Wash, DC city list
		Washington, DC Print version More city information: overview | apartments | cars | utilities | airports | public transportation | taxes | newspapers | voting | sponsor
	Use your password at: www.CapandCompass.com/login.htm for links .
	Overview
	Recent grads living in DC describe the city as a "young, ambitious person city" and "very transient."  Many new grads (which there are many) move to DC for a job.  For a variety of reasons, including the "college feel," culture, and job opportunities, Washington is a tremendously popular city for the younger crowd. The city of politics is divided up into four quadrants (see the map).  You can try your own creative methods for remembering which quadrant is which.  (We use the reliable "compass" method.)  The Capitol building marks the center of the four quadrants and the river is the Potomac.  No matter who you talk to about DC, you'll hear about the traffic problem.  The ring around the map is the Beltway (I-495).  You'll spend plenty of quality time there.
	Apartments
	Overview:  DC isn't nearly as tough to get an apartment as NYC or Boston, but you'll still have some shopping to do. Brokers:  Brokers are not a necessity in DC, but they're often helpful in finding a place (plus they're usually free).  See page 88 and 89 of our book for more information on brokers. Broker fee:  Usually minimal charge or none. Looking:  A number of people recommended The Apartment Finder (free) found at many Metro stops.  Others recommended The Washington Post for listings.  Try their online site for listings, although there is no real time advantage using their site versus their paper.  They are partnered with Apartments.com.  The Washington City Paper receives high marks from locals for its varied listings and good finds.  The City Paper updates its web listings every Tuesday at 3pm, two days before the paper comes out.    Also take a look at "Craig's List" as a good source for apartment listings (plus it's free).  See it here.   Many others recommended "cold calling" buildings since so many people use the above sources.  Locations: Popular areas for young people include Georgetown ("trendy," "more expensive," "no Metro stop"), Adams Morgan ("artsy," "NY feel," "lots of nightlife"), Capitol Hill ("less convenient to the rest of the city," "usually work on the Hill if you live here"), and Dupont Circle ("good bars and nightlife").  Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights are more affordable, but a little more "sketchy." While these areas remain as trendy as ever, more and more new graduates are moving across the Potomac into areas like Alexandria ("cute neighborhoods," "young families"), Arlington ("affordable," "lots of houses"), Crystal City ("close to Reagan Airport," "everything is new"), Rosslyn ("easy Metro stop"), Clarendon, and Balston.  Prices: Since numerous apartment complexes exist, prices are fairly reasonable in the DC area (for a large city).  Studios:  $600 - $900 1 bedroom:  $750 - $1300 2 bedroom:  $900 - $1800 Closing the deal: Some apartments will require you to put up two month's rent up front to secure a place, but usually you can get away with less.  Many places in DC also have 'salary minimums' in order to rent (your salary must meet a certain multiple of your rent).  Your landlord will likely run a "credit check" on you (to see if you usually pay your bills).  Also, read the lease carefully.  Make sure the length of your lease is expressly written in the contract.  See our book for more details on a credit check and lease.   It’s also likely that you’ll need: -- proof of wages (pay stub), -- reference letters (See page 90 of our book for a sample), and -- copy of recent bank statement.
	Cars
	Overview:  The Metro, or subway, in DC is adequate, but you can't get everywhere with it.  You'll probably still want to have a car in the city.  Forms:  See our website.  Auto insurance:  You'll quickly realize, if you haven't already, that most insurance policies and state standards are written in a funny code with slash marks. The minimum state insurance standards are: DC:  25/50/10 Virginia:  25/50/20 Maryland:  20/40/15 What does that mean?  See the definitions below to help you translate (all numbers are in thousands): Funny code definitions: *First number: Coverage for "bodily injury liability" (someone else’s injury) per person injured in an accident. *Second number: Coverage for "bodily injury liability" per accident. *Third number: Coverage for all property damage per accident. For more information on auto insurance, see page 152 of our book.
