HELP - Moving to DC - Where to Live???
 

Getting a bit desperate. Moving to DC - next week! I thought I had this figured out until about MN tonight. Here's the deal, my oldest daughter (25 yrs) is a flight attendent at Dulles, I'll be working at Bolling AFB. Would like an apartment convienent to both of us. Was recommended Arlington and Alexandria...great! However, looking through the apartment reviews tonight, I'm seeing a lot of comments about gang activity in those areas. With a "reasonable" commute for both, where is a good area to live, not overly expensive (I still own a home in SAT that my wife is staying behind to sell...in the next 6-8 months). My #1 concern is the safety of my daughter. Sigh....any recommendations from the locals??? I'd be eternally grateful to get some solid intel. :confused:

thanks

Thanks..good plan I'll try that.

Hmmm -- appears the member addresses have been disabled.

Rob... come to the darkside www.dorkiphus.com

plenty of people in the dc area...

edit: the site has a new design and i think this one will be easier to navigate http://www.dorkiphus.com/porsche/index.php?


and to answer your question, it depends on what you want... house w/ a garage, apt building etc?

NW quadrant is the obvious choice, Georgetown is pretty nice, I'm close to Dupont circle area. I hear Cleveland Park is a pretty cool place too.

Dave, thanks so much. I'll get on the site and pop the question there. Stupid question I know, but by NW quadrant, you mean within the DC "square"...right? I'll do a search on those areas next. Was looking for an apartment, will save houses and garages until my wife joins me, hopefully something affordable can be found.

thanks again

yes, the NW part is the section of dc where most of what you know about dc is located

I reread your post and if you are considering Virginia as well, there are plenty of proponents of Alexandria and surrounding communities. I'm new here too so the dorki gang will be able to explain it to you a little more accurately

My $0.02 - there is no such place that's convenient to both Bolling and Dulles. It'll just be a matter of the least inconvenience. Sorry. :)

Arlington and Alexandria don't have gang problems. I'm not sure where you heard that, but I spend 90% of my non-working life in those two areas and it's perfectly safe.

I would honestly say Alexandria. It's right across the bridge from where 295 intesects 495 so your commute won't be bad - although you'll cross the Woodrow Wilson bridge so there WILL be traffic. (My #1 rule with this area is: don't put a bridge between you and work, but I don't have a daughter's safety to think about.) Alexandria is relatively easy to get to from Dulles, although it is a 45 minutes in easy traffic. Don't let that number scare you; 45 minutes is very reasonable for this area. And since she probably won't be commuting with the rest of us 9-to-5 drones, she won't have to worry too much about the traffic snarls getting from Dulles to Alex. And when she does she can take the Dulles Access road all the way to the Beltway which is much more pleasant than I-66.

Oh, and I'm the Dave who's safe for your daughter to meet. ;)

Will watch for a thread on Dorki.

Hmmm, I didn't think any of the local Dave's were safe to meet. :p

Hi Rob, I've been living in this area for the past 16 years and I can tell you that the crime gets worse the further South you go. You should stay away from NE, SW, or SE DC, also avoid areas of Prince Georges County MD. Your best bet is somewhere in Maryland, Kensington, Bethesda comes to mind, or in Virginia Alexandria or Arlington. I would highly recommend living in MD, but then again I'm bias. ;)

oh, and don't worry about the gangs.......they're on my payroll. :p

The problem with living in MD is going to be that PG county is close and the further away from there he gets the worse both commutes (bolling and dulles) will get. Or so I would think...

What Jim said, Rob ever heard of the term "Dangerous Dave"..........none of them are safe :D

Not necessarily, living in Kensington or Bethesda, you can always take the side roads or Clara Barton Parkway to get to DC. The problem occurs when you have to hop onto I-270 or I-495 South in the morning. The problem with Prince Georges county is that it is a hike from Dulles. That commute will be horrible.

Viriginia traffic is just as bad, if not worse IMO. I-66 and 495 on the VA side is like sitting in a parking lot. At least in MD, you can expect people to drive faster than the speed limit.

The problem with this area is that you will shell out big bucks to live anyhwere in NoVA, Montgomery County, and especially in DC. The only affordable housing in DC is section 8. :rolleyes:

What about Georgetown ? Been there this summer Vacation and love the City however the Traffic is very bad after 16:00 .

