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

[Anonymous]

We have 3 young kids and are looking at a house on Columbia and 14th. tIA

[Anonymous]

We’re at Columbia & 13th and have raised our middle/high school kids here. It’s great to be able to walk everywhere.

Please prepare for the onslaught of detractors.

[Anonymous]

The projects just south of Columbia heights are some of the worst in the entire region. They are not going away, and will probably not improve in the near to medium term


So big call for you to make. Personally I don't think it's worth it. Appreciation in CH has been relatively flat, precisely because of those projects and the attendant crime. You will have to be cautious walking in your neighborhood after dark, will likely have to deal with property crime, and should expect littering (chicken bones, empty bags, etc) thrown into your yard. If you think this tradeoff is worth it for walkability and metro accessibility than go for it

[Anonymous]

Tha k you. What do you mean that they are the worst? In terms of crime? Drugs?

[Anonymous]

Washington post has a heat map for crime in various years - look it up.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Washington post has a heat map for crime in various years - look it up.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Where do your kids go to school?

[Anonymous]

School is the big issue, OP. If you know you will be going private, or are comfortable navigating the charter/DCPS lotteries, then I'd say go for it, despite what the suburbanite pearl-clutchers tell you. But the IB schools for that area are non-starters. Maybe Tubman is OK for PS,. PK, and early elementary, but I don't think you'd want to stay all the way through 5th grade. If you ar e depending on IB schools, check out Mt. Pleasant north of Irving, which I believe still feeds to Deal and Wilson for MS and HS.

[Anonymous]

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

Wow. That’s really pathetic. My kids are perfectly happy living here as are our neighbors with kids. There is also joy and persistence and hardworking people here. Too bad you can only see the negative. By the way, what are you doing about it?

[Anonymous]

I'm a native of DC and CH and the surrounding projects are the worst for this side of town. It's comparable to living in SE.

There were 2 broad days shootings just last week!

[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

Our kids are in elementary school and we live in Petworth, and have friends that have lived in Columbia Heights as well. FWIW, our friends who lived in Columbia Heights have moved because of regular crime happening right at their house (drug use in alleys) to the point that they felt their kids couldn't play outside. It also probably varies a lot block by block and some areas are fine while others have had continuous problems. Another friend who had a lot of issues was on University Place...they had people using the side of their house as a toilet regularly, and shootings happened in their alley multiple times while they lived there.

I think if you go just a few blocks north into Petworth I think you will find it more family-friendly. We are a few blocks from the Petworth metro and our block has 16 kids age 7 and under. We can also walk to playgrounds and family friendly-businesses.

[Anonymous]

I lived on 13th and Irving, and in the projects near Columbia and 13th. Well, didn't really live there but stayed there for ca 2 months when between homes.
Saw shooting from our window in the projects and also in front of our townhouse years ago in the same week.
Glad to be out of there, but worse than the shootings and the crowds, is the traffic and the one way streets. Can't stand them.
Takes me 10-15 minutes to drive 3 blocks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School is the big issue, OP. If you know you will be going private, or are comfortable navigating the charter/DCPS lotteries, then I'd say go for it, despite what the suburbanite pearl-clutchers tell you. But the IB schools for that area are non-starters. Maybe Tubman is OK for PS,. PK, and early elementary, but I don't think you'd want to stay all the way through 5th grade. If you ar e depending on IB schools, check out Mt. Pleasant north of Irving, which I believe still feeds to Deal and Wilson for MS and HS.

They are and will be in private school. Thank you