Is living in columbia heights DC safe? (Washington: sale, real estate)

[hiyouyou33]

hi, I really want to know some true information about life in columbia heights Dc is safe or not? Around the metro station of columbia heights seems not so safty.

[Carrot2000]

It's still sort of sketchy in my opinion, but with all of the major development in the neighborhood, it won't be for long. check out crimeindc.org if you need stats.

[Childfree35]

My mom lives in that area. I love it there. I'm moving, well, once I sale my house (cross your fingers for me). Now is the time to buy. Once, the upgrading has stopped it will be very expensive to live there.

[Rose31]

I agree with the above poster.

It is not extremely bad, but it is not extremely good either. The area is going through some major renovations and things are progressing towards making it a great place to live. Ten years from now that will be a prime section of DC. Some people are buying their homes now while the rates are cheap. The further north side of Columbia Heights is okay, it is further away from the busy metro area.

You just have to ask yourself do you want to live in a neighborhood that is going through revitalization projects or not?

[starlit]

I lived in Columbia Heights one block north of the metro for the past two years (I moved back to California in July). It has changed DRAMATICALLY from when I first moved there—I would say the environment has improved and become safer. That said, I did just read a disturbing article about a spate of Halloween shootings in and around that area that surprised and saddened me (see article below). All in all, I loved my experience and look back on living in CH fondly. I am also a super cautious and careful person.

Things to keep in mind if you live in Columbia Heights:

Stay in the "safer", more populated areas (the condos, metro, SuperGiant, Tivoli have brought lots of working people into the area—much moreso than 2 yrs. ago)

Don't walk around late at night (there have been incidents of people being attacked, robbed, stabbed, shot, etc. and many of these happen late at night, though not always)

Don't park your car on the street in CH for any length of time, if possible (I witnessed more than one car burglary/vandalism—mostly right after I moved there; get your car in a garage or don't bring it)

If you're renting, get a second- or third-floor room/s (it's harder for intruders to get you or your stuff; I lived on the third floor and I loved it; I also had a lock on my door from the inside)

Make sure you have an alarm system for the house (imperative)
Good to have a dog that will scare people off (it's very easy for anyone to wander off the street and up to your doorstep and it will deter them from snooping)

Carry pepper spray/Mace/keys at a point (have something on you or be ready if you're feeling unsure about the situation)

Watch who's around you/behind you/ahead of you at all times (Be aware!)

Get to know your neighbors; people tend to look out for one another in CH

Don't go into areas that make you feel uncomfortable (It's incredible what a difference a block or two makes when you're out walking and exploring; in general, I would say east of 13th Street is getting into a worse area; stay away from Georgia Ave. in Petworth—before I moved there, a generous cabbie drove me around CH and the Georgia Ave. area and said he and other cabbies simply refused to pick up fares on Georgia Ave. in Petworth because kids throw things at their cars, etc.; the decline in quality from the CH metro area to Georgia Ave. just to the east is striking)

Take a cab or the metro if the situation at the bus stop is making you feel uncomfortable/unsafe for any reason (There was an incident at one of the bus stops earlier this year, closeby where I lived, whereby a woman was shot in the head by someone on a bike passing by a bus stop around 8:00 a.m.; be careful at bus stops no matter what time of day, but it's not necessary to avoid them altogether; use good judgment)

Find great housemates/friends to live with (I lived with the best people you could ask for; we all looked out for each other and as the homeowners, they made sure everyone was safe and accounted for and that the house was secure)

BTW, there is great volunteer organization called We Are Family that is now operating out of CH; I would highly recommend getting involved in something like that; you will not only help the local community, but you will get to know others in CH; it's a great network of wonderful people helping the elderly and disabled

Hope that helps! There are so many good things about CH, too. I hope you'll make the right decision for yourself. It's a great location and there are so many fun things to do and see nearby. I'm a music fan, so having the Black Cat and 9:30 Club at my fingertips was pretty awesome (just one example). (: Here's the article I mentioned above:

Spate of Shootings Makes Horror Real on Halloween
One Person Was Killed, and Nine Were Wounded; Incidents Were
Concentrated in Northwest Area
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 2, 2007; Page B04

Halloween brought an unusual amount of bloodshed in the District, with
10 people shot, one fatally, in six incidents.
Moderator cut: copyrighted article

[PenguinSix]

Every answer you get here is going to be tainted by the views and experiences of the posters here, which will vary greatly from the views and experiences you have. For example, I honestly think the last time I was walking through Columbia Heights I was watching a Metrobus fully engulfed in flames and a crowd of youths chanting 'f* the police!' as they threw rocks at the riot squads (that was the Mt. Pleasant riots of 1989 or so). I drove through there about a year ago and was like 'holy cow, this is amazing'.

What I would recommend is an honest assessment of how much 'stuff' you are willing to put up with and how 'street wise' you are about living in an area in transition. Then take a look at the MPD's crime statistics for your area and get a view as to whether you can live with XX level of crime in your area.

Metropolitan Police Department (http://crimemap.dc.gov/presentation/query.asp - broken link)

[jm67]

I have mixed feelings about CH. Its certainly safer than it used to be, but I still don't see it being worth the $$$ being charged for new construction there. There are other parts of the city that feel quieter and (to me) more sane, which cost less money. For example... Petworth, Bloomingdale, Brookland, Northern Capitol Hill.

[Moth]

Its an area in transition. Buy now and accept that there is a strong chance of being mugged once or twice in the next 5-10 years. But after that your investment will have grown handsomly and you will be living in a wonderful area and this conversation will switch to the area next in line.

[srhicks]

PENGUINSIX

I agree with you. It's not to say that person is wrong with all those good safety tips there actually great and all right. Because I'm from New York so. But yea. Good Job on those tips STARLIT. But I agree with you PENGUIN SIX. Some people may not like a certain state or area and they will discourage that person instead of giving that person the good and the bad as cold facts so yea. Good Look n out both. Becuase I'm moving there in the middle of Next year. Not columbia heights but District Heights. Just gotta find a roomate and save alittle bit more money.LATER

[HomerBrink]

No, it is not safe. The area around the metro station is OK and will get better (I hope) when the new stores open but the new condos there are not selling. I know of a couple who bought a house off of Georgia Avenue and left after six months. They rented it out and moved down to Logan in a rental. They said they did not feel comfortable there. Don't let the real estate agents and real estate developers full you. That being said, it's a lot better than it was 10 years ago. But that's like saying a fever of 101 is better than a fever of 105 if you know what I mean.