Congress Heights

Congress Heights is neighborhood in the southeast section of the city that is home to approximately 8,720 residents. St. Elizabeth's Hospital-East Hospital is located here near the Suitland Parkway, which generally forms the northern boundary of the neighborhood. The other boundaries are formed by he Anacostia Freeway (I295), Mississippi Avenue S.E. and 13th Street S.E.. In 2010, the average price for home here was $119,016, with only 20% of the homes being owner occupied. Homes are a mixture of single and multifamily homes.

There are at least eight schools in the neighborhood including Center City PCS - Congress Heights Campus, Simon Elementary School, Hart Middle School, Leckner Elementary School, Ballou Senior High School, King Elementary School, Imagine Southeast PCS and M.C. Terrell / McGogney School. Although there are numerous neighborhood markets, most residents will want to venture out to do their shopping. while out be sure to get something to eat because there are few restaurants here. Green space and recreational facilities can be found at the Mary Church Recreational Center as well as the Congress Heights Playground. There re numerous Metro Bus stops thru out the neighborhood and residents will find the Congress Heights Metro station useful.

As with many neighborhoods in the southeast section of the city, crime can be a concern. Recent crime statistics indicate a significant amount of crime against people and property. As always check the most recent crime statistics and make an informed decision as to the crime risk before venturing into any neighborhood. As for me the crime issues are enough to saty away.

Congress Heights is a cheap place to live, but be forewarned you will have to cross a lot of crime-ridden areas to get there. Recent revitalization efforts have improved the area somewhat, and there is a viable commercial center. In addition, the Metro station breaks up the isolation that plagues most of that area of DC. As a result, a few professionals are starting to buy homes there, in an attempt to escape the high prices of many other neighborhoods. I would consider this a hopeful sign, as professionals tend to demand better services, and dont tolerate much crime. Then again, having people with TOO much money could attract more problems with burglary. Hopefully that will not happen. Most such situations in DC have worked out well.

Still not a good place for children, as plenty of vacant space and drug dealing go on daily. Schools are some of the worst in the city, that includes paint peeling off the walls and abundant graffiti. No wonder that a large percentage of the teenagers drop out. Nonetheless, if you MUST live in this part of the District, then this would have to be tohe choice of neighborhood. At least you won't take your life into your own hands quite as much.