HELP! Moving to DC.....?

and not sure where to live. Live in a shoebox in the city and NOT commute OR live in the burbs and enjoy a yard....but brave the traffic???? So confused!

Government work. Mid 30s. Not entry level. Looking for a happy medium. Thanks to the first 2 answers so far. Helped a lot!

There's not nearly enough information here- how old are you? Where will you be working? How much will you be making?

It's HIGHLY unlikely that you would be able to live in the burbs and have a yard if you're an entry level worker and will be commuting into downtown. The money you'll save by living far enough out to afford a yard will quickly be eaten up by parking or metro fees- plus the time that it takes to commute in and out. Even if you live in Arlington or Silver Spring or Bethesda you'll likely be living in an apartment. The one way you could avoid that would be to live in a house with friends, but you can do the same in the city. ESPECIALLY if you're planning on commuting by car. That's a very expensive thing in the city where parking spots can run into the hundreds of dollars per month.

I would start with where you're working and then work backwards. If your office is on the red line then think about the maryland burbs, or Brookland, or Tenlytown, or somewhere like that. If it's on the Green line, then perhaps Columbia Heights or Mt. Pleasant. If it's Orange/Blue then maybe Arlington works for you. If it's on a bus line, see where that takes you...

If you haven't done it, a commute can kill your soul, especially in the winter months when it's dark before you even leave the office. If it takes you another hour to get home after that, you really ought to think about why you're living so far out...

EDIT:

The idea that living in DC "isn't that safe" is just scaremongering. Sure, you probably don't want to live in the Anacostia or Trinidad neighborhoods. However, if you're living in Mt. Pleasant or Tenly or places like that, then the crime rate is pretty comparable to living in Silver Spring or Bethesda or Rockville... Check out the statistics for each area- the MPD makes them available as of the most recent month (which is currently november I think).

Also, be aware of the tradeoffs. You may feel safer living in a Va suburb, but if it takes you 30 minutes to drive to the closest grocery store, and an hour ride on the metro to get into the city on the weekend, that's not nearly as convenient as living where I do (3 grocery stores within a few blocks and a 10 minute ride on the bus to either the bars or the museums). It's all a trade off. I would reccomend finding or making some friends who live in the area and talking to them. Also, DC craigslist is a great way to price shop the various options for living in the area.

i think you should live in a burb and use the public transportation(such as a bus or a metro). Make sure to find a place to live that is close to a bus stop or a metro station. Downtow DC isnt that safe, just like other major cities. There are many park and rides around the DC area. Also know that the cost of living in the burbs around DC is very high(even the prices of appartments, condos, etc for each month). I mean it depends on ur age, income etc.

http://www.mtamaryland.com/