michael k. wilkinson, photographs

This house is located at 4026 Arkansas Ave, NW:

View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Meticulously maintained mid-cenutry modern across the street from Rock Creek Park with 3 bedrooms/3 baths, in-law suite, oak floors, CAC, & off-street parking. Updated kitchen & baths, sunny & spacious. Convenient location just off of 16th Street. Why buy a condo when you could have a house? and no monthly fee. Freshly painted and ready to move right into.”

You can find more info here and a virtual tour here.

Thanks to Michael for the heads up and the photos. This is one of my favorite blocks in the city. While I wish it was a bit closer walking distance to restaurants, I’ll just say it – if I were looking I’d buy this one in a heartbeat. What do you think – $439,000 sound right for this 3 bed/3 bath?

Photo by PoPville flickr user ericandkatherine

Nevermind that the list seems a bit arbitrary. Never mind that Ballston is on it. PoPville represent!

From a press release:

As Americans widely embrace the “green revolution”, residents of the greater D.C. area interested in eco-friendly living should check out the newly released Top Green Neighborhood list published by MRIS, the nation’s largest multiple listings service (MLS) which offers nearly 75,000 local homes listings via its consumer website, Homesdatabase.com.

MRIS compiled the list by collecting the most recent MLS data, and surveying local parks and area green initiatives. Based on this hyperlocal data, MRIS notes the following as the top green neighborhoods in the greater D.C. area:

* Ballston (VA)
Ballston is showing clear efforts to educate the public about environmental improvements, through its initiative to reduce emissions, and its innovation in building Virginia’s first LEED platinum house.

* Bethesda (MD)
Bethesda is home to DC’s first Passive Design House. It also has a number of green initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and implement green jobs.

* Capitol Hill (DC)
Capitol Hill is abundant with green homes and buildings and offers close proximity to the city’s largest farmer’s market and famous green spaces and gardens -most notably the Botanical Gardens.

* Crestwood (DC)
Crestwood borders Rock Creek Park, which contains 1,754 acres of green space and nature-related activities. Crestwood also has a neighborhood plan to conserve and preserve their community.

* Columbia Heights(DC)
Columbia Heights is home to DC’s first solar powered condos, as well as DC’s largest residential solar thermal project.

* Mount Rainier (MD)
Mount Rainier has a number of green building initiatives and projects, as well as an abundance of green space including the Mount Rainier Nature and Recreation Center.

* Old Town Alexandria (VA)
Old Town Alexandria is the home to the first LEED certified condo building in the state of Virginia. It also takes part in all of Alexandra’s green initiatives, including the Green Building Policy and the Go Green Alexandria project.

* Petworth (DC)
Petworth is home to DC’s first LEED platinum condo development and it encompasses a number of parks and lush green areas, including Rock Creek Cemetery.

* Takoma Park (MD)
Takoma Park features 17 acres of green space and parks, including Sligo Creek Park. It is also home to a number of green buildings and community projects.

* Woodley Park (DC)
Woodley Park is surrounded by green space and offers a number of public transportation options. Woodley Park is in walking distance to the National Zoo and a number of local parks, including the largest in DC, Rock Creek Park.

This home is located at 4715 17th St, NW:

View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Without doubt, this is one of the best Tudor Revivals in the city. In stunning condition with virtually every original detail intact, a truly rare jewel among houses of its type. Breathtaking interior spaces with large public rooms, a detached two-car garage, spectacular solarium, full basement with 9′ ceilings and three finished floors, this listing offers quality in every corner.”

You can find more info here and a virtual tour here.

This was originally recommended by a reader because they thought it was (former) Mayor Fenty’s home. After you look at the wild virtual tour you will see why that is so funny. This 6 bed/4bath home is yours for $1,325,000. What’s your favorite room/feature in this house?

Voted one of the best real estate agents in DC by the Washington City Paper Readers’ Choice Poll in 2009, hipchickindc aka the not-so-hip Suzanne Des Marais is an Associate Broker with Urban Pace. She lives (and sells a lot of houses) in Bloomingdale, but works all over DC, with everyone from first time buyers to highly regarded developers. Unless specifically noted, neither she nor the company that she is affiliated with represented any of the parties or were directly involved in the transaction reported below. Unless otherwise noted, the source of information is Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), which is the local multiple listing system. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Property: 1860 Upshur St NW
Legal Subdivision: Crestwood
Advertised Subdivision per Listing: Crestwood
Original List Price: $895,000.
List Price at Contract: $799,000.
List Date: 04/26/2010
Days on Market: 149
Settled Sales Price: $795,000.
Settlement Date: 11/08/2010
Seller Subsidy: $250.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional

Original GDoN is: here.

