sorry, but I really would not recommend anyone live in Manassas in this situation. Or Herndon, Chantilly or Centreville. I just think she would hate that, theyare way out in the far west burbs, very "unsophisticated" (which is a euphemism for people with gun racks as a routine accessory in their pickups, for example) and may be good for blue collar or immigrant families, not professional singles moving from LA. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I really would not recommend that (I would not live in DC if I had to live in those areas). If you had to go cheaper, go to some place on the metro line just outside the city, like Silver Spring, MD. Arlington/Ballston, Clarendon is a good place.

It shouldn't be that hard to find a place for $1500, that's not so hard. An efficiency/studio is probably around $900 for a decent one, for example (which is expensive), but $1500 for a 1BR isn't hard. I don't know why folks think that is so difficult.

As for the roaches, I think that is partly the climate and DC, to be honest. I lived in LA for many years and never had a roach, but I had them in my first apt. on Capitol Hill in DC (a nice townhouse), and my niece had them in a high rise at Pentagon City, also. I think they can be controlled, and minimized, but there may be more here than in California for some reason.

If you can't find anything, the River House apts. in Pentagon City have nice apts and are right on the metro line, and reasonable rent. It's not a bad place to live until you figure out the city and where you might like, or can look easier when local. They have a lot of units so some are pretty much always vacant, that's the advantage. They are well-kept and quite large for a lot of apts. That's where I had my niece move when she first moved here after grad school from out of town, and she liked it fine. One nice thing about it is that the rent includes utilities, and it has a pool and gym included on the grounds so it's sort of campus-like in environment. Parking is free, also, at least uncovered parking.

She lived in the Potomac complex (they have a couple buildings, each with it's own name) and you can see from their website the size and exact layout. They are nice.
http://www.riverhouseapts.com/

I don't know their current rents, they've gone up, but I think their efficiencies (which are very big, about 500-600 SF) are around $1200 now, which includes utilities, and their 1 BRs around $1500. One nice thing about it is they allow cats, which my niece had. Utilies are probably worth at least $100 a month, on average.

This isn't that far to Langley at all, either, so it would be convenient.

"I just think she would hate that, theyare way out in the far west burbs, very "unsophisticated" (which is a euphemism for people with gun racks as a routine accessory in their pickups, for example) and may be good for blue collar or immigrant families, not professional singles moving from LA. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I really would not recommend that (I would not live in DC if I had to live in those areas)."

There are $1M homes in Manassas Herndon, Chantilly and Centreville. If you are working in Tyson's Corner or outside the Beltway, these are all reasonable places to live. I wouldn't want to live out that far, but I also wouldn't work in Tysons Corner.

For people who want more space, these are all reasonable places to live because they will be dramatically cheaper than living in Clarendon or Pentagon City. She is not single, she's married. Plenty of young married professionals live in these communities, not just "blue collar" and "immigrant" types who are "unsophisticated."

What a horrible snob you are, and racist to boot.

Are you kidding me. I'm just telling the truth as I see it, these are too far out and I'm sure she wouldn't like them. People from out of town don't really know areas very well.

You are calling me racist, when I didn't even mention race, which is really funny. I am a liberal Democrat, live in Maryland, a very liberal state, in about the most liberal city in it, in a multi-ethnic neighborhood where whites are in the minority, and my immediate neighbors on two sides are black families and I have Hispanic relatives. So I am a racist, huh, in comparison to liberal Manassas and Herndon? Well, I didn't get into that, but that's one reason I wouldn't want to live in those places, they are very conservative and racist.

Manassas was the only city in Virginia to support the re-election of Republican George Allen in 2006. He's a real liberal guy, isn't he. And Herndon is trying to run all immigrants out of town, doesn't even want them in the city nor working there.

I was actually referring to Manassas in my comments, I wouldn't want to live in Herndon and Reston for various reasons because they are too far out and dull as dishwater (and the conservative element). But I wasn't thinking of race at all when I wrote my post.

You appear to not know what you are talking about. Have you actually been to Manassas or Herndon or Centerville or Chantilly lately? What garden spot do you live in Maryland that is so much more desirable?

You are the worst kind of snob and bigot because you pretend to be a liberal while spouting such nonsense.

I'd steer away from Tyson's--way too congested. If the Langley in question is in fact the George Bush Center for Intelligence (yes, people stop traffic on the parkway to take pictures of THAT sign), she really wants Arlington. Someone mentioned River House--that's a good one. Also, look into Cardinal House (it's a condo building, but there's usually units available to rent). Herndon, Chantilly, and places like that are WAY too far out, and require negotiation of serious traffic to get to Langley.

Actually, Tysons would be closer to Langley than S. Arlington where River House is. It's a straight shot on a single road to get from Tysons to the CIA building. While Herndon is futher out, it's not incredibly far as long as you take the Dulles Tollway, which has an exit near the CIA.

I used to live at Post Tyson's Corner. Used to be known as The Lincoln at Tyson's. It is a nice place to live. Nice and quite, clean, well taken care of. Good location. They have short term rentals available, including furnished apartments.

Are you here today "here_today"? Or stopped checking in?

Gotta agree w/ MikeT - Tyson's is always a much, MUCH quicker drive to Langley than from South Arlington.

Tysons is not necessarily a faster drive than from "S" Arlington. If she gets on the GW Parkway it is a straight shot upriver to the CIA exit.

