Living in NOVA on entry level salary? (Arlington, Reston: low income, apartment)

[sctiger07]

Hi all,

I've got an interview in McLean (which I've read is VERY expensive). Is finding a 1 BR apartment for less than $1000 a month within a 30 minute commute possible? Or are you laughing at me right now?

I'm not familiar with the area at all, so any ideas for housing or commute times are appreciated.

thanks!

[MacUser85]

Greetings and welcome to Northern VA!

A 1BR for $1000 in a decent area here is very tight. I pay $997 for an efficiency in North Arlington in a very safe area in an older building that I like. But that is not necessarily the norm. I love living alone so I see your desire to want that, but you may want to investigate a roommate. $1100 would be probably a bit more reasonable. If you have the time, you can probably hunt something down, but I'd definitely be looking at studios versus 1BRs in that price range.

30 minutes of McLean and nice:
Vienna
Oakton
Fairfax
Falls Church (this DEPENDS very much--some places can be nice, and some are low income places with cigarettes and trash all around, yes not very PC of me to say but you want somewhere welcoming to come home at the end of a long day)
Arlington-North

Can you schedule some extra time to stay here and look at places. Craigslist is a great tool as well! Best of luck to you.

One thing to keep in mind is that while this area is expensive, it sure has its perks. It is a haven for young people--there are so many places to go out and have fun. You can have fun inexpensively as well--depending on your drinking habits of course. But this area has many perks that are hard to find....that being said, it's not the only desirable place to live. It's all in what you like and are looking for.

[caution]

most of the young interns / fed get a roomie or two... a least the ones I've met

[Neutral]

It probably is possible but it won't be in a very nice area.

Give yourself some piece of mind and start thinking $1100-$1400 for a one bedroom.

[SaratL]

Besides the places mentionedd, 30 mt commute to Mclean will also include Merrifield, Dunn Loring, some parts of Annandale (near FFX Hospital) and some parts of Reston/Herndon.