Moving to Washington DC around May 2011

[Rooster_Ties]

Well, Mrs. Rooster went and got herself a fancy new job in D.C., and we're moving sometime this spring (she's already there, actually, since early October in a temporary place, near Dupont Circle). I'm packing up the old homestead, going from a decent-size Midwestern 3-bedroom house (1,400 sq-ft) to probably a 532 sq-ft one-BR apartment (though we're really hoping for more like 650 -- if we can find a good place we can still afford -- gulp).

We want to live in DC-proper, close to a Metro station, grocery (walkable), and the like. Rent's gonna be crazy - around $2K per month (yikes!), maybe $1800 -- but real-estate ain't cheap there, and we really don't want to live out in the suburbs. No kids (and definitely no plans for any), and only one cat, so we do have a lot more flexibility than some folks (whew!).

Looking for an interesting, diverse neighborhood, ideally where we could walk and Metro everywhere. We want to get rid of BOTH our cars, and only rent (Zipcars and such) when we need to (we think no more than an average of 4-6 hours per week at most), and for trips outside of DC. DC is one of the few cities in America where you can really live without a car -- and when my wife lived in DC 20 years ago (for Law School), she said her car was a LOT more of a hassle than it was worth. I understand rent for one parking spot in the district, plus insurance -- probably total $5K per yer minimum (and that's not even driving one mile).

Looking to actually move our stuff no sooner than February, though it could easily be March or April before we find the right place. I might even stay here in KC another month or so after we move everything, to help get the house sold -- but I'll probably be moving myself ('sold house' or not) by June, at the very, very latest. We'd look at renting the house if we couldn't sell it by August or September.

I know there's quite a number of us here from DC (and Baltimore) -- I've even met one or two of you -- but I though I'd see if everyone could sound off, so I know who to try and hook up with eventually when I get to town.

Attention Kansas City folks: I'm also "thinning the herd" (thinning the "heard"?) BIGTIME. Fully HALF of my collection of about 4,000 (maybe 4,500?) CD's has to go -- and I've already got close to 2,000 discs that I've culled. About an even mix of 1) jazz (post 1955), 2) classical (post-1850, lots of early 20th century), and 3) rock/alt/pop. I can only take about 2,000 discs with me (at the very most) -- though even then, I may have to store 500 to 800 of those here with my in-laws (I can't wait for that conversation ).

Thought about trying to sell them, but frankly -- that's much too much work, for far too little gain. Besides, all the local people I know (mostly musicians) who would want 'em -- are all underemployed, and I wouldn't get anywhere NEAR what I wanted for them, and they couldn't afford nearly as many as they'd probably like to buy. So my plan is to trade their labor, helping me pack up and get this house shaped up to be able to sell, in exchange for music. Plus, they'd get to hang with me some -- enough to still be fun, but without any real lasting traumatic effects. ( )

This will be the first time I've ever lived outside the central time zone (grew up in St. Louis, college in upstate Illinois, and Kansas City the last 15 years). I'm pretty excited, though given my "jack of all trades" career path (or 'lack of path'), it'll be interesting to see what I can find work-wise, especially in this job market. That's got me a little worried, I must admit -- but hopefully something will turn up before 2011 is over, even if it's a couple part-time jobs at first, trying to get in with a good non-profit, or cultural institution (museum, performing-arts org, or perhaps some school of higher education - or heck, maybe even a church).

Also, where are all the decent local jazz clubs in DC?? Any local acts I need to look up when I get there??

And fair warning to those of you in NYC -- the minute I see that Charles Tolliver and/or Billy Harper is playing in town, don't think for a moment that I won't be begging for a couch to sleep on, so I can hop a train and catch every set. (Same goes for those of you in Philly, or even Boston.) Don't worry, you can always say no. -- my feeling don't get hurt easily.

Mr. Rooster goes to Washington!

Edited March 10, 2011 by Rooster_Ties

[bertrand]

I'm here.

If you lived here now, you can catch Freddie Redd and Butch Warren together on Saturday.

Bertrand.

[Patrick]

I'm nearby (end of the Orange Line in Fairfax VA)--in the suburbs, in an affordable home, with a spouse, 2 cars, and no cats. Real estate is fairly expensive, and at the time we weren't too excited about plowing nearly all of our modest wealth into a home (or relying on Marion Barry for any city services), so we invested less of it, and I get a seat on the metro.

