Up and Coming Areas

[erinkris]

Look in Brookland. Two metros, plenty of houses in your price range, relatively safe, and very nice families and neighbors.

[shawresident]

New condo owner in Shaw advising you to not (NOT) move to Baltimore. I have lived in the DC area almost my entire life (save five years in Philly) and I can tell you that Baltimore has been "up and coming" for 23 years. Unlike DC, Baltimore ebbs and flows. population growth is still negative. no good.

I would recommend looking at a few neighborhoods in DC that are still quite affordable. Brookland is quiet and residential, good for young families, but still a little unsafe at times. Columbia heights is a renters paradise, but is definitely "urban lite." many suburbanites have moved here to be close to the city, but developers have responded to their demands by filling the neighborhood with box retailers and suburban amenities (Best Buy, Target, etc.).

If you want to move into a hip neighborhood that is yet to solidify its place in DC, I would suggest either Shaw or the H st. NE corridor.
H St has funky nightlife and a grittiness to it that will fade away as developers take over (a la Navy Yard and much of SE DC). Shaw, by contrast, is probably a little dangerous (block by block, as a previous poster noted), but is much more authentic. Homes are reasonably priced (fee simples b/t 550,00-1.3 million, condos b/t 200-600), and the real estate stock is comprised mostly of brownstones and row homes. Not too many glitzy condos here that look uglier year by year. Plus, there is a strip of commercial real estate on 9th street that is about 30 percent occupied. Nothing to go but up. What is here is local and not corporate (vegetate restaurant is fabulous). the city is looking like it is about to approve a large grant to rebuild the O street farmer's market as well, which will be a boon to the neighborhod.

Be sure you evaluate your options carefully, but for sure, quality of life here is unrivaled by any other major city. Good luck!