My 0.02 Cents

JL Garcia
912, 1968
MEXICO

Thanks guys...I'll be sure to warn my daughter about Dave (hell, it's bad enough she's working with pilots now...my friends are pilots...oh the stories!). My co-workers were asking how she could bring a date home with her father there...lol! Anyway, I got this quote from a review of an apartment in Arlington, then noticed several other gang references in other posts:

I wouldn't recommend moving here. This Alexandria apartment complex, like pretty much EVERY apartment complex along the Rte. 1 corridor from as far south as Woodbridge all the way up to Old Towne, is becoming 'gang territory'. How do I know all of this? I used to gang bang for almost a decade. Born and raised in Alexandria, Va. Next time you're running errands along Rte. 1, take a GOOD look at the types of individuals around you. Not every gangster is going to look like Hollywood portrays them. Especially the every growing Spanish culture gangsters. I know this all too well because ANYWHERE I go I have to watch my back. This complex, Beacon Hill complex, Cherry Arms complex, Mt. Vernon complex, Meadow Woods complex, Sacremento complex. I know of these personally as I stay AWAY from those areas as a precaution in case any of the immigrant wanna-be gangsters read or recognize my tattoos. You all are better off moving farther south in Virginia. Though there is still gang activity in the south, it has yet to reach the potential that it has reached up north.

Current leader (and really only solid lead) is the Dorchester Tower Apts on Columbia Pike (244?) near Washington Blvd and 395 in Arlington. Since my daughter works non-rush times, hopefully an easy commute for her....for me......we'll see.

Truely I hate this. I was all set last night, but the reviews on the places pushed by Bolling Housing had receieved horrible horrible reviews. I'm picking up on Friday and getting a bit tense today. Worse move to date was to Germany....hope this goes better.

thanks everyone

Columbia pike isn't great either. wludavid even those neighborhoods along the bike trail near 395 in alexandria have gang tags and such. (Near that Old Safeway that's now + $ Imports (or whatever it's called). )

Rob,
I would find yourself a condo in the ballston/clarendon area rather than try and stick it out in an apt where you're looking. Or you could try renting a condo on Fairlington/Shirlington/Park Fairfax. Those areas are OK - though the bangers occasionally steal radios (mine!) or whole cars.


I'd also stay away from the places along 395 as well like near Landmark Mall. Hell the gangs are out chopping off hands with Machetes in Landmark and even out in Fairfax. Then you have the shootings in the pool halls near GMU. :rolleyes: Even Manassas for ****'s sake! Funny thing though, Pimmit HIlls on ry 7 used you have motorcycle gangs in the 1970's - those a half million houses now (when they're not tear down property for a McMansion).


Dave, Pari, you all laugh will I bunker down in Bristow. I'll see you out my way (or further) one day. :D

What Steve said, there are Gangs in NoVA, more so in Alexandria. The problem with certain areas of NoVA and MD suburbs is that some of the apartment complex/condo/townhouses are designated for section 8 tenants. If you see any graffitti that says "MS13" anywhere near where you are considering getting an apartment, run away!!!! There are also areas on rte 50 that aren't worth living either.

Steve, you are in the boonies, and I'll keep laughing. I'll stay on my side of the river thank you!:D

white picket fence and grassland all around is just not my cup of tea. i love my apartment living waaaay too much to give it up, but i always knew i can't leave the city living. just too convenient when you have a liquor store, bar, restaurant, pool hall, grocery store, coffee shop, cvs and anything else within WALKING distance.

(walking over to your neighbors doesn't count ;) )

Select Auto Imports by the Van Dorn metro? No, that's not a great area on the whole, but there are some nice neighborhoods not too far away.

The I-66 corridor has some nice places. Courthouse, Ballston, Clarendon, etc. I live in Fairlingon - it's a nice safe place, but no garages. :(

Stop trying to panic this guy! You're not going to find someplace that totally free of crime. Ain't gonna happen. So you've just got to play the odds. Most of Alexandria (the city and the area of fairfax county with the mailing address "alexandria" are quiet and safe, with only the rt 1 corridor as the exception. However, when you get here and look at the rt 1 corridor, it won't be a surprise to you that they are low income high crime areas.

Oh and Steve, a half million dollar house out Rt 7? I think 500k buys you about 1000 sq ft. Maybe less. :)

You might still be able to find a townhouse in Sterling (Cascades area), north of Dulles Airport for $0.5M. Local prices for housing are sick, unless you're a seller. :rolleyes:
Commuting on the beltway (I-495), I-270, and I-66 and many of the major surface streets is generally miserable. The Dulles toll-road is easy & without tolls for to/from the airport travel. It's not as good for the local (toll) acces though.

since the rest of the family will be coming shortly, he's not really looking to buy now. So if it's short term, why not get a nice place in DC?

also, isn't Roslyn safe?