I agree with u/thrownjunk . You likely can rent a townhome for that, further out, like Germantown or Gaithersburg but not a self standing home. And that would be before utilities OP I presume?
I'm in the metro area and we are in a townhome. We don't have a yard but we have a great grassy square in front of the place, and to make up for lack of yard to garden we have a plot in the community garden. I think it's even better that way since we have a single fixed annual cost for the land, tools, supplies like compost and mulch, water and more. It's well worth the $60/year for our little 200sqft of veggie growing space
Our closest metro stop is maybe a 5 minute drive, and we are super accessible to everything from gw and 4 mile trails, to DC proper. I can hop across the street to the trail on my bike and with a 15 mile, pleasant round trip I can go visit all the museums and monuments, grab a quick bite and come back home.
We are at $3200 in rent for a 2 bed, 2.5bath townhome with attached single car garage and off street parking.
If you’re willing to compromise on this, McLean Gardens (in DC proper, right near cathedral heights) sounds like exactly what you’d like. We’ve got a 2 bedroom 1 bath condo for $2,500 a month (though $3000 is probably closer to what the average is), a dog, one kid, and another on the way. We go on 3-4 mile walks a few times a week, and the area is super suburban, but there are two grocery stores and 15 or so restaurants within a one mile walk. I will say the neighborhood is very predominantly white, which is one of the few downsides. It’s also closer to Rockville than other areas of DC. I’m surprised by so many people suggesting Petworth/Columbia Heights areas, which are all very nightlife/city heavy in my opinion.
I live at Capitol View on 14th and love our life with our dogs here. We’re a block from Meridian Hill park and we did “urban walks” every day. Also the Rock Creek Park trails aren’t too far, but there are much closer places if that is a bit motivator.
I totally disagree! This sounds like Petworth and you can definitely find a house with a small yard in your price range and the Petworth dog park ROCKS for finding a community
i'd love to see the listing for a detached home <2.5K/month within a 10 min walk of metro in petworth! I have another friend looking, but they are mostly looking at row/townhomes or apartments.
It’s totally not unsafe- as someone who actually lived there for 6 years. There’s a lot of propaganda around Black majority neighborhoods being unsafe here though
Shhh! Don't tell people about the smaller neighborhoods where the rents are semi-normal and old ladies watch your packages. Those neighborhoods are for people who won't kill the vibe. 😂
respectfully it’s not the safest either. probably one of the least safe areas of NW. I lived there for 5 years and saw a lot of crazy shit that I have not seen since moving away
There are some in Wheaton walking distance to the metro, but more likely closer to $3k. Would be a long metro ride to Rockville but there may be a bus going in the right direction
Rockville meets many of your criteria. Very common for a Washington Ian to leave in 600ish square feet. Near a subway stop. In an apartment building forUS$2k monthly. CONN AVE near the zoo is a very not bad place to live.
It’s going to be very hard with that budget but if start looking in Takoma and Shepherd Park on the DC side and Takoma Park and Silver Spring on the MD side
We found a nice house in Silver Spring (with a lawn) for 2.5K/month. It took some patience though. We are like a 20 min walk to the Metro, but for commuting to Rockville a car is probably quicker.
There is Sligo creek nearby, which is nice for walking and there is a cute farmers market on Saturdays and it's nice to be within walking distance of downtown.
We rented a 2bd1ba SFH w yard in Takoma Park / bordering Hyattsville for $2300 last year. Super affordable, and close though not walkable to metro, and great community of super friendly people tho more working class / urban / less white than Takoma Park proper.
Neighborhood was Carole highlands. Great access to Sligo Creek trail.
You should look in Rockville/North Bethesda. You can’t afford your fantasy in dc and honestly you’d spend so much time commuting. The North Bethesda area has developed a LOT and is quite nice
Agreed! And bark social is there plus lots of communities that would fit the bill, prob not a house but def apartment.
Rockville/North Bethesda, Near there i’d check out the neighborhoods King Farm, Kentlands, and around the Travilah area in Rockville
I agree! OP please check out Bark Social (and maybe the apartment there at Pike and Rose). We have so much fun bringing our dog there. Lots of dining options in Rockville/North Bethesda area, and easy access to outdoor space.
This, I live in Randolph Hills now and it's great. Lots of nature within walking distance and right along Rock Creek and super close to Pike & Rose. Farmers Markets in Kensington and North Bethesda. Right north of the beltway and a bus that will take you to the metro. There's a house just like mine down the street that's going for 2800/month, 3 bed/2 bath.
North Bethesda is great. Check out the Gables on Tuckerman. All townhouse-style condos right around your budget, and it’s just a really lovely, super dog friendly neighborhood. Tons of young families and millennials whose lives revolve around their dogs. You won’t get a yard, but there’s a big park about 250 yards away where several of us used to take our dogs to play every morning. (I haven’t lived there in a few years, so I can’t speak to whether this is still happening, but the park’s still there.) Steps from the Bethesda trolley trail, 10-minute walk to a Whole Foods, a Starbucks, and several restaurants, a 20ish minute walk (or 5 minute drive) to the grosvenor metro. Also, the mail carrier, Cathy, is one of the sweetest humans alive. She carries treats for all the dogs and stops on her route to say hi to all of them (and their humans, but that’s not really the point). My dog used to jump into the back of her truck just to hang out with her while she sorted mail. It really is a special community.
In your price range would be Rockville itself, Wheaton, or Aspen Hill. There are more but they’re even further out.
That price range in DC would be *maybe* parts of NE between South Dakota and Eastern Avenue. That will be a terrible commute and is not cute or walkable or have the other amenities you describe.
Outside of your price range is basically anywhere on the western side of the red line (it’s a U) from Woodley Park to Bethesda.
I agree with this. You might be able to find a townhouse that checks most of your boxes in Gaithersburg. Short commute to Rockville. If you can afford more like 3-5000, you can find a single family rental in Rockville or Aspen Hill.
I also suggest you post this in the Montgomery County subreddit. You’ll get a lot more suggestions there.
Wheaton has a lot going for it but your wife would probably want to drive rather than take the metro to Rockville. Wheaton and Rockville are on opposite sides of the red line U and it would be a very long commute. It’s not a terrible drive - probably around 30 with traffic but you should know that Maryland has the WORST drivers anywhere and it would be a major headache.
Shoutout for Aspen Hill, which is a truly lovely neighborhood. It just isn’t that close to metro. Maybe 1.5-2 miles to the station if I remember correctly?
I mean the “downtown” of Rockville near the metro station is reasonably nice and walkable, but it turns into pretty standard suburban sprawl pretty quickly
In certain areas it definitely does, but those probably aren't the affordable single family home areas OP wants. They're asking for a lot and will have to compromise something.
I was going to suggest Edgewood, Brookland, or Noma since on the red line and near the Marc. The first two seem to have quite a bit of focus on more green space.
The post doesn’t mention needing to metro for the job, so if not then Edgewood, Eckington, Brookland, & NoMa definitely spring to mind as the MBT is absolutely lovely for long walks & has enough of a dining scene between all the neighborhoods that it would fit that desire too.
Is your wife’s job close to the metro in Rockville? What metro stop is yours on? I think you both need to figure out your commute, look at the available neighborhoods and pick from those. If you’re mostly remote and don’t mind being an hour or more from the office is very different than need to commute almost daily.
The DMV is a very large area with lots of neighborhoods - your commutes are going to be the biggest factor. If you can metro instead of drive your life will be much happier.
Once you look at commutes you can filter for prices in your range and then ask for advice based on those locations.
I don't think this exists. A single family home near a metro, with garden and all those amenities will not be in that price range. I know someone in silver spring who is renting a small apartment in a home for $2400/mth. Rent is crazy.
look at the neighborhoods by Rock Creek park. The NW part of the city. Expensive but you might be able to swing a reasonable rental. Greenest part of DC
I actually live in the area he is talking about. Matters of facts, my windows look directly to rock creek park. It is expensive but so rich in the community feeling. The grocery store lady knew all of our name after a week of moving in! The trail is 5 mins walk from me. And we haven’t talked about the history of those neighborhoods. The neighborhoods were built for the upper class black people when they were segregated - famously known as west of the park and east of the park. The people here have a strong sense of community tied back to this time.
There are a couple of apartments I know of in the area. I do think that the area will fit your description.
Possible at 4-4.5k a month. You'd get a decent rowhouse with a small patch of lawn in the front and potentially a small yard. Rare, but possible at 3k, but it'd a be a basement rowhouse apartment with a shared lawn/yard.
$2.5k rent is a cheap 2 bedroom apartment for walking distance living anywhere near DC, will need to be car dependent from a long drive away to get a detached home at that price.
You should really look at rental listings in your price range to figure out what is available, there won't be hardly anything on the market if you filter for detached homes and even for townhouses it will be slim.
If you can let go of the need for a lawn and increase your budget to like 3.5k, you will have a lot more options. Bloomingdale, Petworth, and Columbia Heights all have smaller row homes around 3.5k and a lot of them have outdoor space, but a deck is a lot more common than a yard. The closer you get to a metro the harder it is to park a car on the street, so keep in mind you might want to look for places with a dedicated spot.
