February 2011

While 11th Street NW doesn't get as much ink as other higher profile DC numbered streets like 14th and 16th Streets, it is awakening in the Logan, U Street and Columbia Heights neighborhoods. A recent NY Times article described the 3200 block of 11th Street in Columbia Heights as the "Hip Strip."  The article included a slide show featuring the hot 11th Street entertainment spots including the Wonderland Ballroom, Meridian Pint, Room 11 and Bloombars.

In the last five years 11th Street has come alive as a residential corridor with several new developments including:

Logan Circle: The Eleven, Lofts 11,  Logan Park, The Providence and Renaissance at Logan

U Street: 2121 11th, The Beauregard, The Fillmore, The Lacey, The Lincoln

photo courtesy of

While the neighborhood rivalry between the East Village vs West Village of Georgetown is longstanding, there doesn't seem to be much competition between the Capitol Hill North and Capitol Hill South Neighborhoods.  Amongst the throngs of hill staffers who call this area home, Capitol Hill North is known as the Senate side of the Hill and Capitol Hill South is known as the House side of the Hill.

The dividing line between the two sections of Capitol Hill is East Capitol Street, NE with Lincoln Park serving as a middle ground between both neighborhoods.  As a general rule of thumb, addresses with NE and the 20002 zip code are in the Senate side of the hill and addresses with SE and 20003 are in the House side of the Hill.  The only major deviation to this

Reader pop quiz:  Which of these items does not belong in a sentence about things that are plentiful in DC..... attorneys, memorials, Starbucks, diagonal streets, 4 bedroom condos, tourists, museums?  If you answered 4 bedroom condos you are correct!  Finding a 4 or more BR condo in the District is about as common as spotting a member of the Tea Party with an Obama bumper sticker on their Prius! 

To most Washingtonians, a requirement for four bedrooms to accommodate a growing family or dual home offices means a trek to leafy suburban communities like Reston, Rockville or Greenbelt.   Before you call Allied Van Lines and trade in your coveted urban lifestyle for weekends of yard work in the 'burbs, here is a resource to view 4+ BR DC condos.

The West End Dominates DC Luxury Market

The most expensive condo to sell in the District during January 2011 was in the West End at The Columbia, located at 2425 L Street NW #702, Washington, DC.  This 2 BR / 2 BA, 1,550 SF condo also includes two balconies, two parking spaces and extra storage.  The selling price was $1.085M / $700 SF which was 95% of asking price.

Congratulations to Mansour Abu-Rahmeh of Hounshell Real Estate for closing the most expensive condo sale in the District in January 2011.

Honorable mention for the 2nd most expensive DC condo sold in January 2011 was in the West End at 22 West, located at 1177 22nd Street NW #2F, Washington, DC 20037. This 2 BR / 2 BA, 1,247 SF condo includes a balcony and parking space.  The selling

The Penn Quarter ranks near the top of the list of DC neighborhoods that have transformed the most over the last decade.  Sparked by the opening of the Verizon Center in 1997, the Penn Quarter is now home to over ten thousand Washingtonians living in a vibrant and exciting community.  With WalkScores in the top couple percentiles, Penn Quarter residents can truly enjoy a car-free lifestyle.

Much of the residential space in the Penn Quarter is upscale, modern and newly built within the last ten years.  With so many choices, it can be challenging to differentiate between Penn Quarter condo developments and pick the one best suited for your budget and lifestyle.  To assist in your search process, here are our favorite Penn Quarter condo developments: