Would you buy a house in Columbia Heights near a couple of affordable housing

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on which block. I used to live on the 1200 block of Columbia, and now I live near the Petworth metro. Petworth has its issues, but nothing like the stuff I saw on a daily basis in the blocks immediately between my old place and the Columbia Heights metro. Lots of shootings/stabbings/beatings on top of the rampant drug use and drunken loitering at the metro. The blocks of 13th/14th/15th and the cross streets between them just south of the metro are also very dodgy. Columbia just west of the metro is okay, as are most everything north of Columbia. I still ride my bike through Columbia Heights every day, and I actually think it has gotten better (although not by much), but I would not want to live in many parts of it with young kids.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Why would you do that? Do you want your kids to live next to crime and hopelessness?

We would be able to afford a big house and our commute would be 15 min on a bike. Just better quality of life

Think you are missing the forest for the trees. In what way is living in a dangerous environment with three young kids "better quality of life"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Why would you do that? Do you want your kids to live next to crime and hopelessness?

We would be able to afford a big house and our commute would be 15 min on a bike. Just better quality of life

Think you are missing the forest for the trees. In what way is living in a dangerous environment with three young kids "better quality of life"?

What part of “I can spend $1M on a rowhome, bike to work, and come home early to watch people getting stabbed in the alley behind my house” doesn’t sound attractive to you?

[Anonymous]

Do yourself a favor and go spend some time walking around the neighborhood on a Friday night. We were seriously looking at some places around CH and had only really seen the neighborhood early Saturday mornings when viewing houses. We ended up seeing a house on a Friday evening and explored the neighborhood for dinner. Totally different scene.

People openly using drugs, fights and some guy was dropping a deuce as he propped himself against a wall for all the world to see. It took us 45 mins to get out of the neighborhood because there were multiple streets blocked off due to police activity.

[Anonymous]

Sad. Sounds like the current public housing needs to be torn down and dispersed all over NW instead.

[Anonymous]

Which private school? As a parent, a short commute for my kids is a much bigger priority than a short commute for me. I'm trying to figure out where you might be planning to send your kids that doesn't involve putting then in a car and driving through the awful CH traffic. Maybe Sacred Heart?

[Anonymous]

I lived on the 1400 block of Columbia about 5 years ago (I can't vouch for any changes in the last 5 years). Prior to that, I lived on 16th a couple blocks north. I would live on Columbia again, without kids. I would also live with kids in most of Columbia Heights. I don't think that I would live in that section of Columbia Heights with school-aged kids, though that's mostly due to congestion, not due to crime.

We had some crime issues when I was there. Someone stole the back wheel off my bike, and shortly thereafter attempted to steal the rest of the bike with a car jack. Because of how dense the area is, more serious crime can feel like it's geographically close, but I'm not actually convinced that your personal risk of violent crime is much different there than it is in other urban parts of the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do yourself a favor and go spend some time walking around the neighborhood on a Friday night. We were seriously looking at some places around CH and had only really seen the neighborhood early Saturday mornings when viewing houses. We ended up seeing a house on a Friday evening and explored the neighborhood for dinner. Totally different scene.

People openly using drugs, fights and some guy was dropping a deuce as he propped himself against a wall for all the world to see. It took us 45 mins to get out of the neighborhood because there were multiple streets blocked off due to police activity.

this is great advice

[Anonymous]

I lived nearby for a very long time and crime got better, but it is trending the other way now. Thought of this thread tonight.

https://twitter.com/BrianneKNadeau/status/1174889744595136512

There was a stabbing nearby on 16th street about an hour earlier, a little after 9 pm then a man killed after 10. At least 1 more of the victims is critical, 5 men and 1 woman were shot at 1300 Columbia.

[Anonymous]

My friend was house hunting in that area and her realtor was only ever available to show houses early on Saturdays and Sundays. The most convenient time for my friend to meet up with the realtor was Friday after work, but her agent was mysteriously never available any evening hour. So one Thursday evening my friend went by herself to cruise by a new listing and the change in the area night vs Day was insane. She fired her realtor.

[Anonymous]

Diversity going to diverse

[Anonymous]

Columbia Heights tends to be block by block. 14th & Columbia has a few detractors to it. First and foremost is the traffic. That intersection is back to back cars for hours a day - even on the weekends sometimes. People do stupid things because they're annoyed at the backup.

Second - the projects directly nearby definitely cause a spike in people hanging around and random street crime, etc. I assume the deal is good because the location is suboptimal. But being a few blocks away in a different direction (really any direction) would help.

[Anonymous]

OP, I don't understand how you would have a short commute if you first have to get your kid across town to private school and pick them up on the way home?

Either way, I wouldn't live near housing projects or other sketchy areas with kids. CH is really block by block though.

We used to live just south of CH off 14th street. While it felt a bit safer than some of the sketchier CH blocks, there are other quality of life issues too. Our kids couldn't just go outside to play with other neighborhood friends. A parent had to go too or take them to the park. They couldn't just ride bikes without us. We sent them to a charter school where kids live all over the city so play dates aren't easy and parents need to coordinate them instead of neighborhood kids just meeting outside to play. Now our oldest gets herself to and from Deal with other neighborhood friends.

Where do you work and where is your kids' school? You'll need to go to the school a lot for activities. It might be best to live close to the school so at least home and school are near each other. When your kids are old enough, they could walk to and from school, assuming it's in a safe area. A lot of families tend to live somewhat close to private schools so your kids would be far away and it would be harder for them to get together with friends.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[Anonymous]

There is no block-by-block when six people are shot at the main intersection of Columbia Heights. 1-2 already pronounced dead.

Unless you're avoiding the only grocery store, shopping center with Target/BedBath&Beyond, all the restaurants, and the metro 24/7.

Columbia Heights had a lot of crime in 2010. Approaching 2020 its nothing less than a hellhole. With property values that are crazy for what you deal with.