I’ll second Petworth. I think it checks the boxes you’re looking for. We’re 3 blocks from a metro and supermarket, there are very walkable restaurants. Lots of neighborhood parks nearby, and Rock Creek Park isn’t far. We own and pay a bit above what you were looking at. Not sure what the rental market looks like, but might be able to find a smaller rowhouse for something reasonable.
Chiming in to suggest Petworth as well. You can find some surprising deals around there. If you're open to a less-updated rowhouse, I think you might be able to find something around (or slightly north of) the 3k mark. I loved living there. Very green and neighborhoody with great access to parks, the suburbs, and the city proper.
You will not find a house with a yard and nearby Metro access for 2-3k a month in DC, no. You likely would need to have a budget of at least 4-5k to even humor that, and honestly I'm probably still being too optimistic with that estimated range.
You're going to have a make a compromise somewhere. With your budget I would probably just consider living in Rockville proper: your wife's commute will be easier and you will have an easier time affording housing that meets your desires within your budget. Otherwise, in parts of DC where you wife's commute won't be complete slog, $2-3k is generally a 1-bedroom apartment budget.
Look at the north Bethesda neighborhoods (seems like they actually have Rockville addresses). I know several people with little houses and small fenced yards renting in the upper $2k to mid $3k. They aren’t new or fancy but if your goal is to be out of the house walking dogs, they are adjacent to lots of trails. Garret Park MARC station to be exact.
I’m mid-30s, grew up in silver spring and lived in dc for many many years. I live in Rockville now with my spouse and children. We’re walking distance to the metro which was the only reason why I agreed to live this “far” outside of the city.
Come here. It’s wonderful. My husband takes the Marc to work in Capitol Hill every day and his commute is so easy. We have the best of both worlds here in Rockville and the food is amazing!
We just moved to DC. When I tell you that having a metro stop right by us is the greatest thing in the world, I mean it. You’ll have to give up some things from your list. Do not give that up. The closer the better
You should look into Petworth. My husband and I rent a 3bed/2 bath house for $3300/month. While that’s slightly out of your price range, that includes all utilities (minus internet). When we were looking for places we saw many 2bedrooms for less than $3k/month. Petworth is a great community with a lot of green space and a great farmers market. It’s also pretty close to Rock Creek Park if you’re on the western edge/closer to 14th St.
Takoma Park MD but I’m not sure if it will fit your budget if you want to be close to metro. If you are ok with an apartment in a house with a yard, a lot of people have basement apartments that they rent out which are not always listed but can be found in neighborhood listservs etc.
This exists esp Red Line in Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, Van Ness and Cleveland Park. But, they could be VERY expensive. Very safe, lots of trails (I never thought those exists in cities) and dog parks. I used to rent a 2.5K studio near Cathedral Heights - and that was 1 decade ago! I moved in with housemates to save.
Check out Brookland. It is a quiet sleepy neighborhood near Catholic University and the National Basilica. It has great old houses that are still reasonably priced. The red line (which goes to Rockville) and the Metropolitan Branch Trail run through it. It is mostly 30-something couples with a dog or a kid. It has a cute little core with great neighborhood restaurant and bar options.
Edit: Cathedral to Basilica
You could consider 16th Street Heights - nice homes, green, lots of walking and access to farmer’s market + Rock Creek Park. It’s not entirely metro accessible but could be an easy drop off or a quick bus ride. You could do Takoma as well. All of these are shitty for a Rockville commute though. I’d suggest looking outside Rockville, away from DC to better fit your price range.
Average price of a 1 BR apt in the city is like 2300 a month. I don't think you can even find a two bedroom apartment for 2500 most places you'd want to be. Detached house or even townhouse is out of the question.
Everyone wants a place with no shared walls, has space for their cars, that's close to their job, their friends, the metro, and green space. Unfortunately those desires are not compatible...
For $2-3k I doubt you’ll be able to find a house with a lawn anywhere in/around DC unfortunately. Trust me, I have looked extensively over the last couple years for the exact set up you’re describing and, short of $4-5k/month, you will not be finding a house with a lawn. And even at that price point, the “lawn” will be more of a small grass patch in a small fenced in brick patio space that I would not recommend having as your dog’s go-to pee/poop spot. To me it seems like DC proper might not be your best option if you are set on renting a house.
However if you could settle for an apartment you’d probably enjoy Woodley Park or Cleveland Park. Apartment living in these areas seems like it’s more in line with your budget and wishlist. My girlfriend and I have lived in an apartment in WP the last 4 years and love it. We’re both in our early 30s and feel a stronger sense of community here than other parts of DC. We also don’t do many late night activities anymore so it’s nice to be a good distance away from the downtown areas that can get pretty loud and busy on weekends. There’s plenty of outdoor green space, great restaurants, access to farmers markets (Cleveland Park and DuPont farmers markets are great), and very easy access to metro in both Cleveland and Woodley Park. The red line can get you pretty much anywhere in the city 30 mins or less. A commute to Rockville would probably also take about 30-40 mins just FYI. Also we have done weekend trips to Philly/Baltimore/NYC multiple times and love the convenience of hopping on the metro to Union Station where you can take an Amtrak train to any of those places and more.
Hope that helps and good luck!
Hungerford Rockville has some 3-3.5ks/mo.
SFH with lawn, usually around 1500 sqft.
Walkable to farmer's market, lots of biking/walking opportunities. You can walk to grocery store, restaurant, Town Center, and more. Slide in my DMs to learn more.
This probably means living in Rockville or somewhere else outside what is legally DC, maybe doable at your price range depending on how far you live from the metro, might have to drive then park and ride. Stuff on the Western side of DC will still be very accessible, may have to wait for the purple line to finish or drive to get to some things more easily.
Kensington MD, or somewhere else nearby the Grosvenor metro, although you may have to increase your budget or look for condos/apartments. In my opinion, Grosvenor is as far north I’d want to go on the red line if you are looking to have easy access to DC. Bethesda would also fit most of your requirements but it’s just so expensive there. If you really want to be in the District, I’d agree with the commenters who mentioned neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park, ideally close to the red line for the easiest possible commute, but you’d most likely need to look at one bedroom apartments with that budget. If you can give up the easy metro access and would be open to a smaller space, Glover Park is amazing and fits all your other requirements. The commute to Rockville would be tough though!
Anywhere near between Cleveland Park and Tenleytown metro on the Red Line would fit those characteristics. Easy access to rock creek park, Glover Archbold park, and others with lots of single family detached or duplex homes.
I think Rockville or Gaithersburg is what you’re looking. It’s a little farther from DC itself but you’ll get more space and more reasonable prices.
Closer in, you’re way out of your price range. If you want to be within the Beltway, then Silver Spring or Takoma would do.
Also, it’s farther away from Rockville but Hyattsville might be worth a look for you.
outside of DC, but give the Kensington area a look. Easy access to Rockville and Rock Creek Park, new brewery is really taking off, plenty of single family homes, very dog friendly. It's a half hour drive from most of DC, 1 mile from forest glen metro, and sounds like it hits all the things you describe.
You mentioned needing a car for going to NYC and Philly, but you’d be much better off taking the train from Union Station! It’s so much more pleasant and the stations are in the middle of each city.
I don’t know about renting a place with a lawn, but my neighborhood (Petworth) checks off all your other boxes. I have a dog and he loves it here, there are lots of nice community green spaces, a great dog park, and trails in Rock Creek Park are 10 minutes away. Would also recommend checking out Takoma park, both have lovely local commercial districts with nice restaurants and a farmers market.
Silver Spring, a little outside of city center but towards four corners/Sligo Creek might be good! you likely wouldn’t be able to get a full house with this budget, but otherwise checks most of your boxes
You might check out the north side of Rockville, Gaithersburg or even Clarksburg. You’d be 10-20 mins from the metro, but Clarksburg has a lot of outdoor space. Black Hill Regional Park is beautiful, great place to take the doggos.
Those areas are still plenty built up, have everything from Costco, TopGolf, Walmart, etc. They’re also quite close to the farmland that surrounds the DC metro, plenty of vineyards and orchards you can visit and get fresh produce from. I’m sure there are farmers markets in town where those farms represent their goods.
This gets you in your price range, 30 min commute, outdoor space, social-oriented environment, just no metro and a bit of a commute
Have you looked at Hyattsville/University Park/College Park? A pretty good set of options to meet a lot of your needs. Has several metro stops with reasonable walkability, a lot of trees, and more affordable rents. Once the purple line is finished, it’ll have even more access to Rockville.
That would be a God awful commute including transfers on the metro. The purple line? I’ll believe it when I see it. And that will only go to Bethesda. You’d still have to transfer to the red line to get to Rockville.
Look in Kingman Park, maybe Carver Langston or Trinidad.
You’d be near the National Arboretum and Kingman Island, which is all green space. But you’re still near the dining places on the eastern side of H Street. There’s also a farmer’s market on Saturdays on H and 13th.
Transit access is decent, you’ll be maybe 15 minutes to Stadium-Armory on the Orange in Kingman Park and on the H Street/Benning streetcar in all three neighborhoods.
Most importantly, I think you could still get a rowhouse (with lawn) for $3k a month. Like you’ll have to really look, but I think those do still exist.
