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[quote=Anonymous]Agree with PP that the people warning you off about crime must not be familiar with Chicago, OP -- DC is pretty analogous to Chicago in terms of crime. You will find it in pretty much every DC neighborhood, but also, as someone who has lived her for 20 years (since I, too, was a young single professional looking for a neighborhood-y spot with a good coffee shop), I've never really felt unsafe. You learn to distinguish between crime you genuinely need to worry about (there has been an uptick in violent crime and I am more careful about myself now than I was a few years ago) and crime that actually probably shouldn't even be classified that way (like homelessness, loitering, a lot of the minor drug use -- all of which has also risen in recent years due to the pandemic and joblessness/closed schools, but which does not actually make me feel any less safe).

Anyway, back to your search! I'm going to put in another plug for Capitol Hill, which I think best suits your request for a cute, rather than urban-feeling, neighborhood, with good coffee shops and a neighborly feel. Plus tons of dogs! Also babies -- there are a lot of families on Cap Hill. But also plenty of young professionals like yourself. It bridges that gap better than many other neighborhoods in the city.

With more specificity, you should consider the obvious option of moving from Lincoln Park, Chicago, to Lincoln Park, DC! Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill is close to Eastern Market (coffee shops, indoor market, outdoor farmers market on weekends, cute bookstores, good restaurants, plus a metro stop), extremely dog friendly (it's an unofficial and very popular dog park on the Hill), and very social and chill. Depending on budget, you could look at some of the newer buildings in Eastern Market (pricy), the older buildings along East Capitol (much less expensive, though may lack amenities like in-unit laundry, parking, etc.) or see if you can find a rental in a converted row house (becoming more common, can vary in price depending on size, floor, and how recently renovated). Real estate in DC is a lot pricier than Chicago right now, so be prepared to make some compromises for location -- your money will buy less space and amenities in DC than it did in Chicago.

You could also look at H Street NE, which borders Cap Hill to the north. It will definitely meet your coffeeshop requirement (Wydown, Maketto, Sidamo, the cafe in Solid State books) and you might find more affordable housing options if you look in the neighborhoods north of H Street (the older row homes between H Street and Florida, or up in Trinidad, which is very residential but also very close in proximity to H Street. This neighborhood is rougher around the edges than Lincoln Park -- more aggressively gentrifying which creates some tough tensions. But it also has more true diversity, and more affordable housing options, especially if you look into places like Trinidad. If you are looking to buy, I'd especially recommend this area because it's a terrific investment and you will likely be priced out of it within the next 10 years. The development on H Street plus the development of the Union Market area (north of Florida) is already driving rents and housing costs much higher. But it's also bringing tons of great businesses and amenities -- the double edged sword of gentrification.

I think Petworth and Columbia Heights are also good options for you (and might make more sense commute-wise, if you have a commute -- look at bus and metro lines because if you have to commute downtown, this is very relevant to your quality of life), but I personally think the Hill and H Street areas is a bit more up and coming and better suited to someone in your situation (Petworth, in particular, seems to be struggling a bit during the pandemic, with a lot more crime and businesses closing/struggling, despite housing prices continuing to rise). Columbia Heights feels more established but is also small and wedged between other neighborhoods, so it can be a tough destination to focus on. I also have a bias against it because I lived there around the time the big Target development went in and I hate that development and what it did to the neighborhood and especially traffic in the neighborhood.

Good luck and welcome to DC![/quote]

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