Moving and Need Opinions: East Capitol Hill / Stadium Armory RFK (Washington: condo, crime)

[Philbea]

I am moving to Washington D.C with my husband in a couple of months and we are looking for a 2 br townhouse costing under 400,000 dollars, and have been looking in the East Capitol Hill area near stadium armory metro stop.

In particular we have been looking along 17th street SE, south of A street to Independence avenue SE. Since we have read it can be somewhat block by block around here does anyone know this block?

We have also been looking at the bottom of Massachusetts Avenue between 18th and 19th street. Does anyone know this block?

We were superficilly impressed by the state of the houses in this area, quality of cars with no damage, and the lack of litter and graffitti. We definitely need a deeper knowledge though.

The houses seem to be well maintained and reasonably expensive. If there is any where is the crime coming from?

Where is the best area in the central corridor of Capitol Hill East to the east of Lincoln Park ending at RFK Stadium?

What about the stadium? Does it attract crime?

What about the prison in the area?

Are there many projects or S 8 public housing in East Capitol Hill? Where is it?

The crime stats on DC police website seem reasonable for a city but stats don't say everything.

My biggest concern is safety, walking home from the subway alone at night around 7-9pm, year round. In particular I am afraid of assault or sexual assault. We are also afraid of burglary of a dwelling while occupied. I will be using the blue line to get to work.

We are looking for a reasonable diverse neighborhood that is safe, not necessarily yet gentrified or ritzy with commerce and restaurants.

I would really appreciate your views on the safety of this area around East Capitol Hill.

[PenguinSix]

Most folks sort of draw a line a block or two past Lincoln Park, i.e. around 14th Street. East of that you start to run in some real block by block situations, and the general area has not been as gentrified as the areas closer to the Capitol. There are growing pockets of new places and money, but there are also some remnants of the past which can be a bit sketchy.

Those little streets between 17th and 18th just south of East Capitol are kind of a toss up. There seem to be some families who have been there for quite awhile, but there are also some alleys and some nefarious stuff going on there. I think there's been what, one murder in the last year in the 1600 block of Independence Avenue.

Honestly, my general view on questions and areas like this one is "if you have to ask, you don't belong."

Folks with some street knowledge, interaction in that community, family connections, etc in that area live there and have lived there. Folks who are moving in from somewhere else and are going to have to pick up all these things sort of stick out a bit and can be easy marks for someone looking for no good.

If security is your primary concern, I think many folks would suggest you look elsewhere. If you are looking to make an investment in a place and do a fixer upper, you might look at some areas around here that will be 'next to gentrify' and try to get a bargain and make some changes, though that does come with some risk.

I would worry more about the crowd going to the DC jail than I would the folks going to the stadium (which is basically just soccer now).

The crime stats are a bit high compared to say 10 blocks west. Compare 700 Independence Avenue SE to 1700 Independence Avenue SE over the last year. You'll see a difference (and the 700 block would be described as 'mostly safe, but stay alert as it is the city).

[Philbea]

Is the Potomac Avenue area more Gentrified and safer than the area around Stadium Armory?

In particular a comparison between 17 St SE near St and K st SE at 12th St.

Please let me know if you have any knowledge of these areas and can compare them

Thank you for yoru help.

[PenguinSix]

Originally Posted by Philbea

Is the Potomac Avenue area more Gentrified and safer than the area around Stadium Armory?

In particular a comparison between 17 St SE near St and K st SE at 12th St.

Please let me know if you have any knowledge of these areas and can compare them

Thank you for yoru help.

Yes and no.

Potomac Avenue is more gentrified than say 17th and K, but the area south of Pennsylvania Avenue that you just mentioned is this small three or four block area 'awaiting to be gentrified', well more exactly 'in the middle of being gentrified.'

One of the big problems is a solid block of public housing at 12th and Penn (i.e. something you'll walk past to the Metro. Take a look at the maps and you'll see it.

Now, if I had to choose an area that is going to gentrify next I'd probably say 12th and K before 17th. I'd put my money in those few blocks South of Potomac Avenue. There is a new condo complex at the Metro with a big grocery store and many folks are hoping that will help explode that area. There is also the Barracks Row development along 8th Street, plus the presence of the US Marine Corps Barracks down there is a more stabilizing influence than say what's going on on 17th (if you lived at 12th and K it would be a pretty safe walk down to 8th and K and the restaurant row.

But note: it's transitional. Take a look at the crime maps, especially between the house you want and the Metro. You won't likely get harassed during the day besides the odd panhandler (but hey, they have those in Georgetown too).

Hmmm...though a longer walk, you might have a safer walk walking to Eastern Market from 12th and K, if you can home one dark and scary night. 8th Street is filled with people usually and then you walk past the Marines (generally pretty well armed). The walk down K would be more Marines and then a baseball/soccer field.

[Philbea]

So what exactly is going on in those alleys around 17th SE that makes the atmosphere there so much worse? Do women get harassed up there? Are there people just hanging out? Or a lot more public housing around 17th?

Is there a big night and day difference up there? In the day it seemed very quiet and residential.

What about U Street at Florida Avenue how does that compare?