Good Deal or Not? Reader Request – When Will H St., NE Become Like U St., NW?

This home is located at 920 3rd Street, NE:

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The flier says:

“Wonderful 2BR + Den Victorian located between Union Station, H Street NE and NOMA. This home features 2 full baths, hardwood floors, skylight, fireplace, remodeled kitchen and patio.”

More infor found here.

The reader writes:

“It is 1 block to H St, 4 blocks to Union Station and 5 blocks to New York Ave Station and the tram tracks are FINALLY going in on H St after years of discussion. But, it could be a “sketchy” neighborhood (hahahahaha, love that word) as it is so descriptive and everyone understands exactly what it “means”. Another aspect of this is that once someone crosses H st the prices seem to fall off a bit compared to say F St or G St and does this price fit the North H St pricing?

Also, another question that may be interesting for your readers is how long do they think it will take for H St to become more like U St? H is “great” around 12th and 13th where there are restaurants and music venues, but there is not a ton of retail / restaurants in between that attract a lot of foot traffic. What will need to be done to improve it and will the Tram help H St prosper?”

This house is going for $425,000. I find it very unusual that there are no photos for a house at that price particularly if it has been renovated. But to address the reader’s questions – personally I think it is a bit of a gamble. It is a gamble that I would take. (I’m talking about the neighborhood not the specific house.) While H St, NE is more lively around 12th Street I do believe the development will ultimately expand toward 3rd St. For me I moved to Petworth before there were any destination spots aside for the Hitching Post. I loved my house and I loved the feel of the neighborhood. I hoped that development with new destination spots would arrive. Thankfully they have and are still coming. I believe the same will happen to the H Street, NE area. But look, if you or your wife don’t feel comfortable then it’s probably not a good idea. Because a gamble is a gamble and you should like the neighborhood as it is because you never know how long it will take for the development to occur. Of course, you should keep in mind that you’ll be very close (in my opinion) to lots of good stuff. As for H St, NE becoming like U Street, NW that will probably depend on the economy rebounding. But I’ve heard folks say it is generally 5-7 years behind. What do you guys think?