Message: I am a 26 year old male from Toronto,Canada who will be working for six months, beginning Sept. 1/00, in downtown Washington,DC. I will be working as an international education program coordinator with an esteemed international organization,
and am looking for accommodation during my six month stay. If you are renting a room or apartment, or are able to make recommendations to me for rent under $600/month U.S. it would be greatly appreciated.

I dont know of anyplace specifically, but I do know that the city is very expensive, unless you plan on staying in some of the shady parts of the city, like S.E. washington. You may be better off looking for apartments or room in the suburbs..like in Maryland and Virginia. I live in Maryland, and know for a fact that the subway runs all through the state, and it would be extremely easy to commute to the city. Many of Marylanders do it daily to work. Plus, the suburbs are less violent, more quiet, and less crowded. Living in the city is such a headache - trust me.

Washington is a city full of transients, including diplomats on short-term home assignments, military, corporate, etc. so there are many places that take people for a matter of a few weeks to a few months. Best thing to do is to get ahold of a Wash. Post (surely Toronto has a newstand that would have it) for Sat. or Sun. -- doesn't have to be current, just has to have ads for realtors who handle just this sort of thing.

Check out the town of Tacoma (Takoma?) Park, Maryland -- it's an easy Metro commute to DC, and is a really interesting area. I would think rentals might be more reasonable there, if you can find info -- sorry I don't have any leads.

The Washington Post is also online:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Here Is an idea you might want to look into.It might help worth a try. Check:www.swannhouse.com~tele:202-265-4414 or fax:202-265-6755.Might be an answer for short term 6 mo. rental.Also some colleges rent rooms short term worth a try..There is also other rental info on that site.

Lots of people in DC on a limited budget, short term or not, live with housemates in Georgetown. You can take the bus downtown from there, or if you are at the right end of Georgetown, walk to the Foggy Bottom Metro. You should look in Washington City Paper, though I'm not sure if it's on line.

The Post may be on-line, but the array of ads is different from the print version, esp. re:real estate.

Don't go out to the burbs! You'll want to be in the city, particularly if it's only for 6 months. And the most close-in burbs (Arlington, VA, and Bethesda, MD) are just as expensive now, if not more so, than D.C.

You can definitely get a room in a house in D.C. for $600 or less a month. I don't know anyone who pays more than $450 in a group house in the city. Call George Washington Unversity (don't know the number--check out www.gwu.edu). They have housing listings. GW has a large graduate school population and not much on campus housing, so you should be able to find something suitable.

Also check out the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) and City Paper (not sure of the web site), as those are the best places to find listings. The neighborhoods you want to be in are Foggy Bottom (that's where GW is) or DuPont Circle. You'll likely be able to walk to work from there, depending on the exact location. Adams Morgan would also be good--it's the up-and-coming neighborhood, and lots of 20somethings live there. Capitol Hill is also an option, but check out the exact area of the accommodation first--some areas up there aren't so hot.

A quick thank you to all who have posted suggestions thus far; they've been very helpful. Will keep all posted as to success of my hunt. Want any info on Toronto or Ottawa, ask me.

Scott -- I highly recommend looking for something in the Dupont Circle neighborhood if you can find anything. Housing is tight right now and prices are high, but this area is wonderful (it's where I live) -- great variety of restaurants and shops, proximity to the Metro for getting around, lots of folks your age (20s & 30s), very diverse community. To find something in your price range you will have to share or find a group house, but that's OK. Good luck.