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Family of 6 (4 kids) only 2 school aged. We will go with private schools, but were hoping to live in an urban setting and rely on trains for my husband's commute to work (near the capitol) and I am an avid walker.
So, first: Capitol area. Alot of the row houses have been right on the border to the N.E. area; is that necessairly a bad thing? Example: 16 Seaton place, N.W. 20001
Also, Takoma Hts., Mt. Pleasant, and Kalorama. Any input on these areas? We have $550,000 to spend on a place.
Capitol Hill, NE or SE, both are great for families
People are very down on the NE side of the District on this site. I don't think most of them really know what's going on in Capitol Hill. It's truly one of the best areas for kids and families. You cannot go a half of a block without bumping into a stroller. And folks are staying longer now, there are alot of tweens and teens here, too. The area around the Capitol and Union Station on the NE side are terrific. Extremely family oriented. The SE side is very expensive. For a house to fit your brood, $800K+, on the NE side you can still get some bargains, but not for long. Good luck.
Seaton Place would be a bit iffy, but I haven't been through the neighborhood in a number of years now, maybe seven or eight, so I'd want to see it again before saying anything firm. As a rule though, North Capitol Street got worse going north of Union Station until you got to New York Avenue, then started getting better again. By the time you were up to Children's Hospital, it was certainly okay. As a guess though, there would be better areas to focus on, one of which would certainly be Kalorama, which is one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city. Housing can be a little expensive up there though...
People are very down on the NE side of the District on this site. I don't think most of them really know what's going on in Capitol Hill. It's truly one of the best areas for kids and families. You cannot go a half of a block without bumping into a stroller. And folks are staying longer now, there are alot of tweens and teens here, too. The area around the Capitol and Union Station on the NE side are terrific. Extremely family oriented. The SE side is very expensive. For a house to fit your brood, $800K+, on the NE side you can still get some bargains, but not for long. Good luck.
I would agree with that entirely, and Capitol Hill is a place where I do spend considerable time. CH is slowly but surely reclaiming all the turf up to the Gallaudet campus, and there are some very good bargains sitting out there on the fringes that within a few years will be as solid as the rest of the neighborhood, which is very solid indeed. Someone is going to get ahold of those places and in short order have either a very nice house or a very tidy profit. But I think I'm past playing that game myself. As for CH proper, it's super if affordable, and the area more properly called Eastern Market as extended down and around the 8th Street Corridor has gotten very nice as well. Of course, prices will reflect that...
Historic Takoma Park is ok. I recently just move from Nw dc Takoma park. It was a nuce neighborhood until my hose got broken into 2 times in 2006. My husband car got broken. Our bext door neighbor's tires were getting stolen right in front of their home. I heard the noise and call the cops. The found 2 guns in the criminals car. We finally sold our home in october 2006 I couldnot take it any more. My next door neighbor is in law enforcement and he got tired of calling the cops on one of our neighbor who is a drug dealer cops never did anything. Finally he move as well in November of 2006.
You would be hard-pressed to find a 3-4 BR house in the near suburbs of DC (Arlington, Bethesda, Alexandria, etc.) for $550,000. The safe, family-friendly parts of DC tend to be even more expensive than that.
Have you considered the Brookland area near Catholic University?
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Capitol Hill, NE or SE, both are great for families
