So you are moving to DC and you have no idea that DC is the size of a thum nail. In order to actually live in the city you will have to make a ton of money or be happy living some shady areas. These areas is where you would have to consider having a car alarm for your apartment door. Here is were we get into the DC Metro area which is made up of parts of Maryland, DC and Virginia. The areas in Maryland that great to live are places like Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Bethesda, and almost anything in Montgomery county that is no more than 5 miles away from DC. I say no more than 5 miles because each mile adds about 12 minutes on to your commute whether you are driving or taking public transportation. Silver Spring is an area that is dedicated to students so if you don't like being around tons on nose than this area may not be for you. If you are interested in night life and the college life than you should move right in. Takoma Park is a mix of students, young professionals and older residents. This area is not as close to the metro as you want it to be and you would have to rely on cab rides to get back in forth. Bethesda is the equivalent of high class society. If you don't have any money then i suggest you just to visit the mall located there. Apartments in this area will definitely tax your budget. Montgomery county in Maryland is all about high price shopping and housing every lawyer in the area that are partners at some company in the DC area. Lets move straight into the Virginia area. I am a little basis because i think the Arlington area in Virginia is a great area for young professionals. There are some other areas in VA to consider look at which are in Alexandria but its not as close to public transportation but it is great for families. The only area in northern VA where you can get some yard space and not pay over $700,000 dollars. Here are the areas in Arlington to consider: Rosslyn, Couthouse, Virginia Square, Ballston and East Falls Church. Rosslyn is a nice area that is full of resterauntsand great city views of DC. Also it is a hop skip and jump from Georgetown. The price tag in this area ranges from 2300 to 5000 a month for a 2 bedroom 2 Bath Apartment. This is a very expensive area but the upgrades that come in this area are spectacular. Next is the courthouse area which is a mile away from rosslyn. This area are where all the norther Virginiacourthouses are located and are full with people who cant afford rosslynbut is still close to the area. Courthouse has couple of shops and a movie theatre but not a big area. The apartments in this area are wonderful and the price tag for a 2 bedroom 2 bath are from 2250-3500. We are now going to travel into the claredon area which is further from rosslyn but has ton of high price stores and shopping stores. Also has the most starbucks in the one mile radius that makes up claredon. There are plenty of bars and new shops popping up every where. The price for a 2bedroom 2Bath starts out at 2500 and can creep up to as high as you are willing to pay for luxury. There are new apartment buildings going up every day but having less space more luxury and costing more than what i quoted. Moving on to Virginia Square....What i like to call the area of no where land. They have a metro station but there is nothing around it that makes the price tag of living wonderful. Virginia Square is located one mile from Claredon, two miles from courthouse 3 miles from rosslyn and like i said each mile is a 12 minutes to your commute. Lets move right into the next part of the Arlington area named Ballston. This is where things get tricky. Ballston has a mall and some nice areas to live that could fit every one's price range but be careful and do not go past 4th street northwhen you are looking for a place of residency. You will thank me later for this bit of information. This area has not been full developed but in a couple of years there could be some real money to make by purchasing a place. The apartment price for a 2 bedroom 2 bath that is a walk to the metro start out from 2000 and can go up to 2600 to be right on top of the metro. This is definetly an area to start out at if you are looking to be close to the action and does not put some hurting on the pocket. If you are more into the family routine than you should check out the east fall church area which is full of families and has some yards. This area also has close metro transportation but add some more time on your commute. The prices in this area drop significantly but becareful because you can still go back to the high price ranges if you go for those high end units. `DC is broken up to 4 quadrants NE, NW, SE SW. The areas that everyone wants to live in is the north west area but if you are not a millionaire please step away from this area. I cant even begin to quote prices. NE has some up and coming area but be careful where you step because you could wind up in the ghetto. Do check out the areas around union station because it had tons of shops and they are building up the area. This seems like a good investment area especially if you are into flipping houses. SE and SW are areas to live in if you work for a non profit and you cant afford to live. These of the places where you might need a can of pepper spray so you can walk home from the metro safely.Well this is all i have to say about the area known asDC Metro but please send me some questions. I do have the answers.

J.