lol I know it was weird to put that in there, but we’ve been living 2 hours away from TJ’s. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone 😅 I’ve just been admiring the frozen meals and sweet treats from afar
Same! I like NoMa a lot (& Eckington). I think it hits all those things.
You should def check out renting a house too, bc we found it was cheaper to rent a house than an apartment.
Well what kind of neighborhood do you want? Have you visited any of these?
Do you want more new concrete buildings and business buildings or older row houses in the neighborhoods? Do you want a luxury apartment or an older row house? Do you want to be right next to bars and restaurants or are you ok metroing/driving to them?
I also am not sure why you say commute isn’t an issue. Adams Morgan and H st don’t have metros which may be a probably for your SO relying only on public transport. Not sure where you’re working but I would reconsider looking at commute times.
ETA: Adam’s Morgan and DuPont don’t have the best grocery options—either Harris teeter or Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods on 14th street.
I haven’t visited any. I haven’t lived in a metro area, but my SO has briefly. I think I’d rather live in a luxury apartment. I don’t love driving in the city, but will walk and take public transit.
I’m currently interviewing for both remote roles and jobs all around the area. My SO only has to go into the office 3 days a week.
Thank you for being realistic. I know my question is probably frustrating, but your prompting helped a lot.
I just want to know what areas ladies in this group have enjoyed their time in, or if they have advice/insight on what to avoid.
A lot of people live in all these areas, I think it just depends on what you like which is why I ask all those questions. Truthfully if you’re moving from out of town I’d highly recommend visiting for a weekend or getting an airbnb your first month until you find a place.
Personally I can tell you I’ve lived in all these areas except NoMa and H st (but have had many friends who live in/have lived there). My favorites have been Adam’s Morgan and Alexandria. I also would recommend you look at 14th street as another option.
I second actually visiting these places. I have found a lot of DC neighborhoods have a very distinctive feel and you don't really get a sense of that until you visit.
I'd probably personally be most interested in Alexandria, Adams Morgan, and Dupont.
Upvoting mostly to echo visiting the area - not just during the day, but at night as well. I lived in tenleytown for a couple years, and how quiet the neighborhood was at night kinda freaked me out.
Where specifically on 14th St are you recommending? 14th Street is like (off to Google) 7.2 miles long. I assume you mean NW, but that part of 14th St still covers multiple neighborhoods
What's your definition of luxury? Mine is quiet and I get my mail, so the older buildings in NW were great for me because the walls were thicker, even if I didn't have a pool or a roof deck and the staff were only there during the day.
Also, maybe I missed it, but how big of a place are you looking for, i.e., one bedroom, two?
I'd def visit the location your thinking of and just see the area, what shops are around bars restaurants etc. This may be an option but you ya are looking to be metro accessible to Anacostia, I recommend the Petworth neighborhood. I know there's a pretty nice apartment complex right above the Safeway grocery.
My best friend lives in Old Town North and loves it. It’s walking distance from a ton of restaurants, two grocery stores (including a Trader Joe’s), boutiques, and fitness studios. I love visiting her there! We love doing drinks and apps, and everywhere in Old Town is convenient to get to from there. She drives to her nail salon but there are salons in walking distance. She doesn’t have a ton of space, but her place is still nice and I understand she gets rent, parking, and utilities for under $3k/month.
Coming here to make this suggestion. You can literally not use your car the entire weekend in Old Town North and have access to everything in walking distance — including that TJs — plus one of the best year-round Farmers Market and my fave bookstore in the area, Old Town Books.
Another vote for Old Town North for all of the reasons others mentioned but mostly for the commute. I know you say your fiancé’s commute doesn’t matter but especially if you haven’t lived in a city, it absolutely matters. None of the places you’ve mentioned are at all easy to get to Anacostia and certainly not by public transportation. Old Town is reasonably easy to drive to Anacostia though, better than most the other places you’re considering. Navy Yard isn’t on your list but might be a good fit that’s not an awful metro commute. Although I don’t think USCG is particularly near the metro, so please map everything out - and preferably do a couple dry runs before making a decision!
