Street smarts living in the D.C. metro area and neighborhood descriptions (townhomes, buying)
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Eckington is strictly east of N. Capital. The map is wrong. It is encompassing bloomingdale at that point. LeDroit Park and Bloomingdale do not have especially clear boundaries. But Eckington has very clear boundaries. It's East of N. Capital, South of Rhode Island and North of Florida, and west of the capital crescent.
In terms of the neighborhood, it's not completely there yet, but there is a great deal of investment being put into the neighborhood. It definitely has it's share of issues, but there is gentrification taking place and pretty rapidly. Houses right now in the neighborhood sell around $500+, and they are really not that great in terms of housing stock.
The biggest problem seems to be around the capital crescent trail.
It's not a bad neighborhood at all, but it's not the best either. Classic example of an actual transitional neighborhood. The southern part is pretty nice, especially the modernist condos and older homes on R st.
I thought eckington was strictly a NE neighborhood........
west of capitol st was ledroit park.
Historically you're correct however, recently Realtors have sought to move the boundaries of the neighborhood. I would agree that it's definitely a NE neighborhood. I've seen it drawn both ways
Bloomingdale hasnt been used as a neighborhood name until gentrifiers moved in and started using the name.....most locals generally call it ledroit park....
eckington is strictly east of n. Capital. The map is wrong. It is encompassing bloomingdale at that point. Ledroit park and bloomingdale do not have especially clear boundaries. But eckington has very clear boundaries. it's east of n. Capital, south of rhode island and north of florida, and west of the capital crescent.
eckington is bounded by north capitol street to the west, rhode island avenue to the north, the metropolitan branch trail to the east, and florida avenue to the south. In the center of it all, the campus of mckinley technology high school looms large over the neighborhood.
houses right now in the neighborhood sell around $500+, and they are really not that great in terms of housing stock.
that's certainly not true. The median home value in our neighborhood is $442,000.00. The median price of homes that are listed is $539,000.00. However, the median price of homes that sold is $305,000. Very few people are selling their homes for $500 these days.
in terms of the neighborhood, it's not completely there yet, but there is a great deal of investment being put into the neighborhood. It definitely has it's share of issues, but there is gentrification taking place and pretty rapidly.
it must not have been gentrifying fast enough for you ayn rand because you certainly didn't stay.
the biggest problem seems to be around the capital crescent trail.
oh really... You know.. For someone who claims to specialize in research you sure don't do much of it.
The statement you made is completely false. There are big crime problems all over eckington. Instead of typing propaganda on your computer during your stay here, maybe you should have attended some community meetings or logged onto mpd's neighborhood listserv. The complaints about crime are numerous. When we want to know about crime in your native chicago we'll ask you. Because you don't know jack shyt about the streets of dc.
Let me check, native sells an unlisted property for $300k to a developer, who turns around and sells the listed property for $500k+. Almost everybody who knows about the mechanics of gentrification knows this is how the process works. That pretty much sounds like eckington right now. This is how gentrification happens. If district natives were smarter they would be fixing up their properties and listing them on their own. But then again, I have never seen the district natives as an educated lot, they complain about gentrification, but have no clue about the specifics of how it works. You just revealed your ignorance in some of ways of the process. Instead they offload the house for a quick buck often below what they could get if they fixed it up and put it on the market. Though I imagine some of these sales are estate sales, where immediate liquidation of assets is required if the person dies without a will. Granny dying often requires selling the house right away.
In terms of the dangers in the neighborhood, it's not that dangerous but it still has issues, and I will be the first to admit that. Then again fear mongering is typical dc native claptrap on these boards.
I moved around a great deal until I bought a house, that's the reality these days, the gentrifiers are buying, and the natives are selling. Gentrification does not magically just happen, it's the prospect of affluent people buying properties and settling in the neighborhood, and not renting them contrary to what people on this board may understand.Right now the typical thing is happening, developers are going around the neighborhood and offering to buy the natives out of their properties. So when you see that difference between the sale price of homes and listed prices, this is exactly what is happening. That or landlords convert their rental and sell. They refurbish the house, then flip it back onto the market and make a hefty profit. I guess if you live there you can see how it happens first hand. The condo conversions are already happening in the neighborhood as well, and that is typically what happens next. Again, eckington is a pretty textbook case of gentrification, albeit in the earlier stages. The next stages are significant investment into new development, something that has happened in the southern part of the neighborhood.
