A little tough to answer as others have mentioned. There are certain choke points depending on where you’re coming from that make commuting by car difficult. Doing a Google maps search to each working location and setting the time to 8am could be helpful. They use historical patterns for traffic.

I’m partial to Hyattsville as I live in a somewhat DC adjacent neighborhood. Think it’s a good value /good location. Has a “community” feel which I value. I don’t mind commuting from NE by car to various places in the area although getting to 395 or the beltway can be an exercise in patience. As dumb as this sounds you really just want to go the opposite direction of the majority on your commute (out of the city in the AM into the city in the PM roughly). Metro still isn’t back to it’s free flowing best. Toll roads can make commuting easier but would look into pricing. Can be very expensive (they use basic supply and demand pricing that can spike) but time saved is worth it. Hope this helps.

Mentioned this in another thread but would try an Airbnb in places you’re interested in. Neighborhoods in DC vary widely although the burbs are a bit more consistent for larger swaths of area.

Agreed. Used to live over there. Everyone was really friendly. G Man is good but lots and lots of other options.

Sanctuary DMV as you mentioned. Also, Lutheran Social Services North Capitol Area works with refugee populations. Remember they were at the forefront coordinating services and housing for individuals fleeing Afghanistan.

Might be nice to see the local buy nothing groups partner with some of these groups. However I know there are a lot of challenges with used and worn goods.

Know some people personally that are recent immigrants/migrants that have been helped by the variety of groups in the area (think Hyattsville might have a high concerning?). Just wish I could remember all the different charity and org names. Hopefully this thread gets bigger as anecdotally these groups have real lasting impact.