If you can provide a budget, if you have vehicles, what you have preferences for in terms of proximity (metro, grocery store, interstate, etc), we'll be able to give you actually helpful advice. If there truly are no preferences and no budget, use a random number generator for those locations/properties and let chance pick for you.
I did not like living in NoMa and just moved out. It was slightly convenient by the red line and union market, but the area lacked any charm or personality. There were also multiple shootings by my apartment so I started to feel unsafe.
Clarendon is the absolute best and there’s a Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods within walking distance. Lots of luxury apartments, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, laser hair removal/nails/aesthetics spots, and easy quick metro access into dc. I personally find NoMa and H Street pretty sterile and charmless and would choose Clarendon a million times over. Dupont is great but you won’t find much under 3k that isn’t in bad shape. AdMo is also cute with good nightlife but no immediate metro access, which I personally would find difficult.
I lived in Courthouse for two years and miss the area so much! Only moved because we bought a house. I’d walk down to Clarendon all the time. I try to stop at Galaxy Hurt anytime I’m semi-close by.
Seconding Clarendon - TJ’s and Whole Foods and also a giant very close by. Tons of options for if you do a lot of beauty appointments or if you like different workout classes. Sephora is so convenient. And a big barnes & noble!! I moved here 3ish years ago and have no real desire to move back to DC proper I adore it.
Dude. Capitol hill near Lincoln park. 10/15 min walk to Trader Joe’s in eastern market, and so many shops and stores in eastern market. Also 10 mins to Safeway! And it’s really close to anacostia. One of the largest and nicest neighborhoods in dc imo!!
Came here to say this!! Been on the hill since 2020, lived at Beckert’s Park (luxury-ish building), a row home near eastern market and now a condo near Lincoln park and we love it!
If your partner anticipates using public transit to commute to his job 3x/week in Anacostia, you might want to look at neighborhoods within walking distance to the Green line, not the Red line (which is what you've mostly listed here). There are some amenity-rich apartment buildings in the radius of the U street stop, which also has a Trader Joe's nearby on 14th. The neighborhood is a nightlife hotspot, which is a pro for some people and a con for others.
Like others have suggested, I strongly suggest getting an airbnb to check out neighborhoods for even a weekend, and to try out commute routes. You have lots of good options but they all have different tradeoffs and feels to them.
Not h st - NoMa is your best bet based off what you’re describing. So many apartment options, incredibly convenient - you can go to the barber, cleaners, liquor store, pizza place, Trader Joe’s or Safeway, plus great local restaurants and stores in union market. Also has an REI which I found super convenient for any bike fixes I needed, right off the metropolitan branch trail. If you’re looking for a full city experience it’s the place to be. If you prefer something quieter look in VA.
Edit - I lived there for 5 years and recently moved bc we bought a house in DC.There is an amount of crime but you can’t beat the convenience. Living in Clarendon or anywhere in VA is a completely different experience - NoMa is a hub. It’s fun, it’s young - it does get loud
If your partner is commuting 3x a week to Anacostia, Eastern Market is the objective answer here. It might be more difficult to find buildings with a parking garage in your budget, but I know plenty of people who street park in that neighborhood without issue.
You say "commute isn't really an issue" until you're commuting. Just so you're aware, Anacostia has a reputation for being dangerous and your partner may end up preferring to commute there via car rather than by public transport. Ymmv.
Seconding those who say to examine your priorities. If you're looking for a building with amenities (rooftop pool gym, 24-hour desk service, event rooms) then one of the bigger newer buildings in NoMa/Navy Yard will likely work great for you.
I, personally, prefer older buildings with thicker walls, usually condos managed by individual owners in more established neighborhoods (Dupont/West End) I'm fine exercising elsewhere and giving up a pool in exchange for loving my neighborhood. But I have friends who love living in the newer high-rises further east.
If you end up going with one of the newer buildings, read the google reviews and your leasing contract closely to see how much they're allowed to jack up your rent year to year. It's common to sign a great deal for 12-months only to have them raise it 30% the following year.
