Good, safe neighborhoods outside of NW DC (affordable apartments, for rent)
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I'm happy in the SW Waterfront area. There's a lot of development going on, so some parts are better than others (i.e. nice semi-older townhouses, new/renovated condos, older buildings that are waiting to be knocked down/gutted, construction). You're close to 4 metro lines, can easily walk to the Mall or Capitol Hill, and it's actually pretty safe. It's predominantly residential south of the highway and all commercial/office buildings north of the highway, so the area's pretty quiet. I'd advise anywhere north of K Street and between 3rd & 9th. I'm in a townhouse on G, but there's some decent-looking condo and apartment buildings nearby.
Then there's Capitol Hill, which spans NE and SE behind the Capitol building. This is a very nice, safe, area, actually one of my favorites in DC. There's a bunch of cafes, restaurants, and shops on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, 8th Street SE, and some more on Massachusetts Avenue NE. Then there's H Street/Atlas District, which is becoming the new "hip" place to be. If you stay north of the highway overpass, east of about 14th Street, and south of say G Street NE or so, you'll be fine. It gets a little sketchy further away, but still isn't too bad.
There are many quiet, safe areas in NE DC, but they don't tend to have a lot of amenities. Brookland, Michigan Park, Takoma Park (DC), and Woodridge are all fairly safe neighborhoods. If you don't mind dilapadated commercial districts, or driving a bit to find a restaurant, they can offer good value for the money.
There are many scattered nice neighborhood enclaves in NE, SW, and SE DC but the sad truth is that the schools are 100% horrible in all of those areas and there is simply nothing to DO in any of those areas... no decent shopping either. Capitol Hill is really the only exception, and Brookland and SW DC would be next in line. However, SW DC is very small and it is very close to the worst and most notorious housing project in DC. I was in the Safeway there once when a gang came in and terrorized the place. But I know some folks who like living in SW DC. Brookland is lovely but very small and isolated, it seems to me. And Capitol Hill is chock-a-block with homeless people, and the public schools there are beyond awful. I worked in Capitol Hill for 3 years and found it so depressing. At least 20 people a day begged me for money on the streets every day. But I do know people who like living there. At least there is a lot to do there. Tons of interesting people live there, too.
Why don't you want to live in NW DC? I love NW DC. To me the best place to live in DC is anyplace near a subway station in NW DC or in Bethesda, which is darn cool for a suburb.
Will you have a car or do you want a neighborhood with access to the subway or bus? What are you looking for in a neighborhood? When I moved to DC I couldn't find anything using online sources or apartment hunters. Finally I came here and just WALKED around areas I decided would be good for me, and looked for "Apartment for Rent" signs in windows there. Doing that I found two wonderful apartment options in just an hour or two. Many of the best and most affordable apartments never advertise; they just pop a sign in their yard or window since that's all they NEED to do. They get takers very quickly just using a little sign.
Last edited by Hephaestion; 05-29-2009 at 11:22 AM..
And Capitol Hill is chock-a-block with homeless people
I haven't noticed this, and I have family who have lived near Lincoln Park since the early 90s. I see far more homeless in Penn Quarter (where I work) than on Capitol Hill. Even along the busier corridors--Mass Ave., 8th St. Eastern Market--I don't see what I would consider to be a large number of homeless; certainly no more than I see in many areas of NW.
It seems that when I look at crime maps... as soon as you set foot outside of NW DC, you've got bullets over your head.
It doesn't sound like you've looked at too many crime maps. NW has plenty of areas that warrant extra safety precautions, including one of the city' most notorious housing projects, Sursum Corda. In addition, as others have noted, there are safe areas in NE and SW (southeast, with the exception of Capitol Hill, is pretty rough all around). Michigan Park in NE, for instance, has among the lowest crime rates in the city.
The problem, as others have noted, is that there is literally nothing going on in many of these areas. With the exception of Capitol Hill, and some small commercial strips in Brookland and the SW Waterfront, it's dead in many of these neighborhoods. If you don't mind having to take transit or drive to your destination, then there should be plenty of options for you. if you're looking for more than that though, you'll have to be a little more selective.
There are several agencies around the Eastern Market metro station that draw homeless people to that area. When I worked there in the early 2000's, you couldn't stand at 7th & Pennsylvania without seeing a large number of homeless people. I knew many by name and tried to help a few, and was enriched by getting to know some of them, but it wore me out being constantly panhandled in that vicinity. It was endless.
There are several agencies around the Eastern Market metro station that draw homeless people to that area. When I worked there in the early 2000's, you couldn't stand at 7th & Pennsylvania without seeing a large number of homeless people. I knew many by name and tried to help a few, and was enriched by getting to know some of them, but it wore me out being constantly panhandled in that vicinity. It was endless.
Wow, I've definitely not had that experience in Eastern Market. Most the homeless I see are in Chinatown/Gallery Place or by Judiciary Square. Then there's Union Station, where a bunch hang out during the day. Occasionally there's a lone guy sitting on my walk to work in SW, but he's the only one I've seen around there.
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