Carver

Carver is a neighborhood in the northeast section of the city with the combined Carver and Langston neighborhoods having approximately 5,594 residents. In general, Carver is defined as the area within Bladensburg Road N.E., Maryland Avenue N.E. and M Street N.E. The neighborhood backs up to the National Arboretum. In 2010, homes in this area sold for a average price of $226,228, with 17% of the homes being owner occupied. Homes with Carver are typically attached single family "row homes" although there are numerous mult-ifamly apartment there as well. Numerous commercial structures are on the perimeter of Carver.

Residents enjoy shopping at a CVS, Safeway Grocery Store as well as other shops. Restaurants are limited within the neighborhood, but there is a Starbucks. The neighborhood enjoys three places of worship. There are no schools located within the neighborhood, but they are nearby in Langston. Carver residents have access to public transportation thru numerous Metro Bus stops located throughout the neighborhood. There are no dedicated recreational facilities within the neighborhood.

Hopefully crime will remain under control here. Recent crime statistics indicate that there have been recent reports of crimes against people and property. As always review the most current crime statistics and make an informed decision as to the risk of crime in any neighborhood.

Somehow the residents of Carver have managed to not let the blight and crime take over their little section of the city. One way that Carver citizens have done this is through constant vigilance and community togetherness. Nearly everywhere around it (and the arboretum) have serious crime problems. But, everyone seems to have a collective will to have their children grow up in a safe place. Perhaps this is the biggest advantage that Carver has, and it is a cause for much hope. Because of their location close to the Arboretum there are sufficient services to support this tiny community. Housing is reasonably priced, but rather old. Given the very limited means of residents, there are few with the ability to renovate residences, so houses are rather sad looking. For once however, this problem cannot be attributed to vandalism or other destructive behavior on the part of local youth. George Washington Carver, the one after whom the neighborhood was named, would be proud of this. If only the residents would develop something of his inventive spirit. Sadly, the neighborhood hasn't gone from holding its own to thriving. Hopefully that will happen soon.

Carver, and its next door neighbor Langston, are two of Washington's oldest and most stable neighborhoods. Carver, the smaller of the two, is shaped much like a triangle, with its northwestern border running along US 1 to a point where the road merges with 4 other major DC thoroughfares. Most of its two story row houses are owned by African Americans, some of whom have lived in the neighborhood for decades.
Much of Carver’s stability and community spirit can be traced to the influence of its neighbor, the highly politically active Kingman Park. This area’s Civic Organization has fought for years to prevent Carver and other nearby communities from becoming the traffic glutted tourist traps that other neighborhoods in the District have become. They have teamed up with other local and national organizations to fight everything from new Metro stops to children’s theme parks.
On the other hand, some might observe that, though these businesses would bring in more traffic, they would also bring in more tax revenue and business opportunities. In other words, stability is something a two edged sword. While Carver has not declined, nor has it grown as it might have under different circumstances.