DC neighborhood recommendations? Where do the artisanal-jerky-making hipsters live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Artisinal = fancy name for handmade in small batches, expensive.

If DC hipsters and creatives are supposedly "poor" how do they afford the artisanal food?

They choose to buy the artisanal food. I do limit my meat buying for example to Loudoun County farms (which are mostly organic). I do pay 2x the price what I'd pay in Giant, and I suspect my friends in DC end up paying 3x for their food out of Loudoun/Frederick/Southern Maryland (is there still farming in Annierunnel to speak of?)

[Anonymous]

whoops I meant to add 'instead of splurging on other areas, like hipster brand-name clothes, or the such.' Or they live in an area even many DCUMers would blanche at. Not having kids, or homeschooling, makes you more tolerant of things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Artisinal = fancy name for handmade in small batches, expensive.

If DC hipsters and creatives are supposedly "poor" how do they afford the artisanal food?

Who said hipsters are poor? It costs a lot to buy that crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A different city. Seriously, you won't find that here.

+1. Takoma Park, Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights are all areas folks will mention, but will not be at all comparable to what you are used to. Also, if your kids are school age, keep in my DCPS are terrible. if your kids are not yet school age, I'd recommend Dupont Circle. it's not at all hipster, but it's central and close to your husband's work. If your kids are school age, I would recommend looking at Bethesda and Chevy Chase. Again, it's not a "cool" area, but honestly DC does not have that as much as others will protest it does.

[Anonymous]

How about Del Ray?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - Bloomingdale is a good suggestion, but the flooding is a problem (and it does still have more crime than you might like, and doesn't yet have a ton of restaurants).

Eastern Market is another good suggestion. It's not in the least hipster-y, but it is walkable, lovely, has some nice restaurants, etc. Eastern Market as a market is also a big attraction. And it's walking distance from the more hipstery bars and restaurants on H Street.

My husband and I live in Old Town Alexandria. It might be the least hip place in the world, but it's very walkable, really beautiful and there are a lot of restaurants and things around here. Greatest place on earth for dogs. Nice place for kids, too. Might be worth considering, anyway. (I am in no way trying to import more cool people to Old Town to try to make it a slightly hipper place. Not at all. No way.)

All things considered, the Logan area might be your best bet. If you don't want to move to Old Town.

I live in Bloomingdale so I have to respond to this just to offer our perspective. We have had some problems with the flooding but we are one of the lowest lying streets. Most of my neighbors havent been touched at all by it and there is a solution being worked on. So you might want to just keep it in mind when looking at homes here and ask if they suffered at all in the flooding this summer. Chances are they didnt. I know two people who are landlords on our street and they had NO problem renting to new tenants this past month. I thought they might honestly but they didnt.

As for crime, there is some but things have settled A LOT since we moved here 5 years ago. Lots of new people getting along with old residents and community events. We are raising our family here and we feel great. You might have one problem house every two blocks or so but I feel like you have that in lots of parts of the city and even in the burbs.

Re: restaurants - restaurants are literally opening up every month here. I can count at least a DOZEN new restaurants, pubs, thai, sushi, coffee houses, pizza places, you name it - all opened in the last year and a half. So if you talk to someone about Bloomingdale and they havent had reason to come visit here in about a year, they may know none of that and think there are just a few but this is not the case. These are awesome businesses, doing well, with loyal clientele already. This fact alone has changed the entire feel of the neighborhood for me. Two new parks for kids erected recently too.

Frankly, the neighborhood is changing so much for the better so quickly, I cant even keep track of it myself. Sometimes hubby and I look at the neighborhood blog together and get wide eyed looking at all that is happening and most of it is good news for all of us!

I know there are many other places in dc worth considering too - just wanted to give a first hand account of Bloomingdale from someone who DID encounter flooding and has been here for more than a few years but wouldnt want to live anywhere else.

Old Town poster again - you're right; I should come to Bloomingdale again before spouting off. The last time I was there to hang out was about a year ago and it does sound like things have changed a lot. It sounds like it's fantastic now, actually.

