Washington, D.C., may be globally known as America’s capital, but locals see it with many different faces. Its thriving dining scene and ever-present festivals represent the countless cultures that come together to form the United States. Home to 25 Michelin-starred restaurants, over 70 museums and a burgeoning arts scene enlivened by an influx of young professionals and college students, the district attracts tourists and residents alike. While the city itself has less than 700,000 inhabitants, the metropolitan area encompasses about 5.5 million people and has one of the nation's largest subway systems (and some of its worst traffic).
As the beating heart of the world’s oldest continually running democratic government, just about every square foot of the city is historic. Its location was secured in the Compromise of 1790, a political pact between Alexander Hamilton, who wanted the federal government to assume state debts, and Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who both wanted to set the capital city in the southern states, somewhere on the Virginia-Maryland border. From its start, the capital was defined by the needs of many stakeholders.
Besides its position in national politics, D.C. occupies a unique position in the history of Black Americans. D.C. was the preeminent destination for more than 40,000 African Americans escaping slavery during the Civil War. In subsequent decades, the city’s Black population continued to grow. Since the 1960 Census, Black Americans have officially been the largest racial group in D.C., and 71% of the population identified as Black in 1970. In 1973, the district was granted its own governing body — a mayor and a 13-member council — and Walter Washington became the first mayor of the District of Columbia and the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city. It’s also the only city in America that isn’t part of a state, as the Constitution mandates that a district, not exceeding 10 square miles, should serve as the Seat of Government. However, there is a popular movement among locals to make D.C. the 51st state, as Washingtonians pay federal taxes while having no representation in the Senate. A lone House Representative serves D.C.’s constituency.
Washington DC is the nation's capitol and home to our nations greatest monuments.
Friendship Heights offers beautiful views of the Washington, DC skyline.
Washington's Capitol building stands as a beacon of governance and history.
Washington blends history, culture, and modernity in every corner of the city.
1/4
Moving from historic homes to apartments and condos
To residents, "Washington" refers to the political face of the city, while "D.C." means its cultural and residential body. The city's angular "wheel-and-spokes" street layout was designed by Pierre L'Enfant and inspired by the streets of Paris. It's divided into four directional quadrants, eight wards and 131 unofficially defined neighborhoods, and the city’s homes are mainly influenced by classical, conservative and modernist architectural styles. Historically, single-family home styles hint at the city’s notorious income inequality, with more traditional styles shaping post-World War II low and middle-income housing, and more avant-garde styles characterizing homes built for the district’s wealthier families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, however, many buildings are being converted to multi-family dwellings and following trends toward modernist styles.
The first of D.C.’s homes were large single-family American Colonial homes with hipped roofs and bay windows, but Italianate and Victorian rowhouses, a regional term for townhouses, took over the development scene in the mid-19th century and remain icons of the district’s residential landscape. Today, these rowhouses are frequently developed into multi-family condos, though the market for rowhouses is still thriving. “People can still buy rowhomes in D.C. because it’s more affordable than other markets,” says Saurabh Prakash, Realtor with the ONE Street team at Samson Properties. “These houses can still cost from $800,000 to $3 million here, but the same style of homes in Los Angeles or San Francisco can sell for over two to three times more.”
Housing covenants of the early 20th century dictated where Black residents could live in Washington, D.C., and the city is still recovering from such discriminatory practices. In 2021, 50 percent of white, non-Hispanic households were owned as opposed to rented, while that number for Black households was 35 percent. In addition to the disparities in homeownership, median home values in predominantly white wards are more than three times higher than home values in predominantly Black wards like Wards 7 and 8. One of the significant challenges to increasing homeownership and values for Black residents has been the limited availability of affordable, high-quality homes.
To reduce housing costs, the city enacted inclusionary zoning practices, which established tax benefits for including affordable apartments and homes in neighborhood developments. “The only people who can buy these units are people who have gone through the city’s application process,” says Prakash. “But funding tends to run out quickly and they’re a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare to qualify for.”
With all these factors at play, prices in D.C. can vary widely. An apartment can sell for less than $100,000 in Garfield Heights , while a five-bedroom Italianate mansion in Georgetown can sell for $15 million. Median home prices rose from the mid-$500,000s in 2019 to more than $700,000 in 2022, but have since tapered off and fallen to the current level of around $650,000. Ranking sixth in the nation for the number of new apartments sold from 2020 to 2022, the future of housing in the area will be shaped by new apartment and condo buildings.
Luxury condos in South West, Washington combine elegance with convenient city living.
Classic row homes line the streets of Dupont Circle in Washinton.
Charming georgian style home located just off Georgetown in Washington.
Large single-family homes can also be found in Dupont Circle, Washington.
1/4
Almost 700 parks including memorials and monuments
The Trust for Public Land calculates that the capital has 683 parks in total, dedicating 24% of the city’s land to public parks and placing 99% of D.C. residents within a 10-minute walk of a park. Many of these parks serve as memorials or monuments honoring historically significant people, and the buildings have become icons of the city’s landscape. The National Mall—146 acres of green space spanning west from the Capitol Building to the Potomac River—is home to the Smithsonian Museums, the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and more. Designated as national parks, these attract more than 25 million visitors, many of whom are residents. With more than 26 miles of pedestrian sidewalk and 8 miles of bike trails, the National Mall and its parks are not just tourist attractions, but hotspots for residents looking to stay active or enjoy the city’s beauty.