The reality was when I was looking there was nothing in eckington that fit my needs. It was on my list, but so was several other DC neighborhoods. Can you blame me for purchasing a house a half mile from the metro.
Let me check, native sells an unlisted property for $300k to a developer, who turns around and sells the listed property for $500k+. Almost everybody who knows about the mechanics of gentrification knows this is how the process works. That pretty much sounds like eckington right now. This is how gentrification happens. If district natives were smarter they would be fixing up their properties and listing them on their own. But then again, I have never seen the district natives as an educated lot, they complain about gentrification, but have no clue about the specifics of how it works. You just revealed your ignorance in some of ways of the process. Instead they offload the house for a quick buck often below what they could get if they fixed it up and put it on the market. Though I imagine some of these sales are estate sales, where immediate liquidation of assets is required if the person dies without a will. Granny dying often requires selling the house right away.
In terms of the dangers in the neighborhood, it's not that dangerous but it still has issues, and I will be the first to admit that. Then again fear mongering is typical dc native claptrap on these boards.
I moved around a great deal until I bought a house, that's the reality these days, the gentrifiers are buying, and the natives are selling. Gentrification does not magically just happen, it's the prospect of affluent people buying properties and settling in the neighborhood, and not renting them contrary to what people on this board may understand.Right now the typical thing is happening, developers are going around the neighborhood and offering to buy the natives out of their properties. So when you see that difference between the sale price of homes and listed prices, this is exactly what is happening. That or landlords convert their rental and sell. They refurbish the house, then flip it back onto the market and make a hefty profit. I guess if you live there you can see how it happens first hand. The condo conversions are already happening in the neighborhood as well, and that is typically what happens next. Again, eckington is a pretty textbook case of gentrification, albeit in the earlier stages. The next stages are significant investment into new development, something that has happened in the southern part of the neighborhood.
The reality was when I was looking there was nothing in eckington that fit my needs. It was on my list, but so was several other DC neighborhoods. Can you blame me for purchasing a house a half mile from the metro.
Do they really need to fix it up tho? It's going to sell regardless. I walk around Columbia Heights, my old neighborhood since my folks still live there, and I look at some of the houses, in bad shape. I go on Zillow and the estimate is like $600K, as is. If you can pull half a mil on a house w/out fixing it up, I can't knock that hustle.
Do they really need to fix it up tho? It's going to sell regardless. I walk around Columbia Heights, my old neighborhood since my folks still live there, and I look at some of the houses, in bad shape. I go on Zillow and the estimate is like $600K, as is. If you can pull half a mil on a house w/out fixing it up, I can't knock that hustle.
It also makes sense to me that alot of the people who own these homes don't have the capital to fix it up.
It's a relatively small investment, compared to the increase in home value that can result, but I feel like if people are willing to sell their family homes and move out of their neighborhoods, they mostly don't have that extra 70-100k to put into upgrades and renovations.
And then they have to wait until the house sells and the paperwork goes through before they can get that return on their investment.
They'd just rather take their money and be on their way.
It's not what I would do, but I can't blame them for that, especially if it's more money than they've ever had before.
Let me check, native sells an unlisted property for $300k to a developer, who turns around and sells the listed property for $500k+. Almost everybody who knows about the mechanics of gentrification knows this is how the process works. That pretty much sounds like eckington right now. This is how gentrification happens.
If district natives were smarter they would be fixing up their properties and listing them on their own.
There are many Natives that are doing that Ayn Rand, you assume a lot don't you? That's why the inventory in the neighborhood is so low. Many Natives are electing to stay and are really not interested in selling their homes anymore.
But then again, I have never seen the district natives as an educated lot, they complain about gentrification, but have no clue about the specifics of how it works.
Let's see.... DC Native buys property in a bad neighborhood for $55K. Dumb ass Gentrifier (like yourself) comes along years later and purchases the same property for $500K. And we're the uneducated ones?? Hmmm... nope I think DC natives understand exactly how Gentrification works. I can promise you this Chicago Sonic. The house that you currently live in will never appreciate as quickly as the homes that most natives currently own. The Boom is over and you missed it. The rule is buy low and sell high ma'am. Maybe you're not as knowledgable about the process as you think. You should have bought a home in DC 15 years ago if you wanted to get real value.
