USN Looking for a House in DC area!! 1 Feb or later

[FlyFastNow]

Hi. My husband and I (no kids) are looking to lease a place in the DC area starting 1 Feb or later (we're flexible). We've been looking at Alexandria (Old Town) but don't know the DC area well, so we'd be open to other non-sketchy locations too. Requirements:
-Easy commute to Pentagon
-Garage (!) a MUST
-Dog friendly (we have two older Doodles)
-A good walk score (can walk to shops/restaurants/coffee shops/etc.)
-$3000-ish/month
Who we are: Two professionals who own rental property who will take care of your investment like its our own. Schools are not an issue. Our dogs are nice and don't bark or dig. My husband is nice and doesn't bark or dig. He is handy and will fix anything.
If you have any leads on a great pad, let me know. Open to townhouses if it has a two-car garage. 2+ bedrooms. Thanks for the help!
You can email me too: allyson.scholl@gmail.com

 

[Pags]

There's no such thing as an easy commute in DC. If I was a DINK in DC Old Town would be the top of my list. Not sure how the area around Eastern Market is to live in but sure was nice to stroll around. I'd also look at the Silver Spring area. Silver spring is close to Sligo Creek which is nice if your husband wants a place to run and dig. If you want funky/hippy you can always look at Tacoma Park.

 

[azguy]

Do you know whether you'll have parking at the Pentagon? If not, the Pentagon is a VERY Metro-friendly especially if you live on the Blue/Yellow lines in Northern VA. If you want a nice place for $3k/mon with a good restaurant/bar scene in walking distance, I would center your search on the King St, Braddock Rd, Crystal City, and Pentagon City stations. Keep in mind that the walk from your front door to the station will be very cold/wet/icy or hot/muggy for much of the year. King/Braddock will have more townhouse/some single family options; the Crystal/Pentagon City stops are going to have more apartment/condo inventory.

The Clarendon, Court House, and Rosslyn stops up in Arlington are nice areas too but require a train change to get to the Pentagon (probably not a huge deal at rush hour, but that can be a pain if you anticipate an off-rush hour commute). The Rosslyn stop is ~20 walk to M St/Georgetown, don't know if you'd find anything suitable in that area (M St) at your price point though, but I don't know that market.

Also, Uncle Sam will subsidize most/all of your metro fare for commuting to work, a pretty good deal.

If you will have parking, then that opens the aperture to areas like Del Ray (in Alexandria, but not very metro accessible) and the District.

 

[robav8r]

-Easy commute to Pentagon

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Sorry couldn't resist !!!!

 

[FlyFastNow]

Great info, everyone. Thanks! Let me know if you know of anyone who is leaving town and leasing out their homes or moving out of their lease in any of those areas. When we talked to the dude in the J3 job now, he said that you either get a Pentagon parking pass or a subsidized metro card. One or the other.

I'll start checking out Zillow and Mil by Owner at the areas mentioned above. Thanks so much!

 

[azguy]

When we talked to the dude in the J3 job now, he said that you either get a Pentagon parking pass or a subsidized metro card. One or the other.

That sucks for planning purposes. If I knew that I couldn't get a parking pass, I would plan to live <10 min walking from a Metro station in NoVA.

If I knew I could get a parking pass, I would live in Eastern Old Town (near King, towards the river) or in Del Ray.

I would press your sponsor for an answer. If the answer is that you'll wait at least a year to get a parking pass, that's helpful info.

 

[Uncle Fester]

That's accurate re: commuting subsidies. You can either get your Metro/commuter bus paid for or a parking pass, not both. Frankly, I can't think of any reason to drive it. WHQS will refill your Metro card on the first of every month as long as you're working in the NCR, up to a limit (I forget what it is, but I commuted from all the way in MD and I was always under the limit). And the Metro drops you off right under the building, as opposed to schlepping across the huge parking lots in wintertime.

 

[robav8r]

Parking passes for the South & North lot are easy to obtain. However, what UF said about the long walk, especially in inclement weather. It can suck . . . . . . The upside is, you are not beholden to the metro schedules.

 

[Pags]

Slug it! If only because it's such a fascinating concept to me.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Slug it! If only because it's such a fascinating concept to me.

I'd honestly never even heard of this until you mentioned it. Apparently it's an actual real thing in the District.

 

[Pags]

I'd honestly never even heard of this until you mentioned it. Apparently it's an actual real thing in the District.

Oh yeah. It's apparently a heavy use grassroots mass transit system. It's fascinating to me on so many levels. It apparently started in the 70s so predates all the easy comms of the internet (although there are internet resources now) an was an ad hoc quid pro quo system that allowed more folks to use the HOV lanes. Drivers get to use the HOV lanes and get to work faster and riders get a free, faster ride to work. No money changes hands because of the mutual benefit that everyone receives. There are very specific rules that govern expected behavior and apparently there haven't been to many issues over the years. But because the slug system depends on the HOV lane restrictions, slugs have to be in a car before the HOV lanes open to all traffic. This results in slugs in the building leaving by a certain time regardless of the meeting they're in. Apparently its common for folks to walk out of high level meetings to catch the slug lines.

 

[robav8r]

http://www.slug-lines.com/

 

[Flash]

I'd honestly never even heard of this until you mentioned it. Apparently it's an actual real thing in the District.

Oh yeah. It's apparently a heavy use grassroots mass transit system. It's fascinating to me on so many levels. It apparently started in the 70s so predates all the easy comms of the internet (although there are internet resources now) an was an ad hoc quid pro quo system that allowed more folks to use the HOV lanes. Drivers get to use the HOV lanes and get to work faster and riders get a free, faster ride to work. No money changes hands because of the mutual benefit that everyone receives. There are very specific rules that govern expected behavior and apparently there haven't been to many issues over the years. But because the slug system depends on the HOV lane restrictions, slugs have to be in a car before the HOV lanes open to all traffic. This results in slugs in the building leaving by a certain time regardless of the meeting they're in. Apparently its common for folks to walk out of high level meetings to catch the slug lines.

As a DC area native I can confirm that it has been around for a long time and works very well and with very few issues, read up on the rules though since they are followed by pretty much everyone. The only real notable incident that comes to mind was actually the former CSM of the Army trying to run over someone, out of hundreds of thousands of rides though it is remarkable at how well it works.

The thing about folks walking out of high level meetings isn't much of a thing from what I remember though, even after the HOV lanes open up there are plenty of folks who will willing pick up riders. My old Colonel used to sometimes go out at 8pm or a little later and get picked up within 5 mins at the Pentagon, his destination was the most popular drop off down in Woodbridge though.

It is definitely a viable commuting option though, especially if you live off of 95S in Woodbridge or further south.

 

[jmcquate]

I wonder if Slugs are unique to NOVA? Also, lots of charter commuter bus options into the city. Not sure about the Pentagon.

 

[azguy]

FWIW I wouldn't ever slug myself. When driving, I would re-work my hours to keep a manageable commute - I value that time alone in the car too much. But I know several guys and girls who swear by it. It's especially attractive for those that live outside the beltway and deeper into the hinterlands.