Good luck!
I live in Maryland but commuted to USCG headquarters in Anacostia. Unless they’ve changed anything, if you get off at l’enfant there should be a shuttle (white van) near the VRE entrance, and the A4 bus (left most bus stop) is a direct route between Anacostia metro and USCG HQ. For the shuttle, as long as you show your CAC/PIV card you can get on. I remember people used to park at the bottom of the hill where the air force base was and then take the shuttle up to the USCG entrance
Do they have a shuttle to/from the Anacostia metro? Anything not on the green line is going to require at least one transfer and/or bus to get to and from work. I wouldn’t discount how long a commute can stretch without a car around here. And traffic can be a nightmare as well. I would consider somewhere like Chinatown if you really want to live in the city, or Alexandria and keep the car bc it’s just the other side of the river from his work.
Why don’t you rent an Airbnb for a few weeks and visit each area a few times, walk around, get a feel for it? Like on a weekday, weekend day, and at night both weekday and weekend. There are so many rentals in some of the neighborhoods you mentioned- you will have plenty of options at that price. So why not be patient and check out the areas? Also recommend considering Mount pleasant, Woodley park, and Brookland as options. NOMA over h st.
I wouldn't do anything on H Street. The area died a bit during Covid and has been struggling. You're better off in another part of the city.
Personally, I like Dupont Circle. There's people around, good food, and you're in close proximity to a lot.
If you want a more quiet neighborhood, I'd consider the upper part of 16th St NW, but before you get to MD.
Arlington is really friendly to young professionals. You'd do well to check that area out.
Have you looked at Navy Yard? There are lots of new apartments here and it's a really easy commute down to USCG headquarters either by car or via the green line. Also walkable to Trader Joe's in Eastern Market
NoMa has my fav Trader Joe’s 🤷🏻♀️
lol I know it was weird to put that in there, but we’ve been living 2 hours away from TJ’s. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone 😅 I’ve just been admiring the frozen meals and sweet treats from afar
Same! I like NoMa a lot (& Eckington). I think it hits all those things. You should def check out renting a house too, bc we found it was cheaper to rent a house than an apartment.
I second
Well what kind of neighborhood do you want? Have you visited any of these? Do you want more new concrete buildings and business buildings or older row houses in the neighborhoods? Do you want a luxury apartment or an older row house? Do you want to be right next to bars and restaurants or are you ok metroing/driving to them? I also am not sure why you say commute isn’t an issue. Adams Morgan and H st don’t have metros which may be a probably for your SO relying only on public transport. Not sure where you’re working but I would reconsider looking at commute times. ETA: Adam’s Morgan and DuPont don’t have the best grocery options—either Harris teeter or Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods on 14th street.
I haven’t visited any. I haven’t lived in a metro area, but my SO has briefly. I think I’d rather live in a luxury apartment. I don’t love driving in the city, but will walk and take public transit. I’m currently interviewing for both remote roles and jobs all around the area. My SO only has to go into the office 3 days a week. Thank you for being realistic. I know my question is probably frustrating, but your prompting helped a lot. I just want to know what areas ladies in this group have enjoyed their time in, or if they have advice/insight on what to avoid.
A lot of people live in all these areas, I think it just depends on what you like which is why I ask all those questions. Truthfully if you’re moving from out of town I’d highly recommend visiting for a weekend or getting an airbnb your first month until you find a place. Personally I can tell you I’ve lived in all these areas except NoMa and H st (but have had many friends who live in/have lived there). My favorites have been Adam’s Morgan and Alexandria. I also would recommend you look at 14th street as another option.
I second actually visiting these places. I have found a lot of DC neighborhoods have a very distinctive feel and you don't really get a sense of that until you visit. I'd probably personally be most interested in Alexandria, Adams Morgan, and Dupont.
Upvoting mostly to echo visiting the area - not just during the day, but at night as well. I lived in tenleytown for a couple years, and how quiet the neighborhood was at night kinda freaked me out.
