STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Lilykind · Hermes

tentative relocation plans: DC...need advice on where to live!

ayo · Coach

I live in MD...

since he said he wants to live near the production office..I would recommend downtown Silver Springs..

TJ's is about 10 mins away...there is a train stop right in the heart of the city..

tons of resturants and stuff within walking distance...Costco is maybe 20 mins away from there and target is only 15 mins..unfortunately neither are walking distance...living in silver springs will require some occasional driving.

now if he's open to commuting to work..there are tons of cool places in DC proper to look into.

but none of these are really walking distance to any of the places (TJ may be the exception)...the stores he mentioned tend to be found in more of suburbia...

ILoveChoo · Hermes

ayo wrote:

I live in MD...

since he said he wants to live near the production office..I would recommend downtown Silver Springs..

TJ's is about 10 mins away...there is a train stop right in the heart of the city..

tons of resturants and stuff within walking distance...Costco is maybe 20 mins away from there and target is only 15 mins..unfortunately neither are walking distance...living in silver springs will require some occasional driving.

now if he's open to commuting to work..there are tons of cool places in DC proper to look into.

but none of these are really walking distance to any of the places (TJ may be the exception)...the stores he mentioned tend to be found in more of suburbia...

this is pretty much exactly what I was going to suggest.

Lilykind · Hermes

We don't mind driving to costco, target, and TJs (we do shopping runs every 3 weeks or so so we load up...I can;t imagine going to Costco sans car.). I guess we're more concerned about having drugstores and good restaurants nearby since that's what we have now.

is reverse commuting a bitch from DC? I really want to live in the Logan Circle-ish area but am worried about traffic. I'm used to people working all over LA so there's congestion everywhere.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

there are pelnty of drugstores and restaurants in SS.

Logan Circle is nice, but I'm not terribly familiar with the area. I know there's a whole foods there. It a pretty expensive neighborhood, from what I know. I'm assuming you'll be commuting via car? That shouldn't be too bad to SS maybe a half hour-20 minutes?

Lilykind · Hermes

ILoveChoo wrote:

there are pelnty of drugstores and restaurants in SS. Logan Circle is nice, but I'm not terribly familiar with the area. I know there's a whole foods there. It a pretty expensive neighborhood, from what I know.

hmmmmm...I'm used to expensive neighborhoods. I live in one and I still ask myself why rent at other places in my 'hood are $2100 for a 1 BR .

I would consider up to $1100 for a 1 BR.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

Lilykind wrote:

I would consider up to $1100 for a 1 BR.

for youre half or the whole thing? Cause honestly, you'll have a hard time finding somethign for that in any neighborhood.

Lilykind · Hermes

ILoveChoo wrote:

Lilykind wrote:

I would consider up to $1100 for a 1 BR.

for youre half or the whole thing? Cause honestly, you'll have a hard time finding somethign for that in any neighborhood.

I was hoping for whole thing...guess I'll amend that to 1500 then? I can't imagine DC being worse than LA, but BF and I are both spoiled by rent control (we pay 1400 together).

ILoveChoo · Hermes

Lilykind wrote:

ILoveChoo wrote:

Lilykind wrote:

I would consider up to $1100 for a 1 BR.

for youre half or the whole thing? Cause honestly, you'll have a hard time finding somethign for that in any neighborhood.

I was hoping for whole thing...guess I'll amend that to 1500 then? I can't imagine DC being worse than LA, but BF and I are both spoiled by rent control (we pay 1400 together).

DC is pretty bad. For a good neighborhood 1 bedrooms probably start around $1400+. I paid a little over $1600 for my last one, and it was super small but right next to a metro stop.

montmarte · Kenneth Cole

Ditto with renting in Silver Spring...it's pretty convenient if you're living in the middle of it since there's metro, restaurants, grocery stores, and close promixity to DC. Rent is around $1100-1200 for a one bedroom in this area.

calichic · Dooney & Bourke

I live in Dupont Circle and my bf used to live practically on Logan Circle. He had a basement studio for $1100 to kind of gauge the cost, but I think that $1500ish would be decent for that area. There is a whole foods on P St between 15th and 14th; not TJs, but ehh, its what you get in the city. Oh and it is not exactly the *safest* part of town. I mean, they are trying to gentrify the area, but it is still has some strange homeless people and can occasionally smell like urine (yum, I know). However, Logan Circle is within walking distance (10min) to U St. which has some fun bars and restaurants.