The Listing can be seen: here. Here is the virtual tour.

I’ve been working on a listing in Crestwood since early Spring (currently under contract), and I have to say that I am surprised that more buyers on the hunt for a detached single family house do not include Crestwood in their searches. Sandwiched between Rock Creek Park and 16th Street NW, Crestwood is an enclave of handsome and often unique properties surrounded by parkland, yet with easy access to downtown. Recent sales in Crestwood have included the house built by Giant Foods powerhouse Izzy Cohen, as well as the home that the prolific Crestwood developer, Paul Stone, built for himself in 1938. Those listings can be seen here.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

On Sunday in the middle of the day I saw this group of huge deer in Crestwood chilling in someone’s front yard. It made me nervous how close they were to the road:

There were three of ‘em:

They really didn’t seem to care that I was photographing them either. One of them even stopped to pose:

This home is located at 1860 Upshur St, NW:

View Larger Map

The flier says:

“This Greek Revival house has been masterfully renovated, from the gourmet kitchen to the spectacular master bathroom clad entirely in tumbled Travertine. The house maintains its original charm throughout while being brought to today’s exacting expectations. Beautifully landscaped garden, attached garage, two fireplaces and potential au pair suite make this a great offering in Crestwood.”

You can find more info here and a virtual tour here.

Wow, I didn’t think the virtual tour was gonna be that sweet. That’s a fantastic kitchen. What’s your favorite room? So this house has been on the market for 149 days. Original asking was $895,000. It’s now on the market for $799,000. What do you think it’ll go for?

View Larger Map

WBJ’s Michael Neibauer has a great report on 14th St development plans:

District planners are eyeing a 1.8-mile stretch of 14th Street NW for a makeover, one that may usher in a streetcar line, a redeveloped Metro bus garage and a more diverse commercial lineup along a corridor often overshadowed by Columbia Heights just to the south.

Running north from Spring Road to Madison Street, the Central 14th Street corridor drives through several middle-income communities, including Petworth, 16th Street Heights, Brightwood Park and Crestwood. Minority-owned storefronts, generally neighborhood-serving retail, dot the strip. A century-old Metro bus garage, which D.C. government planners deem “potentially historic,” comprises two blocks between 14th Street and Iowa Avenue.

Read the rest of the story here.

IMG_2185, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

I told you Blagden Ave. in Crestwood was pretty sweet. Check out the two decks to the left and the right as well as the gigantic window in the middle. Awesome.

IMG_2176, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

I found this one on Blagden Avenue in Crestwood. It’s got a sweet door too. But man – wait for some others later in the week from the same block. They are incredible. While we’re on this house though, I’m curious if there are fans of ranch houses?

IMG_2180, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

This cool piece is from Crestwood.

Here’s an odd sight I caught up in Crestwood. Now, of course we’ve all seen shoes thrown up in wires like this but have you ever seen logs up there?  The sky was crap so the photos didn’t come out that well but one of the logs has a wire going directly through it. Totally stumped me. Any explanations?

Not only are the homes in Crestwood sweet but so are the garages! Do you like the look of this one?

IMG_1545, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

Not sure if you can tell from this photo but the tree coming out of the bush is painted gold. It’s up in Crestwood.

This home is located at 1608 Buchanan Street, NW:

View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Stately, elegant and tastefully renovated four-square on a deep, lush and beautifully landscaped lot in beautiful Crestwood. Original details include hardwood floors, pocket doors, tranquil porches and verandas and window seats updated with a spacious and attractive in-law suite with a second kitchen & washer/dryer on the lower level, a renovated eat-in kitchen, and other amenities.”

You can find more info here and a virtual tour here.

I found lots of great homes in Crestwood on Monday so I thought it only fitting to put one up as the weekly Wed. House Porn GDoN. What do you think of the home itself? It’s yours for $995,000.

IMG_1560, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

Another from Crestwood. I thought the stone on the sides was pretty unusual.