Reccomendations for all things Bethesda, Maryland (Going to work as an IRTA)

[thewonderer8]

Hello everyone,

As fate would have it, it seems that I will be moving to Bethesda, Maryland soon as an NIH IRTA (at the NIAID (building 10)). I've read numerous threads here and found that the ClubPCR yahoo page and NIH samslist page are very helpful. I am currently checking those pages out but I was wondering if anyone had any general advice to give in terms of areas to live in and really anything at all (Volunteering opportunities, which hospitals to look at, close movie theaters (HUGE movie lover), close libraries (will be studying for the MCAT), etc.).

I cannot afford more than 1.1K probably (which, I know, is very low for Bethesda. If you know of anything that fits my criteria and is more expensive, still please let me know.). I will probably require a roommate or two or three haha. One very important criteria for housing for me is very close walking distance to a metro (or the actual NIH building), grocery stores/restaurants, and fun! Though the former two seem far and away more important, I really want to emphasize the fun. I like to consider myself very social and being walking distance to fun things (or where a lot of other IRTAs are) would be extremely helpful to me. As you may have guessed, I will not have a personal car so I need to keep that in mind as well.

I know this is a lot. I'm definitely doing a ton of this research on my own but would appreciate any advice at all from anyone.

Thanks so much.

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[WedgeDawg]

A lot of people who worked at the NIH when I was there lived in the Rockville area (which is cheaper than Bethesda proper) or near the Twinbrook stop (also technically Rockville) and took the red line to the Medical Center stop to and from work. I would stick to living near the Rockville or Twinbrook stop if at all possible (the Rockville stop is right next to Rockville Town Center which is a mall/movie theater/etc) - I haven't heard great things about silver springs.

The red line also provides really easy access to Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle (both of which are pretty fun) and then Metro Center if you're trying to get elsewhere in DC. If you don't have any friends in DC, Arlington, or Bethesda, make friends with your NIH co-workers and hang out with them! They'll know where the cool places to hang and go out are.

 

[thewonderer8]

A lot of people who worked at the NIH when I was there lived in the Rockville area (which is cheaper than Bethesda proper) or near the Twinbrook stop (also technically Rockville) and took the red line to the Medical Center stop to and from work. I would stick to living near the Rockville or Twinbrook stop if at all possible (the Rockville stop is right next to Rockville Town Center which is a mall/movie theater/etc) - I haven't heard great things about silver springs.

The red line also provides really easy access to Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle (both of which are pretty fun) and then Metro Center if you're trying to get elsewhere in DC. If you don't have any friends in DC, Arlington, or Bethesda, make friends with your NIH co-workers and hang out with them! They'll know where the cool places to hang and go out are.

This is extremely helpful! I will look into living options near those two stops you mentioned (hopefully living by the Rockville stop one works out cause the Town Center sounds amazing!). Thank you so much

 

[Lost In Transcription]

Hey ! I am an IRTA postbacc. It is a pretty big place, but there are definitely resources if you search enough.

As the other poster mentioned, Rockville is cheaper. North Bethesda is also pretty cheap. ClubPCR is awesome and POSTBACC_L is a great place to learn about new events.

Try to be involved with other postbacs...there are things you can do like the OITE workshops (SO HELPFUL!) and social events put on by the Postbacc Committee (which you can join).

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me

Hello everyone,

As fate would have it, it seems that I will be moving to Bethesda, Maryland soon as an NIH IRTA (at the NIAID (building 10)). I've read numerous threads here and found that the ClubPCR yahoo page and NIH samslist page are very helpful. I am currently checking those pages out but I was wondering if anyone had any general advice to give in terms of areas to live in and really anything at all (Volunteering opportunities, which hospitals to look at, close movie theaters (HUGE movie lover), close libraries (will be studying for the MCAT), etc.).

I cannot afford more than 1.1K probably (which, I know, is very low for Bethesda. If you know of anything that fits my criteria and is more expensive, still please let me know.). I will probably require a roommate or two or three haha. One very important criteria for housing for me is very close walking distance to a metro (or the actual NIH building), grocery stores/restaurants, and fun! Though the former two seem far and away more important, I really want to emphasize the fun. I like to consider myself very social and being walking distance to fun things (or where a lot of other IRTAs are) would be extremely helpful to me. As you may have guessed, I will not have a personal car so I need to keep that in mind as well.

I know this is a lot. I'm definitely doing a ton of this research on my own but would appreciate any advice at all from anyone.

Thanks so much.

 

[mordac21]

Honestly, you should be fine on 1.1k/mo for rent in and around Bethesda as long as you have reasonable expectations for where you're living. Most of my friends are paying $700-900 living up and down the red line. I'm within walking distance of the NIH and pay $900.