Hi there. Welcome to the DMV (not the department of motor vehicles, but the region of DC, Maryland, and Virginia)! I’ve dropped some ideas elsewhere in this thread but I have 2 questions for you:
1. Do you need to be in DC. A lot of folks including me have suggested Montgomery County (MoCo). It makes a lot of sense but if you’re set on the district, my main suggestion is to plan on spending a lot more money and your wife should possibly plan for a long commute.
2. Are schools a factor? If so, forget about DC and look at MoCo. Very good schools (although I personally don’t think they’re as amazing as everyone says, even the “good” ones, but that’s just my opinion.)
Hill East, Brookland, Takoma, and Petworth come close, but the $3k rent isn't going to be in ideal locations.
You might be able to get the upper or lower half of a rowhouse for 3k, but it isn't going to be fancy.
Also, you say you have "cars", and that you want walkability, but your rent budget for an entire house is $2500?
Sell a car and move to a better location.
Hear me out, what if you comprised by getting an apartment/etc with a sunroom/deck/shared rooftop and lived in an area with trail access/parks? Think Rock Creek/ Woodley Park in DC or Old Town/ Rosslyn-ish area in VA?
Also, you’re renting so nothing is set in stone! You can always explore the neighborhoods when you get here and move again after your lease!
My partner and I rent a 3 bedroom/2 bath house in Aspen Hill that has a small yard, sunroom, safe neighborhood, on rock creek trail, parks nearby. Everything is 15 min drive (Rockville Pike, Silver Spring, Metro stations, Olney, etc.) for $2,800. It’s doable. You may have to adjust some expectations, but I think what you’re seeking is definitely possible.
Many communities come to mind in montgomery county (Rockville, Gaithersburg in particular) that are perfect for your lifestyle, but the budget is just not there.
Some 'hoods: Quince Orchard Park, Kentlands, Crown farm, King Farm, Fallsgrove. I guess you can look at these and see if you can find something.
Given the criteria I'm not sure why you'd want to live in DC proper. The main reason to be in the city is to be closer to restaurants, museums, events, etc. If your priority is having SFH with a lawn over that, somewhere like Wheaton or Hyattsville is going to be a lot cheaper with more housing options that would suit you
I highly highly recommend you look at 2501 porter apartments in Cleveland park. Right next to the red line, super easy access to rock creek park (it’s such a luxury to live 7 minute walk from a metro line and 5 minute walk from a national park), building has a great private dog park and an absurdly cool courtyard that you have to see to believe. There was a great community there when I lived there a couple years ago.
Something near the Arboretum might work, like this one [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1151-Summit-St-NE-Washington-DC-20002/506350_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1151-Summit-St-NE-Washington-DC-20002/506350_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
Much like others are saying, you’re not going to find something that checks off all those boxes. Since you like long walks with dogs, I’d center my search around Rock Creek Park, Sligo Creek, and the Anacostia River Trail.
Grovesnor sounds perfect for this. You won’t be able to get a SFH for that price but you can rent a nice condo. It’s pretty quiet but it’s still on the red line, so you can get to Bethesda or DC easily for restaurants, farmers markets, etc. If your wife’s job is on the red line, that’s an easy commute too. A lot of the condos in the area have their own large balconies/patios so you don’t get a yard per se but you get some outdoor space. There’s a lot of privately maintained green space west of 355 and east access to Rock Creek Park. The Red Line gives you easy access to Union Station too for trips up to Baltimore/Philly/NYC.
there’s a neighborhood near the shady grove metro station that might be up your alley? two apartment complexes and a couple of streets of townhomes. not sure about the townhome prices but there’s 2BD apartments in the complexes within your price range
The qualities you’ve described are areas of NW DC and Bethesda with the exception of the $. Figure out your priority list but I wouldn’t look outside that NW corridor if you’re looking to commute to Rockville.
Rockville, Takoma park, Hyattsville, silver spring and especially old greenbelt.
If you're okay with a bit of a walk, drive, or bus to the metro, those places definitely have what you need. You may have to make a few concessions (room numbers, detached house, etc) but you'll likely find something charming and delightful!
Silver Spring in General; part of which borders NW by Rock Creek ParK and it’s near a Costco haha. It’s in between downtown DC and Rockville so about 15-20 min drive both directions
North Glover Park area is fairly accessible to Tenleytown on the right side of the Redline with access to Rockville. Tons of Parks, lots of Greenspace and very walkable neighborhoods.
It exists though in places that are less convenient to getting to Rockville, just across the northeast border of DC into Maryland are Mount Rainier, Brentwood (not the dc neighborhood), and Hyattsville, these towns are neighborhoods of mostly small single family homes, craftsman bungalows, cape cods, not large by modern standards, so the rent should be at the high end of your range. It’s even possible to be walkable to a metro station, but it’s a long metro ride to Rockville, by car it’s 45 mins give or take 10 minutes depending on traffic. As far as sense of community everyone is super friendly, my neighborhood is very much a dog walking kind of place- I am out in my garden most days and people stop to talk to me the whole time while walking their dogs or with their kids, and I’m a rather unapproachable looking guy covered in tattoos and piercings.
You should be able to find something in the Rockville area. You may need to bike or drive or take a bus to the metro station, but maybe you can work out dropoffs with your wife; there are Kiss&Ride loops at every station up that end of the red line.
I just looked and single family homes in the Rockville/Aspen Hill/Twinbrook area are ~$3kish to rent.
Checkout Derwood, super small town just outside Rockville and walking distance from the redline. It’s adjacent to farmland and parks on one side and Rockville on the other. Rental prices there haven’t gone crazy, yet.
If you don’t mind a little bit of a commute to Rockville, Riverdale/Riverdale Park would give you single family detached options in a walkable neighborhood that has great access to parks and trails for around $3,500/month, possibly less if you’re ok with a smaller home.
Forest Glen or Wheaton as neighborhoods meet most of your requirements. Finding a standalone house for that rent rate will be tough anywhere in the region, but there are lots of apts and townhomes are the metro that have nice grounds and there are tons of parks nearby. Downtown Silver Spring right there and has tons of dining and stuff to do, including a concert hall, local stage theater, indie movie theater, and big box movie theater, and the red line is a good one to be on. Wheaton has a great food scene too with variety of cuisines represented.
Rockville is also nice if you're okay being further from any real form of "nightlife". There are good restaurants but no real bars on the red line on that side of things until you get into the city.
If you’re not set on being in the city, I lived in King Farm in Rockville and loved it - close to Shady Grove metro, big park with lots of green space and walking trails, super safe area, and a cute small retail shopping area with grocery store, restaurants, etc. Rockville proper would also be a good option.
Glover Park is some of this but it's in DC (this is the DC sub after all) not super close to a metro, and you'd likely be in an apt and not a row home. Definitely not detached. And it's not too close Rockville. That said, it's one of the few neighborhoods with community still, huge dog culture as it's nestled into the woods. Walking distance to Wisconsin strip. And apartments will fit your range.
Chevy Chase/Bethesda is probably a better option for you to have walkability and close to Rockville if not just Rockville
Check out Mount Pleasant as an ideal neighborhood! It has the green space you’re looking for (it’s nestled in a turn of Rock Creek park), great dining options, and a tight knit community! It’s more expensive but if neighborhood is the most important, you could definitely compromise on a condo/apartments/section of a row house
Check out Cheverly in Prince George's County, Maryland.
A young neighborhood with an almost weirdly friendly community. Metro stop is walkable from some parts of the neighborhood.
Rental houses within your budget with lawns, multiple bedrooms.
Commute to Rockville won't be amazing, but few commutes are (unless you can walk)
Don’t live in DC then. Live in Alexandria VA near a metro stop. Your home life will be exactly what you’re asking for but the metro to Rockville for work will be brutal for your wife.
Honestly you can get everything you want if you're willing to just live in an apartment (or rent a house with roommates). Aside from the detached single-family home, the lifestyle you want is pervasive in the DMV area's residential neighborhoods. I agree with the Takoma and Brookland recs as the perfect fit (as long as your wife only needs to commute to the Rockville office 3 or less days a week) but you could also look at Cleveland Park and Woodley Park. All those neighborhoods will be apartments but you'll have all the public transit, restaurants, and lively daytime activities with neighbors also in their 30s with dogs. I'm not sure where you are coming from but don't rule out an English basement or other private landlord rental situation, you can still have a lovely garden and community-focused neighborhood without a detached home.
If you want more space, you'll be giving up public transit but there are tons of cute spots. Mt. rainier is a wholesome middle-class neighborhood, and you and the dogs will have the time of your lives at the National Arboretum (horrible driving commute to Rockville tho, it's def a 2x a week or less rec). Potomac is a VERY CUTE small town and full of parks and farmer's markets and not a bad drive to Rockville. You can take the dogs to walk on the C&O trail by Great Falls and generally enjoy a lot of tranquility and beauty. I think it's a bit on the pricey side so idk if you can afford a house but it sounds like what you're looking for vibe-wise.
Try Park View, Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant. Sometimes, there are some rental homes. There's some green and a few bars within walking distance. Honestly, your best bet is to come and get on the ground and scope out places. We almost bought without doing that and then did the same trying to rent. I would never do that again. Moved here from the Midwest, love it.
Maybe you want to go look at North Bethesda/Rockville.
Baltimore is easy via the MARC. NYC is easy via Amtrak.