Will have to miss the house party that Bertrand mentions--will be visiting folks in Cleveland and seeing the winningest home team in town, ie the Cleveland Orchestra.

[Stefan Wood]

You might want to look into SW DC. I own a condo on 4th street, currently renting it, but there are a few places available, and it is a very nice area, near Arena Stage and the Mall, a couple of blocks away from Waterfront metro. It is one of the few places left in the DC area that haa large units availabel for still reasonable rental prices.

[John L]

Although my permanent residence is in the DC area, I actually spend very little time there. Hopefully that will change soon. I like DC. For jazz and other nightlife, U st (NW) has become a rather lively scene, and is beginning to resemble the genuine sort of downtown that DC has lacked.

As far as living is concerned, Silver Spring and Takoma Park are nice neighborhoods in the north that are on the less expensive side, offer quite a lot of cultural and ethnic diversity, and are about 4-5 miles straight north of U st.

Edited December 4, 2010 by John L

[Rooster_Ties]

Well, unless something crazy happens in the next 36 hours -- we're signing a lease on a place in Columbia Heights, an easy 4-5 block walk from the Metro, and only 2-3 blocks from a big, nearly brand new grocery store (and I understand the only 'urban' Target in the whole district). Also not at all far from the U-Street area and Howard (maybe a 15-20 minute walk, or one Metro stop in the winter).

Kind of expensive -- but if you take our current mortgage and property tax, plus home-owner's and auto insurance, and car payment (all expenses we've been paying here for years -- and remember, we're getting rid of both our cars) -- all that alone totals almost 70% of our new rent in DC. And our utility expenses damn well ought to at least be cut in half (from heating an old, non-weatherized home here, going to a 600 sq-ft apartment), so maybe even closer to 75% if we include that in the mix.

Or another way to think of it, we're only shelling out about $500 *more* a month than we already are now (instead of thinking of it as "double our mortgage for rent" - though technically it is).

Granted, our mortgage was never going to go up, and rent eventually will. But we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Given that we're probably going to have to sell our house at a loss of maybe 10% (since we bought it in the early 2000's), that loss pretty much amounts to "rent" as I see it. We'll just have to save more to be able to get a place when we retire, to a place with MUCH cheaper rent/property values, i.e. Lawrence, Kansas (or some big college town like that).

May move all our stuff in as little as 7 or 8 weeks.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Rooster_Ties

[Neal Pomea]

You will like Columbia Heights. Home to two of the best pizza places in the city, Pete's Apizza and Radius. You will probably use bus as much as Metro train depending on where you are going. I have a co-worker who lives in Columbia Heights who is big into free jazz. Maybe I could get his suggestions for live music.

I live in the Colesville area of Silver Spring, just outside of the beltway. Welcome to the area!

[bertrand]

Amother way to get around D.C. when you don't feel like riding metro: join the capital bikeshare.

Columbia Heights is a great choice and you are ridiculously close to all the jazz clubs except Blues Alley, which sucks anyway.

Bertrand.

[Rooster_Ties]

Questions for all y'all in and around DC...

What's the performing arts scene like at and/or specifically around Howard?

Not specifically just music (though that too, and not just jazz), but also theater (university productions, or otherwise), and any/all performing arts?

I grew up in the St. Louis area, and years later (well after I left for college), I look back and wished I'd have taken in the Black Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (but, alas, I never did -- and then I never was actually in St. Louis a whole lot again, for anything other than weekend visits with family after that), and I've lamented that there wasn't a similar organization here in Kansas City.

Any good and especially "interesting" classical groups or chamber music series in DC?? -- especially that program stuff beyond the three B's (Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven), and especially beyond Mozart and Chopin? Any that program a fair number of lesser-known composers? - or especially really late Romantic / early 20th Century stuff?? Any "20th-Century"-focused groups??

Any embassies that have occasional performing arts events? My wife and I happened to be in DC about 18 months ago, and caught a bunch of ECM artists at the Swedish Embassy, for what I gathered was an annual Scandinavian Jazz 'Festival' (night) event. Or other interesting venues programing diverse stuff??

I understand there's a chamber music series at the Library of Congress, with 'nearly free' tickets (that 'sell out' very quickly, I'm guessing). Is it mostly "classical top-40", or do they mix things up with a better variety of composers and/or stylist periods represented?

