Working for the USPTO

[uvagurl13]

I'm a new examiner and will be starting August 30th. Anyone else new to the area looking for housing? If so, let me know. I'm looking to room with a female only. Also, if anyone knows where do most ppl live that work in the PTO? Are there any areas I should stay away from?
I'm moving from the West Coast so I'm totally new to the area.

Any help would be appreciated.. thanks!

A lot seem to rent apts near USPTO, apartments.com can show you places near an address (aka enter USPTO's address). 

[eeme]

uvagurl13 & eeme, when did you apply for Patent Examiner position? I applied mine in June 16th and received NOR in July 8th with GS7 & GS9 Eligible in both computer and electrical engineering and I still haven't heard from anyone from USPTO. I have Bachelor in Technology degree with Engineering in Training/Fundamental Engineering (Part A of Professional Engineering License) certificate under my belt and I still did not get anything as of yet. Any new information?

I applied around June 27th, just before the early cut off for the early application. I also applied for the positions early this year which was a gs 11 (it was a stretch for me to get a gs11), but I got a letter saying I was not selected. So if you have not heard anything it's not exactly bad news, you're still being considered. Good luck.

[eeme]

I'm a new examiner and will be starting August 30th. Anyone else new to the area looking for housing? If so, let me know. I'm looking to room with a female only. Also, if anyone knows where do most ppl live that work in the PTO? Are there any areas I should stay away from?
I'm moving from the West Coast so I'm totally new to the area.

Any help would be appreciated.. thanks!

I just drove through the town, from old town to the patent office and up to the king street station and into rosemont is nice. The rest can get dicey north west of old town (del ray I think) and slightly better is west of the patent office. A lot of these places are being gentrified so closer to the pto/old town could be a decent deal. I found a place close by pretty quickly so that's all I saw. Craigslist has always been good to me, I've been cautious and able to find good deals from perfectly normal people. Or maybe go on google maps by the pto, or by the next metro using streetview and call the apartment complex names you see.

[sallie]

Sent my OF-306 and PIV over two weeks ago, still haven't heard anything.   

Anybody else in this position?

[Itoen]

Did anybody who applied after the early cut-off date hear anything (other than the NOR)?

[uvagurl13]

Does anyone know when medical benefits start if one's start date is August 30th?

[sallie]

uvagurl,

You can find the new employee benefits info here:

http://www.opm.gov/insure/new_employ/index.asp

It says, in part: "...Your coverage will become effective the first day of the first pay period that begins after your enrollment request is received and that follows a pay period during any part of which you are in pay status... "

HTH
Sallie

[klaviernista]

I'm a new examiner and will be starting August 30th. Anyone else new to the area looking for housing? If so, let me know. I'm looking to room with a female only. Also, if anyone knows where do most ppl live that work in the PTO? Are there any areas I should stay away from?
I'm moving from the West Coast so I'm totally new to the area.

Places to stay away from:  Southeast DC; Apartments near the huntington metro (unless the area has drastically changed in the last 5 years), and apartments near the Hybla Valley shopping center ~5 miles south of the intersection of huntington avenue and route 1 (google map "shoppers food warehouse route 1 alexandria virginia" and you should find the location easily; certain parts northern old town alexandria.

Good places to rent: Close Chinatown (DC), Dupont Circle (DC), Woodley Park (DC), Van Ness (DC); Clarendon (Arlington), most of old town Alexandria, Kingstown/Manchester lakes (virginia), apartments on Eisenhower ave (Va), apartments in certain parts of the Landmark area along Van Dorn and Duke Streets (VA; hit or miss, see before renting)) certain parts of Crystal city; certain apartments along route 1 between Fort Belvoir and I-95 (Lorton Va area).  Further out:  Tyson's corner, Fairfax station, Vienna.  Even further out: Woodbridge.

[klaviernista]

The rest can get dicey north west of old town (del ray I think) and slightly better is west of the patent office. A lot of these places are being gentrified so closer to the pto/old town could be a decent deal. I found a place close by pretty quickly so that's all I saw. Craigslist has always been good to me, I've been cautious and able to find good deals from perfectly normal people. Or maybe go on google maps by the pto, or by the next metro using streetview and call the apartment complex names you see.

Del Ray used to be (read, over 10 years ago) an utter craphole, but is now an up and coming location.  If you stay near Mount Vernon Ave and nearer to Crystal City, you will be fine.  Plus you will be near the Dairy Godmother, which is one of the best frozen custard/ice cream shops around.  Lots of good tex mex places too.  If you have school age kids I would avoid Old Town entirely, because the schools suck.  Not to mention that if you move just one block outside of Alexandria, you will have access to the Fairfax county school system, which is one of the best public school systems in the country.

[Yet another examiner]

FWIW, there's a brand new apartment complex right across the street from the Huntington Metro. I personally don't think the area is as bad as everyone else seems to -- certainly it's much better than SE DC imho.

[klaviernista]

FWIW, there's a brand new apartment complex right across the street from the Huntington Metro. I personally don't think the area is as bad as everyone else seems to -- certainly it's much better than SE DC imho.

The new apartments across from the metro are fine.  Its the village of duplexes 2 blocks down the street that are the issue.  BUt maybe the area has cleaned up some since I've been there.  It has been ~8 years now.

[Examinerguy]

The new apartments across from the metro are fine.  Its the village of duplexes 2 blocks down the street that are the issue.  BUt maybe the area has cleaned up some since I've been there.  It has been ~8 years now.

It has. Still a lot of "culture", but I would run at night there now. It is being squeezed in by nice new townhomes and apartment/condo buildings. A lot more professionals and not as many thugs.

[klaviernista]

The new apartments across from the metro are fine.  Its the village of duplexes 2 blocks down the street that are the issue.  BUt maybe the area has cleaned up some since I've been there.  It has been ~8 years now.

It has. Still a lot of "culture", but I would run at night there now. It is being squeezed in by nice new townhomes and apartment/condo buildings. A lot more professionals and not as many thugs.

Good to hear.  My folks owned one of those duplexes back in the day (as an income property), and that neighborhood was very scary.

[qdot]

can you work part time at industry while working as a patent examiner?

[Itoen]

can you work part time at industry while working as a patent examiner?

What industry?  Isn't your reg. number suspended while you work at the PTO?