**FELLOWSHIP HOUSING 101**

(by Felix A. Martinez, Class of 2003)

The purpose of this guide is not to tell you were to live but to help
you make the decision yourself... wisely!

First, the timing of placement week and the beginning of the fellowship
year are unfortunately too far apart to effectively search for and
secure a place that week. If you are not familiar with DC, you should
take that week as an opportunity to learn about the city and it environs
so you can decide where in general you would like to live for that year.

Another important thing is that if you do not come from a major metro
area, be prepared for rental sticker shock. Your \$800 dollar, two
bedroom apartment in Smallville, USA is a cardboard shack by the
Greyhound depot in DC.

Important facts to newcomers: buying wine and beer is cheaper in DC than
in Maryland and Virginia but overall, taxes are higher in D.C. The
cheapest income tax rate is Virginia, then Maryland. Sales tax in VA and
MD is the same (5%).

The three most important considerations when you look for housing should
be:

1)  How easy is it to get to work?

2)  Will you treasure going out regularly in the evenings?

3)  How much open space do you need?

We will try to tackle these first and then give some general tips on
finding that place of your dreams!

**The Commute**

Where you choose to work should weigh heavily into where you live.
Moving around the metro area is not really that bad as long as your
commute does not involve driving on the beltway. However, parking for
your car once you get to work can be scarce and very expensive. The best
advice is to live within walking or biking distance. The DC area is not
bike friendly per se, but it is also not bike hostile. Most office
complexes will have some sort of gym/exercise room where you could
shower (better yet workout!) before work if need be.

Come winter, biking might get tricky so the metro will be your next best
friend. The metro is very accessible from most of the cool neighborhoods
to live in DC, but you need to consider that it does get crowded during
rush hour. If you do not like enclosed places with lots of people,
flashing lights, and noise, the metro will give you panic attacks! (At
least it's not remotely as bad as in Japan!). Best bet is to minimize
the number of stops you will need to take to get to work. On the other
hand, if none of those things bother you, it would be a nice place to
sit (if you start from one of the first stops) and read a book or the
newspaper.

*Note:*

-   *Many people in downtown (even up at Silver Spring) do not own a
    car. You can always take a cab from the grocery store or rent a car
    if you want to get away for the weekend.*

-   *Motorcycles can park for free in the SS campus parking lot. E-mail
    Felix for more info if you are planning on riding to work
    (felix.martinez@nooa.gov).*

**Going Out in the Evenings**

If you are interested in experiencing the culture of DC, you need to be
wise about where you move to. The perfect example is if you work at NOAA
in Silver Spring (SS) it makes sense to live nearby to minimize the
commute and take advantage of cheaper housing than in DC proper.
However, you will most likely miss most of the nightlife. Getting out of
work at 5:00 to head downtown for happy hour in the middle of the rush
and then head back latter "happy" but tired to the suburbs to wake up
early the next morning will get old fast. Even on the weekends, after a
weeklong worth of bureaucracy, the trek down to DC will be unappealing.
Guaranteed you will only visit DC when some relative or friend visits
you from out of town!

**Open Space**

Given the rental rates in the DC area, space can be a major
consideration. Rents for 1-2 bedrooms in DC can range from \~ \$1500 to
well over \$2000 in a luxury place. Cheaper places in DC can be found in
the form of studios and "English Basements" (more on this later).
However, you will be hard pressed to find anything for less than \$1000
in the nicer neighborhoods.

If you need space you will most likely need roommates to get a large
place. You can then find places for \$850-\$1200 per person. Living out
in the suburbs is an option to find more affordable larger places, but
then you need to consider the commute and social life issues.

A word of caution when looking for a place with roommates is that a
limiting factor is not *bed*rooms but *bath*rooms. A 3 bedroom house or
apartment will most likely only have 2 full bathrooms, so you must be
prepare to share!

The typical dwellings in DC are apartment buildings and row-houses that
are either single homes or are split into apartments. Out in the 'burbs
you can find a larger selection of apartment types, town-homes, and
single family homes. To put rents in perspective, you can pay outside
the beltway for a 3-4 bedroom single house what you pay downtown for a 1
bedroom apartment!!