How's the programming of the National Symphony?? How's the new conductor/MD?? (Christoph Eschenbach, now that I looked it up.) How's his programming?? Sorry I missed Leonard Slatkin (I heard Slatkin a bunch of times in St. Louis, I'm generally happy to say.) Oooh, I see the NSO is doing Messiaen's "Turangalîla-Symphonie" in early March. Don't know if I'll be in DC by then, but I *love* that piece. Saw it in St. Louis once years ago, twice actually. Had a ticket for Saturday night, but went on a lark on Friday and talked the box office people out of free ticket 2 minutes before the curtain went up (showing them my ticket for Saturday), and got an even better seat for Friday than I'd paid for on Saturday. WELL worth hearing twice. Good times.

Does the Smithsonian program any chamber music and/or jazz stuff?? Anything particularly interesting?? Other venues worth getting on their events e-mail lists??

[BERIGAN]

Attention Kansas City folks: I'm also "thinning the herd" (thinning the "heard"?) BIGTIME. Fully HALF of my collection of about 4,000 (maybe 4,500?) CD's has to go -- and I've already got close to 2,000 discs that I've culled. About an even mix of 1) jazz (post 1955), 2) classical (post-1850, lots of early 20th century), and 3) rock/alt/pop. I can only take about 2,000 discs with me (at the very most) -- though even then, I may have to store 500 to 800 of those here with my in-laws (I can't wait for that conversation ).

Thought about trying to sell them, but frankly -- that's much too much work, for far too little gain

Just a thought, but without knowing how long it will be before you can find work(always seems to take longer when you move to a new city anyway), 2000+ cds sold on ebay and amazon would make some nice spending money IMO. Cds in boxes wouldn't take up that much room(or you could rent some storage space since it sounds like you may have a problem even with the ones you want to keep)

2000 x say $5 a cd would be 10K. And it seems when someone is selling a ton of jazz cds, you see more and more people find them, and the prices per cd go up!

Don't think of having to list 2000 at one time, just 2-3 a day at first , and ebay even lets you punch in upc codes now, so all you have to add is the title and condition of the cd.

Don't want to piss off anyone thinking they were going to get some free cds though!

Edited December 9, 2010 by BERIGAN

[Rooster_Ties]

New request for a couple hours help unloading a moving truck, on 1/28 -- anybody available??

Edited March 10, 2011 by Rooster_Ties

[mr jazz]

well, I'm sure you reading the Washington Post online but this is the DC free paper My link which has a good calendar. Welcome to DC.

[Rooster_Ties]

well, I'm sure you reading the Washington Post online but this is the DC free paper My link which has a good calendar. Welcome to DC.

Thanks. I hope to try and do a meet-up with folks once I get settled to the area myself in late April or May. (All our stuff is moving to DC in a week, but then I'm back here in KC for 2-3 months working on the house to get it on the market.)

[bertrand]

I'm sorry but I won't be available that day.

Bertrand.

[Patrick]

Hey Rooster,

Unfortunately, I too will not be able to make it then.

If you finish unpacking early, the Lovano/Scofield performance at Strathmore (Grosvenor Metro stop on red line) starts at 8pm.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

[bertrand]

Sco and Lo took two movers from you, da bastards

Bertrand.

[Aggie87]

Sco+Lo-(Ho+Fo)=Ro->P.O.

[.:.impossible]

Hey fellas. One of my brother's bands is playing Kennedy Center on 2/1. Many of Richmond VA's fine young (under 40) players are represented in Fight The Big Bull. Check them out if you are so inclined. They are an ever evolving band with a good handle on improvisation within arrangement. Clean Feed tested! Steven Bernstein approved!

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=82692&source_type=B

Edited January 31, 2012 by .:.impossible

[Leeway]

That's a good band. Nice album on Clean Feed. I'll try to get over to the KC.

[Patrick]

Heading over momentarily. Which musician is Impossible's brother?

[.:.impossible]

Beautiful footage of the full show here. Give a listen!

That's my brother on bass.

The group here is:

Matthew White guita,r charts, leader

Cameron Ralston bass

Pinson Chanselle kit

Bob Miller trumpet

Jason Scott tenor, clarinet

John Lilley tenor

Reggie Pace trombone

Bryan Hooten trombone

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=82692&source_type=B

[Patrick]

Fun set. Good crowd there. Gotta ask, are beards de rigueur for Richmond jazzers (...at least among men)?