North Capitol Street

North Capitol Street is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city to the west of Union Station. In general the boundaries of the neighborhood are formed by Massachusetts Avenue N.W., 4th Street N.W., New York Avenue N.W. and North Capitol Street N.W., The neighborhood is made up of a mixture of commercial and residential structures. The residential component is mainly multifamily units, with a small number of attached single family "row house" type of homes. Residents will find a number of schools within the neighborhood including Gonzaga High School and Notre Dame Academy. There are a number of stores and restaurants here, but many may want to venture outside of the neighborhood for more variety. Public recreational opportunities can be found at the R.H. Terrell Recreation Center ad those that enjoy gardening will like the Gorla D.C. Community Farm. There are numerous Metro Bus stops in the North Capitol Street neighborhood and Union Station is nearby offering access to the Metro and MARC system trains. Commuters will like the easy access to I-395, except during rush hour.

Crimes against people and property do occur here on a fairly regular basis. As always check the most recent crime statistics to make an informed decision as to the crime risk with any neighborhood. I think that this neighborhood has great potential and parts of it are ripe for re-development and the associated benefits of mixed use buildings.

North Capitol neighborhood is the center of the universe for many public corporations, the Government Printing Office, and a number of veteran’s services. During the work day you will see people bustling about, going from one place to another. Government workers, nonprofit employees and yes, lobbyists run the place. Because of its close proximity to the Capitol, North Capitol is one of those places that you go in order to transact business with the feds. Office buildings mean coffee shops and sandwich nooks for a quick lunch in the middle of the day.
There are a lot of transit routes in and out of the neighborhood, and because of its proximity to the Capitol and White House, both Capitol Police and the Secret Service have jurisdiction. There isn’t a huge amount of housing, but there is some. Most of it is in high rise condo and apartment buildings, though a small selection of single family homes is also available. Surprisingly for the location, prices aren’t too bad. However, you’ll have to wait for a vacancy, which isn’t particularly easy. Getting places is not hard, though there isn’t a grocery store. You will have to leave the neighborhood to get food, so thank goodness for public transportation.

North Capitol Street is a primarily business district on the border between northeast and northwest Washington D.C. The area is characterized more by corporate headquarters than by homes. In fact, most of the living quarters are located in high end high rise apartments above first and second story shops.
One of the most prominent businesses in the area is the worldwide headquarters of the new organization C-Span. Also, there is the Government Printing Office and a large scale sand filtration site.
In addition to businesses, there are also a number of schools. The elite Gonzaga College High School is there, along with University of Phoenix and Holy Redeemer Catholic School. While there are no metro stops in the neighborhood, there are quite a few bus stops.
For those looking for a place to relax and meet new friends, the Terrell Recreation Center is open to the public and provides work out equipment, enrichment classes and meeting facilities.
Finally, no part of DC would be complete without a few federal centers. In North Capitol Street, these are a Veteran’s Administration Hospital and the United States Soldiers' and Airman's Home.