Beuna Vista / Knox Hill

Knox hill is primarily a public housing complex. Like all such properties, it is loud, crime-ridden and poor with few opportunities. In the area there are some amenities, but not nearly as much as one might want. All too many local residents drop out of high school, and their income potential is tragically limited. Especially in DC, such places are full of single-parent households. Also, the city has a rat problem, and this is especially acute in nearly all public housing. I definitely wouldn’t recommend living there, though if you are poor enough to be eligible there probably isn’t much choice.
Yet there is hope: Buena Vista, next door is one of the few pockets of relative sanity in the area. Some young professionals live there while saving money to live somewhere else. Sadly, if you have children Buena Vista is still not the best choice. with so many bad neighborhoods around, I would be worried about their safety. worse, the DC schools in this part of town are terrible.
Although the topography of the area is nice, with hills which can help you get a good workout if walked, there are no neighborhood parks. If you have a pet, it will not be able to enjoy a nice stroll in the grass.

Buena Vista and Knox Hill share a border in the Southeastern part of Washington and are thus typically talked about as if they are one community. They are both located in the worst section of the inner city, and in many ways are a microcosm of the housing market in DC, for while one is prosperous and attracts upper middle class families, the other is plagued by crime and home to the desperately poor.
Buena Vista is the larger of the two. Known for its elevation (it is located on one of the highest points in DC), it sports some of the loveliest views in the area. One of its largest condominium complexes, Washington View, features a Penthouse suite that is often the site of lavish dinners and cocktail parties. Having attended one of these, I can say unequivocally that people rarely notice the food or the conversation, so mesmerized are they by the view.
While Buena Vista features several similar high rises that also take advantage of its views, there are many single family homes available for purchase by families looking for a yard and a small mortgage payment.
Unlike its bigger sister, Knox Hill has no beautiful view. Instead, it is dominated by public housing projects and rampant poverty. The main industry is illegal narcotics and parents dare not let their children play outside without very close supervision.