Officially authorized in 1890, Rock Creek Park is a city park with 1,754 acres of green space and historic attractions. Many residents see the park as an oasis within the city, offering a tree-enclosed space to escape the traffic and crowds. The park hosts 32 miles of multi-use trails, historical sites like The Old Stone House, the Rock Creek Park Golf Course and 13 miles of bridle trails. Further south, there are also ample opportunities for locals to take a sunset cruise or launch a kayak onto the Potomac River. D.C. is also home to several major league teams, like the Washington Nationals in baseball, who play at Nationals Park. A few blocks away, the Washington Spirit and D.C. United soccer teams both play at Audi Field. Capital One Arena doubles as both a venue for national touring acts, as well as the home court for the Washington Wizards. As far as religious landmarks, Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and has hosted the funeral services of several U.S. presidents. It’s common to hear the cathedral’s bells on Sunday mornings in Northwest D.C.
The Lincoln Memorial stands as an iconic symbol of freedom and equality in Washington.
Washington’s National Mall offers stunning views and historic landmarks.
The National Capitol Columns stand tall in Washington, showcasing historic architecture.
Crestwood residents in Washington have easy access to the natural beauty of Rock Creek Park.
1/4
National museums and festivals, luxury brands and local shops
The Smithsonian Institution hosts many of the city's attractions, including the Smithsonian Zoo in Woodley Park . Many of the Smithsonian museums are free but tend to be crowded during peak times. Some, like the National Museum of African American History and Culture, require reservations in advance, which helps reduce crowds in the museum. Because each has so much to see, spending a whole day in a single museum is easy.
Festivals and music are plentiful and lively in the nation’s capital. The city was home to one of America's first punk rock scenes in the late 1970s, often dubbed "harDCore." There's also go-go music, which was born in the city and combines funk, jazz, salsa and soul rhythms all into one dance-heavy genre. After opening in 1992, Madams Organ in Adams Morgan quickly became one of the city’s most popular bars for live music. All three levels of the bar are plastered with historic newspaper articles, antique paintings and taxidermy of species from around the world. Other nightlife hubs include the Dupont Circle and U Street neighborhoods, which host numerous bars and nightclubs.
The Fourth of July is a massive celebration in town, where huge fireworks displays and neighborhood parades are held to commemorate America's Independence Day. "Lots of folks visit the National Cathedral grounds and put up blankets and chairs, since it's one of the highest points in the city," says Robert Hryniewicki, a longtime D.C. native and associate of HRL Partners at Washington Fine Properties. " You can also head down to the National Mall, the fireworks are right above you. Key Bridge and the Kennedy Center are also great vantage points on the 4th."
If any festival has become quintessential to D.C., it’s the National Cherry Blossom Festival. In 1912, the mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, gifted the city of Washington, D.C., 3,000 cherry trees. Today, this friendship of cities and cultures is celebrated annually with a four-week festival featuring a pink tie party, a parade, a day of kite-flying and bursting pink cherry blossoms to welcome in spring. Celebrations aren’t limited to spring, however. With festivals like Passport DC, the DC Jazz Festival, Fourth of July and Memorial Day celebrations and the National Christmas Tree Lighting, there is always something to do in the city.
The dining scene in D.C. has become one of the best in the country. With the arrival of Chef Jean-Louis Palladin in the 1970s, the district’s restaurants broke away from their tradition of meat and potatoes, eventually leading to the district’s first Michelin-starred restaurant in 2016. The city now has 25, and eight of the area’s chefs were nominated for the 2023 Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic Award by the James Beard Foundation. “We have a lot of world-class chefs here now,” says Prakash. “So that adds to the food scene.” The renowned chef Gordon Ramsay owns three restaurants in town, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, and Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen. Still, D.C. locals often prefer cozy diners over fine dining experiences. The city's signature dish is the half-smoke, a seasoned half-pork, half-beef sausage on a bun, usually covered in chili sauce. Located in the Shaw neighborhood, Ben's Chili Bowl is hailed as the originator for the half-smoke, and it's one of the city's most famous diners.
The main hall at the National Building Museum in Judiciary Square, Washinton is stunning.
Luxury stores line the streets of the City Center area of Penn Quarter in Washington.
The Dupont Circle Neighborhood is a mecca for nightlife in Washinton.
1/3
Nobody drives in D.C., there’s too much traffic
One of the perks of living in D.C. is how easy it is to get around without a car. The city has more than 100 miles of bike lanes and trails, and the District Department of Transportation has enacted a policy requiring a sidewalk on at least one side of every street and roadway where pedestrians are allowed. Perhaps because of how easy it is to bike or walk everywhere, D.C. residents are known to be among the fittest urbanites in the country. "Dupont Circle heading north to Chevy Chase is more vertical; you never see bikers going up, only coming down," says Hryniewicki. D.C.'s rising terrain lends itself to be fairly steep as cyclists pedal towards Northwest D.C.
