Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello! I am planning to move in DC (closer to workplace) and found cheap apartment near Mt. Vernon/7th st Convention Center. It's a great location.
I know that Chinatown has gotten a lot better and I heard Mt.Vernon is currently a up and coming place. I guess there are no "perfect" areas in DC and the cheap rent at washapatments complex is really attractive. Please give me your inputs regarding the safety.
(I am a female in mid twenties and I don't intend to walk alone at odd hours.)
I live in that general area, and think it is perfectly safe if you are smart, but it still a bit spotty so you do need to keep your wits about you. Within 5 blocks, you can go from (using the scale above) an area that is about a 7 or 8 to one that is about a 2 to 3 at night, but there is nowhere in that area that I wouldn't feel perfectly fine walking during the day the day. When walking at night, I definitely pick my route carefully, but not nearly as carefully as I did when I moved to the neighborhood about 7 years ago. Within 2 years, I predict it will be mostly around an 8 with just a few rougher blocks.
Some of the area, by the way, is actually quite beautiful (ex. much of 10th Street) and there are some really good bones on some of the abandoned buildings that will be revamped when the Marriott and O Street Market open. It is definitely a neighborhood in progress, but it is progressing rapidly and is a very convenient and dynamic place to live.
Generally a fine neighborhood, but I would avoid the McCullough Terrace apartments (or whatever the apartments directly across from the Convention Center are called). They're bad news. But within a block or so of the Square you should be fine.
And regarding the O Street Market: don't hold your breath on that one. Roadside Development has been promising groundbreakings seemingly every month for the past two years, and all that there is to show for it is construction banners. I hold out hope that they'll eventually be able to get started on the project, but I'm also increasingly suspicious of their ability to complete it. I hold out much more hope that the Marriott and CityCenter projects will have a substantially greater impact on the neighborhood than the O Street Market.
Oh yes. They are currently building a new upscale Marriott hotel across the Convention Center and a retail/housing/office complex (CityCenter DC) a few blocks down. When completed (2-3 yrs) I can only imagine that area becoming much more busier and lively. I'm not sure about the apts you have mentioned, but the area as a whole is in a great location.
Generally a fine neighborhood, but I would avoid the McCullough Terrace apartments (or whatever the apartments directly across from the Convention Center are called). They're bad news. But within a block or so of the Square you should be fine.
You might be thinking of Sursum Corda. This used to be one of the worst housing projects in the city. The crack era is over though, which like many of the bad areas, was the big problem. With the one-way u-shaped road, it allowed easy lookout for cops during drug deals. They are no where near as bad as they used to be, but you are right that it's definitely a spot to steer clear of.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
