[jorgsofi]

Thank you everyone for all your great input! I now have a clearer idea of bike friendly neighborhoods in Alexandria and in Arlington that I might want to consider.

Any feedback on bike friendly neighborhoods in DC proper? Criteria:

very bike friendly
very walkable
relatively safe
relatively quiet
Metro station nearby
healthy, relatively inexpensive places to eat nearby
possible to find 1BR’s for less than $2,000/month

Also, I’ve been looking on Craigslist for listings in all the great places you’ve suggested, but I’m not finding many listings, even above my price ceiling. Any ideas on what are some of the best ways to look for an apartment in the DC area? Are there other places online that might be helpful? Should I consider hiring a broker? Should I simply try walking around in each neighborhood? I haven’t arrived in the area yet, and I don’t know very many people who live in the area.

[jorgsofi]

@Tania 146110 wrote:

This is about where my commute ends too although I’m much farther out than you’d prefer (~14 miles).

The “DC area” really is a big place. And when someone says Arlington or Fairfax, that can cover a large area. I’ve lived here since 1999 and I’m still learning all the neighborhood names. When someone says “Oh it’s in Arlington” they usually get a blank stare back from me.

Two immediately issues with your wants though:

1. $2000 in rent is going to be tricky. NOT impossible, but inventory won’t be the huge.

2. DC is a low point so you’re going to have hills although they’ll be on your way home when it should matter less.

The good news I’d say most of the immediate area is pretty darn bike friendly. And a ton of people bike commute into work!

Hi, Tania. Thanks for your reply. My commute would not involve going to/from Fairfax. When I say Arlington, you may assume Ballston. When I say Alexandria, you may assume Del Ray. I don’t mind hills.

[jorgsofi]

@lordofthemark 146103 wrote:

I gathered that you would be working in the DC area. I meant more specifically – in downtown DC, in Tysons, in Reston, etc? This is a big metro area, with employment in many different parts, and what works for one employment location (especially if you want a commute of less than 5 miles) won’t work for another. If you specify where you will be working (and even the west end of downtown is different from Capitol Hill) you will get more useful answers.

Thanks for your reply. I can commute up to 10 miles by bike, if necessary. That wouldn’t be a problem for me.

[jorgsofi]

@dasgeh 146105 wrote:

Honestly, it would be easier to list the neighborhoods in DC/Arlington/Alexandria that are NOT bike friendly, than those that are. In Arlington, basically everything is bike friendly, though north of 26th Street is more “soulless suburb” Arlington, and less bike friendly. And really far away from Metro.

That’s not specific enough. E.g. a large chunk of Arlington is 5 miles from the W.H., but little of it is 5 miles of the Capitol.

Hi. Thanks for your reply. You may assume that my commute ends at Capitol Hill. I’d be fine commuting by bike up to 10 miles, if necessary.

[jorgsofi]

@Judd 146100 wrote:

Define what you mean by very bike friendly.

There’s a wide variety of bikers on the forums that will interpret that differently. I consider my place on Columbia Pike to be very bike friendly even though it requires navigating a high traffic four lane road every time I ride.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi. Thanks for your reply. My definition of very bike friendly = widely available bike infrastructure (lanes, sharrows, signs, bike racks, bike share, etc) + significant number of people going places by bike

[jorgsofi]

@lordofthemark 146097 wrote:

A. Where will you be working?
B. Do you want a short bike commute, in street clothes, perhaps on a fixed gear bike or without a helmet – IE Urban Hipster? Or would you prefer a longer fast bike commute, in lycra, on a road bike? IE lycranaut? Or something in between? Do you like hills, dislike them, or are you indifferent to them?

Hi. Thanks for your reply. I’ll be working in the DC area. I’d be okay with a bike commute of up to 5 miles. I’d be commuting in work clothes (I save the lycra for after work, or for weekends), but not on a fixed gear bike. My commute would be on a classic commuter bike (fenders, fattish tires, upright position, head and tail lights, freewheel, several gears, reasonably wide saddle, swept back handlebars, light rack in the back, etc). I don’t mind hills on my commute, and I like them when I go on club and training rides.

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