Living in DC

[GeoLeoX]

I am not sure if this belongs here, but since you guys are probably the best at this kind of thing I put it here. I am considering training programs in the National Capital Consortium, specifically NNMC and Walter Reed (my program is with both of them) and I am looking for a place to live. Where do people (USUHS students, this means you, too) live around here? I would probably be the only one working in my family and I am married with a young child (for financial reasons, so people don't suggest Bethesda).

Any advice is welcome!

GeoLeoX

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[rotatores]

I currently live in Rockville which is a bit cheaper than Bethesda. Many students live in Germantown which is even cheaper. It just depends on what you are looking for. My recommendation is for you to buy...since rent is sooo expensive.

ENS Rotatores

 

[GeoLeoX]

Thanks. I have heard that you can even live out as far as Gaithersberg and take the MARC.

 

[rotatores]

Ya...but I think you mean the metro. It goes out to Shady Grove which is exit 8..or maybe 9 on I-270. For comparison, Germantown is about exit 13.

ENS Rotatores

 

[bustbones26]

I suppose this is a question I may want to ask as well. My question is, is there any on base housing, say at the campus of Walter Reed. Or if there is, is it next to impossible to get?

Also, you say buy because rent is sooo expensive. But is it worth buying when you are probably going to leave the DC area after residency?

 

[Caffeinated]

There is no housing available at Walter Reed. The nearest Army housing is Ft. Meade and Ft. Belvoir. I understand your concerns about buying a place if you only plan to be in town a few years. In this market, some houses will appreciate enough to make purchasing a financially viable option. I have owned my house for 2.5 years and it has appreciated about 33% since that time.

 

[GeoLeoX]

>>Ya...but I think you mean the metro. It goes out to Shady Grove which is exit 8..or maybe 9 on I-270. For comparison, Germantown is about exit 13. <<

No, I did mean the MARC (or the other Maryland transport, not sure), which goes to Silver Spring. The Metro does go out to Shady Grove, but the Red Line goes through downtown before it gets to Silver Spring. Bad for Walter Reed, but it would be good for NNMC.

>>Also, you say buy because rent is sooo expensive. But is it worth buying when you are probably going to leave the DC area after residency?<<

If you can get into the market, it's pretty hot now. Most properties sell for a significant price above the asking price nowadays. It's better to buy in my opinion, but you will always get other opinions with well-thoughtout reasons.

GeoLeoX

 

[Homunculus]

Originally posted by GeoLeoX
[BThe Metro does go out to Shady Grove, but the Red Line goes through downtown before it gets to Silver Spring. Bad for Walter Reed, but it would be good for NNMC.
[/B]

yes, whoever decided that Walter Reed didn't need a metro stop should be beaten within an inch of their life. it's about the most inconvenient place to get to, lol. luckily when i was there last april the weather was nice and i didn't mind walking the several blocks to the station-- but in the winter i imagine people are forced to drive.

 

[GeoLeoX]

There are busses from both the Takoma Park and Silver Spring stops. But then it takes forever.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I live in Laurel, which is next door to Fort Meade. It was cheaper to buy there and the property taxes (on the Anne Arundel county side of town) are cheaper. We also saved on some of our closing costs in Anne Arundel County. The commute to Bethesda isn't bad (just under 30 minutes), provided you leave either before or after rush hour. I usually leave at 0600 and miss most of the traffic. In the afternoon, I either leave by 1600 or I stay at school and study until 1900 or so. Trying to get home during rush hour is no fun. Metro isn't an option (unless you drive to Greenbelt and park there), but there is a MARC station a couple of miles from my house.

CA

 

[GeoLeoX]

The problem for me living on that side of Maryland is that there would be no viable public transportation. Like you said with the Metro you have to drive to Greenbelt (and then take several trains to get to either Walter Reed or NNMC). The MARC train on that side of town goes to Metro Center and then the same thing - multiple trains to get to either Walter Reed or NNMC. I was thinking of Germantown/Gaithersburg. It seems the MARC options would cover both Bethesda and Walter Reed (Silver Spring stop). I know that driving on 270 is no fun. Any downsides to these towns that you are aware?

Thanks,

GeoLeoX

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Sorry to take so long responding to this.

Actually, I really wanted to live over on the Gaithersburg/Germantown side, I just wasn't willing to pay the Montgomery County real estate prices. Anything that we could afford was smaller than we needed or in an unsavory area. However, we were a little more restricted than some of my classmates (my wife is in grad school and not working), who managed to swing the $200k+ prices without subsisting on ramen noodles. To live in Bethesda and get the same size house I bought in Laurel would have required a small fortune, so that was never even on the radar screen.

And you're right, 270 can be as bad as 495 during rush hour. Most folks in Germantown have to leave early to make it to school in under 30 minutes.

Hope this helps.

CA