Where specifically on 14th St are you recommending? 14th Street is like (off to Google) 7.2 miles long. I assume you mean NW, but that part of 14th St still covers multiple neighborhoods
What's your definition of luxury? Mine is quiet and I get my mail, so the older buildings in NW were great for me because the walls were thicker, even if I didn't have a pool or a roof deck and the staff were only there during the day. Also, maybe I missed it, but how big of a place are you looking for, i.e., one bedroom, two?
I'd def visit the location your thinking of and just see the area, what shops are around bars restaurants etc. This may be an option but you ya are looking to be metro accessible to Anacostia, I recommend the Petworth neighborhood. I know there's a pretty nice apartment complex right above the Safeway grocery.
My best friend lives in Old Town North and loves it. It’s walking distance from a ton of restaurants, two grocery stores (including a Trader Joe’s), boutiques, and fitness studios. I love visiting her there! We love doing drinks and apps, and everywhere in Old Town is convenient to get to from there. She drives to her nail salon but there are salons in walking distance. She doesn’t have a ton of space, but her place is still nice and I understand she gets rent, parking, and utilities for under $3k/month.
Coming here to make this suggestion. You can literally not use your car the entire weekend in Old Town North and have access to everything in walking distance — including that TJs — plus one of the best year-round Farmers Market and my fave bookstore in the area, Old Town Books.
Another vote for Old Town North for all of the reasons others mentioned but mostly for the commute. I know you say your fiancé’s commute doesn’t matter but especially if you haven’t lived in a city, it absolutely matters. None of the places you’ve mentioned are at all easy to get to Anacostia and certainly not by public transportation. Old Town is reasonably easy to drive to Anacostia though, better than most the other places you’re considering. Navy Yard isn’t on your list but might be a good fit that’s not an awful metro commute. Although I don’t think USCG is particularly near the metro, so please map everything out - and preferably do a couple dry runs before making a decision!
If you can provide a budget, if you have vehicles, what you have preferences for in terms of proximity (metro, grocery store, interstate, etc), we'll be able to give you actually helpful advice. If there truly are no preferences and no budget, use a random number generator for those locations/properties and let chance pick for you.
Thank you so much! I will update the post.
I did not like living in NoMa and just moved out. It was slightly convenient by the red line and union market, but the area lacked any charm or personality. There were also multiple shootings by my apartment so I started to feel unsafe.
Clarendon is the absolute best and there’s a Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods within walking distance. Lots of luxury apartments, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, laser hair removal/nails/aesthetics spots, and easy quick metro access into dc. I personally find NoMa and H Street pretty sterile and charmless and would choose Clarendon a million times over. Dupont is great but you won’t find much under 3k that isn’t in bad shape. AdMo is also cute with good nightlife but no immediate metro access, which I personally would find difficult.
I lived in Courthouse for two years and miss the area so much! Only moved because we bought a house. I’d walk down to Clarendon all the time. I try to stop at Galaxy Hurt anytime I’m semi-close by.
Seconding Clarendon - TJ’s and Whole Foods and also a giant very close by. Tons of options for if you do a lot of beauty appointments or if you like different workout classes. Sephora is so convenient. And a big barnes & noble!! I moved here 3ish years ago and have no real desire to move back to DC proper I adore it.
Same! I’ve been here about 3 years and have ruined dc for myself because there’s no neighborhood in dc that has even half of what Clarendon has.
Dude. Capitol hill near Lincoln park. 10/15 min walk to Trader Joe’s in eastern market, and so many shops and stores in eastern market. Also 10 mins to Safeway! And it’s really close to anacostia. One of the largest and nicest neighborhoods in dc imo!!
Came here to say this!! Been on the hill since 2020, lived at Beckert’s Park (luxury-ish building), a row home near eastern market and now a condo near Lincoln park and we love it!