	Utilities
	Overview:  Setting up your utilities in the DC area depends a lot on where you live.  We break it down into the three regions. -- District of Columbia: Cable: Call District Cablevision at (202) 635-5100. Electric:  Call PEPCO at (202) 833-7500 Gas:   Call Washington Gas at (703) 750-1000 or (800) 752-7520. Phone:  For local phone service, call Verizon at (202) 954-6263*. Water:  Call the DC Water and Sewer Authority at (202) 645-6309.  Your landlord will probably be in charge of this. -- Virginia: Cable: You'll be assigned a cable company based on where you live.  You'll likely either get: Comcast at (703) 481-7700 or Cox at (703) 378-8422 Electric:  Call Dominion Virginia Power at (888) 667-3000. Gas:  Call Washington Gas at (703) 750-1000 or (800) 752-7520. Phone:  For local phone service, try either: Verizon at (703) 954-6222 or Cavalier at (703) 778-4000. Water:  Call the City of Fairfax at (703) 385-7915, although your landlord will probably take care of this. -- Maryland: Cable: Try Comcast on their site here or call (301) 499-2930 (then #3).  Electric:  To set up your electric, call PEPCO at (202) 833-7500. Gas:   Call Washington Gas at (703) 750-1000 or (800) 752-7520. Phone:  When setting up your local phone service, you can call: Cavalier at (240) 361-4000 or Verizon at 954-6260 (local) or (800) 564-0999 Water:  If you need to set up your water, you can call Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) at (301) 206-8000.
	Airports
	Overview:  Traveling to and from DC is never much of a problem.  The city has three major airports, Ronald Reagan National (DCA), Baltimore-Washington (BWI), and Washington Dulles (IAD).  All three are fairly close to the city.  Reagan (4 miles south of the city) Subway: For about $1.50, you can take the blue or yellow lines on the Metro.  See the map here. Taxi: Reagan airport is essentially in the city, so fares and travel times for a cab depend on where you're doing (but they should run under $20).  BWI (30 miles northeast of the city) Train: You can also take Amtrak from Union Station in roughly 25 minutes for about $25. Or try the less expensive MARC train that runs from Union Station ($6 each way). Bus: Also, a bus runs from the end of the green line to BWI (loops every half hour). Taxi: A taxi to downtown DC will run you about $55 and take about 45 minutes.  Note:  BWI is the hub of Southwest Airlines.  Washington Dulles (26 miles west of the city) Taxi: A taxi will take you about 45 minutes to an hour to get into the city and cost you about $60. Public transportation: There aren't any super simple ways to get there via public transportation, but here are a few van shuttles and buses.
	Public Transportation
	Overview:  The Washington area offers the Metro.  Local opinion is mixed on its value.  Many say that the DC area is too spread out to be considered accessible by way of public transportation.  Others say that since "traffic is horrific... the Metro is the way to go" and "most things you need (food, stores, bars, etc) are right on the lines" -- or bus system. Subway: The subway in DC is called the Metro.  Although the system is helpful, many people need one or two change-overs to get anywhere.   Many local residents have a few pet peeves with the system: (1)  You have to pay by distance.  It's not a one-fare system.  (2)  Your card is deducted when you leave a station.  Therefore, if your trip costs more than you expected (ex. peak vs. off-peak), you have to take time to refill your card.  (3)  There is no unlimited service card.  -- Subway map:  here.  -- Subway fares:  here.  Bus: If the subway is the Metro, then the bus is called the, um..., MetroBus.  The bus will help fill in some of the gaps from the Metro.    -- Bus timetables:  here.  -- Bus fares:  here.
	Taxes
	Overview:  Even though DC isn't really a state, it still wants your money.  Virginia and Maryland will want a cut, too.  Income tax: In chapter five of our book, we explain the basics of taxes and how simple it can be to fill out your own forms. We stand by that claim. (Ha, ha. Pun intended.) At the end of the year, you'll also want to fill out your state tax forms.  These can be found here: DC income taxes: forms. (In typical DC style, it succinctly provides you with 20 ka-jillion choices.) General DC tax link:  here.   Virginia state income taxes:  forms. General Virginia tax link:  here. Maryland state income taxes:  forms. General Maryland tax link:  here. Sales tax:  The general sales tax for Virginia is 4.5%, Maryland rocks at 5%, and DC tops the charts at 5.75%.  Go DC!
	Newspapers
	Overview:  DC offers a ton of newspaper options which all have their own "spin" of the world.  These are some of the big ones.  Washington Post: Subscribe to the Post if you want to look smart. The Washington Times:  Get the Times if you want to get a preview of the Rush Limbaugh show. Washington City Paper:  Read the City Paper to find out where to get a tattoo. The City Paper is free and comes out on Thursday evenings.
	Voting
	Overview:  Vote.  Or you’re not allowed to complain.  Plus you get to wear that stylish "I Voted" sticker to work every election day.  Here's the easy way to get yourself set up to vote.  Print out the form, fill it out, and send it in.  Easy.  Forms: Washington, DC  Voter registration: form. More voting info: link. Maryland Voter registration: form. Instructions: link. More voting info: link. Virginia Voter registration: form. Instructions: link. More voting info: link.
	. Use your password at: www.CapandCompass.com/login.htm for links
. About us | Customers | Contact | Press | What's new