You left out those awful faux-Georgian interiors at the Watergate...

why are the vast majority of DC posts -- and these pics above -- focused on the NW quadrant? there's a lot going on in the rest of the city. would be nice to read about it for a change...

I'm moving to DC in a month, trying to find someplace to live, and EVERYTHING out there about the city is about the NW quadrant! There is so much negativity about the Southern part of the city, that my boyfriend literally will not look at anything in that area. These are lovely homes posted here, but I am sure there has to be something unique and lovely in other quadrants. Even Boston has some beautiful, unique spaces in the "dangerous" parts of town. Any suggestions?

lissac - there are some cute houses near brookland/catholic, not sure what size place you're looking for. also i seem to recall a post on apartment therapy about some of the neat 60s architecture in sw. also, capitol hill is not in nw and there are some lovely places there. there's def stuff out there not in nw!

These pics make me want to redo my floors AGAIN. lol There are cute houses in NE that I know of near Catholic or Trinity. I liked Capitol Hill when I was househunting but it was a bit too far for my work. NW is very close to NE where we live. We are officially NW but really we are in the transitional part of DC near Howard U. NW doesnt always mean Woodley Park or Tenley Town. We were tempted to buy over on the other side in NE but I am happy we didnt. Even though there is still a good bit of crime to transition through here there is a marked difference between here and there and I will sleep better for it! You are probably already hearing about A LOT of the city - just not what you think of when you think NW. And people need to remember that there are some truly dangerous, violent, and drug infested parts of DC still - our neighborhood used to be one of them but there are still more that are nowhere near transitioning. You probably DONT want to buy or rent there and the people who do live there have often come by their living quarters by family way back when with properties remaining in the family for years even in conditions which violate code.

The best deals and the best views in DC are in the Southwest/Waterfront area. I lived there for more than 13 years...we left to retire to Texas. If we come back, I wouldn't live anywhere else.

The area is undergoing a lot of re-development, including the renovation of the Arena Stage, a phenomenal performing arts theatre. SW was the site of the first urban renewal development, and the co-ops and condos overlooking the Potomac, near the Gangplank Marina and the Capitol Yacht club are just awesome, in particular, Harbour Square.

You can walk everywhere: you are blocks from the National Mall and museums, the Tidal Basin and Capitol Hill. And, less than a mile from the new Nationals Stadium.

Don't listen to the naysayers who spout off about crime in SW. There's crime everywhere in DC, including trendy Logan Circle, Adams Morgan and pricey Georgetown, where folks are routinely mugged on the streets (among them the former HHS Director Donna Shalala.) If you don't do drugs or sell them, you won't have any reason to go to the drug areas...and you'll be OK.

As in any city, common sense and prudence is the best prevention.

Advice: find a good realtor who practices in SW and have hime/her take you around. You won't be sorry.

Methinks you need a better proofreader!
'SUPRISE' is misspelled in the title of this column.
Sorry for being so anal, but these
mistakes usually catch my eye, and ire!

Beautiful buildings. Awful interiors.

I'm seeing a lot of mint green with red on AT lately. Is this some hot new color combo?

I agree with Alaricus. The interiors just don't do these grand buildings justice.

AT, give NE some love. It's not all scary.

lissac2412,

I can completely relate. My husband and I are also moving to DC in a month. After a lot of looking, we've decided to move to Foggy Bottom. (It will be close to my classes - starting grad school at GW - as well as the other areas we like.)

When we first began looking, we really only considered the NW and Capitol Hill/Eastern Market areas. Even with the latter, we found that there just wasn't as much of a range of housing - not as much safe value to be found - and since it's kind of isolated, we liked that NW offered a bigger spectrum of options. That's been our experience at least...but then again, we hope to figure out the neighborhoods better once we live in DC. (I don't even know if Foggy Bottom is considered NW.)

That said, it may not be our ignorance steering us away from the SE. Even when asking our "seasoned" DC friends for advice, no one recommended the SE, and based on the apartment listings we saw there, the properties and locations just seemed odd and uninspired.

Thanks for the help everyone! I think I may be heading to Silver Spring for my first year down there, do some exploring, then move into DC proper. I really appreciate the words of advice!

I guess some forget there are parts of Capitol Hill in SE DC. Also, the River East part of DC has some of the most beautiful and grand homes you could imagine. With land. You wouldn't know you were in the city limits if you didn't read the street signs.

Brookland near Catholic University has some of the cutest bungalows (semi affordable) and it is very safe and family friendly in NE.

You shouldn't discount a neighborhood in DC just because it's not in the "right" quadrant. There are parts of NW that I would not want to walk through in the daytime and I most definitely would bob and weave through at a fast pace if I was unfortunate enough to be there at night.

Check out the picture in this article
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/economy/River-Eaat-An-area-on-the-rise-45536402.html

Brookland- ADORABLE!

Southwest- may be affordable, but maintenance/condo fees in SW are killer if you are looking at buying.
(and unfortunately- way to many 1980s type buildings for my taste!) Don't attack me- just my opinion.

Disclaimer- I live in NW (Kalorama).

Just to be clear: all condos and co-ops everywhere in DC have high maintenance fees, regretably, not just in SW.

I don't when was the last time you visited Southwest/Waterfront, but there are no "1980s" type buildings in SW; they were all built in the primarily International Modernist style of architecture in the 50s/60s during urban renewal, except for "Wheat Row," built in 1791 --the oldest, continuously occupied brick Federal style rowhouses in DC. They are on the historical register, and are part of the Harbour Square development.