Not to sound dumb (which I'm sure I will) - but how do you feel walking around there at night now? About the same as Columbia Heights or Petworth, more like U Street, or...?

So maybe Bloomingdale/LeDroit it is for OP.

PP you quoted here who lives in Bloomingdale. As for how I feel walking around - I think that is a good question actually but it is difficult to answer. We have been here 5 years and the crime and street stuff has really changed but we still remember it. So we are confident walking around but we know it hasnt totally transitioned yet. I guess it feels similar to Columbia Heights to me now. Things are changing VERY fast though. House down the street just sold for near 900K and that is twice what we paid for ours 5 years ago and it is similar. Needless to say, we couldnt be happier about it.

[Anonymous]

I'd highly recommend Columbia Heights around the 11th street corridor. there are a lot of people with young kids, great places to eat, and better walkability than bloomingdate, petworth, or takoma park (other places mentioned here).

am surprised to see all the bloomingdale posts (sock puppeting?!). It just doesn't seem like a great place to live, given the proximity to north capital street, crime, and general sketchiness. i sure wouldn't move there just for big bear and a couple other places to go drink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd highly recommend Columbia Heights around the 11th street corridor. there are a lot of people with young kids, great places to eat, and better walkability than bloomingdate, petworth, or takoma park (other places mentioned here).

am surprised to see all the bloomingdale posts (sock puppeting?!). It just doesn't seem like a great place to live, given the proximity to north capital street, crime, and general sketchiness. i sure wouldn't move there just for big bear and a couple other places to go drink.

PP here, I meant to also recommend Petworth (where I live!). But there are a lot more hipsters in Columbia Heights, if that's what you're looking for. Petworth has a somewhat quieter vibe, but is also a good place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd highly recommend Columbia Heights around the 11th street corridor. there are a lot of people with young kids, great places to eat, and better walkability than bloomingdate, petworth, or takoma park (other places mentioned here).

am surprised to see all the bloomingdale posts (sock puppeting?!). It just doesn't seem like a great place to live, given the proximity to north capital street, crime, and general sketchiness. i sure wouldn't move there just for big bear and a couple other places to go drink.

Bloomingdale is changing so fast. All the development along Florida Ave, New York Ave, and now North Capitol are radically changing the area. Even Eckington is gentrifying. And there some beautiful old row house mansions in Bloomingdale especially the further north you go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd highly recommend Columbia Heights around the 11th street corridor. there are a lot of people with young kids, great places to eat, and better walkability than bloomingdate, petworth, or takoma park (other places mentioned here).

am surprised to see all the bloomingdale posts (sock puppeting?!). It just doesn't seem like a great place to live, given the proximity to north capital street, crime, and general sketchiness. i sure wouldn't move there just for big bear and a couple other places to go drink.

Last Bloomingdale PP here. No sock puppeting going on IMO. I was pleased to see more than a few chiming in and it doesnt surprise me. Not all of Bloomingdale is close enough to N Capitol to feel weird about it and even that neck of the woods is changing. We are on the other side closer to Le Droit. I know it is just a matter of opinion but it doesnt feel sketchy to me AT ALL. I dont go out to drink. I have three kids and two dogs and work in the arts. I also dont go to Big Bear that often because it is GREAT but a bit pricey for my budget. I DO love the farmers market, know the people in the corner stores by name, frequent the park, and am loyal to the pizza shop, pet shop, Beau Thai, Boundary Stone, and a certain brownie they sell at Windows. Maybe you will say you have been here recently, but I would doubt it. If you think it is just Big Bear you are stuck in 2010 or something and really need to stop by and spend an afternoon walking around.

Not saying Columbia Heights isnt great - I have friends there too and they love it- but Bloomingdale is a special neighborhood too. It just is.