You just revealed your ignorance in some of ways of the process. Instead they offload the house for a quick buck often below what they could get if they fixed it up and put it on the market.
Most of the people selling in DC are not just trying to make a quick buck. They are often using the money to purchase homes in nicer parts of the city. Or they are using the money to purchase larger more up to date homes in more family friendly, safer Suburban communities. The city doesn't work particularly well for people with families Ayn. But oh... that's right you probably don't have one of your own do you??
Though I imagine some of these sales are estate sales, where immediate liquidation of assets is required if the person dies without a will. Granny dying often requires selling the house right away.
In terms of the dangers in the neighborhood, it's not that dangerous but it still has issues, and I will be the first to admit that.
Right.... why don't you tell that to MPD or the people that are constantly complaining about robberies and assaults at community meetings. Eckington is still dangerous and the crime stats bear that out.
Then again fear mongering is typical dc native claptrap on these boards.
Just like overselling DC neighborhoods that are crime ridden and lack basic ammenities to unsuspecting fools is typical Gentrifier claptrap on these boards. So..we're even!!!
I moved around a great deal until I bought a house, that's the reality these days, the gentrifiers are buying, and the natives are selling. Gentrification does not magically just happen,
it's the prospect of affluent people buying properties and settling in the neighborhood, and not renting them contrary to what people on this board may understand.
Show me the stats to back up this statement because I can tell you that right now most of the Gentrifiers that are moving on my block are renters. They come and they go. Many of them are only in the city for a couple of years and then they're gone. They don't vote, they have no children in the school system and they don't participate in any community events. Where's your proof!!!
I guess if you live there you can see how it happens first hand. The condo conversions are already happening in the neighborhood as well, and that is typically what happens next.
I'm not saying that it doesn't happen genius. I'm just saying that it's not happening nearly as quickly or as often as people like you would like. Most of my neighbors either still live in the neighborhood, rent there properties to naive Gentrifiers or leave their property to either their chidren or grandchildren.
albeit in the earlier stages.
It's not in the early stages, this neighborhood has been Gentrifying since 1999. The process of Gentrification in Washington, DC didn't start when you arrived you know. Gentrification has been going on here for quite sometime. In fact many AA's like myself started the process. People like you come along after all of the real hard work is already completed. You're not special and the neighborhood would have been fine without you.
Whites are more likely to be homeowners than blacks in DC. That's not just me saying it, it's the data. Homeownership by Race Most of the natives, are renters, and poorer and less educated renters so easily displaced by those who have a good job and an education. Those natives who are homeowners are in a distinct minority in this city, and the ones who are homebuyers are a shrinking group as they are priced out. I should note most of those seeing forclosure, are not white either, it's overwhelmingly the natives.
Most new homebuyers in DC, are transplants, and they are not moving, or as transient as you and many other natives claim. In fact you proved my point who is transient...those who end up moving out and to the suburbs once they sell, or to another state. It's not the transplants who are moving out in large numbers...it's the natives. That's if they owned in the first place, many simply do not, and the natives are simply priced out as a result of the rental market. There is also the fact the numbers of rentals on the market.
You are right, those of us who are gentrifiers are far less likely to have kids. It's also why we are far more likely to have graduate degrees and professional jobs, and are able to afford expensive houses, and don't complain about affordable housing and embrace gentrification. It's called being future oriented, and planning life meticulously. It's called using birth control. Those of us who choose not to have kids, intentionally move into urban areas and settle down. That's why you don't see many who are in the urban gentry with kids, they don't want them. This is why the "what happens when they want kids" question is a bit odd, many of us who are urbanites do not want them, and there are no "accidents" about having children when one can always have an abortion. I should note, urban gentry, more educated, less religious, and more pro-choice. Not having kids is not a bad thing, there is an excess amount of labor for demand in the economy anyway, and will likely continue to be the case with automation.
We don't have kids, because we are smart enough not too. Kids are at the source of why poor people are poor, and why those of us in the professional class do well. We have them later, if we have them at all.
Yeah, some of the natives bought when times were bad and stuck it out and came out good in the end, those who did buy, like I said a minority.
In terms of complaining at the ANC meetings, pretty worthless. Those of us who are gentrifiers have more direct access to party power centers largely because we are more likely to be large enough political donors, especially in such a political town.
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