Frequently Asked Questions about Washington DC
Is Washington DC safe?
Washington DC may have more crime than expats would expect as the capital of the US; this is largely due to the disproportionate distribution of wealth in the city. Safety precautions as taken in any cosmopolitan centre should be used to minimise risks of becoming a victim. Women should take extra care walking at night. In general, neighbourhoods in the Northeast and Southeast, past 11th Street, are more dangerous with higher crime statistics. Expats should be vigilant taking the metro line late at night. Most apartments in popular residential neighbourhoods do not need private security and well traversed sections of the city are well patrolled around the clock.
How do I find cheap accommodation?
Although the cost to rent property is very high in DC, it is also unusually easy to find cheap short term rentals. There is a large student population in DC that usually vacates for the summer. Subletting apartments over university holidays is a cheap means of first renting apartments in the city. Universities also often rent out unused housing during the summer months.
What is the weather like in DC?
DC was considered a hardship post by UK expats working for the British Government before the advent of air-conditioners. Summer months of July and August get extremely humid with temperatures hovering around 86°F (30°C). Cold winters hover around freezing temperatures for December and January, with occasional snowfall.
Although the cost to rent property is very high in DC, it is also unusually easy to find cheap short term rentals. There is a large student population in DC that usually vacates for the summer. Subletting apartments over university holidays is a cheap means of first renting apartments in the city. Universities also often rent out unused housing during the summer months.
What is the weather like in DC?
DC was considered a hardship post by UK expats working for the British Government before the advent of air-conditioners. Summer months of July and August get extremely humid with temperatures hovering around 86°F (30°C). Cold winters hover around freezing temperatures for December and January, with occasional snowfall.
