Good Deal or Not? “Close to restaurants & nightlife but not too close” edition

Columns

by Prince Of Petworth November 9, 2010 at 1:00 pm 17 Comments

This condo is located at 2444 Ontario Rd, NW:

The flier says:

“Another spectacular condo project by Dashlar LLC. All new construction. 2 BR & 2 FB. Premium finishes. Gourmet kitchen w/ granite counters & stainless appliances. Luxurious baths w/ travertine tiles. In-unit W/ D, hardwood floors, low condo fees. Private deck plus common roofdeck w/ great views. Close to restaurants & nightlife but not too close. Parking available.”

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

At first I was just going to use this a ‘judging pop ups post’ but then I saw some units for sale. I think the units look pretty good. What do you think of the virtual tour?

Unit 1 is a 2bed/2bath that has gone under contract for $539,000. Unit 2 (our GDoN post) is a 2bed/2bath going for $585,000 ($175 condo fee). And Unit 4 is a 2bed/2bath going for $649,000 ($175 condo fee).

And out of curiosity – what do you think of the building itself?

Tanya

Reasonable price (okay, unreasonable price [way too expensive in DC], but within the margin for DC) and I like the units. The building seems to clash with the two houses on either side. But if you ignore the outside, I like the inside.
Well

I like a lot of aspects of this. I think you can find a place in Logan Circle/U Street for about the same price. 18th Street isnt the destination it once was.
- CA
  
  Why is it difficult for Washingtonians to believe that the cost of a condo in one n’hood is the same cost of a condo in another? The city really isn’t that large and eventually that’s what we’re going to have on our hands.
  
  Those condo fees are rather low….might need to raise them once ownership is turned over.
  - Well
    
    uh… what? If you’re condescending, at least make sense.
    - CA
      
      What confuses you? I was simply stating that for you 18th Street isn’t what it once was, but to others it is and maybe even more than it once was.
      
      We may be saying the same thing: a condo in Logan/U can cost $500k+ and therefore is another option to Adams Morgan. The two can coexist and that…is okay without devaluing one over the other.
      
      My second point was that the condo fees are low and the seller probably has them set to be an easy sell; however, I question the ability of the condo association to maintain the building with a budget of ~$700 a month.
  - Tres
    
    Because one neighborhood is more desirable than another. I agree with Well — there are other options out there at this price, in neighborhoods with metro access, more amenities, etc. Not to scoff too heartily at this. You do have Harris Jeeter and an assortment of restaurants on 18th. U Street’s not far either.
    - Tres
      
      Derek Jeeter is in NY. The Harris Teeter is nearby.
  - Ghost of Your Free Time
    
    You so crazy. Columbia Heights is hot precisely because people can’t afford AdMo or Mt. P anymore. It still can’t compete with Adams Morgan for desirability, you’ve got the green space parks, Rock Creek Park and zoo access, it’s slightly closer to downtown, bus and taxi access is great, Woodley Metro is very close, I agree the restaurants could be better but there’s the 24 hour diner, Rhumba, Cashion’s etc. not to mention the live music venues and the eye candy hottie parade.
    - Well
      
      who said anything about Columbia Heights?
    - Tres
      
      If you’re 26, you can’t afford this condo. If you’re 36 and can, you don’t care for the vomiting hotties of 18th. You’re coupled off or prefer a lady in a suit. I will concede, however, that Rumba Cafe is worth offering another $20,000 or so. Amortized, that’s about $100/month, which is a fair price for easy access to their mojitos.
      - anon
        
        I’m 41, and I’ll take the vomiting hotties over a haus frau in a suit any day. As for the condo; for that money, you can get a nice TH on Capitol Hill, which is exactly what I did.
      - Anonymous
        
        I’m in my 20’s and my partner and I could afford this, but we’re going for a house on Capitol Hill as well (although, contrary to what anon claims you’ll need a bit more than 500-600k to buy one at this time).
Chalk

Yesterday’s GDoN is a tough act to follow. I’m still blinded by it’s awesomeness.
Recent CoHi Buyer

Bought a unit in another project these guys did in Columbia Heights and they are great builders. They do top notch work and have fair prices.
Anonymous

that “architecture” is just boring. what happened to style? are rectangles and squares the only thing that people know how to build anymore?

the area is great!
anon

I checked these out, and unless you live on the top floor unit, you can really hear the people walking above you. I would find that annoying.
Laura

That backsplash in the kitchen reminds me of the color test at the eye doctor! Yikes! (Rest of the place is nice though)

Subscribe to our mailing list