West End Neighborhood
Section: NVA Neighborhoods
Author: Susan Isaacs, Washington DC Real Estate Strategist
West End is a sophisticated and affluent DC enclave prized for its upscale ambiance, wealth of fine dining establishments, and pivotal location.
Supersized Values, Miniscule Neighborhood
Despite being roughly 4 blocks by 4 blocks in size, the West End neighborhood is one of DC’s most expensive.
It holds this title in a very specific way. While neighborhoods like Spring Valley, Kalorama, and Georgetown dominate the list for the highest overall transaction prices for their massive single-family estates, West End routinely tops the city on a price-per-square-foot basis.
Premium Condo Market: The neighborhood has very few single-family homes. Instead, its real estate wealth is concentrated in ultra-luxury, full-service condominium buildings like 22 West, the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton and Westlight.
Best-kept Secret: 2501 Penn, a beautiful stone historic building housing just 16 trophy European-style residences of 2,200 Sft to 4,500 Sft offering penthouses with private roof terraces, garage parking and a legendary doorman.
Amenities
The West End Library and Bluestone eatery, designed by acclaimed architect Enrique Norten anchor the Westlight at the corner of 24th and L. You’ll also find luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton with its adjacent Equinox fitness club, the Fairmont, Park Hyatt, and, a hair over the border, the Four Seasons. Retail is boutique. The neighborhood is tangent to Massachusetts Avenue’s enclave of chanceries and embassies.
Nosh
West End is also home to a plateful of Michelin Star and James Beard award-winning restaurants, including Blue Duck Tavern, Imperfecto, Rasika and Ris. And Saga by Michelin-starred chef Enrique Limardo (also of Imperfecto).
Take A Walk. Bring The Bichon.
Adjacent to the Francis Park and recreation center is West End’s entrance to Rock Creek Park, with paths running to Maryland.
Why West End is desirable:
Pivotal location
Rock Creek Park access
Public tennis courts
Private residences
Luxury amenities
Platinum real estate values
Nearby:
Georgetown
Dupont Circle
Foggy Bottom
Rock Creek Park
West End History
“Westernmost”
West End was named for its location as the westernmost part of the original L’Enfant Plan for the city of Washington, before Georgetown was annexed. The early settlement was a small, predominantly African American community made up of Victorian and Federal architecture, influenced by trends in nearby Foggy Bottom, one of the District’s first neighborhoods. Warehouses were also prevalent, along what are now M and L Streets.
One of the oldest buildings in West End was also one of the first hospitals in the District. The Columbia Hospital for Women and Lying-in Asylum opened in 1870, first in the Hill Mansion at Thomas Circle and later relocated to Pennsylvania Avenue and 25th Street. Secretary of War E.N. Stanton authorized funds for the 50 bed facility, reserving 20 beds for wives and widows of Civil War soldiers. A major reconstruction in 1914 razed the original mansion and replaced it with the main building standing today. The Columbia transitioned to a private, non-profit facility during the Eisenhower administration in 1953. The hospital closed in 2002 and was converted to The Columbia Residences, a 225 unit luxury condominium, in 2006. The building includes 28,000 square feet of retail space wrapping around its exterior on 24th and 25th Streets, including Trader Joe’s.
Urban Renewal
Modern day West End is a neighborhood reinvention created by the Office of Planning and Management’s 1972 urban renewal plan. It was designed “to bring life to a declining part of the city.” The aerial photo on the study’s cover was titled “New Town for the West End.” A new in-town community was thereby born. From the late 1970’s to the early 2000’s, the West End neighborhood consisted in large part of luxury hotels serving Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom, office buildings, embassies, a few condominiums and co-ops, restaurants and retail establishments along M Street. A few of the neighborhood’s original residences remained, primarily on 24th and 25th Streets, upper 22nd and 23rd Streets and N Street, but multifamily, commercial and municipal buildings far outnumbered them. Turn-of-the-century West End joined the building boom, adding luxury condominium, apartment, office and retail buildings. In stark contrast, The West End Library building was in decline, as were the Special Operations Police Station, fire station on Square 50 and additional structures in the under-developed portion of West End dubbed Square 37, which ran along 23rd and 24th Streets, L Street and an alleyway.
Square 37 Transformation
In 2007, a plan was put forward to redevelop Square 37. It was controversial because the Tiverton, West End’s last remaining rent-controlled apartment building, was located on Square 37. Its tenants successfully fought two upzoning attempts by developers in an effort to maintain the square as it was, but in the end sold the building to Keener Squire in early 2008 as a condo conversion project. The DC Council passed emergency legislation that year to sell the West End public library branch, the Special Operations Police Station and firehouse to Eastbanc, the developer behind luxury condominium 22 West on 22nd Street. The development was named West End Projects. It included a new West End Library, a glass and concrete reduction of the previous library space, luxury condos at The Westlight, which frames the library, an adjacent boutique luxury condominium, and street-level restaurant spaces. The fire station was relocated to M Street, beneath a squash club and the developer’s boutique affordable housing concession.
Near the M Street bridge, another luxury condominium was constricted within the abandoned office space below an existing condominium. The new project, 2501 M, was anchored by the Nobu restaurant. At the same time, adjacent Francis Field was cleaned up, fenced off, lit, and banned to dogs.
Source: Wikipedia, Library of Congress
West End Schools
John Francis Education Campus (Grades PK3 -8) serves as the default, in-boundary public school for families living in the West End and Foggy Bottom neighborhoods.
High School Feeder Track: Completing 8th grade at this campus provides a right to feed directly into Cardozo Education Campus for 9-12 grades.
While the School Without Walls High School program shares an administrative link with the campus, it is a separate, city-wide application school. West End neighborhood placement does not guarantee a spot at the high school; students must apply via the competitive My School DC Lottery.
For a full, updated list of schools, visit EBIS.
Disclaimer
We are not attorneys, legal experts, investment counselors, or CPAs. The content on this channel is presented for informational purposes only and derived from reliable sources, but should not be considered legal, financial, investment, transaction or real estate practice advice. Susan Isaacs and Compass, their principals and/or representatives, do not guarantee or warrant its accuracy, completeness, or applicability to any specific real estate transaction. Homebuyers should read applicable D.C. law and code as part of their due diligence, and seek help from licensed, qualified professionals for interpretation and application to their specific transaction.