There are around 6,300,000 residents just in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, connected to the city for employment and leisure. The public transportation system also makes most of the city accessible to out-of-state commuters. The Washington Metro, known by residents simply as the Metro, opened in 1976 and now serves D.C. and certain surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia. As the country’s second-busiest heavy rail rapid transit system, the Metro moves approximately 475,000 per weekday. The Metrobus service also covers about 1,500 square miles with a fleet of nearly 1,600 buses, and the system’s 269 bus routes include more than 11,000 stops.
With all the options, it’s probably best for D.C. residents to forego driving. No discussion of Washington, D.C. is authentic without bemoaning its traffic conditions. While not as bad as areas like New York or Los Angeles, D.C. consistently ranks among the most congested cities in the country. Parking can also be a hassle – in most of the city, street parking requires residential permits.
Trains are arriving and departing frequently at the Woodley Park Metro Station.
Union Station in NoMa features a beautiful grand entrance.
Metro Bus at Dupont Circle Station in Washington.
1/3
Prize-winning public and private schools
Schools can vary in quality, though all but six of D.C.’s 21 school districts earn grades of B or higher on Niche. The lowest-graded districts earned Cs, and two districts have not yet been graded. The public school system includes charter and magnet schools, and the city has more than 400 private school options. It should be no surprise that most of the private schools earn top grades, as the area is home to some of the country’s most affluent families.
The city is home to nineteen colleges and universities, the oldest of which—Georgetown University—was founded in 1789. Georgetown receives top rankings in lists of best colleges for political science and international relations, and the area’s other schools are also commonly recognized in these fields. Many of the most well-known schools earn grades of B or higher on Niche, with Georgetown and George Washington University taking the top spots for the area’s best schools.
Established in 1867, Howard University was originally planned as a theological seminary for educating Black clergymen. The historically Black university was significant in fostering the Civil Rights Movement and shaped great minds of the movement such as Alain Locke and Stokely Carmichael. It continues to be a thriving academic and cultural institution with strong community ties.
Washington’s Georgetown University combines rich history with modern academic programs.
Experience quality education at Jackson-Reed High School, a top public school in Washington.
Middle Schoolers in Tenleytown, Washington can attend A-rated Alice Deal Middle School.
Marie Reed Elementary School in Washington is housed in a new modern building.
1/4
Crime rates have dropped, but remain a concern
While violent crime rates are more than double the national average, these rates peaked in the mid-1990s and decreased significantly between 1995 and 2018. However, after trending down for nearly two decades, homicide rates increased slightly between 2012 and 2022. Property crime rates are also higher than the national average and peaked in the 1990s, but rates were nearly halved by 2018. Columbia Heights and Bloomingdale see the highest number of crimes, with numbers dropping further away from those areas.
The future of our nation’s capital
The city is home to over 670,000 Washingtonians, a population that has consistently grown after the pandemic. Around 21% of the city’s workforce are Federal employees, and most corporate employers and government offices are concentrated in Downtown DC . The history of D.C. is such that it attracts tourists and residents alike. But, like its different aspects of political and cultural life, it is a city equally focused on the past and the future. In 2017, the Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) released a 34-page report outlining its vision for the downtown area. In their report, BID emphasizes the importance of public transportation, world-class experiences, support for the most vulnerable residents and clean and safe public spaces. Upcoming developments like Reunion Square and The Stacks will add to the area’s housing inventory, mainly through an increase in multi-family residences, and offer more space for retailers. The 11th Street Bridge Park is expected to open in 2025 and construction on a new National Museum of the U.S. Navy is slated to begin in 2025, giving D.C. residents plenty to look forward to. "Residential property values are undervalued and under-assessed, compared to other key cities which have a higher price per square foot, we’re behind other world capitals and major cities like New York City," says Hryniewicki.
Derry Haws is a great believer in always learning and adapting. Early in her career in film and television with the BBC she was taught that it was important to be able to work together in a positive professional way to achieve the very best outcome. Derry says the BBC taught her the meaning of the word excellence and launched her into a successful career as a freelance makeup artist, making up stars such as David Bowie in Labyrinth, Paul and Linda McCartney in several videos, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Heart, Stevie Nix, Diana Ross and many more during the age of the glamorous rock and roll videos.
Working under pressure, meeting deadlines, and caring for people's reputations are just as much a part of Derry's experience as a Realtor® today as when she was a makeup artist.
Derry and her husband relocated from London to Georgetown in 1998 and remodeled their historic home on N street, so not only is she familiar with relocation first-hand but she completely understands and can advise on the process that is involved in remodeling historic homes. Derry's international experience, a keen ear for listening to her clients' needs, and a keen eye for helping her clients visualize possibilities are just a few of the qualities that Derry brings to the table. She is passionate, caring, knowledgeable, and professional and able to find creative solutions to challenges.
This past year has given her a sense of great pleasure as she provided each of her buyers or sellers a gift of a tree at settlement.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
