Pleasant Plains

Pleasant Plains is a neighborhood of approximately 3,001 residents located in the northwest section of the city, jut north of Howard University. Centered on Georgia Avenue N.W. the boundaries of the neighborhood are generally defined by Harvard Street N.W., 11th Street N.W., Park Place N.W. and New Hampshire Avenue N.W.. The average price for a home sold here in 2010 was $312,900, with 30% being owner occupied. The neighborhood is a mix of commercial buildings, primarily located along Georgia Avenue and attached single family "row house" structures.

Thee are several public and private schools within the neighborhood including E.L. Haynes PCS - Georgia Avenue Campus, Nation House Watoto School and Cesar Chavez 0- Bruce Prep Campus. There are many places to shop and dine within the neighborhood with most places being located on Georgia Avenue N.W.. Residents will appreciate the numerous Metro Bus stations thru out the neighborhood, with the Georgia Avenue - Petworth Metro station being the closest. Bruce Monroe Community Park is along Columbia Road N.W. for the residents enjoyment.

Recent crime reports are mixed as to the crime rate within Pleasant Plains. It appears that most crime is directed against property, particularly cars. Crimes against people occur as well. As always check the most recent crime statistics and make an informed decision concerning the risk of crime in any neighborhood.

Pleasant Plains is one of the best Black neighborhoods in DC. Adjacent to Howard University, it plays home to many Howard students, faculty and staff. In keeping with the tradition of academic excellence, Pleasant Plains has one of the best public schools in the country: Banneker High School. This is a Magnet school for very bright young Washingtonians. Also, there have been recent new developments put up, both residential and commercial. They have a supermarket and some nice sit-down restaurants, among other things. Because of the university, there is plenty of public transportation.
In an interesting twist, Pleasant Plains is almost a closed community. By this I mean that nearly everyone is connected to Howard, and it is hard to break in socially if you are not. Of course, this also keeps gentrification at bay, as there are easier places to move to in the city. Professors and staff don’t really make a whole lot of money, in comparison to their peers in other industries. One thing that is nice here however is that there is very little in the way of drugs or other crime. With the exception of some property issues and alcohol-related problems, the neighborhood is safe.