Tysons is fine but for quality of life I would suggest an area such as Clarendon in Arlington proper.

She needs to figure out that costs around here are higher than perhaps expected and some would say the lifestyle is also.

if she is driving, there are areas in greater northwest DC that are not really metro accessible (but are bus accessible) that may be in that price range (but on craigslist). i used to live near the national cathedral (towers condo) and it was in that price range.

I was away for the holiday and just stopped back in. Lot's of new input on this! BTW, we're not allowed to say those initials. We have to say she is relocating to accept a government position. If anyone asks, you never heard any of this from me!

We have learned that what the federal government pays does not compare favorably to the cost of housing in the area! lol

I think she may have found something, a condo that is owned by another government worker who is being transferred "west." But, it is not a done deal yet so I will forward on this other new info. Short term furnished would be ideal and was what she was hoping to find to start.

I do not know much about the area but I do know that Manassas is too far away for her. She wants to be closer to the city.

Thanks to all for your input. I guess it is time for me to start planning a trip to that area (after the unpacking is all done, of course! lol), so I'll be back for trip help in the next few months. I am thinking spring--when do the cherry blossoms bloom?

As I read this I am sitting in my homein Northwest DC which happens to be in a coop. I have owned it for nearly eleven years.

$1500 a month in McLean in not unheard of and quite possible for rent there. The rental market here is not quite as strong as it once was. The Washington Post will have an apartment section in it tomorrow and I can report back. Personally when I was first starting out I preferred to rent a condo over an apartment in a rental building as they were usually better maintained.

I am in McLean at least once a week--it is only six miles from me--is a nice upscale and can be expensive area, but as I said that rent may be acceptable there. Here in DC--no way!

I will check back tomorrow.

Jen

Finally getting back here, and after checking the Washington Post for several days,I found apartments -one bedrooms for anywhere from $998.00 on up in Northwest DC and McLean. Most do not include itilities and some include water or gas. You have a full range of prices here--DC tends to be pricier than McLean. The rental market is definitely softening. She should try to get as close to her job as possible or else all the savings will go in her gas tank. Not to mention the horrific rush hours if one goes out too far in the suburbs.

Jennifer

If she is still looking for short term furnished apartments, I'd suggest she check out Oakwood (oakwood.com). They have a few properties in No. Va. (including Crystal City).

I don't think your daughter is looking in the right places. There are numerous newer apartment complexes in Reston and Herndon that easily have $1300 rents for one bedrooms. I think that you can find even larger apartments under $1500. Go to apartments.com and search Reston with a radius of 5 miles.

You can also find cheaper, new apartments in Ashburn (a longer drive) and Chantilly, but those commutes get more cumbersome.

Crossing the American Legion bridge daily is not advisable - I wouldn't add a Beltway commute unless you have to. Further, I wouldn't add a commute on 66 unless you have to.

It will be tougher for her to find reasonably priced apartments closer in to the city - McLean, Tysons, Arlington, Falls Church. Those areas can be more "fun" because they're closer to the city and urban areas, but the higher cost of living, difficulty in owning a car, space constraints, difficulties with grocery stores and other conveniences, and general condition of the $1500 range rentals make them not as attractive.

If it were my husband and me, I'd choose Reston or Fairfax (though Fairfax is a more awkward commute on 495 or through Tysons). I've not seen any roaches around the area - so as long as she lives in a newer building and not in a floodplain or basement, I don't see an issue.

And, FWIW, I have lived in Herndon for 6 years, and I am a young, married, affluent professional. There are places in Herndon I wouldn't recommend, but there are much better areas, too (around Worldgate has new apartments, restaurants and grocery stores). I certainly wouldn't paint all of Herndon, Chantilly and Centreville with the same brush. Sure, Ballston and Clarendon are fun, but I'm not trading a home with a large yard for my large dog and 2-car garage for a one-bedroom condo where I have to fight for parking.

Hope your daughter found a place. If not, here's my two cents.

I've lived in the following places in NoVA: Clarendon, Ballston, an area of Arlington just west of Ballston I don't have a name for, Manassas, Old Town Alexandria, non-Old Town Alexandria.

The worst two years of my life were those spent in Manassas. My husband and I were 25 years old, and suddenly lost half of our social lives because we spent so much time commuting.

I'd definitely shoot for North Arlington. Randolph Towers in Ballston has one bedrooms starting at $1505 a month.

One-bedrooms in Courtland Park in Clarendon start at $1385.

I lived in both buildings, and loved the neighborhoods.

Hello! I lived in DC in 2006 and stayed at Tunlaw Gardens, if I recall it is a property of Charles E. Smith.

The budget that your daughter is currently working on fits perfectly with that apartment. I was renting a 1 bedroom 1 bath for 1300 during that time. I never saw any roaches - which was so nice since I have a dog.

The neighborhood is so good, very friendly, more like on the preppy side of DC since most of my neighbors are on their 20s. Perfect for your daughter!

It is very quiet and safe since the location is behind the Russian Embassy (security cameras around!).

You might wanna take a look at that side of town, I just moved last year to alexandria and it is not as good as the apartment I had in DC! Bummer!

I'm puzzled. How does she know the units have roaches while she is researching online?

Because there are just as many web sites that review apartments as there are sites that review hotels!