Van Ness

Van Ness is the area immediately surrounding the Metro station of the same name. like many in the District, it has a lot of students. This is because it includes the University of District of Columbia, the local community college. On must note that this is going to mean a lower quality of student than you’ll see at American University or Georgetown. Expect the student residents to enjoy a good amount of beer on the weekends. Housing here is expensive, so several students are going to live in each dwelling.
This isn’t all bad though. There are loads of restaurants here, and they aren’t the super tony type you see in Capitol Hill either. Instead, they are the nice homey restaurants you’d take your family to without breaking the bank. Furthermore, the Van Ness Metro station leads to most points in the city, so wherever you’re commuting to, you can get there quickly. In fact, the locals have a shorter commute to work here than in many other neighborhoods. To me, that’s worth paying for, so long as you don’t mind the college students. Another good thing is that Van Ness is very safe. Besides property crimes, not much goes on around there.

Van Ness is a neighborhood of approximately 1,533 residents located in the northwest section of the city. The neighborhood,which is within the boundaries of Connecticut Avenue N.W., Rodman Street N.W, Yuma Street N.W. and Reno Road N.W., is the home of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). Here you will find a little bit of everything from residential homes, commercial buildings and numerous foreign embassies along Reno Road N.W.. In 2010, the average price of a home sold here was $777,200, with over 61% being owner occupied. Homes are typically well maintained attached or detached single family homes although numerous condominiums and apartments can be found her as well.

The Sheridan School is the only educational facility here besides UDC. Residents will enjoy numerous shopping and dining experiences along Connecticut Avenue N.W.. Public transportation is great with the Van Ness Metro station being located here as well as numerous Metro Bus stops. Once you venture away from Connecticut Avenue N.W. you will find beautiful tree lied streets with dedicated green space found in the Melvin Hazen Park. Residents will need to venture out of the neighborhood to find places to worship. A negative here is that parking can be very problematic at times.

Recent crime statistics indicate that this is a very safe neighborhood, with crime being limited and focused on property type crimes. Contributing to the safety is the special Police at UDC as well as the federal Police protection around the embassies. As always review the most recent crime statistics to make an informed decision as the the crime risk in any neighborhood. Great neighborhood with lots to offer.

Van Ness is a quiet community located in northwest DC. Like many of its equally charming neighbors, its shares a border with the ever popular Rock Creek Park. Van Ness is also close the University of the District of Columbia’s campus by the same name, and has its own Metro station.

In addition UDC, Van Ness is also the home of Howard University’s Law School and the Levine School of Music. The Edmond Burke School and the Hillwood Museum round out the neighborhood’s educational and cultural icons.

The site of Fort Kearny during the Civil War, Van Ness once housed the National Bureau of Standards. In fact, at one time many families move into the area so that one or both parents could work at the Bureau.

Today, Van Ness has something of an international feel to it. That’s because the community is host to the embassies of the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Netherlands.

In addition to extensive student housing, Van Ness has a number of spacious single family homes that are popular among professors and other professional families in the neighborhood. You can meet some of these people of Saturday afternoons when they run or take their kids to play at Soapstone Valley Park.