Niche.com comes out with their lists of “Best place…” every year. This is the latest list from them about Best Neighborhoods to Live in Washington D.C.!
10- Penn Quarter
Penn Quarter is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 3,656. Penn Quarter is a high-energy central area with sports bars, music venues, and shopping complexes, as well as a number of museums such as the National Portrait Gallery, the International Spy Museum and is surrounded by many of the Smithsonian Museums including the National Museum of Natural History, National Gallery of Art and Art Sculpture Garden. It is also very close to the United States Capitol and not far from the White House.
Median Household Income
$141,156
Median Home Value
$616,637
Median Rent
$2,502
9- Cleveland Park
Cleveland Park is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 10,531. Originally built in the late 1800’s, the neighborhood of Cleveland Park, D.C., is a charming residential area famous for its beautiful Victorian and Art Deco homes, as well as its laid-back, family-friendly vibe. Here, you’ll find more green spaces than office buildings and more single-family homes than businesses. Cleveland Park also boasts plenty of entertainment venues, including the famous Uptown Theater, a renovated 1936 Art Deco cinema that showed movies up until March 2020. Locals can also enjoy the beauties of Rock Creek Park, a 1,754-acre urban paradise that offers equestrian and hiking trails, a planetarium, a nature center, sports venues, and a world-class tennis stadium.
Median Household Income
$146,951
Median Home Value
$743,542
Median Rent
$1,887
8- Burleith/Hillandale
Burleith/Hillandale is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 3,163. Burleith is a quiet, almost purely residential, community of about 535 households nestled alongside Glover Archbold Park. Burleith is centrally located, within easy walking distance of Wisconsin Avenue shops and restaurants, served by frequent buses to downtown, and with quick access to the major local highways. Burleith draws people with its proximity to Georgetown and Wisconsin Avenue but keeps them with its sense of community and access to green spaces. It is a “village in the city,” according to residents, with its 535 houses, a mix of Colonials, Tudors, rowhouses and townhouses.
To the west of Burleith is a 24-hour gated community called Hillandale; some consider this a separate neighborhood but it is technically part of Burleith.
Median Household Income
$180,279
Median Home Value
$1,159,160
Median Rent
$2,881
7- Chinatown
Chinatown is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 6,167. DC’s Chinatown – just look for the Friendship Arch – centers on the a few blocks along H and I streets NW between 5th and 8th streets NW. Try nearby restaurants serving up local-favorites like dim sum, homemade noodles and roasted duck. Chinatown neighborhood is renown for its red and green lamposts, Chinese road signs, diverse shops, and various restaurants, which showcase fine quality international cuisine for every palate. Chinatown’s entrance is also marked by the beautiful Friendship Archway, a major tourist attraction, which established Beijing and Washington DC as sister cities. Chinatown is also the venue for the annual Chinese New Year’s Day parade.
Median Household Income
$123,890
Median Home Value
$586,533
Median Rent
$2,373
6- Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 13,294. One of DC’s early streetcar suburbs, Mount Pleasant was carved out of former farmland at the turn of the 20th century. Located about a ten-minute walk away from the Columbia Heights Metro, it’s now full of charming vintage storefronts (many of which hold funky bars and restaurants) and blocks of iconic townhomes. One of the liveliest farmers’ markets in the city takes place on the paved, main plaza in “Mt. P” every Saturday morning from May through December. Expect baked goods, cheese, produce and snacks like sandwiches or pork buns. Live music ups the appeal.
Median Household Income
$94,716
Median Home Value
$679,775
Median Rent
$1,535
5- Wesley Heights
Wesley Heights is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 3,710. Located just several miles northwest of downtown Washington D.C., the quaint and lovely Wesley Heights neighborhood offers a pleasant, leafy suburb with upscale housing and a thriving community atmosphere. Developed between the 1920s and 1950s as one of the country’s first planned communities, Wesley Heights is flanked on two sides by large green spaces and boasts luxurious homes that typically sell for $1 million and above. There are a handful of shops, restaurants and bars, yet the abundant green space that surrounds the neighborhood is ideal for playing, hiking and getting in touch with nature. If it’s the latter you’re interested in, look no further than Glover Archbold Park, which is located on the east side of Wesley Heights. The park covers more than 183 acres of forests and streams and it offers a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of downtown.
Median Household Income
$207,468
Median Home Value
$1,388,701
Median Rent
$2,679
4- Glover Park
Glover Park is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 13,710. Glover Park is a popular neighborhood in Washington, D.C. just north of Georgetown, west of Wisconsin Avenue, and cradled by the serene forested parklands of Glover-Archbold Park and Whitehaven Park. Glover Park is loved for its walkability, proximity to parkland, quaint row houses and small apartments, its commercial strip and restaurant row, convenience to downtown, its popular schools and most importantly the great neighbors who live here. It’s hard not to like cute, peaceful, preppy Glover Park. After all, other than a few thousand parking spaces, the neighborhood isn’t lacking much. It feels like a real community, despite being in the middle of the city.
Median Household Income
$142,939
Median Home Value
$827,353
Median Rent
$2,467
3- North Cleveland Park
North Cleveland Park is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 6,271. North Cleveland Park is a neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, DC, that is home to close to 20 embassies. Stately residential estates are mixed in with eclectic boutiques and eateries as well as staples such as a supermarket and library, giving the area a suburban feel with urban conveniences.
In addition to its international flavor, North Cleveland Park hosts the Van Ness campus of the University of the District of Columbia and is the site of the Intelsat headquarters. The community is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “Van Ness” because it is served by the Van Ness station on the Metro Red Line.
Boundaries for North Cleveland Park include Albemarle Street NW to the north, Tilden and Upton Streets NW to the south, Connecticut Avenue to the east and Wisconsin and Nebraska Avenues NW on the west.
Median Household Income
$175,936
Median Home Value
$851,671
Median Rent
$1,862
2- Cathedral Heights
Cathedral Heights is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 12,271. The neighborhood’s name generated some buzz when it appeared in the Netflix series “House of Cards” as a D.C. Metro station (although no Metro station has ever existed there). Unlike Tenleytown or Cleveland Park, where the streets are lined with tightly packed row houses and detached single-family homes, much of Cathedral Heights’ housing stock is in the form of large, older apartment, condo and co-op complexes that sit on swaths of green lawn, with names like the Westchester, the Warwick, and Idaho Terrace. There’s no Metro in Cathedral Heights. The closest station (on the Red line) is in Tenleytown, a 20-minute walk to the north. Cathedral Heights is an area that caters to those are seeking a quiet, residential atmosphere.
Median Household Income
$129,026
Median Home Value
$731,558
Median Rent
$2,241
1- McLean Gardens
McLean Gardens is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia with a population of 1,481. McLean Gardens is bounded by Idaho Avenue to the South, Rodman Street, NW to the north, and Wisconsin Avenue and 39th Street NW to the East and West respectively. The 23-acre, wooded community has more than 1,000 residents living in 31 unique, garden apartment-style buildings built in the early 1940s and converted to condos in 1980 to include duplexes, flats and lofts. Amenities include a community pool, bbq area and an elegant ballroom available to residents and the general public for private functions. The historically upscale neighborhood is home to many diplomats and political figures.
Median Household Income
$149,211
Median Home Value
$453,200
National$217,500
Median Rent
$2,265