I am going to work on Capitol Hill where would be a good and very safe place to live?

Question

I will be moving to DC soon and I wanted to live on or as close as possible to capitol hill. I am a single female so I really want a place that is really safe. I was wondering what area would be good to live in and how much is the rent usually? Thank You!

Answer 1

I'm a 24 year old female who works for a Member of Congress on the hill. I moved here 2 years ago from Pennsylvania. When I first moved I wound up in Silver Spring Maryland. There are nice areas there but the place I was in was a nightmare. I was a victim of vandalism and racial threats and slurs and got out of there after 2 months. This experience pretty much jaded me on all of southern Maryland because it's so hit or miss with the good parts vs. the bad parts. If you are thinking of moving to Maryland definitely only look in the western parts of Montgomery County.



I currently live in Alexandria, Virginia. I am not within walking distance of a metro (subway) station, but my building is well serviced by buses and I do not need a car. I disagree with the above answerer who said living in Northern Virginia is a bad idea because you will want to be in DC on the weekends. I LOVE Old Town Alexandria, Arlington, Shirlington, etc. There is more than enough there to keep you entertained and busy and I hardly ever go in to DC on the weekends unless there's a parade or special festival going on. It's cheaper (but not much) and mostly safer to live in Northern Virginia than DC.



On an entry-level hill staffer salary you have zero chance of affording an apartment in a safe part of town alone. I highly recommend using www.craigslist.org to locate people looking for roommates. I have many friends who have done this and everyone here uses Craig's list so it's reliable and safe, but make sure you still take precautions and visit the place and meet your roommate before signing anything.



I'd be happy to help with any other advice you may want/need about specific areas, working on the hill, etc... feel free to email me, there's a link to my e-mail in my yahoo answers profile. Cheers!

Answer 2

I lived in DC for 8 years (recently), and actually worked and lived on Capitol Hill. You can live on the Hill, but it tends to be pretty expensive for what you get, and finding the right area difficult because it's not clear cut in terms of what areas are safest. It's almost block by block in some places.



The center of the Hill is served by three Metro lines...Orange, Blue and Red. The Orange and Blue stop is Capitol South, which is on the House side of the Hill. The Red Line stop is Union Station, which is on the Senate side.



The nearest neighborhood on the Orange and Blue line

that you could consider safe would be Foggy Bottom. It's in DC so you're close to work. It's where George Washington University is located, so it's pretty active most of the day/night...also additional security thanks to GWU police.

Rents there average around $1300 (utilities included) for an efficiency in a security building. It can be kind of loud though because of university stuff.



A lot of newcomers like to find a place in Northern Virginia, just across the DC line, near a Metro stop. I did that when I first moved there and quickly regretted it. If you want to do anything on your day off or go out, you'll find yourself in DC most likely so why not live there. There are plenty of safe neighborhoods.



My favorite neighborhood in DC (it's on the Red Line), is Cleveland Park. It's like a small town in the city. A really beautiful area north of downtown. It's pretty vibrant...young people, younger couples, white collar professionals. The area around the metro stop (3 blocks long) has pretty much everything you could want...restaurants, bars, grocery stores, wine/liquor store, health club, coffee shops, dry cleaners, drug store, an amazing art deco style movie theatre...you name it. Your commute on the Metro would be about 20-25 minutes, including your walk to the Cleveland Park station and from the Union Station stop to work.



I would highly recommend looking for a share, versus trying to go it alone. Rents in DC are pretty expensive, so sharing gets you more for the money in terms of quality of housing...also its a good way to meet people there. Check out Craigslist for shares.

I attached some Cleveland Park shares, and I think you'll see some better examples versus going it alone. Good luck!

Answer 3

I would recommend Fairfax County. You have metro that you can ride into the city on, with i stop right next to the capital where you wont have to change rail lines.



The school system is fantastic, among the very best in the country (and this coming from a student who spent 15 years in it so you know its true). Very low crime rate in most of the county. Dulles Airport is nearby so if you have to fly out of town you don't have to drive two hours to get out of town (as can be the case sometimes).



The only real down side is the traffic. And the fact that you arent living in the city. Other than that its great.



And you can find apartments starting around $1100 a month.

Answer 4

shall we pass into the twelve months 2016. DC and Capitol Hill are risk-free aspects yet you do ought to steer away from strolling previous due at night on my own on any highway. in case you spot somebody drawing near inspite of what they appear like, bypass the line! Avoidance is the terrific thank you to divert crime. Any automobile left unlocked on enormously much any highway at night (or day!), would be invaded by somebody searching for money, telephones, in spite of they could grab and run. do not bypass away something of value in any respect interior the automobile parked everywhere day or night through fact thieves destroy and grab each and all the time on any highway whilst no person is calling. We lived 2 blocks from the Marine Barracks and automobile homestead windows have been smashed on each and all the blocks around that barrack. Locking your door at night is very cautioned and an alarm device is powerful deterrent yet not a assure. My chum on 10th SE, in simple terms had some thief scale her brick wall to the 2nd tale to an open window. Be clever. manage your place as though there is a few thing worth stealing interior and lock it up. in any different case, savour Capitol Hill. it is stunning and flower crammed Spring and summer season and gorgeous to wander around in.

Answer 5

Look outside DC in the subhurbs. Check into to Prince William County. Only about 40 min and super quiet and safe.