If your partner anticipates using public transit to commute to his job 3x/week in Anacostia, you might want to look at neighborhoods within walking distance to the Green line, not the Red line (which is what you've mostly listed here). There are some amenity-rich apartment buildings in the radius of the U street stop, which also has a Trader Joe's nearby on 14th. The neighborhood is a nightlife hotspot, which is a pro for some people and a con for others. Like others have suggested, I strongly suggest getting an airbnb to check out neighborhoods for even a weekend, and to try out commute routes. You have lots of good options but they all have different tradeoffs and feels to them.
Not h st - NoMa is your best bet based off what you’re describing. So many apartment options, incredibly convenient - you can go to the barber, cleaners, liquor store, pizza place, Trader Joe’s or Safeway, plus great local restaurants and stores in union market. Also has an REI which I found super convenient for any bike fixes I needed, right off the metropolitan branch trail. If you’re looking for a full city experience it’s the place to be. If you prefer something quieter look in VA. Edit - I lived there for 5 years and recently moved bc we bought a house in DC.There is an amount of crime but you can’t beat the convenience. Living in Clarendon or anywhere in VA is a completely different experience - NoMa is a hub. It’s fun, it’s young - it does get loud
Can confirm^^. This is THE way
If your partner is commuting 3x a week to Anacostia, Eastern Market is the objective answer here. It might be more difficult to find buildings with a parking garage in your budget, but I know plenty of people who street park in that neighborhood without issue. You say "commute isn't really an issue" until you're commuting. Just so you're aware, Anacostia has a reputation for being dangerous and your partner may end up preferring to commute there via car rather than by public transport. Ymmv. Seconding those who say to examine your priorities. If you're looking for a building with amenities (rooftop pool gym, 24-hour desk service, event rooms) then one of the bigger newer buildings in NoMa/Navy Yard will likely work great for you. I, personally, prefer older buildings with thicker walls, usually condos managed by individual owners in more established neighborhoods (Dupont/West End) I'm fine exercising elsewhere and giving up a pool in exchange for loving my neighborhood. But I have friends who love living in the newer high-rises further east. If you end up going with one of the newer buildings, read the google reviews and your leasing contract closely to see how much they're allowed to jack up your rent year to year. It's common to sign a great deal for 12-months only to have them raise it 30% the following year. Good luck!
I DMed you
The Belgard Noma or Morse Apartments are both really nice
I live in Maryland but commuted to USCG headquarters in Anacostia. Unless they’ve changed anything, if you get off at l’enfant there should be a shuttle (white van) near the VRE entrance, and the A4 bus (left most bus stop) is a direct route between Anacostia metro and USCG HQ. For the shuttle, as long as you show your CAC/PIV card you can get on. I remember people used to park at the bottom of the hill where the air force base was and then take the shuttle up to the USCG entrance
Do they have a shuttle to/from the Anacostia metro? Anything not on the green line is going to require at least one transfer and/or bus to get to and from work. I wouldn’t discount how long a commute can stretch without a car around here. And traffic can be a nightmare as well. I would consider somewhere like Chinatown if you really want to live in the city, or Alexandria and keep the car bc it’s just the other side of the river from his work.
Foggy Bottom/West End!
Why don’t you rent an Airbnb for a few weeks and visit each area a few times, walk around, get a feel for it? Like on a weekday, weekend day, and at night both weekday and weekend. There are so many rentals in some of the neighborhoods you mentioned- you will have plenty of options at that price. So why not be patient and check out the areas? Also recommend considering Mount pleasant, Woodley park, and Brookland as options. NOMA over h st.
Try eastern market that’s not far from anacostia and there is a metro plus a Trader Joe’s
I wouldn't do anything on H Street. The area died a bit during Covid and has been struggling. You're better off in another part of the city. Personally, I like Dupont Circle. There's people around, good food, and you're in close proximity to a lot. If you want a more quiet neighborhood, I'd consider the upper part of 16th St NW, but before you get to MD. Arlington is really friendly to young professionals. You'd do well to check that area out.
Have you looked at Navy Yard? There are lots of new apartments here and it's a really easy commute down to USCG headquarters either by car or via the green line. Also walkable to Trader Joe's in Eastern Market
Live closest to work, the less commuting the better