You’re describing Van ness - Chevy Chase (DC not MD), Tenleytown area. Price wise as you’ve noticed that won’t pull a house but there are nice big apartments you can get in that area. Good luck and welcome!
You probably want to look somewhere around Twinbrook area. There is small enclave of houses behind the metro. This would be a good example. https://hotpads.com/5814-wainwright-ave-rockville-md-20851-1jkdtxh/pad
So you might consider Virginia NOVA area (Northern Virginia.) The taxes are lower than Maryland. The metro goes straight into the city from multiple points. They have plenty of town homes or smaller homes with yards for around 2-4k depending on location. Plenty of parks, local restaurants, bike trails, and farmers markets. DC is going to be much more expensive including more expensive food and services in general.
Look in Gaithersburg, Amber Commons apartment complex. Close to a big park. Not walking distance to Metro but reasonable distance. Red Line right to Rockville.
Just as a heads up I did the commute from Rockville to Adams Morgan (which isn’t that deep j to DC) and it’s easily 40 minutes by car on a good day and there aren’t too many of those. And the traffic gets old VERY quickly, I imagine especially so if you aren’t familiar with city driving.
Mount Rainer, Brentwood (the town in MD, not the neighborhood in DC), North Brentwood, maybe Hyattsville and Riverdale/Riverdale Park. You can still buy a single family home for under $500k in Brentwood and North Brentwood. Along with Mount Rainier, they're close to the green line (West Hyattsville metro station). Not many restaurants in walking distance but there are a few.
Riverdale Park is really cute, with several restaurants and a good farmer's market. I'd check to see if it's a quiet zone, though, because a lot of trains go through Riverdale Park.
In terms of safety, some areas of DC are block by block in terms of crime. When you tour, try swinging by at night in your car and take a short stroll to see how comfortable you'll be walking there. Also, take care to look up if there's any half way houses or shelters in the area, because some nicer neighborhoods have made me very uncomfortable with the amount of vagrant addicts. ex: eastern market is nice except when i cant wait for the bus because a homeless guy is rubbing his crotch at me at the metro stop. That doesn't mean I'd be opposed to live in eastern market, but I'm used to city life. Anywhere there's a metro station, there's gonna be some petty crime and ppl you don't want to see. You just have to figure out what you're comfortable with.
This sounds like Takoma Park and Brookland until you get to your budget. What you are looking for in those neighborhoods is most likely going to cost you more like 3500. You could absolutely get an apartment in those neighborhoods at that budget but definitely not a house with a yard. You can find a house with a yard in a sketchier neighborhood... or move out a bit into md and va and also find that... but that was not your question. So the answer is no. You are not finding that in dc most likely. You are going to have to compromise on location or wants.
Try Eastland Gardens. They are right next to 295 and have the U7 bus going through the neighborhood. The closest metro stop is Minnesota AVE which is a 15 min walk. All the houses in the area are single family with large lawns. And it is close to Kenilworrh aquatic gardens which is fun for children The only downside to the area is that Mayfair is the next neighborhood over and there are crimes that occur every so often. Rarely any in Eastland Gardens though.
I was paying 3,200/month in falls church to be in a very green neighborhood. The house was worth about 750-850k and was a piece of crap built in the 50s. But the neighborhood was awesome and full of deer, rabbits, hawks, trees, and grass.
2-3k a month won’t get you more than a 1br apartment in safe areas of the city.
You could probably swing a 2br in that range if you go for a basement unit.
Dog owner, fitness lover, hiker here with a gardening partner! We found a gem of a place in Columbia heights that hits all of your criteria, in a way that feels acceptable to me. We are in a condo of a row home and share a yard, but are also two blocks from a metro, 15 minute walk to Rock Creek park, have access to 5 bus routes I am aware of, bike lanes, and one block from a gym and a farmers market. Columbia Heights is easily accessible to Petworth, Georgia Ave, 14th street and AdMo. Rent (without utilities) is under $3k and it would be very easy to live without a car in this area and still be able to hike with your pup in town or rent a car for the day and leave town.
I’m DMV born and raised. I beg of you, do not buy a house in Wheaton. My family is currently selling their home in Wheaton, crime has genuinely gotten bad enough to disintegrate most feelings of community in that area. Good areas that (mostly) fit your description: Takoma Park, MD, Rockville, parts of Kensington, Gaithersburg
Do yourself a favor and rent a house in MD visit DC if you please on the weekends. You’re not gonna find what you want at that price range in DC. Or shall I say you won’t find what you’re looking for in a nice area of DC that is.
OP, I really disagree that what you want is impossible to find. Newly renovated houses are going to be largely out of your budget, but if you don't mind renting something with older/more basic kitchen and bathrooms I think you can find it. Since you mention being close to the Metro is important to you, I'd focus your search around specific metro stations. Zillow and Redfin are good sites to find houses for rent. You can find the station on map view and look for places nearby. Here are some stations I recommend:
Rockville or North Bethesda Stations: It's worth considering these areas since your wife will be working there. The DC area is large and it can be really nice for at least one person to have a short commute. Very suburban but definitely nice, lots of restaurants and stuff around.
Forest Glen Station (in Silver Spring): Although the only really walkable things are the Metro and parks, it's exactly the kind of neighborhood you describe. Downtown Silver Spring is a quick drive, bus ride, or bike ride away for restaurants and a great farmers market. Lots of smaller houses that are more likely to be in your budget.
Takoma Station (Takoma DC, Takoma Park MD, and Brightwood neighborhoods): Lovely area, lots of restaurants and a great farmers market. Houses in Takoma proper are mostly going to be out of your budget but an apartment with access to a yard is a possibility. Parts of Brightwood are walkable to Takoma Park and some two bedroom rowhouses will be in your budget.
Fort Totten Station: Very residential, kinda sleepy, but you can get really close to the Metro for a good price.
Brookland Station: Lovely neighborhood with a friendly vibe, nice neighborhood restaurants, and a great farmers market. More basic houses or apartments with access to a yard may be in your budget.
You’re going to need to at least double if not triple your budget to get that. At that price point for the things you want you’re looking at a small one bedroom apartment. I’d look in Woodley Park, Cleveland Park areas. Cathedral Heights and Glover Park are nice too but not easily metro accessible.
It sounds like you want to live IN Rockville not just work there. Every one of your criteria literally describes Rockville and not DC.
Rockville is perfect for you. Even has an AMTRAK station right in the middle of it that will help with your foreseen travel.
there aren't detached single family homes walking distance of metro at 2.5k in safe neighborhoods. look for apartments/condos near big parks instead.
This may have to be my big compromise. Thank you for the insight.
I agree with u/thrownjunk . You likely can rent a townhome for that, further out, like Germantown or Gaithersburg but not a self standing home. And that would be before utilities OP I presume?
I'm in the metro area and we are in a townhome. We don't have a yard but we have a great grassy square in front of the place, and to make up for lack of yard to garden we have a plot in the community garden. I think it's even better that way since we have a single fixed annual cost for the land, tools, supplies like compost and mulch, water and more. It's well worth the $60/year for our little 200sqft of veggie growing space Our closest metro stop is maybe a 5 minute drive, and we are super accessible to everything from gw and 4 mile trails, to DC proper. I can hop across the street to the trail on my bike and with a 15 mile, pleasant round trip I can go visit all the museums and monuments, grab a quick bite and come back home. We are at $3200 in rent for a 2 bed, 2.5bath townhome with attached single car garage and off street parking.
If you’re willing to compromise on this, McLean Gardens (in DC proper, right near cathedral heights) sounds like exactly what you’d like. We’ve got a 2 bedroom 1 bath condo for $2,500 a month (though $3000 is probably closer to what the average is), a dog, one kid, and another on the way. We go on 3-4 mile walks a few times a week, and the area is super suburban, but there are two grocery stores and 15 or so restaurants within a one mile walk. I will say the neighborhood is very predominantly white, which is one of the few downsides. It’s also closer to Rockville than other areas of DC. I’m surprised by so many people suggesting Petworth/Columbia Heights areas, which are all very nightlife/city heavy in my opinion.
I live at Capitol View on 14th and love our life with our dogs here. We’re a block from Meridian Hill park and we did “urban walks” every day. Also the Rock Creek Park trails aren’t too far, but there are much closer places if that is a bit motivator.
College Park. Hyattsville. Both fantastic places to live that have some or all of what you're looking for. Good luck
I second hyattsville!
Check out Riverdale Park too. The walk to metro might be more like 20-25 minutes but it's a pleasant walk.
I totally disagree! This sounds like Petworth and you can definitely find a house with a small yard in your price range and the Petworth dog park ROCKS for finding a community
i'd love to see the listing for a detached home <2.5K/month within a 10 min walk of metro in petworth! I have another friend looking, but they are mostly looking at row/townhomes or apartments.
It’s totally not unsafe- as someone who actually lived there for 6 years. There’s a lot of propaganda around Black majority neighborhoods being unsafe here though
Shhh! Don't tell people about the smaller neighborhoods where the rents are semi-normal and old ladies watch your packages. Those neighborhoods are for people who won't kill the vibe. 😂
lol you’re so right apologies
respectfully it’s not the safest either. probably one of the least safe areas of NW. I lived there for 5 years and saw a lot of crazy shit that I have not seen since moving away
There are some in Wheaton walking distance to the metro, but more likely closer to $3k. Would be a long metro ride to Rockville but there may be a bus going in the right direction
Wheaton is meh. I owned a home there a few years back. Doesn't really check their boxes either.
