Tough Call

I've been house-share-hunting for over a month now, all the while knowing that I can move when I want.  But obviously, I'm getting antsy.  It's natural; living on my own is the one big gaping hole in my life right now.   It's been frustrating at times.  Most people don't write back, and most people who actually have sweet deals in nice neighborhoods are female.



Anyway, I saw a house in Northeast DC for $666.  Something tells me I'd pay $667 if I took it.  Anyway, the room available was a large master bedroom with tons of light and closet space.  There is plenty of parking in the neighborhood, partially because it's up-and-coming (near H St NE).  There are a few trendy new bars on H st. where rock bands play.  The house was 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, with large common areas.  The guys who lived there seemed uber-cool; I got along with them instantly.  Which is important, because being a black male with an African name makes finding a share difficult.  As mentioned before, almost all the nice places are lived in by women who understandably want female roommates.  And there's the whole matter of unconscious prejudice, etc etc. 



There was one major catch: the place was a 20-minute walk from the metro station I need to go to work from.  It was also a 15-minute walk from Potomac Ave. metro, but that one doesn't help my commute because I'd have to loop around downtown and transfer twice to get to work.  So I had to ask myself: could I see myself having to walk 20 minutes every time I wanted to take Metro?  There are buses to the station I want...but how often do they run? 



You may think I'm being spoiled.  After all, 20 minutes doesn't sound that bad.  But it is if you HAVE to do it every day.  The summer is what scares me the most.  I'm a naturally hot person, who sweats a lot when it's hot out.  And even by U.S. standards, D.C. is nasty in summer.  20 minutes outside on the way to work in summer would mean that I would sweat through my shirts each day in June, July and August at least.  Winter wouldn't be a picnic either, but I could handle that.   As for the bus solution, that's all well and good - but what about on a night out drinking?  What about when having visitors over to the house?  Would I feel safe asking them to walk 15-20 minutes from the station, in that decent-but-not-yet-gentrified spot?  Would I have to go get them every time?  Is it safe to wait for the bus late at night?



So I told them I had to think about it.  But after talking to some people and some honest introspection, I realized I couldn't do it.  If it was closer to ANY metro, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.  It was super-cheap, I'd have saved a lot of money, I really liked the guys, and they really liked me.  But I know me, and the logistics of that situation would have made it very tempting to drive - a situation I want to avoid at all costs for health and lifestyle reasons. 



As a testament to how much they wanted me, they called me Monday to ask if I had made a decision.  I had to tell them I was continuing my search.  I told myself, "Remember, you don't have to move.  You can hold out for the right location."



I just hope I don't regret this later.  On the bright side, I have two appointments to see other places this week.  They are more expensie, but they are closer to a rail station and in nicer neighborhoods.

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