Information for Incoming Students

Check this page later in the summer for more links and information on orientation and the fall semester.

 

Housing & Transportation Resources

Housing in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is in high demand. Therefore, you should arrange accommodations for the fall as soon as possible; incoming students are advised to begin looking for housing as early as May. Students who have waited until August have often been disappointed as they search for affordable housing in convenient locations. (Be sure to have your deposit ready when looking, but do not feel pressured to sign a lease.) Georgetown does not have on-campus housing for graduate students, but Georgetown's Off-Campus Housing office and those at other nearby universities have some useful information and resources on their web sites.

When choosing where to live, please keep in mind the availability of Metrobus, Metrorail, and GUTS (Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle) routes, as parking in Georgetown is both difficult and expensive. There is no on-campus parking for students at this time, and street parking around the university is generally limited to two hours and is difficult to find.

Incoming students frequently ask where current History graduate students live. The answer is all over, but there are some "popular" places. Many graduate students live in the neighborhoods around the university (Burleith, Glover Park) or areas easily accessible by Metro and GUTS (Rosslyn and North Arlington in Virginia, Dupont Circle in the District), while others commute from outlying suburbs. The transportation resources below should help in acquaint you with the areas and issues involved.

Housing:

 

GU's Off-Campus Housing Search Weekend

The GU Office of Housing and Conference Services is having an off-campus housing search weekend from July 23-27. Students looking for housing off campus can stay for free in Village C those days. You must complete the reservation form and mail it to the conference and guest services office by July 9. The link for the form is http://housing.georgetown.edu/academic/searchweekend2004.pdf.

 

DC Housing Information and GU Apartment Hunting

Tips from the Graduate School; the Law Center's OCH site also contains useful information such as neighborhood descriptions and average rents.

 

Georgetown University Off-Campus Housing

Georgetown's searchable database of local housing for rent; the site also contains useful legal information. Until you recieve your NetID, you can login to the service with the following username/password combination: guest, auxhoya

 

American University Off Campus Housing

Another database from American University

 

Washington City Paper

The City Paper's online listings are updated every Tuesday afternoon

 

Washingtonpost.com: Real Estate

The Washington Post's Classifieds (though with the way the real estate classifieds are currently listed online, picking up a copy of the paper is still more helpful)

 

Transportation:

 

GU Office of Transportation Management

Information on parking and transportation, including GUTS bus routes

 

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Metro's homepage and visitor's guide

 

The RideGuide

Metro's automated route-finder

 

Metrorail System Map

 

Metrobus Route Maps

These overview maps show all routes in DC, MD, & VA

 

Metro Rail and Bus Time Tables

Be sure to check the individual state pages for the latest schedule updates for the routes listed below

 

30, 32, 34, 35, 36 "Pennsylvania Avenue Line"

This line runs up and down Wisconsin and Pennsylvania Avenues

 

D5 "MacArthur Blvd-Georgetown Line" and D1, D3, D6 "Sibley Hospital-Stadium-Armory Line"

These run along Reservoir Road on the north side of campus

 

G2 "P St-LeDroit Park Line"

The G2 stops at the main gates of campus and runs to Dupont Circle and beyond

 

38B "Ballston-Farragut Square Line"

The only bus line that crosses the Key Bridge from Arlington to Georgetown

 

D2 "Glover Park-Dupont Circle"

 

5A "DC-Dulles Line"

Direct service from L'Enfant Plaza and Rosslyn Metro stations to Dulles Airport (more info)

 

5B "DC-Tysons Corner Line"

Direct service from L'Enfant Plaza and Rosslyn Metro stations to four points in Tysons Corner

 

Georgetown Metro Connection

This new service attempts to fill in the gaps in Metrorail service by providing fast, frequent shuttles between the Georgetown area and Rosslyn, Foggy Bottom-GWU, and Dupont Circle Metrorail stations

 

Taxi Cab Zones

DC taxi fares are calculated by zones, not meters; this map might aid you in figuring things out (more info at the DC Taxicab Comission)

 

DC Citizen Atlas Taxicab Fare Calculator

This new site from the DC Government calculates your actual fare based on addresses and has a zone map that is actually comprehensible

Getting Started at Georgetown

The following information and links will be helpful for getting your academic life started at Georgetown and in the History Department.

History Department Information:

 

Visiting the Department

If you wish to visit the Department in the spring or summer, contact the Assistant to the Director of Graduate Studies, Kevin Powers, and the faculty member(s) you wish to visit before coming. The department works half-days during the summer and faculty are often away doing research. (The University provides directions to campus here.)

 

Department Information Form: WordPerfect 6/7/8 or Word 97/2000/XP

This is the electronic copy of the form requesting current (summer) contact information to make sure you continue to receive important mailings over the summer.

 

Listserv Info

The official department list handles department updates and reminders, announcements of job postings, and other information relating to the History Department. As an incoming student, we invite you to join the administrative graduate student list at your earliest convenience. To do so, please send an email request to our Administrative Officer, Kathy Buc Gallagher.

 

Living in Washington

Now that you have a place to live and have all the information you need to begin your academic career at Georgetown, here are some links to help you get a life in Washington!

 

Utilities:

 

Telephone Service: Verizon

DC: (202) 954-6263
MD: (301) 954-6260
VA: (703) 954-6222

 

Electric Service:

DC and MD: PEPCO (202) 833-7500
VA: Dominion Virginia Power (888) 667-3000

 

Gas Service: Washington Gas

DC, MD, and VA: (703) 750-1000

 

Government:

 

State and Local Government Websites:

DC
MD: Montgomery County and Prince George's County
VA: Arlington County, Alexandria, and Fairfax County

 

Voter Registration:

DC, MD, and VA

 

Drivers License and Vehicle Registration:

DC, MD, and VA

 

US Postal Service:

Post Office Locator and Relocation, Moving and Address Changes

 

Groceries and Furnishings:

 

Grocery Stores:

Giant Food, Safeway, and Whole Foods

 

CVS Pharmacy: Store Locator

 

POTOMAC MILLS

A large outlet mall on I-95, including stores like IKEA

 

Linens 'n Things

 

Staples: Find a Store Near You

 

Entertainment:

 

TICKETplace

Culture on a graduate student's budget: day-of-show tickets at half-price

 

Graduate Life

The Graduate School's guide to living in Washington

 

Guide to Washington, DC

GU Physics Department's Guide to Having a Life in Washington

 

NBC4's WeatherNet4

Check the local weather to make sure it doesn't spoil your plans