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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you value more, quaint hpisteryness or proximity to lots of walkable restaurants?

If you value quaint hipsteryness more look at Takoma DC or stones-throw to the metro Takoma Park, MD.

If you value walkability to lots of restaurants, look at Adam's Morgan.

If you value not stepping over piles of vomit and trash Sunday morning, don't look at Adam's Morgan.

Seriously, OP -- DC is its own thing. NOTHING here correlates to LA. Look around and find a neighborhood you might enjoy and don't expect it to be the West Coast.

[Anonymous]

I live in U street and if you had a time machine to go back 10 years, I'd say U street. But now a lot of the funkier element is (sadly) gone and it is more expensive and crowded on the weekends with the 20 somethings from the suburbs. i'd recommend bloomingdale or LeDroit Park or Petworth. Start reading the Prince of Petworth blog to get a feel for the neighborhoods. Petworth is in closer proximity to good charters overall (I think) but you still have to get into those through a lottery - not sure if that is a concern.

[Anonymous]

I forgot to say that Mount Pleasant may also fit the bill - I'd vote against Columbia Heights (at least right by 14th street) since the big mall there with the Target/DSW/Best Buy, while convenient, has taken away from the character. But maybe by 11th street in Columbia Heights could work - there are new restaurants opening there and a nice, small playground (see http://www.redrocksdc.com/columbia_heights-redrocks-dc.html there are several places open/opening near there).

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park is crunchy but more earnest than hipster. And the going out options like cafes and bars are extremely limited.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Takoma is great! We are a young family too, who love all that you described. Takoma is close to awesome Indian, Salvadorean, Mexican and Vietnamese Food to name a few.
It has a farmer's market on Sundays and is really close to the Metro (red line stop Takoma)
There are a bunch of quirky shops and restaurants in TP proper and some cool new developments promise even more.
If you weren't looking to rent, I would say to buy our house which we plan to list in the next couple of weeks! (we bought another house in the neighborhood) We are in Takoma DC (same perks as Takoma Park, Md without insane taxes)

[Anonymous]

Shaw, Logan Circle, Bloomingdale, eckington, H Street NE.

[Anonymous]

mount pleasant!! you will pay around 2700 for a place In a charming rowhouse.. Great neighborhood- kids events, amazing halloween.
Bancroft is a good school (has dual immersion program) there are also good charters. the dc public school lottery can be amazing ( we were offered spot in one of the top schools, but declined).
goodluck. We live mount pleasant because it is soeasy to access the other neighborhoods from there...plus it is a short walk to the zoo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, Del Ray is nice, but I wouldn't recommend Virginia to someone moving from LA. Del Ray is essentially a nice neighborhood surrounded by boring/played out preppie (Old Town) to soul-sucking depressing (Crystal City) neighborhoods. Plus, Virginia isn't exactly the most liberal place (politically), which may not be great for someone moving from CA.

Last I checked too, Del Ray hadn't gotten expensive.

CA and VA both voted against gay marriage, they have much in common!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in U street and if you had a time machine to go back 10 years, I'd say U street. But now a lot of the funkier element is (sadly) gone and it is more expensive and crowded on the weekends with the 20 somethings from the suburbs. i'd recommend bloomingdale or LeDroit Park or Petworth. Start reading the Prince of Petworth blog to get a feel for the neighborhoods. Petworth is in closer proximity to good charters overall (I think) but you still have to get into those through a lottery - not sure if that is a concern.

The only good advice so far. More help from PoP on good neighborhoods. Mount Vernon Triangle, leDroit or Petworth.

[Anonymous]

OP, come to Columbia Heights! For the reasons others have mentioned, yes - but mostly because I think you sound fun and I want you in my neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

I suggest Eckington. No flooding issues, we're next door to Bloomingdale, so I can easily walk to all their restaurants/bars/coffee shops/farmer markets/etc., but it's closer to the metro (7-10 minute walk on the bike path). We're right on the bike route that connects Union Station to Silver Spring. You can easily take any number of buses to U St, Eastern Market, Chinatown and other locations. We walk/drive/bike to H St for those bars and restaurants, you can also walk/bike to the Union Market, which is awesome. Rents are still a little cheaper over here for more space. The major drawbacks are that the schools are sub-par and there's still crime. That being said, I regularly walk my dog alone in the early morning and after dark in the evening and feel safe, and there are new residents moving into the area every day...more people around makes it feel safer as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

I agree. DC is the opposite of hip in every way.

Nicely put and so true.

Are the three of you proud of yourselves for being so helpful to OP? Because I'm sure she just stuck a pin in a map and said "DC! That's where we'll go!" and has no other compelling reason to have to live here.

Also, if you can't find "hip" or "fun" or "cool" in DC, you're doing it wrong. I suspect the problem is you.

Final point of order: many people seem to be confusing "hipster" with "hippy". Takoma Park is the home of the hippies.

OP, my kid goes to school in Brookland and I live in Columbia Heights, and there seems to be a very nice community of young families in Brookland. Attractive housing stock, too. You could get more outdoor space for your money there than you could in Columbia Heights. I love my neighborhood, but one serious downside is no yard, and very small and limited outdoor recreation options. Then again, I'm not sure how Brookland is fixed for restaurants right now. I'm sure they're coming, but if eating out is your main fun, you'll probably be driving/ taking metro to do that.

Let us know what you decide!

[Anonymous]

Chinese Food = Hollywood East in Wheaton (on the Metro)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Final point of order: many people seem to be confusing "hipster" with "hippy". Takoma Park is the home of the hippies.

Amen. I love Takoma Park, but hip it isn't.