I Promise I've Done My Research, Help Finding Buildings/Neighborhoods

My wife and I are moving to DC this fall for work and I could use some recommendations for good apartment buildings and/or neighborhoods. We're coming from Chicago and pretty determined to maintain our urban/car-free lifestyle, so walkability is important. We've are mostly looking at Adams Morgan/Woodley Park/Meridian Hill Park and Navy Yard/Capitol Hill. I will be working near the Farragut stops and my wife will be working remote.

Stats:

  • Budget: $3,000/month
  • Large-ish one bedroom (> 750 sq ft.)
  • Need: washer-dryer in unit, pet-friendly (we have a small dog)
  • Preferences: good kitchen (I like to cook), natural light (wife will be working from home). Bonus points for a gas stove.

Adams Morgan seems ideal -- great neighborhood feel, close to restaurants and five grocery stores. The one downside is that, depending on the location, the quickest route to work is by bus. Woodley Park has a red line stop but, depending on where you live, the closest grocery store is about 20 minutes and the only store in the neighborhood is a Streets Market (is it viable as a primary grocer?). I'm also really struggling to find apartment buildings in the area.

Navy Yard has a ton of new apartment buildings, decent dining scene. Two grocery stores and next to the waterfront. I could take the green and transfer or, in some cases, walk to the Orange/Silver line.

I've been reading through old posts and scanning Zillow, but does anyone have any apartment recommendations? Are there any other neighborhoods we should look at? Currently, I've been thinking of the Woodley (some apartments in our budget), Camden Roosevelt, the Century. For Navy Yard, we're looking at Onyx, Insignia on M, Meridian on First. How close is too close to the baseball stadium? How loud does it get on game days?

For commuting: How are the buses in DC? Is busing from Adams Morgan feasible/convenient? In Chicago the buses are super underrated and better than the El in some cases. How is switching lines during rush hour? I used to do it occasionally when I worked in DC for a summer and didn't think it was that bad.

For Chicagoans: We currently live in Gold Coast and love it. Had we stayed in Chicago, we would have stayed in the neighborhood or moved to Lincoln Park or Lakeview.

For everyone else: We lived in DC for a summer and did not like NoMa.