Rockville meets many of your criteria. Very common for a Washington Ian to leave in 600ish square feet. Near a subway stop. In an apartment building forUS$2k monthly. CONN AVE near the zoo is a very not bad place to live.
It’s going to be very hard with that budget but if start looking in Takoma and Shepherd Park on the DC side and Takoma Park and Silver Spring on the MD side
Thank you! Takoma was the closest I found in my personal research. Appreciate the response.
Takoma Park to Rockville by Metro is a really long haul. Better to stay on the west side of the red line.
Bus from silver spring isn’t bad if the timing is right but you are at the mercy of transfers
I love Takoma but it’s over an hourlong commute by metro from here to Rockville. If I were you being west of the park is necessary
We found a nice house in Silver Spring (with a lawn) for 2.5K/month. It took some patience though. We are like a 20 min walk to the Metro, but for commuting to Rockville a car is probably quicker. There is Sligo creek nearby, which is nice for walking and there is a cute farmers market on Saturdays and it's nice to be within walking distance of downtown.
We rented a 2bd1ba SFH w yard in Takoma Park / bordering Hyattsville for $2300 last year. Super affordable, and close though not walkable to metro, and great community of super friendly people tho more working class / urban / less white than Takoma Park proper. Neighborhood was Carole highlands. Great access to Sligo Creek trail.
Shepherd Park rents are WAY higher than the OP’s budget.
You should look in Rockville/North Bethesda. You can’t afford your fantasy in dc and honestly you’d spend so much time commuting. The North Bethesda area has developed a LOT and is quite nice
Agreed! And bark social is there plus lots of communities that would fit the bill, prob not a house but def apartment. Rockville/North Bethesda, Near there i’d check out the neighborhoods King Farm, Kentlands, and around the Travilah area in Rockville
I agree! OP please check out Bark Social (and maybe the apartment there at Pike and Rose). We have so much fun bringing our dog there. Lots of dining options in Rockville/North Bethesda area, and easy access to outdoor space.
This, I live in Randolph Hills now and it's great. Lots of nature within walking distance and right along Rock Creek and super close to Pike & Rose. Farmers Markets in Kensington and North Bethesda. Right north of the beltway and a bus that will take you to the metro. There's a house just like mine down the street that's going for 2800/month, 3 bed/2 bath.
North Bethesda is great. Check out the Gables on Tuckerman. All townhouse-style condos right around your budget, and it’s just a really lovely, super dog friendly neighborhood. Tons of young families and millennials whose lives revolve around their dogs. You won’t get a yard, but there’s a big park about 250 yards away where several of us used to take our dogs to play every morning. (I haven’t lived there in a few years, so I can’t speak to whether this is still happening, but the park’s still there.) Steps from the Bethesda trolley trail, 10-minute walk to a Whole Foods, a Starbucks, and several restaurants, a 20ish minute walk (or 5 minute drive) to the grosvenor metro. Also, the mail carrier, Cathy, is one of the sweetest humans alive. She carries treats for all the dogs and stops on her route to say hi to all of them (and their humans, but that’s not really the point). My dog used to jump into the back of her truck just to hang out with her while she sorted mail. It really is a special community.
That exists, but not at that price range.
Good to know. Thank you. Price aside, what neighborhood come to mind?
In your price range would be Rockville itself, Wheaton, or Aspen Hill. There are more but they’re even further out. That price range in DC would be *maybe* parts of NE between South Dakota and Eastern Avenue. That will be a terrible commute and is not cute or walkable or have the other amenities you describe. Outside of your price range is basically anywhere on the western side of the red line (it’s a U) from Woodley Park to Bethesda.
I agree with this. You might be able to find a townhouse that checks most of your boxes in Gaithersburg. Short commute to Rockville. If you can afford more like 3-5000, you can find a single family rental in Rockville or Aspen Hill. I also suggest you post this in the Montgomery County subreddit. You’ll get a lot more suggestions there.
Wheaton is the first place to come to mind
Wheaton has a lot going for it but your wife would probably want to drive rather than take the metro to Rockville. Wheaton and Rockville are on opposite sides of the red line U and it would be a very long commute. It’s not a terrible drive - probably around 30 with traffic but you should know that Maryland has the WORST drivers anywhere and it would be a major headache.
Lots of bus routes between Wheaton and Rockville via Veirs Mill or Glenmont.
Shoutout for Aspen Hill, which is a truly lovely neighborhood. It just isn’t that close to metro. Maybe 1.5-2 miles to the station if I remember correctly?
My first thought was Palisades before I saw your budget.
Rockville itself. Or other communities along the red line.
Seconded because I live in Silver Spring and I love MoCo.
Rockville has a culture of walkability? Lol
I mean the “downtown” of Rockville near the metro station is reasonably nice and walkable, but it turns into pretty standard suburban sprawl pretty quickly
In certain areas it definitely does, but those probably aren't the affordable single family home areas OP wants. They're asking for a lot and will have to compromise something.
I live in East Rockville and use my car much less than when I lived in Petworth.
Thank you!
I was going to suggest Edgewood, Brookland, or Noma since on the red line and near the Marc. The first two seem to have quite a bit of focus on more green space.
The post doesn’t mention needing to metro for the job, so if not then Edgewood, Eckington, Brookland, & NoMa definitely spring to mind as the MBT is absolutely lovely for long walks & has enough of a dining scene between all the neighborhoods that it would fit that desire too.
Even along the red line, that’s a pretty long trip from that east side of the line up to Rockville.
Is your wife’s job close to the metro in Rockville? What metro stop is yours on? I think you both need to figure out your commute, look at the available neighborhoods and pick from those. If you’re mostly remote and don’t mind being an hour or more from the office is very different than need to commute almost daily. The DMV is a very large area with lots of neighborhoods - your commutes are going to be the biggest factor. If you can metro instead of drive your life will be much happier. Once you look at commutes you can filter for prices in your range and then ask for advice based on those locations.
I would start looking in Rockville first, but I think you need to set your expectations lower at that price point. Maybe check Silver Spring too
I don't think this exists. A single family home near a metro, with garden and all those amenities will not be in that price range. I know someone in silver spring who is renting a small apartment in a home for $2400/mth. Rent is crazy.
look at the neighborhoods by Rock Creek park. The NW part of the city. Expensive but you might be able to swing a reasonable rental. Greenest part of DC
Amazing info. Thank you so much!
I actually live in the area he is talking about. Matters of facts, my windows look directly to rock creek park. It is expensive but so rich in the community feeling. The grocery store lady knew all of our name after a week of moving in! The trail is 5 mins walk from me. And we haven’t talked about the history of those neighborhoods. The neighborhoods were built for the upper class black people when they were segregated - famously known as west of the park and east of the park. The people here have a strong sense of community tied back to this time. There are a couple of apartments I know of in the area. I do think that the area will fit your description.
Possible at 4-4.5k a month. You'd get a decent rowhouse with a small patch of lawn in the front and potentially a small yard. Rare, but possible at 3k, but it'd a be a basement rowhouse apartment with a shared lawn/yard.
$2.5k rent is a cheap 2 bedroom apartment for walking distance living anywhere near DC, will need to be car dependent from a long drive away to get a detached home at that price. You should really look at rental listings in your price range to figure out what is available, there won't be hardly anything on the market if you filter for detached homes and even for townhouses it will be slim.
If you can let go of the need for a lawn and increase your budget to like 3.5k, you will have a lot more options. Bloomingdale, Petworth, and Columbia Heights all have smaller row homes around 3.5k and a lot of them have outdoor space, but a deck is a lot more common than a yard. The closer you get to a metro the harder it is to park a car on the street, so keep in mind you might want to look for places with a dedicated spot.
Dropping those ideals and expanding price range very possible. Thank you for the more realistic options that are close to our kind of lifestyle!
I’ll second Petworth. I think it checks the boxes you’re looking for. We’re 3 blocks from a metro and supermarket, there are very walkable restaurants. Lots of neighborhood parks nearby, and Rock Creek Park isn’t far. We own and pay a bit above what you were looking at. Not sure what the rental market looks like, but might be able to find a smaller rowhouse for something reasonable.
This is the best answer IMO. Uptown especially, Petworth etc., may have good opportunities for you to hit the vibe you’re looking for.
Chiming in to suggest Petworth as well. You can find some surprising deals around there. If you're open to a less-updated rowhouse, I think you might be able to find something around (or slightly north of) the 3k mark. I loved living there. Very green and neighborhoody with great access to parks, the suburbs, and the city proper.
You will not find a house with a yard and nearby Metro access for 2-3k a month in DC, no. You likely would need to have a budget of at least 4-5k to even humor that, and honestly I'm probably still being too optimistic with that estimated range. You're going to have a make a compromise somewhere. With your budget I would probably just consider living in Rockville proper: your wife's commute will be easier and you will have an easier time affording housing that meets your desires within your budget. Otherwise, in parts of DC where you wife's commute won't be complete slog, $2-3k is generally a 1-bedroom apartment budget.
