Washington Apartments and Rentals

Living in a Washington D.C. apartment or rental, you might be forgiven for feeling awfully important. This is our country's capital after all. And if it's good enough for the President of the United States, it's got to be good enough for you! Old George Washington himself selected this lovely location along the Potomac River. So what are you waiting for? Grab a Washington D.C. apartment and start strolling between the monuments, motorcades, and other marks of political power.

Congress approved the creation of the District of Columbia in 1790. It was founded the next year, but building a city takes time. By 1871, Washington D.C. had enveloped the city of Alexandria, the port of Georgetown, and other areas under a unified government, not part of any state. When the Civil War broke out, the federal government grew, as did D.C. At that time, even with rampant expansion, the city still relied on dirt roads and lacked basic sanitation. By the end of the 19th century, the city was busy modernizing with municipal projects and motorized streetcars. Today, D.C. is jam packed with all three branches of government, foreign embassies, and a healthy serving of the nation's museums and monuments.

Washington D.C. is split into four quadrants, with the U.S. Capitol building at the center. Addresses will signify whether they're Northwest or Southeast, for example, so you know which direction to start off in. To begin exploring, check out the hot cuisine in Penn Quarter, go dancing in Adams Morgan, or find yourself a rowhouse to rent in Georgetown. Just watch out for traffic, as it can get fierce here.

Politics, naturally, is the main business of Washington D.C. Just under a third of the area's employees report for work with the federal government. That said, there are still plenty of jobs in other industries. Education, finance, public policy, and scientific research are all important sectors of the local economy. Four Fortune 500 companies are based in the District of Columbia-Fannie Mae, Danaher, Pepco Holdings, and the Washington Post.

If you're heading to D.C. in search of an education, you've made a wise choice. American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, the University of the District of Columbia-the list of excellent schools in the capital goes on and on. Plus, if you need to hit the books here, your closest research facility might just be the Library of Congress.

Because so many movers and shakers want to live near the nexus of power, rents in Washington D.C. come in on the high side. If you're looking for an apartment for rent in Washington D.C., expect to pay $2,637 a month on average for a two-bedroom apartment. Vacancy rates are as low in D.C. as rents are high. At the beginning of 2012, they were down to 3.8 percent, the third lowest in the entire country.

Have you heard of the White House? How about the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or Washington National Cathedral? Spin in a circle in Washington D.C. and you'll see a slew of white marble, exquisite architecture, and tributes to all sorts of American heroes. The National Mall is the place to protest, or celebrate, or mark major occasions. Visit the National Archives, the Smithsonian museums and galleries, or the National Gallery of Art.

D.C. fields teams in all four of America's most popular professional sports. You can watch the Washington Wizards, the Capitals, the Nationals, and the Redskins all play here. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is in Washington D.C. if you want to attend the ballet, the symphony, or the opera.

Washington D.C. keeps a steady hum of special events going year-round. There's the National Cherry Blossom Festival at the end of March, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in June, the Library of Congress National Book Festival in September, and the National Tree Lighting ceremony in December. Naturally, there's no better place to celebrate Independence Day than in D.C. You'll also want to keep an eye on the newspapers. Many events here spring up in response to the good and bad happenings around the world.

If what you want is a Washington D.C. apartment for rent, then Rent.com® is ready to help. Browse our apartment listings in Washington D.C to find the rental that's right for you.