I think that Dupont Circle area is nice, expensive tho, and not *exactly* what you are looking for, especially concerning Costco, Target, and TJs. Oh and you would have to consider where you would have your car if you were in the city bc there is little parking and it is quite expensive (I think at least half your rent per month per space).

IMHO, I think that you would be best off in SS. It has what you want and when you want to go into the city, you can drive or catch the metro.

HTH!!

ayo · Coach

SS is close enough to DC that you honestly won't have a hard time going in and out of DC..

I think commuting from DC to SS wouldn't be too bad..it really should be only a few stops via metro...max I'm guessing 20 mins each way..

I'll warn you though...I'm personally not a fan of the red line (which is the line that runs to SS) there are ALWAYS delays on that bad boy and the schedule gets kinda funky after 7pm...

I think you'd like SS..there is definitely no shortage of things to do..and the proximity to DC makes it easy to find a change of scene should you need one.

$1500 is probably about right for a descent spot in SS. $1100 may be cutting it close..

let me know if you have any other questions. I lived in SS for 15 years so I'm pretty familiar with the place..

Lilykind · Hermes

ayo wrote:

SS is close enough to DC that you honestly won't have a hard time going in and out of DC..

I think commuting from DC to SS wouldn't be too bad..it really should be only a few stops via metro...max I'm guessing 20 mins each way..

I'll warn you though...I'm personally not a fan of the red line (which is the line that runs to SS) there are ALWAYS delays on that bad boy and the schedule gets kinda funky after 7pm...

I think you'd like SS..there is definitely no shortage of things to do..and the proximity to DC makes it easy to find a change of scene should you need one.

$1500 is probably about right for a descent spot in SS. $1100 may be cutting it close..

let me know if you have any other questions. I lived in SS for 15 years so I'm pretty familiar with the place..

Technically, if we were to get an apartment, what would happen is that the production would compensate us for the rent. They would calculate the amount that it would take to house us for the same amount of time in a hotel and reimburse us to cover the living expenses. We'd rather not live extravagantly and use the extra cash to pay to keep my apartment in LA since if we don't keep our low rent, we'd be priced out of our neighborhood.

ladies, thanks for all the help. I started looking at Silver Spring and it does seem pretty nice. I'm a total urban nut so we may try to live downtown close to the metro stops.

does this mean I can essentially avoid the Beltway? I think it's the worst highway in the country...after having been stuck on it for 5 hours at a time.

alb · Marc Jacobs

Lilykind--I don't know a lot about Silver Spring but I've read that there are some good new restaurants there and I think it's a bit of an up and coming neighborhood. It's definitely more suburban then Logan Circle, which is right in the District and very happening, but getting expensive and maybe not as safe. Other areas to consider are Alexandria, VA (5 miles south of DC), either Old Town or Del Ray. We live in Old Town (well, we're overseas now but renting out our place) and there was a TJs within walking distance to us (it's on St Asaph and Pendleton, and we were on Pendleton). To give you an idea of rent there, we rented our place out for $2100, it's a 2 bedroom, 2 bath. It's worth taking a look though. It is also very close to Costco and Target (like a 5 minute drive). Neighboring Del Ray is a cute neighborhood in Alexandria also, w/ a little main street and lots of old Tudor homes that have been remodeled. Pricewise it's getting close to Old Town though, but if you look hard you might find something in your price range. It would be cheaper than Logan Circle but probably not as reasonable as SS. It's a dog friendly neighborhood with a few really good restaurants but not a lot of bars.

You could also look into Arlington. The Clarendon area is nice but congested. Lots of high rises and good restaurants and bars w/ a lot of chain stores--Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and a couple of good small clothing boutiques (South Moon Under, All About Jane, Shoefly, I think there's a Free People there if you like them). There are also little pockets of Arlington that are good; so I wouldn't rule anything out if you see a good deal. Arl. is also very close to DC.

I wouldn't worry about the commute. It's not that bad in any of those places, esp. if you're coming from LA. YOu wouldn't have to get on the beltway if you lived in Arlington or Alex, and probably not SS (but not sure). Hope this helps some. I know this is an old post but thought I'd respond anyway.

dc · Dooney & Bourke

Hi lilykind! Just want to add my .02.