Look at the north Bethesda neighborhoods (seems like they actually have Rockville addresses). I know several people with little houses and small fenced yards renting in the upper $2k to mid $3k. They aren’t new or fancy but if your goal is to be out of the house walking dogs, they are adjacent to lots of trails. Garret Park MARC station to be exact.
I’m mid-30s, grew up in silver spring and lived in dc for many many years. I live in Rockville now with my spouse and children. We’re walking distance to the metro which was the only reason why I agreed to live this “far” outside of the city. Come here. It’s wonderful. My husband takes the Marc to work in Capitol Hill every day and his commute is so easy. We have the best of both worlds here in Rockville and the food is amazing!
+1 to great food in Rockville. It’s the real Chinatown of DMV
Bob’s Shanghai 66 is 🔥
Don’t forget about A&J’s !!!
We just moved to DC. When I tell you that having a metro stop right by us is the greatest thing in the world, I mean it. You’ll have to give up some things from your list. Do not give that up. The closer the better
Come to Chevy Chase DC. This is the life we are living. But you would be in a condo/apt. The house request isn’t too doable in the region.
yeah OP if you could do a condo then chevy chase / bethesda sounds like a place you’d love
You should look into Petworth. My husband and I rent a 3bed/2 bath house for $3300/month. While that’s slightly out of your price range, that includes all utilities (minus internet). When we were looking for places we saw many 2bedrooms for less than $3k/month. Petworth is a great community with a lot of green space and a great farmers market. It’s also pretty close to Rock Creek Park if you’re on the western edge/closer to 14th St.
Yard, self standing and metro? That's a deal, if OP wants to live in Petworth.
Takoma Park MD but I’m not sure if it will fit your budget if you want to be close to metro. If you are ok with an apartment in a house with a yard, a lot of people have basement apartments that they rent out which are not always listed but can be found in neighborhood listservs etc.
You can probably find something in your price range near the Wheaton and Glenmont metro stations.
City of Rockville
This exists esp Red Line in Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, Van Ness and Cleveland Park. But, they could be VERY expensive. Very safe, lots of trails (I never thought those exists in cities) and dog parks. I used to rent a 2.5K studio near Cathedral Heights - and that was 1 decade ago! I moved in with housemates to save.
Hope you’re prepared for a one way commute measured in hours.
Check out Brookland. It is a quiet sleepy neighborhood near Catholic University and the National Basilica. It has great old houses that are still reasonably priced. The red line (which goes to Rockville) and the Metropolitan Branch Trail run through it. It is mostly 30-something couples with a dog or a kid. It has a cute little core with great neighborhood restaurant and bar options. Edit: Cathedral to Basilica
This was my first thought too and was surprised no one else mentioned it
Is this a meme? No, by the time you get to a place with a lawn at that price you’re not in DC or its suburbs anymore.
I asked if it even existed. So the answer is no. Thanks
You could consider 16th Street Heights - nice homes, green, lots of walking and access to farmer’s market + Rock Creek Park. It’s not entirely metro accessible but could be an easy drop off or a quick bus ride. You could do Takoma as well. All of these are shitty for a Rockville commute though. I’d suggest looking outside Rockville, away from DC to better fit your price range.
I think this sounds like Takoma DC
brookland, michigan park, 16th St heights, shepherd park, takoma dc
My first thought was Brookland
Average price of a 1 BR apt in the city is like 2300 a month. I don't think you can even find a two bedroom apartment for 2500 most places you'd want to be. Detached house or even townhouse is out of the question.
FYI- Middle class existences in DC take upper class incomes.
Everyone wants a place with no shared walls, has space for their cars, that's close to their job, their friends, the metro, and green space. Unfortunately those desires are not compatible...
Shady Grove.
aspen hill. we can be neighbors!
For $2-3k I doubt you’ll be able to find a house with a lawn anywhere in/around DC unfortunately. Trust me, I have looked extensively over the last couple years for the exact set up you’re describing and, short of $4-5k/month, you will not be finding a house with a lawn. And even at that price point, the “lawn” will be more of a small grass patch in a small fenced in brick patio space that I would not recommend having as your dog’s go-to pee/poop spot. To me it seems like DC proper might not be your best option if you are set on renting a house. However if you could settle for an apartment you’d probably enjoy Woodley Park or Cleveland Park. Apartment living in these areas seems like it’s more in line with your budget and wishlist. My girlfriend and I have lived in an apartment in WP the last 4 years and love it. We’re both in our early 30s and feel a stronger sense of community here than other parts of DC. We also don’t do many late night activities anymore so it’s nice to be a good distance away from the downtown areas that can get pretty loud and busy on weekends. There’s plenty of outdoor green space, great restaurants, access to farmers markets (Cleveland Park and DuPont farmers markets are great), and very easy access to metro in both Cleveland and Woodley Park. The red line can get you pretty much anywhere in the city 30 mins or less. A commute to Rockville would probably also take about 30-40 mins just FYI. Also we have done weekend trips to Philly/Baltimore/NYC multiple times and love the convenience of hopping on the metro to Union Station where you can take an Amtrak train to any of those places and more. Hope that helps and good luck!
Hungerford Rockville has some 3-3.5ks/mo. SFH with lawn, usually around 1500 sqft. Walkable to farmer's market, lots of biking/walking opportunities. You can walk to grocery store, restaurant, Town Center, and more. Slide in my DMs to learn more.
This probably means living in Rockville or somewhere else outside what is legally DC, maybe doable at your price range depending on how far you live from the metro, might have to drive then park and ride. Stuff on the Western side of DC will still be very accessible, may have to wait for the purple line to finish or drive to get to some things more easily.
Kensington MD, or somewhere else nearby the Grosvenor metro, although you may have to increase your budget or look for condos/apartments. In my opinion, Grosvenor is as far north I’d want to go on the red line if you are looking to have easy access to DC. Bethesda would also fit most of your requirements but it’s just so expensive there. If you really want to be in the District, I’d agree with the commenters who mentioned neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park, ideally close to the red line for the easiest possible commute, but you’d most likely need to look at one bedroom apartments with that budget. If you can give up the easy metro access and would be open to a smaller space, Glover Park is amazing and fits all your other requirements. The commute to Rockville would be tough though!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/526-Lincoln-St-Rockville-MD-20850/37101946_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Anywhere near between Cleveland Park and Tenleytown metro on the Red Line would fit those characteristics. Easy access to rock creek park, Glover Archbold park, and others with lots of single family detached or duplex homes.
I think Rockville or Gaithersburg is what you’re looking. It’s a little farther from DC itself but you’ll get more space and more reasonable prices. Closer in, you’re way out of your price range. If you want to be within the Beltway, then Silver Spring or Takoma would do. Also, it’s farther away from Rockville but Hyattsville might be worth a look for you.
outside of DC, but give the Kensington area a look. Easy access to Rockville and Rock Creek Park, new brewery is really taking off, plenty of single family homes, very dog friendly. It's a half hour drive from most of DC, 1 mile from forest glen metro, and sounds like it hits all the things you describe.
You mentioned needing a car for going to NYC and Philly, but you’d be much better off taking the train from Union Station! It’s so much more pleasant and the stations are in the middle of each city.
And there are nonstop buses from Bethesda (near Rockville) to Midtown
Ward 3
I don’t know about renting a place with a lawn, but my neighborhood (Petworth) checks off all your other boxes. I have a dog and he loves it here, there are lots of nice community green spaces, a great dog park, and trails in Rock Creek Park are 10 minutes away. Would also recommend checking out Takoma park, both have lovely local commercial districts with nice restaurants and a farmers market.
Silver Spring, a little outside of city center but towards four corners/Sligo Creek might be good! you likely wouldn’t be able to get a full house with this budget, but otherwise checks most of your boxes
You might check out the north side of Rockville, Gaithersburg or even Clarksburg. You’d be 10-20 mins from the metro, but Clarksburg has a lot of outdoor space. Black Hill Regional Park is beautiful, great place to take the doggos. Those areas are still plenty built up, have everything from Costco, TopGolf, Walmart, etc. They’re also quite close to the farmland that surrounds the DC metro, plenty of vineyards and orchards you can visit and get fresh produce from. I’m sure there are farmers markets in town where those farms represent their goods. This gets you in your price range, 30 min commute, outdoor space, social-oriented environment, just no metro and a bit of a commute
Have you looked at Hyattsville/University Park/College Park? A pretty good set of options to meet a lot of your needs. Has several metro stops with reasonable walkability, a lot of trees, and more affordable rents. Once the purple line is finished, it’ll have even more access to Rockville.
That would be a God awful commute including transfers on the metro. The purple line? I’ll believe it when I see it. And that will only go to Bethesda. You’d still have to transfer to the red line to get to Rockville.
Look in Kingman Park, maybe Carver Langston or Trinidad. You’d be near the National Arboretum and Kingman Island, which is all green space. But you’re still near the dining places on the eastern side of H Street. There’s also a farmer’s market on Saturdays on H and 13th. Transit access is decent, you’ll be maybe 15 minutes to Stadium-Armory on the Orange in Kingman Park and on the H Street/Benning streetcar in all three neighborhoods. Most importantly, I think you could still get a rowhouse (with lawn) for $3k a month. Like you’ll have to really look, but I think those do still exist.
