Relocating to Washington, Dc?

I'm moving to the DC area sometime in August, and I'm trying to find a place to live--I'm a young gov't professional on a limited budget, so I'm looking mainly for places to share with others, bedrooms to rent in apartments,or living on my own, etc....And so far the only place I've found to look for those kind of listings is on "Craigslist". Does anyone know of anywhere else I can find listing of people who are looking for roommate or for apartment to rent ?

Also, I am pretty much sticking to looking in Maryland , based on the advice of several people I have met in the DC area--Chesy Chase, Rockville, Bethesda,Takoma Park, Anapolisa, Pasenda,Silver Spring, Germantown,Gaithersburg, and etc, have all been recommended to me. However, none of people recommended another neighborhoods in or around the DC area, can anyone suggest another neighborhoods that are safe and afforable.

Thanks

I lived in DC for 14 years, but I haven't been there for a while, and rents of course are high -- but not as high as NYC where I live now. You can map out the neighborhoods around The American University, Georgetown & George Washington U. You may be able to google your way into a website or an organization that is a posting place for apartments students tend to share. Another wonderful school is Howard University. I once found a good living situation through their Housing Office, and I was neither black nor a student, but the price was right and the place was nice. Another university is The Catholic University, which is in NE DC, a traditionally black middle class neighborhood, with lots of freestanding houses, but students live there as well. And it is a lovely neighborhood.

The areas around the universities tend to be safe. I mean, you're in a city, so you have to be aware of your surroundings. But the areas team with young people who are not necessarily all nine-to-fivers, so there is foot traffic, and affable people coming to and from classes and the library, etc.

When I first lived there, the Mount Pleasant area was teaming with what were called "group houses". Folks rent a big house -- it is an area of rowhouses or brownstones -- and then each person gets a bedroom. I clicked into the DC apts/rooms for rent area on google the other day, just out of curiosity, and there were a number of ads for rooms for rent in the Mt. Pleasant area, along Park Road, etc. This is a nice area, not far from Rock Creek Park.

I lived in Adams Morgan most of the years I lived in DC, and when I left, it was on its way to becoming another Georgetown, but if you find a listing in this area, it is just great. It is culturally the most diverse area of DC -- Latino and Islands folk, and great little restaurants. It is just north of Dupont Circle which is now quite hoity toity, but Adams Morgan is very centrally located, vibrant, and it used to be quite economically varied, from the very very comfortable, to the very working class. It is convenient to everything.

Maybe that confused you, or maybe it helps. Good luck.

No one has talked about Virginia. Arlington neighborhoods of Ballston, Clarendon and Courthouse are wonderful neighborhoods right on metro (important in Virginia) as are the neighborhoods around most of the metro stops. In particular Dunn Loring has a richness of great apartments right near the metro station, and Vienna has some, and is building more.

Crystal City and Rosslyn are other great neighborhoods - but tend to be more business neighborhoods and very quiet at night. Less of a community than the others.

I also believe that the Maryland suburbs beat Virginia.

For possibilities on roommates, get the weekend Washington Post real estate sections and look for the "Roommates Wanted" in the classifieds.

Actually, if you can afford it, having your own place is the very best idea.

I'm thinking of relocating to the DC area too, depending on job opportunities. Thanks for posting this question..I'll check back to read the answers.

I think some info on cities can be found on tripadvisor.com and fodor's ...but it's more pertaining to visitor info.

Good luck in DC! Wish me luck too, with my ambitious endeavour to move there!