How to live in Washington DC
How I did it: In 2008, I was hired for a job in DC. I found my apartment via Craigslist. I chose an apartment in Northeast (NE), DC, near Union Station (which is directly north of the US Capitol) for $600 + utilities. It was great being in the heart of the city. I didn't have a car so I wanted to live within walking distance/metro rail distance. Many attractions were within walking distance and since it was near the Capitol, it was a safe area.
Lessons & tips: The city is divided into 4 quadrants - NW (Northwest), NE (Northeast), SW (Southwest), and SE (Southeast). The quadrants are in reference to the direction from the US Capitol. The best area is NW (White House, Dupont Circle), and generalizing, NE is the next safest, and finally, SE can be dangerous. If I moved back to DC, I would strongly consider Alexandria, VA (on the Potomac). The neighborhood has a good atmosphere.
Resources: DC has their own Metro rail service. It's very clean and a lot of people use it to get to work. It's not as extensive as the train system in New York, but it runs through all of the major areas of DC.
