Wesley Heights

Wesley Heights is a heavily wooded neighborhood of approximately 3,280 residents located in the northwest section of the city. The neighborhood’s boundaries are generally defined as being within the footprint of Garfield Avenue N.W., Nebraska Avenue N.W. and New Mexico Avenue N.W. In 2010, the average price of a home sold here was $830,250 with 55% of the homes being owner occupied. Homes here tend to large and well maintained detached single family homes situated on large lots.. As with many neighborhoods there is a commercial component to the neighborhood as well, primarily along New Mexico Avenue N.W.

Although the neighborhood is primarily residential in nature, it is home to Horace Mann Elementary School. There are no dedicated recreational facilities are located in Wesley Heights, so residents will need to look for private alternatives. Although there are a limited number of restaurants and stores along New Mexico Avenue N.W.; they are somewhat restricted in their offerings so many will want to venture out for these activities. Public transportation is available with numerous Metro Bus stops being located in the neighborhood, but there is no Metro station nearby. Dedicated green space is excellent, with the neighborhood being flanked on three sides by Battery Kemble Park, Wesley Heights Park and Glover Archbold Park.

Crime is where the neighborhood will appeal to many. Recent crime statistics indicate that crimes against people and property are infrequent. As always check the most recent crime statistics and make an informed decision as to the crime risk in any neighborhood. I really like this neighborhood primarily due to the green space.

Wesley Heights is another one of those well-heeled neighborhoods located near everything, but not IN everything. An early subdivision, it is made up of very large single-family homes and a few subdivided condos. It is definitely a hideaway for the rich, because the homes are very expensive. These beautiful homes are surrounded by yards on large lots. The streets are lined with trees, and some residents enjoy gardening. Even though it is close to American University, there aren’t any students due to the rents being entirely too high. Furthermore, the neighborhood is quiet. There is a Metro station that serves American University, but it isn’t terribly convenient to Wesley Heights. Some busses go through here, but I would suggest that someone living here have a car.
Because of the affluence and quietness of this neighborhood, there is almost no crime. While Georgetown suffers from some crimes of opportunity, we don’t see that so much in Wesley heights, largely because people don’t normally drive through here without a good reason. In addition, there are usually burglar alarms and a strong sense of community. Political action is important to these folks, as they want to maintain the quality of their lives. As the old saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Wesley Heights is a small, affluent neighborhood just south of American University in Washington, DC. Its spacious lots feature new large, custom built homes and older brick or stone homes from the 1920s and 30s. These can all be reached by following winding roads up and down shallow hills, occasionally crossing a shallow stream.

While the first homes in Wesley Heights sold for from $7,500 to $9,000, current houses in the neighborhood sell for more than ten times that. But then, as now, residents were paying for more than just a nice place to live. For instance, there was the property’s original estate, which the developer converted to an elegant clubhouse. Here they could attend everything from dances to July 4th fireworks.

In addition to the clubhouse, Wesley Heights is now also graced by the 183 acre Glover Archbold Park full of quiet paths running through a dark shady forest, as well as several small restaurants and high end shops.

If this lifestyle sounds like something you’d enjoy, but the price for a single family home is too high, you can always look at one of the townhouses or condominiums located on New Mexico Avenue. These are still available for as low as $350K.