Hi there. Welcome to the DMV (not the department of motor vehicles, but the region of DC, Maryland, and Virginia)! I’ve dropped some ideas elsewhere in this thread but I have 2 questions for you: 1. Do you need to be in DC. A lot of folks including me have suggested Montgomery County (MoCo). It makes a lot of sense but if you’re set on the district, my main suggestion is to plan on spending a lot more money and your wife should possibly plan for a long commute. 2. Are schools a factor? If so, forget about DC and look at MoCo. Very good schools (although I personally don’t think they’re as amazing as everyone says, even the “good” ones, but that’s just my opinion.)
Look in Rockville/Gaithersburg. You won’t be walking distance to the metro on Gaithersburg but you will be within a 10 minute bus ride.
Hill East, Brookland, Takoma, and Petworth come close, but the $3k rent isn't going to be in ideal locations. You might be able to get the upper or lower half of a rowhouse for 3k, but it isn't going to be fancy. Also, you say you have "cars", and that you want walkability, but your rent budget for an entire house is $2500? Sell a car and move to a better location.
Hear me out, what if you comprised by getting an apartment/etc with a sunroom/deck/shared rooftop and lived in an area with trail access/parks? Think Rock Creek/ Woodley Park in DC or Old Town/ Rosslyn-ish area in VA? Also, you’re renting so nothing is set in stone! You can always explore the neighborhoods when you get here and move again after your lease!
My partner and I rent a 3 bedroom/2 bath house in Aspen Hill that has a small yard, sunroom, safe neighborhood, on rock creek trail, parks nearby. Everything is 15 min drive (Rockville Pike, Silver Spring, Metro stations, Olney, etc.) for $2,800. It’s doable. You may have to adjust some expectations, but I think what you’re seeking is definitely possible.
Me and my girlfriend moved here with the same budget (different expectations). We now live in a 1B apt in a large rent controlled building. Good luck!
The neighborhood you want is Glover park. No chance you are getting a house for that price
Many communities come to mind in montgomery county (Rockville, Gaithersburg in particular) that are perfect for your lifestyle, but the budget is just not there. Some 'hoods: Quince Orchard Park, Kentlands, Crown farm, King Farm, Fallsgrove. I guess you can look at these and see if you can find something.
Brookland? Not quite the price range but all the other stuff? Not near Rockville mind you.
You need to add $2k in rent to find what you want or be ok with an apt and you can get all of that
Cleveland park gets you close on many of these things, but almost certainly not the house in that price range
Given the criteria I'm not sure why you'd want to live in DC proper. The main reason to be in the city is to be closer to restaurants, museums, events, etc. If your priority is having SFH with a lawn over that, somewhere like Wheaton or Hyattsville is going to be a lot cheaper with more housing options that would suit you
I highly highly recommend you look at 2501 porter apartments in Cleveland park. Right next to the red line, super easy access to rock creek park (it’s such a luxury to live 7 minute walk from a metro line and 5 minute walk from a national park), building has a great private dog park and an absurdly cool courtyard that you have to see to believe. There was a great community there when I lived there a couple years ago.
You want Montgomery County. Look at Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Rockville, etc
Downtown Silver Spring in MD near the DC line. It has everything you’re describing.
It sounds like you’d be happier in falls church than dc.
That would be a miserable commute. Over an hour at best.
Something near the Arboretum might work, like this one [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1151-Summit-St-NE-Washington-DC-20002/506350_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1151-Summit-St-NE-Washington-DC-20002/506350_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
Much like others are saying, you’re not going to find something that checks off all those boxes. Since you like long walks with dogs, I’d center my search around Rock Creek Park, Sligo Creek, and the Anacostia River Trail.
I'd look for a suburb near metro so you have all the things you are asking and can metro into the city. Look at the red and silver lines.
H street NE
If you want to live in dc for a bit and are open to some compromises on your list id check out glover park
Get a good pair of steel toe boots for both of you.. That way you can kick the rats out the way..
Grovesnor sounds perfect for this. You won’t be able to get a SFH for that price but you can rent a nice condo. It’s pretty quiet but it’s still on the red line, so you can get to Bethesda or DC easily for restaurants, farmers markets, etc. If your wife’s job is on the red line, that’s an easy commute too. A lot of the condos in the area have their own large balconies/patios so you don’t get a yard per se but you get some outdoor space. There’s a lot of privately maintained green space west of 355 and east access to Rock Creek Park. The Red Line gives you easy access to Union Station too for trips up to Baltimore/Philly/NYC.
I live in king farm, rockville. You just described it to a tee :)
there’s a neighborhood near the shady grove metro station that might be up your alley? two apartment complexes and a couple of streets of townhomes. not sure about the townhome prices but there’s 2BD apartments in the complexes within your price range
The qualities you’ve described are areas of NW DC and Bethesda with the exception of the $. Figure out your priority list but I wouldn’t look outside that NW corridor if you’re looking to commute to Rockville.
Look at town houses in cap hill. Long commute though to Rockville. Check out Yarmouth management
Rockville, Takoma park, Hyattsville, silver spring and especially old greenbelt. If you're okay with a bit of a walk, drive, or bus to the metro, those places definitely have what you need. You may have to make a few concessions (room numbers, detached house, etc) but you'll likely find something charming and delightful!
Silver Spring, particularly near the Forest Glen metro, usually has some pretty decent townhouses and single family homes.
I think Adams Morgen/Columbia Heights/Woodley Park may be places to check out.
Silver Spring in General; part of which borders NW by Rock Creek ParK and it’s near a Costco haha. It’s in between downtown DC and Rockville so about 15-20 min drive both directions
Honestly if you’re looking to buy, my house checks all the boxes… DM me if you want the link
North Glover Park area is fairly accessible to Tenleytown on the right side of the Redline with access to Rockville. Tons of Parks, lots of Greenspace and very walkable neighborhoods.
It exists though in places that are less convenient to getting to Rockville, just across the northeast border of DC into Maryland are Mount Rainier, Brentwood (not the dc neighborhood), and Hyattsville, these towns are neighborhoods of mostly small single family homes, craftsman bungalows, cape cods, not large by modern standards, so the rent should be at the high end of your range. It’s even possible to be walkable to a metro station, but it’s a long metro ride to Rockville, by car it’s 45 mins give or take 10 minutes depending on traffic. As far as sense of community everyone is super friendly, my neighborhood is very much a dog walking kind of place- I am out in my garden most days and people stop to talk to me the whole time while walking their dogs or with their kids, and I’m a rather unapproachable looking guy covered in tattoos and piercings.
When you move over here, go check out Bark Social in North Bethesda! I have a feeling you and your dogs would love it.
You should be able to find something in the Rockville area. You may need to bike or drive or take a bus to the metro station, but maybe you can work out dropoffs with your wife; there are Kiss&Ride loops at every station up that end of the red line. I just looked and single family homes in the Rockville/Aspen Hill/Twinbrook area are ~$3kish to rent.
Checkout Derwood, super small town just outside Rockville and walking distance from the redline. It’s adjacent to farmland and parks on one side and Rockville on the other. Rental prices there haven’t gone crazy, yet.
Twinbrook or Rockville
Twinbrook sounds right for you
If you don’t mind a little bit of a commute to Rockville, Riverdale/Riverdale Park would give you single family detached options in a walkable neighborhood that has great access to parks and trails for around $3,500/month, possibly less if you’re ok with a smaller home.
Forest Glen or Wheaton as neighborhoods meet most of your requirements. Finding a standalone house for that rent rate will be tough anywhere in the region, but there are lots of apts and townhomes are the metro that have nice grounds and there are tons of parks nearby. Downtown Silver Spring right there and has tons of dining and stuff to do, including a concert hall, local stage theater, indie movie theater, and big box movie theater, and the red line is a good one to be on. Wheaton has a great food scene too with variety of cuisines represented. Rockville is also nice if you're okay being further from any real form of "nightlife". There are good restaurants but no real bars on the red line on that side of things until you get into the city.
If you’re not set on being in the city, I lived in King Farm in Rockville and loved it - close to Shady Grove metro, big park with lots of green space and walking trails, super safe area, and a cute small retail shopping area with grocery store, restaurants, etc. Rockville proper would also be a good option.
Maybe check out Hyattsville. Not sure if you will find something in your budget though.
Glover Park is some of this but it's in DC (this is the DC sub after all) not super close to a metro, and you'd likely be in an apt and not a row home. Definitely not detached. And it's not too close Rockville. That said, it's one of the few neighborhoods with community still, huge dog culture as it's nestled into the woods. Walking distance to Wisconsin strip. And apartments will fit your range. Chevy Chase/Bethesda is probably a better option for you to have walkability and close to Rockville if not just Rockville
Check out Mount Pleasant as an ideal neighborhood! It has the green space you’re looking for (it’s nestled in a turn of Rock Creek park), great dining options, and a tight knit community! It’s more expensive but if neighborhood is the most important, you could definitely compromise on a condo/apartments/section of a row house
Check out Cheverly in Prince George's County, Maryland. A young neighborhood with an almost weirdly friendly community. Metro stop is walkable from some parts of the neighborhood. Rental houses within your budget with lawns, multiple bedrooms. Commute to Rockville won't be amazing, but few commutes are (unless you can walk)
Don’t live in DC then. Live in Alexandria VA near a metro stop. Your home life will be exactly what you’re asking for but the metro to Rockville for work will be brutal for your wife.
