November 2013

The Capitol Hill enclave of Eastern Market is known for its century-old market, nice homes, local farm-fresh produce, independently owned stores and restaurants all within walking distance.  This is a place where on the weekends you can enjoy live music, fresh food, handmade arts and crafts, and jewelry sold by the local artisans.  Inside are a variety of small shops selling produce, cheese, meat and flowers.  On the weekends, artists can be found outside selling their paintings and crafts.  It’s widely viewed as a European lifestyle with many residents shopping at the market daily to buy fresh produce after work.  DC residents and locals pack Eastern Market on the weekends buying produce from vendors or enjoying Tunnicliff’s Restaurant or coffee shop

A stone’s throw from the U.S. Capitol lie 59 parks in the DC neighborhood of Capitol Hill that bloom like an urban oasis in the middle of the world’s busiest center of power.  Although most of the Capitol Hill parks are slivers of triangles and squares less than an acre in size, they provide an urban retreat with open green space giving visitors, residents and workers a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors.

All of the parks are located between 2nd Streets NE and SE and the Anacostia River.  The largest parks include the Folger Park at 3rd and D streets, SE; Lincoln Park at East Capitol and 11th Streets, NE; Marion Park at E Street and South Carolina, NE; and Stanton Park at 5th and C Streets, NE.

One of the largest parks is Folger Park.  It is nestled in

The DC Metro area is home to more new residents between the ages of 25-34 than any other city in the U.S.  Between 2010 and 2012, a whopping 12,583 Millennials flocked to DC, according to an analysis by The Brookings Institution using new Census data. The DC region is the most popular area for Millennials in the country.

The presidency of Barack Obama saw a huge gain in young people to DC following his Inauguration in 2009.  In addition to politics, the economy in DC depends on “knowledge-based” or high tech industries that are attractive to highly educated Millennials.  Among the 51 US Metro areas with populations of over 1 million residents, DC is ranked #1.  While the rest of the country is struggling to recover from the recession, DC’s economy

The popular HGTV show Income Property with affable host Scott McGillivray has helped numerous home owners in the Toronto area create income producing suites in their residences.  As the cost of housing in DC continues to rise into the stratosphere, many considering homeownership are searching for creative ways to afford "more house."  With much of our housing stock in the form of three and four-story row houses, one of the best options for prospective DC home-owners is to turn the lower level into an income producing unit.

If you are considering buying a DC row house with an existing rental unit, it is very important to check and make sure this unit has the appropriate approvals from the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA).  The DCRA

DC Condo Boutique team member Melanie Hayes represented the buyer of a co-op at The Chastleton, located at 1701 16th Street NW #730, Washington, DC 20009 in DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood.  This unit features 1 BR / 1 BA / 518 SF.  It closed on November 15th, 2013 for $307,000 / $593 SF.

This updated 7th-floor unit features a private balcony overlooking the Chastleton courtyard and a modern kitchen with granite counters and stainless appliances.  The Chastleton is featured in James Goode's Best Addresses and the 2008 renovations to this ornate Gothic-Revival building allow for modern living in a truly historic building.  Weighing in with a WalkScore of 98/100, the Dupont location of The Chastleton is one of the most walkable addresses in the District.

Courtesy of Washington Business Journal

Five other major cities in the U.S. have worse traffic congestion problems than DC, according to navigation maker TomTom, but that’s not much comfort for DC drivers stuck in traffic commuting to and from work on a daily basis.  DC ranks #6—same as last year-- in TomTom’s Traffic Index study.  Los Angeles continues to hold the same spot as the past 6 years, coming in at #1.  The Top 5 worst traffic rankings are: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Seattle and San Jose.  The least congested metro area? Phoenix.

Washington drivers average 67 hours and 32 gallons of gas each year sitting in traffic, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.  In the nation’s most congested cities, drivers face peak hour

DC Condo Boutique team member Michael Fowler represented the buyer of a condo at Kalorama Mews, located at 1823 Biltmore Street #15, Washington, DC 20009 in DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood.  This unit features 1 BR / 1 BA / 500 SF.  It closed on November 4th, 2013 for $348,000 / $696 SF.

This picture perfect city bungalow features newly refinished parquet floors, an open kitchen with granite counters, a fireplace and custom built-ins.  Kalorama Mews features low condo fees and is a pet-friendly development.  Located on Biltmore Street between Columbia Road and 19th Street, Kalorama Mews is just steps from the dining and entertainment venues in Adams Morgan as well as within walking distance of the Woodley Park Metro.

Reede-Cooke is a small residential neighborhood located in Northwest DC, and widely considered to be a part of the more prominent neighborhood of Adams Morgan.  Located west of Meridian Hill Park, the geographic area is bounded by 16th Street on the east, 18th Street on the west, U Street to the south, and Columbia Road to the north. 

The neighborhood is named after two elementary schools that are located in its borders: H.D. Cooke Elementary School and Marie Reed Elementary School.  Other communities nearby include Lanier Heights, Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights, Shaw and Dupont Circle.  The land of the neighborhood was once a part of the Meridian Hill estate of Commodore David Porter who created the estate in 1816.  Following the end of the Civil

DC comes in at #7 in a list of the 10 most walkable cities and neighborhoods in the U.S.  The list, put together by Walk Score, measures how walkable a city is based on access to public transportation, commute times, bike friendliness and proximity to amenities.  DC’s most walkable neighborhoods, according to Walk Score, include Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Downtown, Chinatown, and the U Street Corridor.

DC’s transit score, graded by how well a location is served by public transportation, ranks 4th on the national ranking of major cities across the country.  DC only trails New York, San Francisco, and Boston.  In addition, DC comes in at #6 for bike friendliness---measured by whether a city is good for biking.  A bike-friendly city is defined by its bike

DC Condo Boutique team member Mansour Abu-Rahmeh represented the buyer of a condo at Ten Ten Mass, located at 1010 Massachusetts Avenue NW #1108, Washington, DC 20001 in DC's Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood.  This unit features 1 BR + Den / 2 BA / 1,050 SF.  It closed on October 28, 2013 for $640,000 / $610 SF.

This sleek and sophisticated residence features an open floor plan with floor to ceiling windows, a modern kitchen, luxury bathrooms, one garage parking space and storage.  Building amenities at Ten Ten Mass include a rooftop deck with a pool and panoramic city views and a 24-hour concierge.