Capitol Hill is a perfect fit for federal workers looking to add some convenience to their lives. Located east of the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and a handful of think tanks, Capitol Hill residents enjoy a proximity to power that few will ever know. “It’s a real livable community and convenience is key,” said Don Denton, a real estate broker for Coldwell Banker. “As opposed to living outside the Beltway, we don’t have to spend an hour and a half each day driving six miles. I’ve found that younger buyers don’t want to do that; they want to live close to where they work.”
| At a glance November 2010 |
| Average sold price in the 20002 ZIP code: $656,000 |
| Average list price in the 20002 ZIP code: $699,000 |
| Average days on market for homes sold: 70 |
| November 2009 |
| Average sold price in the 20002 ZIP code: $514,000 |
| Average list price in the 20002 ZIP code: $533,000 |
| Average days on market for homes sold: 57 |
Convenience comes at a cost, though, with the average sales price for single-family homes in Capitol Hill at more than $600,000 and some homes selling for more than $2 million.
When you meet residents of Capitol Hill the first thing they talk about is the closeness of their community.
“I know all the people on my block and many of the people in our neighborhood,” said Margaret Missiaen. She and her husband, Ed, moved to Capitol Hill in 1969, raising their two sons and sending them to local schools. “It was wonderful raising children near the Capitol,” Missiaen said. “They grew up with many advantages; like they could walk to the Smithsonian on a whim, and the public schools on Capitol Hill are doing very well.”
Capitol Hill has experienced an education revival in past years and currently offers at least seven public, private and charter schools. Parents and city officials have sharpened the focus on education, which has encouraged more families with young children to move into the neighborhood.
“I’m still getting used to the number of kids I see these days,” said Ken Jarboe, a resident and ANC commissioner for Ward 6B. “Sometimes on a nice day at Lincoln Park it can feel like stroller rush hour.”
The youthful feel of the neighborhood is best exemplified by the hip new shops and restaurants of Eighth Street in Eastern Market. Good Stuff Eatery and We the Pizza, both founded by “Top Chef” contestant Spike Mendelsohn, are giving residents and congressional staffers a reason to stick around the Hill.
“When I first came here, if we wanted to go out and have a meal we would go to Dupont Circle or Georgetown,” said Kirsten Oldenburg, a 27-year resident of the neighborhood. “But we don’t do that anymore. We have our own restaurants now.”
Despite Capitol Hill’s recent progression into modernity, residents here still appreciate the historical attributes of the neighborhood. When Pierre Charles L’Enfant first surveyed the city, he wrote to George Washington that Capitol Hill “stands really as a pedestal waiting for a superstructure.” In our nation’s early years the neighborhood slowly grew to support federal employees and workers from the Navy Yard. Many of Capitol Hill’s red-brick row houses were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The architectural styles of the buildings include Federal, Romanesque, Queen Anne and Classical Revival.
Eastern Market’s ornate brick building has been a historic staple of Capitol Hill since the late 19th century. But a three-alarm fire damaged the interior in 2007, forcing it to temporarily close.
“When the fire occurred people were devastated,” said Oldenburg. But community members and local merchant groups rallied to restore the market and it reopened in 2009. “The building gives us such a sense of community,” she added. “It’s a central hub where people come on Saturdays to do their shopping.”
