year (two of which were random, the other right next to the Metro stop). Overall, though, it's a great neighborhood.

[Yem2808]

I'm a UMD grad student who is living close to the campus, but I'm considering moving to Washington DC.

I'm feeling pretty isolated here, there's nothing to do and while DC is not too far away, you don't really get to make use of what DC has to offer if you're not really living there. While as a grad student I'm be pretty busy, I don't want to live as if I'm in a solitary cell for the next 5-6 years. As a gay male in his mid-twenties, I feel I'm wasting a good opportunity by not living in a city like DC. 

I don't mind commuting to campus (right now I take the UMD shuttle), the only thing I'm worried slightly about are the costs. For those who know the area - is DC doable (with roommates) on a monthly budget  of $1300-1400?

Has anyone done this or something similar to this - moved away from campus, instead of moving closer to the campus? I'd be glad to hear any advice anyone can give.

I'm posting this as a new thread instead of posting it in the "DC & Suburbs" thread because I'd like to hear from anyone who's been in a similar situation.

want a roommate? i would LOVE to live in dc. i hate college park!

[RNadine21]

Where exactly do you live right now? Can you move close to the Metro stop? Then you're still in College Park but only a train ride away from DC.

Another thought, if you move near the red line (maybe in Silver Spring?) you can hop on and hop right off in Dupont Circle.