I am sure Jeff can respond if someone thinks there is real sock puppeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd highly recommend Columbia Heights around the 11th street corridor. there are a lot of people with young kids, great places to eat, and better walkability than bloomingdate, petworth, or takoma park (other places mentioned here).

am surprised to see all the bloomingdale posts (sock puppeting?!). It just doesn't seem like a great place to live, given the proximity to north capital street, crime, and general sketchiness. i sure wouldn't move there just for big bear and a couple other places to go drink.

Bloomingdale is changing so fast. All the development along Florida Ave, New York Ave, and now North Capitol are radically changing the area. Even Eckington is gentrifying. And there some beautiful old row house mansions in Bloomingdale especially the further north you go.

And I am the poster below you who said I was the last Bloomingdale PP but I'm now NOT because you posted too.
there is NO sock puppeting.
People DO like Bloomingdale for all the reasons that have been mentioned. The main thing that everyone is saying is that it is changing super fast. So people need ot realize it might not be what you think anymore!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There is a great artisanal meat place in Petworth on Georgia Ave. They make amazing chorizo. I forget the name though. Most artisinal businesses seem to be in the Petworth and Colombia Heights neighborhoods. The creatives in DC tend to migrate to those areas.

Three little Pigs -- it's already been mentioned upthread.

They tend to move to those areas because the rents are butt-crack cheap compared to Dupont or Cleveland Park or Gallery Place. You can't make $7.000 a month rent selling salami -- er, sal-U-mi, sorry -- for $5 a log.

Lemme guess, you haven't been shopping for commercial space in DC lately, have you. I have. Rents along the 14th Street corridor, and, increasingly, 11th Street, in CH are comparable to Georgetown. Seriously, check it out for yourself. Anyone who would refer to rents in Petworth and Columbia Heights as "butt-crack cheap" is at best ill informed and hopelessly behind the times. Probably also seriously biased. (Not to mention pointlessly crude.) You probably still think Harlem is a cheap place to live in NY, amirite?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:whoops I meant to add 'instead of splurging on other areas, like hipster brand-name clothes, or the such.' Or they live in an area even many DCUMers would blanche at. Not having kids, or homeschooling, makes you more tolerant of things.

I don't think I'd ever be tolerant of the idea my risk for robbery/murder is higher than average. Not worth the trade-off. Problem with crime, is you feel safe until you are victimized - then never again.

[Anonymous]

I like Bloomingdale for all the reasons people cite here, but the access to public transit is not great. I don't love H street for the same reason. 11th in Columbia Heights is much better in that regard.

But OP is from LA, so being chained to a car may not bother them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is a great artisanal meat place in Petworth on Georgia Ave. They make amazing chorizo. I forget the name though. Most artisinal businesses seem to be in the Petworth and Colombia Heights neighborhoods. The creatives in DC tend to migrate to those areas.

Three little Pigs -- it's already been mentioned upthread.

They tend to move to those areas because the rents are butt-crack cheap compared to Dupont or Cleveland Park or Gallery Place. You can't make $7.000 a month rent selling salami -- er, sal-U-mi, sorry -- for $5 a log.

Lemme guess, you haven't been shopping for commercial space in DC lately, have you. I have. Rents along the 14th Street corridor, and, increasingly, 11th Street, in CH are comparable to Georgetown. Seriously, check it out for yourself. Anyone who would refer to rents in Petworth and Columbia Heights as "butt-crack cheap" is at best ill informed and hopelessly behind the times. Probably also seriously biased. (Not to mention pointlessly crude.) You probably still think Harlem is a cheap place to live in NY, amirite?

You are right, I have not tried to rent the space next to Mitchell Gold, ever. But we aren't talking about 14th if you reread. Georgia ave was specifically cited and there is no chance the price per square foot of the Pigs shop on is anywhere close to that of something on ~ 19th and Connecticut. None. If you want to look like a fool you can keep arguing that they're interchangeable.

Fwiw I like the arty salami shop and overpriced tiny cafe scene along 11th with the self conscious mixologists better than penn quarter. Also, welcome to DC