Living at Oakwood vs Elsewhere for A-100

15 Aug

The last few weeks I have contemplated about living somewhere besides Oakwood. The way the per diem works is that you receive X amount of money, whether you are by yourself or you’re the Von Trapp family. So logically, the per diem goes a longer way if you’re by yourself (especially if you don’t want to be stuck in a studio).

After receiving “the call”, you have the option to make a reservation at one of the Oakwood locations. If you decide to do so, there is no paperwork involved and State Dept. handles all the bills, etc. Keep in mind though that you don’t get the difference in lodging or anything like that. The full amount of your lodging per diem goes straight into your Oakwood apartment, whether or not it’s ideal.

If you decide to live elsewhere, you can get a good deal considering the per diem. While the .doc you receive the day you pass your OA states that front loaded leases are unacceptable, it seems like they’re not only acceptable, but encouraged. It isn’t difficult to find a landlord who is comfortable with per diem’s and front loaded leases. Usually, the only upfront costs are the security deposit.

The most difficult part about living at Oakwood seems to be simply accepting the location. It will not be wonderful but it won’t be bad either, seems to be the consensus. Also, you can move out of Oakwood into Elsewhere but you can’t go from living Elsewhere and into Oakwood.

On the other hand, the most difficult part about living Elsewhere seems to be, at least for me, just finding the right apartment and the right landlord and arranging the lease (front loaded, diplomatic release clause, etc).

  • Saikyo

    I have some friends in A100 now. most tell me -not- living in Oakwood is kinda like self-torture. They also say that Oakwood Ballston, Arlington, and Rosslyn are great locations.

  • supermariodiplomacy

    Thanks for the input.

    Would you be able to clarify as to why it's kinda like self-torture? To be completely honest, at times during this apartment hunting process and figuring out vouchers and upfront costs and if the landlord will be flexible, I've kinda felt the same way, too…

  • http://www.fromthebackofbeyond.wordpress.com Eve

    hmmm.. as someone who has opted to live outside of Oakwood (in the Capitol Hill neighborhood) I'd say that there's absolutely no “self-torture” involved. In fact I have spoken with many in Oakwood who feel like they're going mad from living on a suburban compound. I think it is just an individual preference thing. If you don't mind doing a little paper work and submitting receipts but value living in a walkable tree-lined neighborhood with markets, independently owned restaurants, bars, parks, etc at your doorstep then I'd say living in the city is a good choice. It seems to me that the biggest benefit to living at Oakwood is the lack of stress and hassle arranging a lease,etc. Also if you have kids, I can see where this would be very convenient for “play-dates”, schools. And lets face it, some people get freaked out living in a city. I've always preferred it and believe I'd be freaked out living in a suburb. Like everything, a matter of perspective…
    Full disclosure- we were lucky enough to rent from an FSO so she was hip to the wacky rules and regs and it worked out fairly seamlessly.

  • supermariodiplomacy

    It's really interesting to hear people's experiences between deciding living at Oakwood or in the city, especially since Oakwood has locations in Roslyn and Ballston.

    You brought up something interesting – renting from an FSO. I had to walk away from an apartment because the landlord just didn't understand the per diem for State Dept new hires and wasn't willing to be flexible.

    FSOs and property managers who are used to renting out to FSOs and know that they gain to benefit from doing so are the ones who most new hires should consider renting from, if deciding to live in the city, as opposed to just trying to rent an apartment anywhere.

  • http://damandac.wordpress.com/ Amanda

    I've seen people who have gotten INCREDIBLE apartments and HOUSES in the Dupont area on their per diem. Probably wouldn't work for a grown family with children, but certainly for a couple or a couple with kids.

    That said, as a local hire I thoroughly resented (and still do!) anyone on per diem who complains about their living situations…Oakwood or otherwise ;-)

  • supermariodiplomacy

    People who are not local hires should definitely consider themselves lucky, such as myself.

    Andy at Travel Orders wrote a great post about Oakwood Rosslyn ( http://www.travelorders.com/2010/08/26/oakwood-… ).

    I've actually been assigned to live there but I'm looking at a place in Foggy Bottom. You bring up an excellent point about the difference between a family with monsters vs a couple or even someone living by themselves, once again, such as myself.

    Thanks for commenting!

  • http://adventuresbyaaron.blogspot.com/ Aaron

    Well, as someone currently living in Oakwood Falls Church, I can tell you that we will be seeking alternative sources of housing closer to DC on the next go-round.

    Its not so bad if you have kids, but if you are single or a 20's/30's couple, there's not a lot to do out here.

    If you have pets and plan to stay in Oakwood, the Falls Church branch will be your home for the next few months. There are currently multiple remodeling projects going on which will undoubtedly leave the property looking nice when it's all over. For the time being, it's just noisy, cluttered, and bothersome….and there's no end in sight.

  • http://www.travelorders.com alex

    Just discovered your blog… I assume you've already made the housing decision by now, so I won't weigh in. But let me know if I should be looking for you in the lobby!

    Good luck Monday! It's a fun ride.

  • supermariodiplomacy

    Thanks for dropping by here! I won't be staying at Oakwood but right outside Foggy Bottom. I'll be the kid wandering around FSI/Main State looking for a good place to nap.

    Thanks for the well wishes, I definitely look forward to it. Great blog, by the way, very very insightful.

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