July 2020

They may not be among DC’s best-known neighborhoods, but Kingman Park and Lily Ponds definitely still have a lot to offer area residents. Found in the extreme northeast section of Capitol Hill, the two neighborhoods are relatively more affordable than others in the area.

Still, the average home price in Lily Ponds has gone up by more than 50-percent in recent years. Close to the Anacostia River, many of the homes of Lily Ponds date back to the 1920s, although some homes have been constructed since then.

The quiet neighborhood also provides a large park with a playground and a bike trail. While Lily Ponds does not offer its own Metro stop, the closest one is only about a mile away from the homes.

Also close to the river, Kingman Park is made

With a mix of young and old, narrow rowhouses and the iconic Watergate, Foggy Bottom offers a bit of everything in a prime location. This desirable neighborhood is the kind of place where you’ll find history buffs, university students and a vibrancy all its own.

Filled with condos, apartments and a much smaller collection of single-family homes, the Foggy Bottom neighborhood traditionally attracts a blend of college students and older residents. Perhaps the most well-known residential building of all is Watergate.

The infamous co-op gained its notoriety from the days of Nixon, but many famous people and political figures have also called it home over the years. These days, Watergate offers your choice of three residential buildings, housing hundreds

Dozens of new luxury condos are headed to Old Town North. Development is currently underway for the new Muse condos, with sales expected to begin later this fall.

The new condos are being built at the former site of MetroStage Theater. The location is partially bordered by the Mount Vernon Trail and close to the Potomac River for outdoor recreation.

The new residential tower will eventually be joined by an accompanying building and bridge housing The Arts League and thousands of square feet dedicated to the arts and cultural works. The convenient location puts Muse within about five miles of DC and minutes of the airport.

It is also close to several options in dining, shopping and entertainment in Old Town. Residents won’t have to go far,

Home to the arts, “liveaboards” and more, the Southwest Waterfront is developing into one of DC’s most sought after destinations. Southwest and The Wharf enjoys incredible views, countless opportunities for outdoor recreation and convenient access to some of DC’s most favored sites and attractions.

The eclectic area is where you’ll find a range of architectural styles, from 18th century Federal-style buildings to Mid-Century Moderns. Afterall, the area is home to Culture House, a former Baptist Church turned events venue, as well as some inspirational restaurants and bars.

It’s also home to one of the oldest open-air fish markets in the nation. It’s really no surprise as hundreds of years ago the neighborhood was a busy industrial shipyard where

DC area real estate is certainly desirable, but it seems five particular neighborhoods are commanding premium above market prices this year. The majority of the neighborhoods are found in the NW quadrant, and most are also very close to each other.

AU Park

The neighborhood with the highest average sales price, when compared to original list price for 2020, is American University Park. AU Park easily leads with a ratio of nearly 103-percent.

While the median home sales price in AU Park is about $1.3 million, the year-over-year price change is up about 32-percent. Homes often sell quickly in this neighborhood.

U Street Corridor

The U Street Corridor trails AU Park with an average sales price to original list price ratio of just over

For new construction luxury in the West End, consider the many possibilities of The Westlight. This mixed-use development offers large floor plans in a prime location.

Situated within walking distance of the surrounding Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom neighborhoods, The Westlight rises up ten stories above 24th Street, between L and M Streets. Not only does the building contain luxury condos, but also a public library, ground level retail, hundreds of underground parking spaces and an attached tower of luxury rental apartments.

The location puts The Westlight within easy access of hundreds of top restaurants and shops, as well as nearby hotels, entertainment venues, high-end grocery stores and more. With close proximity to two Metro

Photo: Bob ♫

You may not think much about it as you drive over or under Georgetown’s “Buffalo Bridge”, but the bridge actually has a history all its own. Also called Dumbarton Bridge or the Q Street Bridge, the landmark first went up in the early 1900s.

At the time, locals were looking for a way to reduce traffic along M Street and make it easier to travel to some of DC’s other fast-growing neighborhoods and to downtown. The problem, of course, was Rock Creek.

One idea was to divert Rock Creek through a tunnel, but that would likely have cost millions of dollars. The much cheaper alternative was to build a bridge stretching across Rock Creek Park, thereby connecting up Dupont Circle to Georgetown.

Crews considered moving an existing

While DC boasts some great neighborhoods, you’re sure to find a true urban gem when it comes to the neighborhoods of Penn Quarter and the West End. Both locations have their own distinct charm and appeal but are favored in different ways.

Virtually in the middle of it all, the Penn Quarter neighborhood includes most of the Chinatown/downtown area that’s north of Pennsylvania between 5th and 9th streets NW. For years, the vibrant area was filled with restaurants, stores, theaters, offices and streetcar lines.

By the 1950s and 1960s however, many people had already fled to the suburbs, businesses closed, and the streetcar lines went away. While the neighborhood did hit a rough patch for a while, eventually developers came back.

They brought new

Photo: Geoff Livingston

As more and more Baby Boomers hit retirement age, some are looking for a new home to spend their Golden Years. There are plenty of things to consider, but for those who identify as LGBTQ, the list likely gets even longer.

While the senior population may be less forthcoming than younger generations in terms of identifying as LGBTQ, seniors as a whole are expected to double to 88 million people by 2050. That’s millions upon millions of older adults potentially looking for a retirement home.

SeniorAdvice.com recently combined rankings for LGBTQ and retirees to come up with a list of some of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities for retirement in the nation. The website took into account things such as the overall percentage of a

A new luxury condo development is under construction right now in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. Kennedy on L will eventually offer up dozens of new condos in your choice of a one- or two-bedroom design.

The 11-story building is a product of DBT Development and Red Ace Capital. When finished, the building will house 74 private condos and plenty of desirable shared amenities in a prime location.

Priced starting in the $300,000s, the condos of Kennedy on L are being marketed as including modern finishes and subtle, industrial-like detailing. The property also offers some private balconies and large windows to allow plenty of natural light to flow throughout the homes.

In addition, the property will also offer its future residents access