DC housing - non-clicky poll

[Deleted]

I just signed a new lease for my apartment. I adore my apt and prob wont ever move unless the rent gets ridiculously crazy. It's already way too high, but I have a great view and a top floor apt. I'm just curious what areas other people live in and what they approx. pay.

What area:
How much:
Square feet:
Perks:
Commute:
If you could live anywhere in DC:

Anyone else?

[Deleted]

What area: Clarendon
How much: $2300
Square feet: 700
Perks: Top floor, great view, good amenities, quiet and safe
Commute: 4 metro stops

[winnied]

What area: Bell View - outside of Old Town, Alexandria
How much: $1275
Square feet: 675
Perks: cheap, nice neighborhood, nice neighbors
Commute: anywhere between 20 minutes and 1 hour
If you could live anywhere in DC: Court House, Clarendon, Dupont, Capitol Hill

[biscoffcookies]

What area: Gallery Place
How much: $2100
Square feet: 1050
Perks: great roof deck w/pool, underground parking included, close to restaurants and easily walkable to National Mall.
Commute: me -- 9 block walk/15 minutes. DH -- 5 minute drive, 2 metro stops, or a 30 minute walk.

[winnied]

My landlord hasn't really kept the unit up to date at all. We're not fancy folk over here!

When I lived off Columbia Pike near the Drafthouse I paid $1260 two years ago and it go up to $1490 this year. Love me a good deal!

[dottyblue]

What area: Fairlington
How much: $1895
Square feet: 1100
Perks: Townhouse community w/ great neighbors, dead end street with zero traffic, walking distance to bus stop, grocery store and shopping.
Commute: 15-20 minutes to Rosslyn, VA
If you could live anywhere in DC: Cherrydale (Arlington) or Capitol Hill

[karinothing]

What area: Columbia Pike Corridor

How much: $2500 (or rent is actually less than this but with water/sewage/trash/pet fees/storage this is about the amount, I think it is maybe $2350 or so w/out).

Square feet: 1150 (I think) 2 bed 2 bath

Perks: Love the area. There is a bar on the first floor, lots of restaurants to walk to (they are putting in a red rocks and frozen yogurt place!). I can also walk to the grocery store and the eye doctor, there is a dentist too but I don't use him. The apartment itself has a gym and a nice pool. They also schedule a lot of activities for the guests. Like movie nights every friday, cheap movie and wine nights at the drafthouse, discounts at a spa, resident parties and happy hours (with free food and drink).
Oh and there are lots of parks to walk to.

Commute: DH takes the bus it is 45 minutes door to door. I drive and it is about 10 minutes. When i took the bus it was 20 door to door.

If you could live anywhere in DC: Woodley Park or Cap hill.

[winnied]

I need to STFU about my rent around here.

I forgot I would also love to live in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, or Cleveland Park as well. That would be only a slight increase in rent...

[mrshandy]

What area: Fairlington
How much: $2100
Square feet: 1500? It's 2 floors with 2 bedrooms and a patio
Perks: Great neighborhood, nice neighbors, close to Shirlington, very walkable, beautiful landscaping,
Commute: 35-45 minutes via public transportation (bus and metro),
If you could live anywhere in DC: Realistically, we're looking at North Springfield to buy, but dreaming I love Capitol Hill.

[litasail]

I'll do this for the last time we rented, which was in 2005.

What area: Cleveland Park
How much: $1,600/month
Square feet: 1 bedroom - 800 sq feet
Perks: Free parking, great location, townhouse-style apartment
Commute: I worked at the time right down Rock Creek Parkway, so it was super easy
If you could live anywhere in DC: Now I live in Takoma Park (in a house) and I love it. I don't ever want to move.

[cole]

What area: Van Ness
How much: ~$2600 (including tandem parking spot in garage)
Square feet: 950
Perks: location
Commute: 30 mins - reverse commute into MD
If you could live anywhere in DC: I've lived 4 different areas of DC and 1 outside in VA, I'm pretty happy in this area

[winnied]

The real kicker? My friends also in Belle View/Belle Haven have a 2 bed, 1 bath for $1450, well kept.

[y4m]

I was afraid our rent is ridiculous, so I wasn't going to post, but it's actually not that out of line with others:

What area: Rosslyn/Courthouse
How much: $2700
Square feet: 1500
Perks: 2br/2.5 ba, plus an office, parking, and outdoor space
Commute: .7 mile walk to either metro, DH works downtown. One flight of stairs for me.
If you could live anywhere in DC: I like this area, I'd like Del Ray I think. I just want to be able to walk to stuff but still have parking and outdoor space. This is a good balance for now.

Our lease is up in the spring though, and our landlords want to sell. We are seriously thinking about offering them an extra $500/month not to--so we don't have to move and can go straight from here into something we buy.

[Deleted]

Swizzle, glad I'm not the only one paying these prices in Clarendon! I'm excited for the new restaurants to open soon. It feels different without 3 and Harry's/Market Tavern.

[Deleted]

We own:

$3200 PITI
1800 SFH
Alexandria City (but not Old Town)

This post is the first time in a long time that I feel OK about our money pit of a house. Of course our PITI doesn't cover our maintenance/repair costs. We won't talk about those.

I love our neighborhood so much it is at the top of my list. I'm already on the lookout for our next house because inventory is so low I could see it taking 5 years to find the next one.

[Deleted]

Oct 1, 2012 15:46:30 GMT -5 swizzlestx said:

Oct 1, 2012 15:38:27 GMT -5 @micheleb18 said:

Swizzle, glad I'm not the only one paying these prices in Clarendon! I'm excited for the new restaurants to open soon. It feels different without 3 and Harry's/Market Tavern.

