Comments on: Would You Still Move to Columbia Heights?

By: juan

juan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:38:44 +0000

I lived in the Columbia Heights area for over 20 year’s. I’m happy to see the new change’s. But I would say with all the new condo’s etc. This result in the rent holders have to move out of the part of neighborhood. They grow up in i still live in the area but the rent has shy rocketed.

By: allison.scuriatti

allison.scuriatti — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:56:55 +0000

Barry & Shari: I agree that it feels like Brooklyn, and it already has generated a lot of positive energy. There are a lot of active blogs about this area, which tells you something too.

There are other parts of DC too that have come alive in the last decade. If you like Columbia Heights, Check out Shaw and all along 14th Street NW closer to downtown.

By: allison.scuriatti

allison.scuriatti — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:53:36 +0000

Andrew – thanks for the comments and link on the schools.

By: Barry& Shari

Barry& Shari — Sat, 31 May 2008 04:44:35 +0000

We just visited our kids which bought in columbia heights and have lived their for quite awhile to see the growing changes and community thathas grown in this area. We were so impressed and are relocating to the DC/Va area and are interested ourselves in this area.Hopefully it will generate some wonderful positive energy, culture and variety of stores and cafe’s and restaurants to aline the community and let it thrive with energy. It has a very similar feeling to Brooklyn Heights NY. which is so alive right now and happening and evolving. May Columbia Heights evolve the same way, Artisitc energy and others alike.Bring heart into that area and new earth

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:36:21 +0000

Hey Allison, to be honest I don’t know much about DC public schools. Maybe DCPSWatch? I think Wilson, Banneker and Ellington have the best reputations for DC public high schools, and I believe Bell is up there also. Not too sure though. I know the Washington Post does a series on best high schools in the area too.

http://www.dcpswatch.com/

By: allison

allison — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:28:39 +0000

Thanks very much Andrew. How about the schools? I always have people asking about that and, as I wrote regarding Bell, you really cannot know the schools from the official statistics. Any ideas on how to get some good local knowledge on that?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:08:24 +0000

Columbia Heights is an interesting beast. I write for New Columbia Heights, the first blog you linked there, and I’d say most of it is pretty good for houses, especially 11th to 13th from about Belmont to Monroe. The lower part of 14th and 15th can be a little sketchy, but I’d say in general it’s fine, just use your common sense. There’s all kinds of new development too, stores, restaurants, etc. We also wrote about crime on New Columbia Heights – it’s down almost across the board since last year, aside from robbery with gun.

By: allison

allison — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:04:20 +0000

Re Lonnie’s comment above – are economic revival and gentrification necessarily the same thing? I see economic revival as a broader term for the community – for example the creation of more employment and corporate tax revenue through new stores and businesses. This is connected to gentrification, which in my mind at least is more specific to private property turnover and rapid increase in value. Please give me your views ….

By: Lonnie Bruner

Lonnie Bruner — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:33:01 +0000

“economic revival and gentrification” – Isn’t that a redundant statement?

By: Angelo De La Vega

Angelo De La Vega — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:31:30 +0000

Columbia Heights has come so far… I’d hate to see a shift in momentum now.