Apartment Hunting in DC

So, its been a couple weeks and I've been searching for a place in DC. I haven't been searching too hard - I've sent out several emails to people who have posted places on Craigslist and I've gone to one open house and visited one apartment. I've been a bit lazy :)

I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of the Open House - its just not a good way to pick a roommate because there's just too much confusion and awkwardness. And it almost feels like a sorority/fraternity rush event. There's way too many people there at the same time for you to even remember who is who and most of the time, I can't tell who the current roommates are from the other idiots like myself who are looking for a place to live. You know why? Its because the other searchers keep striking up conversations with me about where they're from and how long they've been here and they want to know how long I've been here and what I do. I start talking to them and turning on the charm, only to find out 5 minutes later that they don't live there and have no bedroom to offer me.

Making appointments with each person is definitely the way to go. Last night, I saw an apartment on Conn. Ave in Van Ness and fell in love! First of all, the location is perfect! 2 blocks from the red line and in a really nice area! Its not downtown at all but close enough. Second, the apartment itself is really nice. Its not too new (since I hate new places) and not quite old enough, but its nice. The room is a decent size - it would fit my bed, dresser, nightstand and perhaps a desk. Third, the price is REALLY good! And 4th - the cherry on top, if you will, is that the roommates seem really great! One of them works for an NGO that helps women in developing countries and the other works in Education. They seem very mature and worldly. They were friendly, without making it seem like we had to be best friends and do everything together if I moved in or go out and get "wasted" together. AND they offered me a glass of red wine - they like to unwind with a glass of wine after work - sound like my kinda girls!

I just hope that the 15 minutes they spent with me were enough for them to realize that I'm their best choice for a roommate :)