March 2010

Unconventional Elegance and Fun in Mount Vernon Triangle

You work hard, so life outside of work should be fun.  Why not live in a fun place? The Whitman, located across the street from the DC Convention Center tops the list of fun DC condo developments. 

The fun begins with one of the best rooftops in the city.  A roof-top lounge, generous-sized pool and grilles play host to fun-filled weekend pool parties at the Whitman.  After partying on the roof, you can join the party a couple of blocks away at 7th and G Street, the core of DC's emerging entertainment district.

The Whitman's amenities help to simplify your daily life.  Three levels of underground parking allow for parking with each unit.  A 24-hour concierge, full gym and community room

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A Downtown Address with Suburban Conveniences

 

 

Who says that urban living involves a fourth-floor walk-up after schelping groceries on the Metro in a rainstorm......With a Safeway, Starbucks, Busboys and Poets, Results Gym, hardware store and more, City Vista brings the conveniences of the suburbs to a Downtown location.
 
City Vista's location on 5th St between K and L is at the edge of Downtown redevelopment, with plenty of urban grittiness in the area.  The upside is that this location is just two blocks from the Convention Center and four blocks from Gallery Place.  With plenty of available vacant land, it is easy to imagine a not so distant timeframe when City Vista serves as the anchor of a complete neighborhood makeover.  City Vista weighs in

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CNN reports on a study done by portfolio.com which ranks Washington, DC as the 2nd best city for a young person to settle in and start their career.   The study utilized 10 different criteria to rank the 67 largest metropolitan markets.  DC only trailed Austin with Raleigh, Boston and Houston rounding out the top five.

 

 

2424 Lofts is a four unit luxury industrial loft project located on 18th Street in Adams Morgan.  The project was completed by D.B. Lee Development, a luxury-oriented DC residential developer, who also has completed The Erie and The Kalorama in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.

The building, located at 2424 18th Street, NW, was in its earlier life an automobile dealership.  The project included a renovation of the building as well as a 10,000 SF addition on top of the existing structure.  With 14 foot ceilings, lots of original brick, stained concrete floors and exposed ductwork, 2424 Lofts delivers the true feel or a SoHo or Tribecca loft.

Currently, one unit is listed for sale for $1.85M / $487 SF  at 2424 Lofts.  It is a 3,800 SF 3 BR / 3 BA

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Re-development of Obsolete Buildings Drives Market

 

The Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC is home to several developments offering loft-style condos.  The predominant style of these lofts is units in redeveloped obsolete buildings including schools, a church and phone company facility. 

In most cases these are not true SoHo-style industrial conversions made famous by loft scenes in movies like Flashdance, Fatal Attraction, Big Daddy or Unfaithful.  Lofts in DC tend to be "soft lofts" with many of the features of an industrial loft including high window and ceilings, exposed ducts and open floor plans.  Where our loft inventory differs is with more defined living spaces such as closed off bedrooms  and bathrooms and significantly more

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Boutique Shaw Condo Development

 

 

M Street Flats is a boutique project by upstart developer Community Three.  M Street Flats features 10 units in a completely gutted and rehabbed Victorian-era, brick-front row house.  The units feature open floor plans with contemporary professional designer finishes including oak flooring and mosaic glass tiling.  Private outdoor terraces are included with five of the units.

The location at the very Southern border of Shaw offers easy access to the commercial establishments in the nearby CityVista project including Safeway, Results Gym and Busboys & Poets.  M Street Flats weighs in with a 94/100 WalkScore, ranking the building in the Walkers' Paradise category.  This location is outstanding for reverse commuters

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Court Yards, Parking and Security are Draws for DC Gated Communities

A housing staple of the Sunbelt, there are only a handful of gated communities within the DC city limits.  Our dense, urban landscape with a limited availability of vacant land has curbed the development of gated communities.

The gated communities in the District are quite popular and geographically dispersed throughout the city.  Here are brief overviews of five DC gated communities:

Beekman Place - Adams Morgan

Perched on a high on a hill like a medieval castle, Beekman Place offers a commanding presence over the intersection 16th Street and Florida Avenue.  Beekman Place is situated on a parcel that formerly housed a castle built for Senator John Henderson.  Today the stone

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Luxury Loft Living in Logan Circle

 

 

Tucked away on one of the smallest streets in the Logan Circle neighborhood is the Empire Lofts Development.  With just eight loft units, this boutique building offers a taste of Soho in Logan Circle.  The location on tiny Johnson Avenue is conveniently tucked between R and S Streets and 14th and 15th Streets.

Empire Lofts units feature multi-level living with dramatic high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling walls of glass and high-end kitchens with Vking and Sub-Zero appliances.  The modern minimalist bathrooms at Empire Lofts feature floating sinks, Azul limestone and arrays of glass tile. The generous private outdoor spaces, private elevators and gated parking complete the package of luxury amenities at Empire Lofts.

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Boutique Lofts in the Heart of Logan Circle Neighborhood

 

 

1225 Lofts located at 1225 13th Street NW DC delivers a true urban loft experience in Logan Circle.  This eight-story building features 78 units, of which 25 are two-story lofts. 1225 Lofts weighs in with a Walkscore rating of 98 out of 100.....this location on 13th Street in Logan Circle is truly a Walker's Paradise.

1225 Lofts is an inspiring example of an urban renovation and repurposing.  Prior to gutting and extensive renovations in 2003, the building functioned as run-down apartment building.  The transformation delivered a modern feeling building with all touches of new construction. The lobby of 1225 Lofts was finished in the design of a 1950s-era boutique hotel with black and white

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DC Condo Projects With Remaining Builder Inventory 

The article in Forbes about the DC economy rebounding the quickest in the US reaffirms what we are seeing the urban trenches of the DC condo market.  Well priced condos are basically flying off the shelves like iPods in the Apple store around the holidays.

With new construction projects grinding to a halt a couple of years ago, developer new construction inventory in the District is quickly being absorbed.  If you are interested in a new construction DC condo, here is a consolidated list sorted by neighborhood of projects with remaining inventory.  You can click thru to look at specific listings.

Capitol Hill: Butterfield House  Congressional Overlook  Jenkins Row  Landmark Lofts

Columbia Heights:

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