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It depends on who you are. A lot of those people saying that are the newer yuppies in the city who have a ton of money and are afraid of their own shadow. Those that actually have street smarts can live in a lot of other places. I'm moving away from a place west of 16th to Shaw. I feel just as safe there as I do in Mount Pleasant.
The so-called "16th Street rule" came into being at a time when anything east of 16th Street truly was Sketchy McSketcherson. That's no longer the case. Yes, there is a demonstrably higher crime rate west of 16th Street versus east of it, but it's no longer a "you should avoid anything east of 16th street"-type of scenario.
Additionally, it doesn't make sense to break down the city in such broadly sweeping ways in general. 14th Street in Logan (@ P Street, for instance) is a very different street than 14th Street north of the Columbia Heights Metro, for instance.
anything east of 16th Street truly was Sketchy McSketcherson.
who you calling McSketcherson?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 14thandYou
but it's no longer a "you should avoid anything east of 16th street"-type of scenario.
that's why I'd add South of Mass, no homicides this year west of the Anacostia and South of Mass Ave
the only exception in the entire city to the west of 16th and south of Mass Ave rule would be Logan, if you're north of Mass east of 16th, but still west of 11th and south of U, you're in an area that has been homicide free this year
In the 1980s and for part of the 90s, few middle class and affluent folks had any need to travel outside of a small part of northwest DC. Even parts of the downtown business core were very sketchy. The rule was to stick to tourist destinations on the Mall, the "Golden Triangle" business district, and tony parts of Northwest like Georgetown and Cathedral Heights.
In the late 1990s, urban revitalization started to hit neighborhoods east of the traditional dividing lines. A Whole Foods even opened up east of 16th St. (I believe it was the first WF within the District.) With the real estate boom earlier this decade, a lot of no-go areas became very popular. The trouble for a newcomer is that some newly safer areas have sprung up like islands or as peninsulas growing out of popular areas. As a nearly life-long resident of DC, it's a challenge for me to come up with a "rule" for safe areas of DC. I have met young, educated professionals who choose to live in areas of DC that would be "no-go" based on the analysis given in this thread.
Generally speaking, however, always stay west of the Anacostia River. There are some cute homes and developing neighborhoods east of the river, but you really want to know what you're doing before you move over there. In real estate listings Capitol Hill has come to mean a very, very large area of land. Pennsylvania Avenue used to be a dividing line that one would not travel south of. Also, few people would venture east of about 10th St. SE. Now, anything near Barracks Row is fine. It wouldn't be my first choice, but the Ballpark/Navy Yard area has also become popular. (It used to be strip clubs, nightclubs, and warehouse buildings just a few years ago.) On the north side of Capitol Hill, 30-somethings seem to be flocking to the area near H Street. Some blocks there are great, others sketchier. It's best to go walk the neighborhood yourself to see how it feels to you. Brookland, Ledroit Park, and Bloomingdale area other transitioning areas in the north central part of DC that some folks really like.
One barometer to use is the presence of chain retailers. The chains won't come to a neighborhood until the income is high enough and the risk of theft/violence is low enough to make it economically worthwhile. CVS is often the first such chain to come into a newly gentrified neighborhood. Then the grocery stores start rolling in. If and when a Starbucks shows up, you know that the area is generally accepted as safe. In terms of local businesses, the yuppies are firmly entrenched when boutique coffee houses, vegan food options, and wine bars begin to open.
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