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.
I'm a 25 year old white female with an 80 lb dog and a less-than-huge housing budget. I want to buy a condo (not co-op) in SW for no more than $225k. I recognize that that price range will not get me much more than a studio, and I am okay with that. I must admit that I've lived in the 'burbs all my life, but my limited interaction with the complex in SW I'm specifically eyeing makes me think that I'll be okay, even if I have to walk the dog alone at 1 am.
So, am I fooling myself? Is it really "safe" for me to expect to walk around that part of the city during non-daylight hours?
Where's the complex? I live near 3rd and G and have never felt unsafe. Neither has my roommate (a lifelong suburban girl). My landlord lived there for 10 years prior and also said she never had any problems. And if you're walking an 80-pound dog, I don't think people will bother you. They'd rather go for the little 5-foot girl behind you (a.k.a. me).
One thing I do know is that when all the shootings were going on a few weeks ago, the only quadrant without an incident was SW. I regularly see police cruising up and down the streets or just hanging around, as well as the private security guards at many of the complexes.
I lived in Southwest for a few years. I wouldn't walk by myself too late at night. A few of my neighbors have been mugged mostly walking to L'Fant Plaza after 10pm and all while talking on a cell phone. Justice Souter was mugged while jogging a few years back. My car was also broken into (all they did was steal my change, but I spent $80 repairing the window).
Generally, its a pretty safe place, but there are long stretches where there are no one around, so you would be vulnerable to getting mugged. If you stick to the main areas, you'll be fine.
When I was looking for a place in the DC area I looked at a variety of sources for crime/safety info (including asking questions of City-Data members). It is great to ask people's opinions, but of course it is good to back that up with hard data. There is a site called spotcrime.com that places all of the recent crimes in an area on top of a google map. Here is the link to the DC page: Washington Crime Map - Showing Crime in Washington, DC - Crime Statistics - Crime Alerts - Crime Stops Here
The Washington Post also has an excellent crime map of DC here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/local-explorer/waterfront+crime (broken link)
Overall I feel that SouthWest DC is definitely on the rise, but it has a long way to go. Even if you live on a "good block," it is still dangerous if it isn't far from a rough area - in fact, criminals will target the nice areas close to them.
Investment wise, a house in SW has a decent chance of increasing in value if the area becomes safer and other building's rent prices in the neighborhood rise. However, you should ask a realtor for their opinion on whether you should go w/ the Studio now or save up for a little more to get a 1-br place. Studios usually lag significantly behind 1-br places when it comes to increase in market price over the long term.
Last edited by DCguy03; 07-08-2008 at 02:41 PM..
Reason: added WashingtonPost crime map as a second source
Where's the complex? I live near 3rd and G and have never felt unsafe. Neither has my roommate (a lifelong suburban girl). My landlord lived there for 10 years prior and also said she never had any problems. And if you're walking an 80-pound dog, I don't think people will bother you. They'd rather go for the little 5-foot girl behind you (a.k.a. me).
On 4th, between G and I. My general concern is that if the dog has to go outside, he has to go outside. There's no way around the fact that I might have to be outside at 2 or 3 am. Not regularly, but it has to be an option. And the dog only looks semi-ferocious; he's more apt to lick you to death than be of any real protection.
On 4th, between G and I. My general concern is that if the dog has to go outside, he has to go outside. There's no way around the fact that I might have to be outside at 2 or 3 am. Not regularly, but it has to be an option. And the dog only looks semi-ferocious; he's more apt to lick you to death than be of any real protection.
It's the look more than anything, I'd think. If a dog looks like he can hurt you, very few would actually give it a try.
As for where you'll be, that's a block from my place, and you should be fine. G Street and 4th are very well-lit at night, and I've always seen at least several security guards and police cars around at all hours. If it were me, I'd walk up to G Street and walk around there as opposed to I. There's more apartment complexes, lights, and people around. Capitol Park IV (the white brick townhouses on G, just past the little roundabout at 3rd) has 24-hour security guards patrolling it, as well as little trash cans for dog waste.
As someone mentioned, the biggest problem with the area can be the lack of people walking around at night. It's a fairly quiet residential community. However, you'll generally see many more people walking around G, I, and the numbered streets south of 395 than near the metro stations since the only thing around L'Enfant and Federal Center are office buildings. While I tend not to walk around alone at 2 or 3am (at that point I usually cab home, or am already home), I've done it around midnight or 1am with no trouble.
Just be wary of those high rise condo conversions. Those are 1960 and 1970's era apartment buildings that the developer let really deteriorate in an effort to force the current tenants to move. Conditions were so bad that many tenants refused to pay rent and the developer subsequently evicted them.
What I've seen is that these so called luxury condos just received cosmetic changes to make them look good, but the structure of the building are still in poor shape. I can see expensive repairs down the road that the condo owners will probably have to absorb.
If you find these condos relatively inexpensive, that is the reason why.
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.
