Anyone know of a good area to live in Washington DC? ie: which areas are good to live in? which to avoid?

My sister is moving in to the Washington DC area soon, so I was going to help her find a place. However, I don't know anything about the area. Any advice is good. Where you think is a good place to live, where not to go. Also if people wanted to add in what they like doing there or spots to visit and any restaurants to go to.



Thanks in advance!Anyone know of a good area to live in Washington DC? ie: which areas are good to live in? which to avoid?
Nick left out one thing....cost of living. All of the good places he mentioned are also the most expensive places to live in the DC area. In fact, Loudon Co. and Fairfax Co. are number one and two wealthiest counties in the US....period....with per capita incomes above $140K a year. Those areas are nicer because the people that live there pay to make it nicer. I should know because I live in Fairfax Co. So, a lot has to do with not only where your sister is going to be working, but what she can afford. Prince Georges Co. and Suitland do have bad reputations for crime, but most crime in those areas are personal crime. That is, the victims usually knew their perpetrator. Other than getting a car broken into (which can happen anywhere in DC), not much happens to strangers.



You also didn't say how old your sister is, but if she is just starting out, she may want to look at areas where the recent grads and younger folks hang out such as Claredon, Ballston, and Alexandria. That way she can find a relatively affordable place,around people her age group and be close to public transportation. If she is considering actually living IN DC, she should look at the NW part of the city.
Just some notes...



First, where will she be working? The ability to commute a short distance is important in the DC metro area. That's because traffic congestion is bad. So, try to find a place to live that is close to where she will be working.



Next up. In general, Virginia is safer than Maryland. And, Prince Georges County Maryland has a "reputation". It's not all bad...but it's worse than some of the other counties.



If I could live anywhere that was close to DC, it would be Loudoun County Virginia. My second choice would be Fairfax County Virginia. My third choice would be Arlington County Virginia and then Montgomery County Maryland.



Take a look at a map of the Washington DC area. Now look at a place called Suitland Maryland. That would be the place I would stay away from. The further out you get from Suitland, the safer the living conditions.Anyone know of a good area to live in Washington DC? ie: which areas are good to live in? which to avoid?
If you want to live in Washington DC here are good places and bad.



Good: Dupont Circle, Van Ness, Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, Gallery Place/Chinatown, and pretty much anywhere on Capitol Hill. (expect to pay at minimum $1800/mo in rent for a 1 bedroom apartment.) You can find a room for rent cheaper however.



Bad: Almost anywhere Northeast and Southeast DC except near the US Capitol (Capitol Hill).





If you want to live in Maryland right outside of DC here are good and bad.



Good: Montgomery County (Bethesda, North Bethesda (Grosvenor area), Rockville, Gaithersburg, and some places in Silver Spring are probably best. Crofton and Annapolis in Anne Arundel County are also good. Columbia in Howard County is also good but more of a hike.



Bad: Almost any area in Prince Georges County with the exception of Bowie and thats pushing it.



In Virginia almost any area in Northern Virginia is great except you are going to hate the traffic.



Alexandria, Arlington, and McLean (Tysons Corner) are the best cities to live in Northern Virginia but are more expensive. Then there is Fairfax, Reston, Chantilly, and Centreville. Also Springfield is ok.



The only not so great area in Virginia is probably Manassas and Huntington areas (not close to each other, but are noticeably bad as far as crime).



As far as the best hotspots of course it's going to be mostly in DC or in Bethesda, MD. In DC virtually everyone goes to either Chinatown/Gallery Place or to Capitol Hill to go to bars/hotspots/restaurants. When I say Capitol Hill I mean anywhere close to Pennsylvania Ave Southeast kinda near the Capitol South and Eastern Market metro stations. Chinatown and Gallery Place has it's own metro station but it's location is about 7th street and H St or I St. Great location, expensive.