Help me find an apartment in College Park, MD
May 25, 2018 5:54 PM Subscribe
I'm moving to College Park for a year-long position at the University of Maryland! Starting sometime in July. I'm excited and there's a bunch of stuff I have to think about, most importantly where to live. I will be looking for a cat-friendly 1BR apartment, hopefully under $1500 but I'd be willing to pay a little more for the perfect place. So here's the type of place I want...
What I care about is listed below, in order from most important to least important.
I'd also like some clarification-- are most apartments in and around College Park in large buildings? That's what I gather just looking online. I'm asking because I'm coming from another college town that had a wide selection of single-family houses that were converted to apartments or smaller apartment buildings with only a few units-- which is the type of apartment that I'd prefer.
If I had to sum it up, I'm looking for a place where I don't have to drive a lot. Here are my criteria:
1. Neighborhood where I can walk (or bike less than 10 minutes) to places like coffee shop, bar, some restaurants, grocery store, drug store, a park, etc. Bonus if the neighborhood has good public transit access.
2. Allows me to commute by bike to UMD campus. Ideally less than 30 minutes by bike (I'll be in a building on the west side of campus near the Art Gallery if that makes a difference)
3. 10-20 minute walk or short bike ride to the Metro station
4. Either in a house (like a house that's been divided into two apartments) or in a small building with 4-5 units.
I realize that all four of these things may be nearly impossible, especially since I'd like to keep rent to under $1500, but any input about what areas I should look in (it doesn't have to be in College Park-- other nearby cities are fine) would be really helpful. Would also like input on where to look online aside from Craigslist if there is another good resource. Thanks!
What I care about is listed below, in order from most important to least important.
I'd also like some clarification-- are most apartments in and around College Park in large buildings? That's what I gather just looking online. I'm asking because I'm coming from another college town that had a wide selection of single-family houses that were converted to apartments or smaller apartment buildings with only a few units-- which is the type of apartment that I'd prefer.
If I had to sum it up, I'm looking for a place where I don't have to drive a lot. Here are my criteria:
1. Neighborhood where I can walk (or bike less than 10 minutes) to places like coffee shop, bar, some restaurants, grocery store, drug store, a park, etc. Bonus if the neighborhood has good public transit access.
2. Allows me to commute by bike to UMD campus. Ideally less than 30 minutes by bike (I'll be in a building on the west side of campus near the Art Gallery if that makes a difference)
3. 10-20 minute walk or short bike ride to the Metro station
4. Either in a house (like a house that's been divided into two apartments) or in a small building with 4-5 units.
I realize that all four of these things may be nearly impossible, especially since I'd like to keep rent to under $1500, but any input about what areas I should look in (it doesn't have to be in College Park-- other nearby cities are fine) would be really helpful. Would also like input on where to look online aside from Craigslist if there is another good resource. Thanks!
Best answer: Seconding Hyattsville/Riverdale! I definitely think $1500 for a 1BR is doable. If you're not moving until July, I would wait it out a couple more weeks before seriously apartment hunting - most private landlords want to fill their apartments immediately. I've used a combination of Craigslist and Lovely when apartment hunting in the DC area.
posted by capricorn at 6:41 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by capricorn at 6:41 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My partner biked to campus from his house in Hyattsville during undergrad, so that gives you some range for distance. I like riding my bike, but would think long and hard if my route involved some busier roads during rush hour, so closer to campus would be more interesting for me.
Print your map with UMCP and Metro stops, and get out your old-school compass with the center placed at work and the pencil on near-Hyattsville and see what’s in the bike-travel zone.
Look up where the campus shuttle routes are, as they likely also have bike racks, as an extra option.
DC Craigslist has a few apartments in smaller buildings and split houses, however I don’t know the neighborhoods very well.
posted by childofTethys at 6:43 PM on May 25, 2018
Print your map with UMCP and Metro stops, and get out your old-school compass with the center placed at work and the pencil on near-Hyattsville and see what’s in the bike-travel zone.
Look up where the campus shuttle routes are, as they likely also have bike racks, as an extra option.
DC Craigslist has a few apartments in smaller buildings and split houses, however I don’t know the neighborhoods very well.
posted by childofTethys at 6:43 PM on May 25, 2018
Best answer: If you want walkable you want to be right on Baltimore Ave in Hyattsville. Silver Spring May be too far, but consider the shuttle and whether that may be an option. Also possibly Takoma Park, but you might be priced out.
