The weather is all relative. If you are used to warm temperatures, it will feel pretty cold. it DC winters are pretty mild but it does get a few weeks of some pretty cold weather every winter.

Hard to give advice about where you should live without a budget in mind. Arlington is not cheaper than DC - sometimes it is more expensive. But is has lots of apartments, nightlife, and accessible transportation. Where will you be working?

Most people who have been in DC for a long time will tell you not to love in the suburbs. Personally, city life is the only life for me - really don’t like the DC suburbs. That is such a subjective determination based on your own wants comfort needs. All neighborhoods in DC and the various suburbs all have different vibes and pros/cons.