The best way to meet other IRTAs for social fun times, in my experience, is to go to the post-bac happy hour. There should be a postbac facebook group that you can join, and they announce when the happy hour is. Once you meet people there, you'll probably get lunch with them in building 10 on a regular basis/go out to DC/etc.

 

[thewonderer8]

Hey ! I am an IRTA postbacc. It is a pretty big place, but there are definitely resources if you search enough.

As the other poster mentioned, Rockville is cheaper. North Bethesda is also pretty cheap. ClubPCR is awesome and POSTBACC_L is a great place to learn about new events.

Try to be involved with other postbacs...there are things you can do like the OITE workshops (SO HELPFUL!) and social events put on by the Postbacc Committee (which you can join).

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me

Honestly, you should be fine on 1.1k/mo for rent in and around Bethesda as long as you have reasonable expectations for where you're living. Most of my friends are paying $700-900 living up and down the red line. I'm within walking distance of the NIH and pay $900.

The best way to meet other IRTAs for social fun times, in my experience, is to go to the post-bac happy hour. There should be a postbac facebook group that you can join, and they announce when the happy hour is. Once you meet people there, you'll probably get lunch with them in building 10 on a regular basis/go out to DC/etc.

Thanks for the kind responses. Are bus passes and access to the DC metro included with NIH employment at no cost or do you have to pay for these things?

 

[mordac21]

Post-bacs should receive a small amount for metro rides, although I don't take advantage of that since I'm within walking distance.

 

[thewonderer8]

A lot of people who worked at the NIH when I was there lived in the Rockville area (which is cheaper than Bethesda proper) or near the Twinbrook stop (also technically Rockville) and took the red line to the Medical Center stop to and from work. I would stick to living near the Rockville or Twinbrook stop if at all possible (the Rockville stop is right next to Rockville Town Center which is a mall/movie theater/etc) - I haven't heard great things about silver springs.

The red line also provides really easy access to Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle (both of which are pretty fun) and then Metro Center if you're trying to get elsewhere in DC. If you don't have any friends in DC, Arlington, or Bethesda, make friends with your NIH co-workers and hang out with them! They'll know where the cool places to hang and go out are.

Would you mind elaborating on whats not so great about Silver Springs?

 

[Lost In Transcription]

The things I have heard about it from my postdoc who lives there is that you can only ride the bus depending on where you are...which doesn't run well certain times of the year.

Would you mind elaborating on whats not so great about Silver Springs?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Would you mind elaborating on whats not so great about Silver Springs?

Just that it's not a great place to live and isn't super convenient. I've also heard it's a little "sketchy" if that means anything to you. Not much more than that.

 

[thewonderer8]

Just that it's not a great place to live and isn't super convenient. I've also heard it's a little "sketchy" if that means anything to you. Not much more than that.

The things I have heard about it from my postdoc who lives there is that you can only ride the bus depending on where you are...which doesn't run well certain times of the year.

Thanks guys. I found some potential living spaces there. I understand what sketchy means haha. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[MyNameStitch]

Hey guys, I'll be moving to the area next month and am having trouble deciding where I want to live. Any advice on where to live for someone who likes amenities and the city/downtown life without going broke? I've been looking at shared houses in downtown Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, and Tenleytown but I'm worried that I'll be exceedingly bored in my free time and I'm not very familiar with how reliable the metro is at night. Whether I end up at lab late at night or going out with friends, I don't want to be stranded places and I heard the metro is going through some kind of overhaul. Of course, most of my information is coming from Google searches. Any advice or experience in the areas of things to do, nightlife, safety, and accessibility?

 

[Lost In Transcription]

Hey guys, I'll be moving to the area next month and am having trouble deciding where I want to live. Any advice on where to live for someone who likes amenities and the city/downtown life without going broke? I've been looking at shared houses in downtown Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, and Tenleytown but I'm worried that I'll be exceedingly bored in my free time and I'm not very familiar with how reliable the metro is at night. Whether I end up at lab late at night or going out with friends, I don't want to be stranded places and I heard the metro is going through some kind of overhaul. Of course, most of my information is coming from Google searches. Any advice or experience in the areas of things to do, nightlife, safety, and accessibility?

My take is:

Living in North Bethesda is pretty cheap if you have a roommate or a studio relatively. Same with Rockville. Silver Springs is much harder to get around. Friendship Heights is nice because it is only one stop away from the Medical Center (NIH).

The Red Line is indeed undergoing change, but it's usable and good. Trust me...lots of people depend on it.