You can problably afford to live in the grad student housing - Graduate Hills and Graduate Gardens. Gardens is more walkable. They’re cat friendly but the opposite of luxury. Very close to the University.
posted by OrangeVelour at 6:50 PM on May 25, 2018
You can problably afford to live in the grad student housing - Graduate Hills and Graduate Gardens. Gardens is more walkable. They’re cat friendly but the opposite of luxury. Very close to the University.
posted by OrangeVelour at 6:50 PM on May 25, 2018
Best answer: Prince George's County (where UMD is located) has very strict rules about accessory apartments in single-family homes, and I'm pretty sure that you can't rent out multiple units of a single-family home in an area zoned for single-family homes, which basically means there is basically no legal rental stock that consists of a separate apartment within a single-family home. A house can be rented out as a share house (within limits), but not as, say, 3 separate apartments. So that is why you are mostly seeing apartments in purpose-built apartment buildings, with the 6 or 12 unit "garden apartment" building as part of a larger apartment community being the most common type of unit available in PG County.
Neighboring Montgomery County recently lifted their ban on accessory apartments so you're starting to see a few more options if you look at the Silver Spring/Takoma Park area. You also may find small, older apartment blocks with 4 units (for example, I know there's several buildings of this type in the Takoma Park area near Washington Adventist University and Adventist hospital, which is a nice quiet area and walkable to shops and bikeable to UMD.
posted by drlith at 7:36 PM on May 25, 2018
Neighboring Montgomery County recently lifted their ban on accessory apartments so you're starting to see a few more options if you look at the Silver Spring/Takoma Park area. You also may find small, older apartment blocks with 4 units (for example, I know there's several buildings of this type in the Takoma Park area near Washington Adventist University and Adventist hospital, which is a nice quiet area and walkable to shops and bikeable to UMD.
posted by drlith at 7:36 PM on May 25, 2018
I'd agree that Hyattsville is your best bet, but biking Rt. 1 seems miserable to me, so maybe try to avoid that for other roads. You might check out the Adelphi region, since the closest entrance to campus will be right by Art-Soc.
posted by codacorolla at 11:52 AM on May 26, 2018
posted by codacorolla at 11:52 AM on May 26, 2018
A friend of mine lives near the Follin Guest House, that might be a good place to stay when you visit. http://shopcollegepark.org/shops/folin-guest-home/
posted by MichelleinMD at 4:29 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by MichelleinMD at 4:29 PM on May 26, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks for the feedback! Right now it seems like the Hyattesville Arts District has a lot of what I'm looking for. Going to see what's available there and then maybe look at Riverdale.
posted by mcmile at 5:33 PM on May 27, 2018
posted by mcmile at 5:33 PM on May 27, 2018
Congrats!
Biking Route 1 sorta sucks, but so does living in College Park, unless you're really into hanging out with undergrads. Hyattsville has its charms, as do Riverdale/Mt. Rainier. I've also known a few UMD faculty to live out in Beltsville, where housing is generally cheaper.
If you can find a spot you can afford I'd shoot for Takoma Park / Takoma DC or Silver Spring near the metro. I've now lived in Takoma DC for a decade and it's a pretty great neighborhood - my commute out to CP for grad school wasn't *ideal* but wasn't particularly arduous either.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:46 PM on May 29, 2018
Biking Route 1 sorta sucks, but so does living in College Park, unless you're really into hanging out with undergrads. Hyattsville has its charms, as do Riverdale/Mt. Rainier. I've also known a few UMD faculty to live out in Beltsville, where housing is generally cheaper.
If you can find a spot you can afford I'd shoot for Takoma Park / Takoma DC or Silver Spring near the metro. I've now lived in Takoma DC for a decade and it's a pretty great neighborhood - my commute out to CP for grad school wasn't *ideal* but wasn't particularly arduous either.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:46 PM on May 29, 2018
Yeah, I know that it wasn't in the original post, but commuting in might be a lot more rewarding over all. College Park is trying, but it's still not really that great of a place to live. The Hyattsville area has a few shopping areas, but it's pretty sparse to something compared to Takoma Park. Although rent is going to be a little steeper, it might be looking for a share or a cheap studio.
I'd also say, that just in the area in general, I found a lot of places that were detached basement apartments. Last time I was looking (2010) these were about $1,000ish, which was out of my range as a GA, and have probably gotten a bit more expensive since DC has blown up since then.
posted by codacorolla at 1:57 PM on May 29, 2018
I'd also say, that just in the area in general, I found a lot of places that were detached basement apartments. Last time I was looking (2010) these were about $1,000ish, which was out of my range as a GA, and have probably gotten a bit more expensive since DC has blown up since then.
posted by codacorolla at 1:57 PM on May 29, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by arrmatie at 6:24 PM on May 25, 2018