Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: We lived in one of the rowhouses on 13th street and Irving. Personally saw 2 shootings (in section 8 and a drug deal gone bad on Irving) from the windows. Moved out in 2008.

2008 has nothing to do with 2021. Did Columbia Heights even have the Target mall yet?
OP:
- if you want to walk to brunch, grocery, yoga class, school, playgrounds, hop onto metro for anything, live in Col Heights;
- if you want to walk to brunch, grocery, yoga class, let your kids play in the alley with the neighbors' kids, and be close to your Columbia Heights school, walk 10mn to metro for anything, you'll need Petworth or Park View.
- if you want bike/10mn drive to the same amenities, have a big fenced yard for your kid to play unsupervised, don't plan on using metro, move to 16th st Heights.

This is a good analysis, but I’d add the bus as another great way to stay connected with adjacent neighborhoods from 16th St Heights. Not necessarily at the infant stage, but for us, age 2+ it has been fun to hop on the bus. 14th street and Georgia Ave lines are both pretty good. That was all pre-pandemic. Now they prefer to bike around.

Yes, but not sure what the pp means about playing in the alley in Petworth and Parkview. There are more playgrounds in the Petworth area, not including school playgrounds that are open to the public, than say Crestwood (which has RCP so not knocking that).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: We lived in one of the rowhouses on 13th street and Irving. Personally saw 2 shootings (in section 8 and a drug deal gone bad on Irving) from the windows. Moved out in 2008.

2008 has nothing to do with 2021. Did Columbia Heights even have the Target mall yet?
OP:
- if you want to walk to brunch, grocery, yoga class, school, playgrounds, hop onto metro for anything, live in Col Heights;
- if you want to walk to brunch, grocery, yoga class, let your kids play in the alley with the neighbors' kids, and be close to your Columbia Heights school, walk 10mn to metro for anything, you'll need Petworth or Park View.
- if you want bike/10mn drive to the same amenities, have a big fenced yard for your kid to play unsupervised, don't plan on using metro, move to 16th st Heights.

This is a good analysis, but I’d add the bus as another great way to stay connected with adjacent neighborhoods from 16th St Heights. Not necessarily at the infant stage, but for us, age 2+ it has been fun to hop on the bus. 14th street and Georgia Ave lines are both pretty good. That was all pre-pandemic. Now they prefer to bike around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what is the school? Is it a preschool? I'm trying to figure out what K-12 you'd want to be convenient to there.

In any case, if you have already decided on the school, I agree with Petworth, 16th St Heights, and Crestwood.

We live in Petworth. Yes, shootings are an issue and quite frankly have us thinking of moving. But in exchange, I think we'd be giving up a great community (including wonderful neighbors) and possibly diversity.

Agree with the pp that the shootings are a bit more dispersed with some distinct problem areas that can more or less be avoided. I used to live on the cusp of CH and MP before I was married, and I thought it was better back then. In my mind, the 14th st CH/ParkView area is more problematic than some parts of Petworth (though not all).

You know there are places like Wheaton that are on the Metro, have a bunch of good restaurants from all over the world, and are incredibly diverse but don't have the same levels of crime as Columbia Heights.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: We lived in one of the rowhouses on 13th street and Irving. Personally saw 2 shootings (in section 8 and a drug deal gone bad on Irving) from the windows. Moved out in 2008.

2008 has nothing to do with 2021. Did Columbia Heights even have the Target mall yet?
OP:
- if you want to walk to brunch, grocery, yoga class, school, playgrounds, hop onto metro for anything, live in Col Heights;
- if you want to walk to brunch, grocery, yoga class, let your kids play in the alley with the neighbors' kids, and be close to your Columbia Heights school, walk 10mn to metro for anything, you'll need Petworth or Park View.
- if you want bike/10mn drive to the same amenities, have a big fenced yard for your kid to play unsupervised, don't plan on using metro, move to 16th st Heights.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Columbia Heights. That said we moved when our kids were younger to WOTP for schools and just more outdoor space. We lived on a busy street and I couldn't imagine letting my kids run around by themselves until they go older - lots of traffic, lots of drunks who didn't understand boundaries with kids, the drug dealers were actually my favorite - they always tried to be so polite - didn't want anyone messing up their business.

I would do Mt. Pleasant or Petwork or Crestwood or 16 St Heights if you want that area. There is a ton to do in Columbia Heights - but not enough green space or room to breath sometimes.

The bolded is hilarious, because it's so true.

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Columbia Heights. That said we moved when our kids were younger to WOTP for schools and just more outdoor space. We lived on a busy street and I couldn't imagine letting my kids run around by themselves until they go older - lots of traffic, lots of drunks who didn't understand boundaries with kids, the drug dealers were actually my favorite - they always tried to be so polite - didn't want anyone messing up their business.

I would do Mt. Pleasant or Petwork or Crestwood or 16 St Heights if you want that area. There is a ton to do in Columbia Heights - but not enough green space or room to breath sometimes.

Anonymous wrote:OP, what is the school? Is it a preschool? I'm trying to figure out what K-12 you'd want to be convenient to there.

In any case, if you have already decided on the school, I agree with Petworth, 16th St Heights, and Crestwood.

We live in Petworth. Yes, shootings are an issue and quite frankly have us thinking of moving. But in exchange, I think we'd be giving up a great community (including wonderful neighbors) and possibly diversity.

Agree with the pp that the shootings are a bit more dispersed with some distinct problem areas that can more or less be avoided. I used to live on the cusp of CH and MP before I was married, and I thought it was better back then. In my mind, the 14th st CH/ParkView area is more problematic than some parts of Petworth (though not all).

Anonymous wrote: We lived in one of the rowhouses on 13th street and Irving. Personally saw 2 shootings (in section 8 and a drug deal gone bad on Irving) from the windows. Moved out in 2008.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just do yourself a favor and search the sex offender map wherever you move. I'm not sure about all of DC but I had thought about moving to Columbia Heights and/or U Street area and the map is literally littered with rapists and molesters

The ones who got caught, you mean. Take a closer look at your friends and relatives -- that's who is more likely than a stranger to molest your kid.

The reason most people aren't molested by strangers is because most people don't live around a bunch of strangers who are molesters packed into a dense area - hence OP intelligently asking and skeptical about moving kids into that area.

Anonymous wrote:I would rent in Columbia Heights if you had to and it was time-limited. It is dangerous though and there are many shootings in the 13th street / Columbia Rd / Fairmont area. Petworth is not better though. Kennedy has shootings almost weekly. Young, woke parents will try to convince themselves otherwise because they like being in the city and don't want to commute. We live in an area that many would say is "family-friendly" in DC. Houses are going for 1 million dollars and we hear gunshots many a night. Including one night being awoken by 15 gunshots right in front of our house.