This is kind of our last hoorah since we don't really plan to live in the area long-term.

Though I will say, it's dangerous having 7-11 and CVS so close, lol.

I am also excited for the new restaurants! Though it's not like we don't have a ton of other options.

There are def plenty of restaurants, but I can't wait for a new Mexican/Tequila bar and Italian restaurant. I'm not a fan of La Tasca or Mexicali.

My hairdresser is neighbors with 7-11 and I always get a Slurpee. I love having it close.

[melmo1122]

What area: Sterling, VA
How much: mortgage $1570
Square feet: 2040 3 level 4 bed 3 1/2 bath townhouse
Perks: 3 pools, near the W&OD trail and all kinds of shopping
Commute: no traffic commute to Tyson is 20 minutes, with traffic could be an hr+
If you could live anywhere in DC: i love my community, i know the burbs aren't for everyone but i am very happy where i am

Anyone else?[/quote]

[aspentosh]

What area: Great Falls
How much: $2500
Square feet: 2000 plus basement
Perks: Great yard in established community, amazing schools, friendly neighbors, close to tons of shopping and restaurants, trails, etc.
Commute: Me- 25min, DH- 10-15min
If you could live anywhere in DC: I really like the suburbs for a variety of reasons. This is the house we'll be at for a long time, so I'd probably stick with this area.

ETA: I forgot to say we own.

[LoveTrains]

I almost died on the Rosslyn escalator this weekend. This is all I have to add to this conversation. That thing is a deathtrap.

So then I decided to take the elevator, but the fare card machine wasn't working and then I got stuck inside the metro at DCA, since I didnt' swipe my card on the way in.

[karinothing]

Penny just come over to the darkside

[shell403b]

Own/NoVA (Alexandria, Fairfax Co)
$2300 3BR/3.5BA TH, includes insurance, taxes, etc., built in 2003
1950 sq ft, incl. 1 car garage
Commute ~ me: 60 minutes, H: none (he works at home)

When I lived in DC until 2004, I paid $550 for a studio (really, a modified studio, b/c it had a separate wing for the dining/kitchen area), about 400 sq ft (I think). That apartment was GREAT. LOVED it there. I wonder what that apt goes for these days...

[litasail]

Oct 1, 2012 17:05:34 GMT -5 pennypenny said:

Damn you all. Why are you trying to make me think I need to move to VA. You know that is not allowed for a Marylander.

Nooooo! Don't do it!

[mschancey]

Newbie here but I'll play.

What area: We just moved from Old Town to McLean.
How much: $3400 PITI
Square feet: over 2000
Perks: moved here for good schools and more space but I really miss Old Town.
Commute: DH 20 min, me none.
If you could live anywhere in DC: Old Town

[jigsy]

Like this thread

[purplecow0206]

I'm a lurker in the DC area, so I'll play, using the place we're going to move into this month!

What area: Arlington, technically, just off the East Falls Church Metro
How much: $1745/month with ALL utilities included
Square feet: 1000 square foot, 2 bedrooms
Perks: close to Metro and good living space. It's not a fabulous neighborhood, in terms of walking to stuff, but it's not a horrible walk to stuff, and it's right off the bike path.
Commute: ugh, 1 hr. DH's commute is a 10 minute ride on the shuttle to his office, he sucks.
If you could live anywhere in DC: Due to where we work (Seven Corners vs. Old Town), Rosslyn would be the best place for us. This may change if/when DH changes jobs, so Delray would be a great area.

[gt7301b]

What area: Fairfax
How much: $2,100/month
Square feet: 2000 square foot, 4 bedrooms
Perks: ummmm, Wegman's
Commute: about 30 min for both of us
If you could live anywhere in DC: Del Ray

[cole]

Oct 1, 2012 18:46:06 GMT -5 @mx said:

What area: eastern NW DC
How much: $2200 PITI, basement renter pays $900
Square feet: ~1500 without the basement (which we plan to reclaim once we own this place outright)
Perks: our neighborhood is appreciating faster than almost any other in the DC area and we bought at the very bottom of the market. Lots of new restaurants coming in. Very little need to drive. We have an awesome (tiny) backyard with a huge grape arbor and free landscaping courtesy of the plastic bag tax.
Commute: H-works from home, me: 20-25 minutes by bike
If you could live anywhere in DC: I can't imagine many places we'd want to move. We like the Logan/U street area, but we'd have to sacrifice outdoor space if we moved down there.

Yay! Another DC proper!

[jenn248]

We own, but here it is:

What area: Arlington (Ballston)
How much: $3000/month (getting ready to refi to $2800)
Square feet: I think 1800 (3 bed, 2 full/2 half bath townhouse)
Perks: Walking distance to metro, restaurants, bars and the oh-so-lovely Ballston mall
Commute: 12 minutes for me, 25 for DH

[frlcb]

Damn, I can't get over how expensive DC has gotten.

When I moved in 2003 this was my info, I can't even imagine now:

13th and T, in DC
We paid $1800 a month for 3 bedroom/2.5 bath
1200 sq feet
Our backyard was literally up against the U street metro, we could see Ben's Chili Bowl from our kitchen. I loved that area (I also loved in AU Park and Van Ness at different times)

[aMrsin09]

I still own my place in MD, so I'll play.

Anne Arundel County
$765 a month
2 br/2 bath
1150 sq ft.
$160 a month condo fee

Perks, non really except the price.
I used to commute to DC (16th and M) took an hour or three hours ;-)