What in the world is an "English Basement"? Many row-houses in downtown
DC have large walk-in basements that are half sunken in. They are
typically converted into separate rental units. They are either studio
or 1 bedroom units. Most will have plenty of windows and depending on
their location some will get plenty of light. Although they are set for
one person, their rent rates tend to be fairly high for the nice ones.

**So what is the best strategy?**

First sit down and be honest with what your priorities are.

Do not let actual rent be the main consideration (a \$1800 apartment
where you will not have to commute will in the end be cheaper than a
\$1500 that requires daily metro rides and / or driving).

Search in the web for ads a few days before coming for placement week so
you are familiar with what your choices might be.

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/realestate/rent/>

<http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/>

Stay a couple of days after placement week to look around the areas you
might be interested in.

You should plan on coming back at least once more to finalize your
search. Driving around is not a good strategy. Very few places post "For
Rent" signs. Visit first a real estate office with a leasing division in
the area you might like to live in and ask for their listing. They will
ask the type of place and budget and give you a listing before they take
you out. Most agencies do not post their rental properties on their
websites. You will have to go in personally and ask.

*Note: If you know a real estate agent in your hometown, they might be
able to tap into the "Multiple Listing Service" and find out information
for you ahead of time. The MLS listing will have a description of the
house, most often a photo, and the contact info of the agent.*

You could also take advantage of the "calls for roommates" from people
in the fellows loop. You will soon start getting some of those forwarded
to you by Kola.

**The down and dirty**

So where are the good places to live in DC?

Like any big city, the DC metro area has both good and bad
neighborhoods. They are also much intertwined. Rule of thumb is visit,
look around and pay attention to what the neighbors' places look like.

Buy a street guide of the DC area before you do anything else so you can
write notes of the neighborhoods as you walk, drive around (Rand
McNally's Thomas Guide is the best). The guide will also come in handy
when you start moving around DC to do things

What follows is not a comprehensive listing of desirable areas, but it
should give you a good idea.

**DC:**

Capitol Hill -- obviously close to the congressional offices. It is very
neighborhoody with Victorian architecture and has many bars and
restaurants to go out to. It is also the home of the Eastern Market (an
eclectic place to shop). Somewhat safe but don't leave your bike
outside, easy access to the Metro

Dupont Circle / Adams Morgan -- this is a very hip area with lots of
bars, boutiques, and restaurants. It has plenty of apartment buildings
along the main streets and Victorian row-houses on the side streets, has
relatively easy access to the Metro, close to the National Zoo and Rock
Creek Park.

Woodley Park to Tenley Town (along the Red line) -- these areas are
similar to Dupont Circle, but not as hip and becoming more residential.
It is safe to live, but starts getting far from most workplaces, calling
for longer commutes.

Georgetown -- the name says it all. Real cool place to live but a very
pricey neighborhood. It is very eclectic with lots of things to do, but
no direct access to metro. A cab or bus can take you to the closest
metro stop. Will require a roommate!

**Suburbs: (Maryland)**

Silver Spring (SS) -- around the NOAA campus there are several apartment
buildings and condo/duplex type places within easy walking or biking
distance. The immediate N and NW of SS downtown are relatively safe. As
you move N and NW past the beltway, there are some nice oldish
neighborhoods where retired folks are mixed with younger families
(Kensington, Wheaton, Forest Glen). The Wheaton town center has lots of
ethnic markets and mom and pop restaurants, but can get sketchy at
night.

Takoma Park -- just S of SS is this cool enclave of nice old homes. It
is kind of artsy with a few restaurants and shops. Nice Farmer's Market
Coop. Does have some sketchy areas so beware, visit first.

Bethesda / Chevy Chase -- it start's getting to be a bit far from
downtown DC and a long metro ride to SS (you need to loop down and
around on the Red line). You could commute to SS by car, bus, or bike.
It has a nice downtown to go to eat and an Art Film theater complex. It
also has a cool Farmer's / Flea Market place to visit. It has two nice
public pool places to swim, an outdoor complex and an indoor complex
with an exercise room. The neighborhoods mostly single-family homes are
nice, but pricey. There are some town-home complexes in the area.

