Sorry for posting this again, but does anyone have recommendations on apartments near the PTO? Are there any within walking distance? Thanks.
I live local (grew up here too), but not near Alexandria or Arlington - Actually I live quite aways away, but own a house. I'd guess anywhere metro accessible would be good as you could metro to the USPTO. Personally I like the Orange line (Courthouse area for example). I would avoid Huntington at all costs. Old Towne Alexandria is nice, but an older crowd overall. The nearest metro I think is King Street which is the USPTO so... maybe there is a bus? I'd find a place within a few blocks of a metro with a parking garage (if you have a car) that fits in your budget. If you aren't from DC area, parking at metro lots is a rough go.
Some of the stations are in areas that make walking to the metro easy. E.g. Ballston, Courthouse, Clarendon, and VA Square all Orange line. Places like Arlington Cemetary isn't really a place you can live... lol. Rosslyn is less walking friendly but still do-able. I don't know much about Pentagon City area, but there are less housing options I think vs. North Arlington. Some of the metro stops are located in more traffic like regions or residential aka they just stuck a stop somewhere. You can go to WMATA.com and see how long it takes from one place to another. I can't imagine it taking more than 20 minutes from Clarendon to King Street (USPTO) via metro and they give a metro reimbursement. I know Clarendon area has really nice apts with garage parking. It's easy to walk to restaurants and what not without needing a car, but if you do have one, you have a garage so you don't have to worry about finding street parking (a headache).
