MY FIRST BETHESDA APARTMENT - A YOUNG PERSON'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO APARTMENT HUNTING IN BETHESDA, MD - BETHESDA APARTMENTS, RENTALS

Welcome to the fifth installment of My First Bethesda Apartment:  a weekly, urban guide to the intimidating task of apartment hunting in Bethesda, and scoring and furnishing your dream pad once you find it.

BETHESDA APARTMENTS

OF THE

WEEK

1 BR/1 BA  THE CHRISTOPHER (Click for listing) - $1750 a month

Once again, the rate is a bit steep, but not too bad if you have a roommate to pay half.  The tradeoff is a luxury building right by the Bethesda Metro Station.  Utilities are extra, but parking, storage and water are included in the rent.  Please note that the move-in date is not until December 1.  Lots of amenities, in a modern building, and location, location, location!

PRIVATE SUITE IN BROOKMONT HOME (Click for listing) - $1100 a month

Although I am usually directing you to the best units in the best downtown Bethesda buildings, this suite in a private home is worth considering if a) you work near the Sangamore Intelligence Campus, Georgetown, American University, Sibley Hospital or on the Red Line (Ride On bus to Friendship Heights passes by the home); b) price is more important to you than the excitement of downtown living.

This house is within walking distance of the Shops at Sumner Place shopping center, with a great CVS, a Safeway, Bethesda Market (opening soon), Praline French bakery and restaurant, Passion Fin sushi bar, and a Starbucks.

Obviously, you'd want to do a thorough inspection, but $1100 a month is a very good price in Bethesda.

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SPLURGE OR FAKE IT

Spend lavishly, or just make everyone think you did!

Let's consider another basic piece of furniture that everyone has - the coffee table.  There's nothing wrong with the traditional wood coffee table, but maybe you want something a bit more contemporary.

SPLURGE

Skye Indigo coffee table from Crate and Barrel - $319

FAKE IT

Wall Street coffee table - $149.09

Both of these have similar lines and designs, but faking it will save you about $180 this week.  Nothing says "living large" like Wall Street, right?  Gordon Gekko would approve, and so will your wallet.

FIRST-TIME RENTER

TIP OF THE WEEK

Security.  An unsafe apartment isn't worth any amount of money.  When apartment hunting, do your own security audit of the building, and the particular unit.  Do doors and windows lock securely?  Do blinds or curtains give you privacy when you want it?  Is the garage or parking lot secure?  How easy is it to gain access to the building?  Is the front desk manned?  Is that "man" on duty 24 hours a day?  Can you have a dog?

Have a great weekend, and hurry out to check out these apartments before they're gone.  I believe that every Apartment of the Week I've featured so far, has been leased by the end of the weekend.  Let me know if this guide helps you to find the apartment of your dreams, in the Richest Town in America!

MY FIRST BETHESDA APARTMENT - A YOUNG PERSON'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO APARTMENT HUNTING IN BETHESDA, MD - BETHESDA APARTMENTS, RENTALS

Welcome to the second installment of My First Bethesda Apartment:  a weekly urban guide to the intimidating task of apartment hunting in Bethesda, and scoring and tricking out your dream pad once you find it.

Have questions about Bethesda - restaurants, stores, where to find "this or that?"  Just post them in the comments, or send me an email.

BETHESDA APARTMENT

OF THE

WEEK

1 BR/1 BA   THE CHRISTOPHER - $1550 a month

This is a 520 square foot, 5th floor condo at the two-decade old The Christopher, at 4808 Moorland Road.  The Christopher is a luxury building located in the center of downtown Bethesda.

You would be about a 1-minute walk from the Bethesda Metro station, in Apartment #501.  Besides being one of the most convenient buildings for a Metro commuter, there are 2 other prime benefits to this building.

First is the fact that a parking space is included in your rent.  Just ask tenants of some other Bethesda buildings what a cost savings that is.  In some buildings, the monthly parking payment can seem like a small rent.

Second, is that The Christopher has a pool, fitness center, party room and front desk security.  In a word:  amenities.

What's a short walk from The Christopher?

A Safeway grocery store, Chipotle, FreshBikes bike shop, Caribou Coffee, Original Pancake House, and two of Bethesda's top 5-star restaurants:  Black's Bar and Kitchen, and Woodmont Grill.  You're also only a few blocks from the most popular nightspots, and Bethesda Row.  You can ride the free Bethesda Circulator to and from Bethesda Row, also.

The most important part of making your decision, is to see the unit for yourself.  Good news:  the unit is being shown mid-morning this Sunday, September 2.  Just call Scott Phillips at 410-707-1133 to arrange a visit.

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SPLURGE OR FAKE IT

Spend lavishly, or just make everyone think you did!

Well, let's say you had bought that Crate and Barrel end table for your living room last week.  Now you have to put a lamp on it.  I'm not an interior designer, but just a guy who knows what he likes when he sees it.

I like architecture and other designs from the 50s-70s.  And many of the best came to us from California.  Recently, I heard about a new furnishings store at 510 H Street in DC called Hunted House.  On their home page, they have a living room set-up that is somewhere between a 1960s California home, and a classic motel.  In other words, it's great.  They have a cool 1960s lamp in the picture, but it's not available for sale.

So I found the closest California-inspired 1960s lamp they had for you:

SPLURGE

Volcanic Eruption Table Lamp from Hunted House - $98

FAKE IT

Hollywood Table Lamp from Target.com - $71.99

This week, faking it will only save you $26 or so.  So take your pick based on what you can afford.  The target lamp does have a 3-way touch sensor switch.  Either one brings a bit of vintage, golden-age California to your room.

FIRST-TIME RENTER

TIP OF THE WEEK

What is the real Bethesda?  Are you moving here on short notice from outside of the area?  And you want the hip, downtown lifestyle and convenience other college grads and young professionals move here for?  Beware of ads touting "Bethesda" apartments, when you see descriptives like Pooks Hill, North Bethesda, Grosvenor, White Flint, Montrose, etc.

Those aren't in downtown Bethesda, and don't have the nightlife or restaurants the real downtown has.  When in doubt, Google Map the address, and make sure its really Bethesda.

Have a great weekend, and let me know if you find the apartment of your dreams, in the Richest Town in America!