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“Maximize rent” means very different things to different people. Are you willing to tolerate a less-safe area and older building to have more square footage? Do you want to be close to trendy restaurants or loud nightlife or roads out of the city for weekend trips? Do you care about “luxury” amenities in your building or would you rather have a neighborhood with character?
In VERY broad strokes, NW DC (Georgetown, DuPont, Logan Circle, 14th) and SW DC (around the Wharf or Navy Yard) tend to be safer than NE or SE DC. Public transit in DC is overall great but can be uneven, so take a look at the number/walking distance/line color of the metro stops you’ll be near. Navy Yard and the Wharf are being built up with new buildings right now so lots of shiny luxury apartments and cool restaurants without loud night life, but they are kind of artificial neighborhoods and you won’t meet many DC natives living there - lots of new transplants and they’re kind of cut off from the rest of the city. I’ve lived around DuPont, Logan, and 14th for the past couple years and found it to be the perfect balance for me of restaurants, bars, transit, and residential - it’s also extremely walkable, I rarely even metro because I can walk so many places in less than half an hour. The trade off is price - it’s not a cost-effective area of the city! H Street area I hear is a more cost-effective balance of many of the same elements with just a slightly more sketchy vibe, but my friends have had great luck with group houses in that area.
Downtown Silver Spring, Hyattsville, Arlington, and Bethesda are great options if you want to be very close to DC and save money. I live in a high rise in downtown silver spring and I love it. I’m a 3 min drive/10 min walk from DC, I save money by not paying 2.5K for an apartment in DC, I live in a luxury building, and I love the area. I have a 1 bedroom and pay 1900 total for rent and parking. There are also other options in these areas that may not cost as much especially if you get a studio or have a roommate so I would definitely suggest checking them out. I would start looking about 1-2 months before you’re ready to lease, depending on the season. Apartments go quicker in the summer so if you find something you like, tour it and take it! I moved in May and started looking that same month. The same week I toured my current unit, I signed the lease, so that should give you an idea of how quick people can be.
I would also recommend living with a roommate to save money and to have someone around. One thing I didn’t realize was how isolating it can be once you graduate to not be around your friends all the time so having a roommate can definitely help with that to avoid the depressive states that come with going from having friends around 24/7 to being alone all the time.
I also noticed that prices are cheaper starting around November and get more expensive as the summer months come around. The price for units like mine in my building went from $1750 to $2000 once June hit. This is why having a roommate would help because if you find an apartment for $3000 then you guys could easily split that depending on salaries.
D1, you’re right. 3 min drive from DC border and 20 min drive from downtown. Either way, it’s very convenient and much less expensive. And I am right by the SS metro (4 min walk) which has easy access to DC as well