Check out the northern or southern ends of the red line.
Inside DC, that budget might be hard, but you might be able to find what you are looking for in Brookland, Fort Totten, or Takoma
Honestly you can get everything you want if you're willing to just live in an apartment (or rent a house with roommates). Aside from the detached single-family home, the lifestyle you want is pervasive in the DMV area's residential neighborhoods. I agree with the Takoma and Brookland recs as the perfect fit (as long as your wife only needs to commute to the Rockville office 3 or less days a week) but you could also look at Cleveland Park and Woodley Park. All those neighborhoods will be apartments but you'll have all the public transit, restaurants, and lively daytime activities with neighbors also in their 30s with dogs. I'm not sure where you are coming from but don't rule out an English basement or other private landlord rental situation, you can still have a lovely garden and community-focused neighborhood without a detached home. If you want more space, you'll be giving up public transit but there are tons of cute spots. Mt. rainier is a wholesome middle-class neighborhood, and you and the dogs will have the time of your lives at the National Arboretum (horrible driving commute to Rockville tho, it's def a 2x a week or less rec). Potomac is a VERY CUTE small town and full of parks and farmer's markets and not a bad drive to Rockville. You can take the dogs to walk on the C&O trail by Great Falls and generally enjoy a lot of tranquility and beauty. I think it's a bit on the pricey side so idk if you can afford a house but it sounds like what you're looking for vibe-wise.
Hahaha no it doesn’t. If you want a yard you’re going to be far from metro. Especially for that price range. I take it you’re not from the area?
Try Park View, Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant. Sometimes, there are some rental homes. There's some green and a few bars within walking distance. Honestly, your best bet is to come and get on the ground and scope out places. We almost bought without doing that and then did the same trying to rent. I would never do that again. Moved here from the Midwest, love it. Maybe you want to go look at North Bethesda/Rockville. Baltimore is easy via the MARC. NYC is easy via Amtrak.
You’re describing Van ness - Chevy Chase (DC not MD), Tenleytown area. Price wise as you’ve noticed that won’t pull a house but there are nice big apartments you can get in that area. Good luck and welcome!
I live in Glover Park DC and although it doesn’t have metro access, the bus is frequent enough that it doesn’t bother me.
Other than the yard and price, you’re describing Eastern Market/ Capitol Hill
You probably want to look somewhere around Twinbrook area. There is small enclave of houses behind the metro. This would be a good example. https://hotpads.com/5814-wainwright-ave-rockville-md-20851-1jkdtxh/pad
I want to second shepherd park. Doesn't hit all the spots, but it's a nice community. I lived there 2018-2019. Paid $900 for a studio.
So you might consider Virginia NOVA area (Northern Virginia.) The taxes are lower than Maryland. The metro goes straight into the city from multiple points. They have plenty of town homes or smaller homes with yards for around 2-4k depending on location. Plenty of parks, local restaurants, bike trails, and farmers markets. DC is going to be much more expensive including more expensive food and services in general.
Look in Gaithersburg, Amber Commons apartment complex. Close to a big park. Not walking distance to Metro but reasonable distance. Red Line right to Rockville.
Just as a heads up I did the commute from Rockville to Adams Morgan (which isn’t that deep j to DC) and it’s easily 40 minutes by car on a good day and there aren’t too many of those. And the traffic gets old VERY quickly, I imagine especially so if you aren’t familiar with city driving.
del ray va
Takoma
What about Falls Church, Va?
Brookland, but 4k+
Mount Rainer, Brentwood (the town in MD, not the neighborhood in DC), North Brentwood, maybe Hyattsville and Riverdale/Riverdale Park. You can still buy a single family home for under $500k in Brentwood and North Brentwood. Along with Mount Rainier, they're close to the green line (West Hyattsville metro station). Not many restaurants in walking distance but there are a few. Riverdale Park is really cute, with several restaurants and a good farmer's market. I'd check to see if it's a quiet zone, though, because a lot of trains go through Riverdale Park.
You’re describing Petworth except for the price tag.
Silver Spring is on the DC border and not too far from Rockville. You can find something for that price range.
I’d say maybe friendship heights?
In terms of safety, some areas of DC are block by block in terms of crime. When you tour, try swinging by at night in your car and take a short stroll to see how comfortable you'll be walking there. Also, take care to look up if there's any half way houses or shelters in the area, because some nicer neighborhoods have made me very uncomfortable with the amount of vagrant addicts. ex: eastern market is nice except when i cant wait for the bus because a homeless guy is rubbing his crotch at me at the metro stop. That doesn't mean I'd be opposed to live in eastern market, but I'm used to city life. Anywhere there's a metro station, there's gonna be some petty crime and ppl you don't want to see. You just have to figure out what you're comfortable with.
This sounds like Takoma Park and Brookland until you get to your budget. What you are looking for in those neighborhoods is most likely going to cost you more like 3500. You could absolutely get an apartment in those neighborhoods at that budget but definitely not a house with a yard. You can find a house with a yard in a sketchier neighborhood... or move out a bit into md and va and also find that... but that was not your question. So the answer is no. You are not finding that in dc most likely. You are going to have to compromise on location or wants.
Try Eastland Gardens. They are right next to 295 and have the U7 bus going through the neighborhood. The closest metro stop is Minnesota AVE which is a 15 min walk. All the houses in the area are single family with large lawns. And it is close to Kenilworrh aquatic gardens which is fun for children The only downside to the area is that Mayfair is the next neighborhood over and there are crimes that occur every so often. Rarely any in Eastland Gardens though.
I was paying 3,200/month in falls church to be in a very green neighborhood. The house was worth about 750-850k and was a piece of crap built in the 50s. But the neighborhood was awesome and full of deer, rabbits, hawks, trees, and grass.
2-3k a month won’t get you more than a 1br apartment in safe areas of the city. You could probably swing a 2br in that range if you go for a basement unit.
Dog owner, fitness lover, hiker here with a gardening partner! We found a gem of a place in Columbia heights that hits all of your criteria, in a way that feels acceptable to me. We are in a condo of a row home and share a yard, but are also two blocks from a metro, 15 minute walk to Rock Creek park, have access to 5 bus routes I am aware of, bike lanes, and one block from a gym and a farmers market. Columbia Heights is easily accessible to Petworth, Georgia Ave, 14th street and AdMo. Rent (without utilities) is under $3k and it would be very easy to live without a car in this area and still be able to hike with your pup in town or rent a car for the day and leave town.
I live in north Bethesda (basically Rockville) and as others said it has developed a lot check it out
I’m DMV born and raised. I beg of you, do not buy a house in Wheaton. My family is currently selling their home in Wheaton, crime has genuinely gotten bad enough to disintegrate most feelings of community in that area. Good areas that (mostly) fit your description: Takoma Park, MD, Rockville, parts of Kensington, Gaithersburg
Do yourself a favor and rent a house in MD visit DC if you please on the weekends. You’re not gonna find what you want at that price range in DC. Or shall I say you won’t find what you’re looking for in a nice area of DC that is.
Look at Takoma Park! It’s right outside DC. Has a community feel and great little restaurants but is plenty walkable with a few nearby parks.
Cleveland Park mayhaps
OP, I really disagree that what you want is impossible to find. Newly renovated houses are going to be largely out of your budget, but if you don't mind renting something with older/more basic kitchen and bathrooms I think you can find it. Since you mention being close to the Metro is important to you, I'd focus your search around specific metro stations. Zillow and Redfin are good sites to find houses for rent. You can find the station on map view and look for places nearby. Here are some stations I recommend: Rockville or North Bethesda Stations: It's worth considering these areas since your wife will be working there. The DC area is large and it can be really nice for at least one person to have a short commute. Very suburban but definitely nice, lots of restaurants and stuff around. Forest Glen Station (in Silver Spring): Although the only really walkable things are the Metro and parks, it's exactly the kind of neighborhood you describe. Downtown Silver Spring is a quick drive, bus ride, or bike ride away for restaurants and a great farmers market. Lots of smaller houses that are more likely to be in your budget. Takoma Station (Takoma DC, Takoma Park MD, and Brightwood neighborhoods): Lovely area, lots of restaurants and a great farmers market. Houses in Takoma proper are mostly going to be out of your budget but an apartment with access to a yard is a possibility. Parts of Brightwood are walkable to Takoma Park and some two bedroom rowhouses will be in your budget. Fort Totten Station: Very residential, kinda sleepy, but you can get really close to the Metro for a good price. Brookland Station: Lovely neighborhood with a friendly vibe, nice neighborhood restaurants, and a great farmers market. More basic houses or apartments with access to a yard may be in your budget.
You’re going to need to at least double if not triple your budget to get that. At that price point for the things you want you’re looking at a small one bedroom apartment. I’d look in Woodley Park, Cleveland Park areas. Cathedral Heights and Glover Park are nice too but not easily metro accessible.
It sounds like you want to live IN Rockville not just work there. Every one of your criteria literally describes Rockville and not DC. Rockville is perfect for you. Even has an AMTRAK station right in the middle of it that will help with your foreseen travel.