Living in D.C.
Housing
One common concern for incoming students, particularly those living outside the DC area, is where to live. The further away from the city, typically the less expensive the rent; likewise, the further away from a Metro station, typically the less expensive the rent. Because of the expense of living in Foggy Bottom, most students live in surrounding areas. Other nearby neighborhoods include Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan in DC, and Ballston, Clarendon, Rosslyn, Crystal City, and Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia. There are also areas in Maryland near the Metro you could consider. Due to limited and costly parking on campus and in the District, the majority of students walk or take public transportation to school.
To make the search easier, consider the following resources.
GW’s GradLife Office
GW’s On-Campus Housing
GW’s Off-Campus Housing
GW’s Guide to Living off Campus
Additional Websites for Housing
PadMapper – a web application that aims to make searching online for an apartment to rent less painful by letting you see where the apartments are on a big Google map, and using filters to eliminate listings that you’re not interested in. The site pulls listings mainly from Craigslist but also from other sources. Runs best in Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
Craigslist – popular online classifieds for housing (shared and not shared); search by location, rent, bedrooms, pets, etc. Free to view and post, no login needed. Posts are typically for immediate or near future openings.
Apartments.com – lists apartment buildings and complexes
Apartmentguide.com- another list of apartment buildings and complexes
Apartmentratings.com – resident-posted ratings of apartment buildings and complexes
Newspapers
Washington Post Classifieds
Washington Post Local Explorer – maps Washington area communities with grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, crime, etc.
Roll Call Classifieds
The Hill Classifieds
The Washington City Paper Classifieds
Getting Around
Transportation Metro (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority): includes both trains (subway) and buses. The stops nearest to campus are: Foggy Bottom/GWU (Blue and Orange lines), Farragut West (Blue and Orange Lines), and Farragut North (Red line). Metro’s website has comprehensive information about their schedule, fares, etc. for trains, and buses. Metro also has a Trip Planner on their homepage, and Metro stations are now in Google Maps.
Regional Transportation: many of the municipalities around DC have their own bus (and train) services.
Zip Car – leave your car at home! This car sharing company recently merged with Flex Car, and offers a student discount!
DC Department of Motor Vehicles
MD Motor Vehicle Administration
VA Department of Motor Vehicles
Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) offers bike and trail maps, safety tips, bike laws, commuter assistance, and many events.