College Park -- home of U. of Maryland, has somewhat of a college town
feel and the rents are lower. There is an REI store and a cool organic
foods grocery store. It is, however, a longish commute to both DC and
SS.

Hyattsville -- between DC and College Park, this town is an
up-and-coming area. Houses are still a bit cheaper than the rest of the
other suburbs (but not likely to last too long). It has a few nice
places to grab a bite and beer (i.e., Frankiln's). The commute is
shorter than from College Park.

Rockville -- typical suburban area with lots of brand new housing,
malls, etc. It's the end of the line for the Red line and quite a long
commute on the metro. Bus and car, as well as MARC train, commuting is
possible to SS.

**Suburbs: (Virginia)**

Alexandria / Arlington -- both are for the most part commuter heavens
for DC. Both are serviced easily by the metro but will be long (time
wise) commutes (get some good books!). They have plenty of shopping /
restaurant districts. Alexandria has a quaint historic district.

**Where NOT to go**

As we said before, like in all big cities some areas of DC can be really
sketchy. East of Capitol Hill as you go beyond the Eastern Market
neighborhoods, things go downhill pretty quick.

The same thing happens as you go north / northeast from the Capitol up
to Walter Reed Army Hospital. Along the way, areas around Rhode Island
Ave., Catholic U., Columbia Heights pretty much up to Takoma (DC side)
can get pretty darn scary even in daylight.

It is only fair to say that lately, there have been active neighborhood
renovation projects in DC so that some areas traditionally labeled as
bad are not anymore, with the benefit of prices being still
comparatively low.

**In the end...**

Don't sweat too much finding a place, keep an open mind and think that
you can move somewhere else later. However, don't choose to quickly, not
getting along with your roommate and / or a crappy place can make a year
seem to last a lifetime!!

**Pleasant surprises...**

If you like to take in some greenery or exercise to detox from the urban
madness, there are plenty of things to do right after work, especially
in the extended summer hours.

-   Brookside Gardens in the Wheaton Regional Park has a very beautiful
    collection of trees, flowers, and aquatic plants, with benches to
    sit down and let your karma re-energize. The Park itself has a few
    trails to run or hike as you wish in relative safety. For more info
    on the park go to: <http://www.mc-mncppc.org/parks/brookside/>.

-   Rock Creek Park is a National Park in DC proper with miles of trails
    to hike and ride, but safety can be more of an issue here. For more
    info on the park go to: <http://www.nps.gov/rocr/>.

-   The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center is also within drivable
    distance for a nice hike. The north tract is "wilder" and popular
    with bird watchers but the trails are restricted because it used to
    be part of Ft. Meade. For more info on the park go to:
    <http://patuxent.fws.gov/>.

-   The C&O Canal offers plenty of miles of trails (easy and strenuous)
    plus kayaking in the Potomac (both flat and white water). For more
    info on the park go to: <http://www.nps.gov/choh/>.

-   Great Falls Park (Virginia side) has good trails and decent rock
    climbing. There is also a very active kayaking community that
    paddles here. For more info on the park go to:
    <http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/grfa/>.

-   There is an active cycling community in DC with daily rides along
    Rock Creek Park or out in the country during the weekends. For more
    info on cycling go to: <http://www.waba.org/>.

-   There are also plenty of masters swim clubs throughout the area, but
    workouts are mostly late at night (\~ 8:30ish). Terrapin Masters (my
    team!) at U. of Maryland has reasonable evening workouts (6:30PM).
    To check out all team go to the USMS website:
    <http://www.usms.org/links/usmsclubs.htm>.

-   Glen Echo Park, although a National Park, is oriented towards the
    arts. It offers classes during four terms yearly on everything:
    ceramics, jewelry, photography, drawing, painting, and dancing. The
    catalog is available on their website. For more info on the park go
    to: <http://www.nps.gov/glec/>.