I think you know I was born & raised here. I now live happily in Logan Circle (pretty much on the same block as Whole Foods) and have also lived in Ballston, Courthouse (both Arlington) and Del Ray (Alexandria). There's lots to recommend all of those places - my fave would be Del Ray, least fave would be Ballston (STERILE). One day, I sometimes think, I'll go back and get a bungalow in Del Ray - it's a great neighborhood. Wonderful indie restaurants and stores, and the kind of neighborhood feel you really thought did not exist anymore. In MD, my sister lives in Bethesda after many years in Dupont Circle (basically right next to Logan, as you prob know), and she loves it. And Silver Spring is quietly coming into its own as a destination for good food and entertainment - lots of buzz there. So great options abound everywhere.

Ok, so all that said, if you are only here for 3-5 months, you seriously MUST live in the city. IMO Dupont and Logan are the best in terms of what you want - walking to the best restaurants, being near decent shopping, easy accessibility to highways to hop out to the burbs for other stuff (and trust me, I need my Target on Rte 50 and my Ikea in College Park!). My block does not smell like pee (ok, the alley behind my building sort of does on a hot day, but what alley doesn't?). There are homeless people everywhere, as there have been my entire life (much better now than during the Reagan Administration, though) and they are fine. This is a city, and it's child's play compared to L.A. I feel safe, but I am wary, of course.

You do not need a car here, either - 3 metro lines (Red, Green, Orange) are within easy walking distance of my house.

You might look into rentals rates at the Ellington, The DeSoto, and the Hudson if you want a newer place. But honestly, look at the Washington Post web site and you can find charming older places at better prices privately rented.

If you are not into Dupont or Logan, Woodley or Cleveland Park would be tranquil yet convenient. Columbia Heights and Petworth are very "up and coming," a term you can take for what it is. (I'd totally live in CH or Mount Pleasant, incidentally, and have many friends who do. But some see them as "sketchy." Depends who you are.)

As far as other parts of DC, I have looked into Capitol Hill (considered buying a house) but it was SO far away and honestly i know nobody there. SUCH a haul from anywhere else in the city. It's really a city unto itself and a good 20 minutes from anywhere else. And it's not my vibe. Cannot recommend.

I have such problems with G-town, do not get me started. I know people here like it, but it's way too conservative and preppy for me, and - as we've learned from a recent murder - no safer. I have friends who enjoy its vibe, but it's not for me. That said, you can walk to Dupont from there. For me, that begs the question - why not be in Dupont, then? It's not really cheaper.

As far as price, honestly, you can find something similar in any neighborhood. My place in Ballston cost more than my (much nicer) place in Logan, and I love Logan SO much more. If you want brand-spanking new (i.e., the Ellington on U St). a 1 br is gonig to run you 2K plus parking. But if you can appreciate an older 4th floor walkup on the main drag in Mt Pleasant with street parking, you're looking at 1K for a 1 BR (from what a friend pays). My bro paid $700 for a studio in the heart of Adams-Morgan last year. Not fancy, but awesome location. The prices are all over the place, and the 'burbs are NOT that much cheaper than the city. Really unless you live way out, it's negligible. You have to factor in how much you mgiht spend on cab fare or metro to get into the city for entertainment. I figured out that I spend so much on cabs that it was dumb for me to live in VA. Basically, I pick location first and then find a place I can afford.

HTH - best of luck. You can PM me if you want for more specifics. :)

P.S. I commute from Logan to Ballston (Arlington) and it's 20 mins. Sometimes 25-45 mins. Depends on the daily idiocy. I imagine it would be roughly the same to a MD 'burb, as the trick is getting out of the city. Dupont Circle and the idiot tourists and people who don't understand traffic circles or right-on-red are what hangs me up.

-- Edited by dc at 23:39, 2006-08-18

-- Edited by dc at 23:48, 2006-08-18

Lilykind · Hermes

oh my gosh you girls have given the most awesome advice. unfortunately we just got word the plans fell through and i'll be stuck in Los Angeles for the near future.

(and any possibility of relocation looks to be in New York or London, but things change at my job on a regular basis so you really never know...)