Just blocks from The White House and the National Mall, Penn Quarter is where politicians, diplomats, lawyers and ambitious young professionals mingle at swanky restaurants, electrifying arena concerts and rousing theater performances. Punctuated by the Capital One Arena, the Chinatown district and the National Portrait Gallery, Penn Quarter is a hub of entertainment, art and culture.
Rick Morrison, a local Realtor with Long & Foster, says there’s a bustling, lively atmosphere in Penn Quarter that only a few call home. “The people that want to buy in the Penn Quarter are here lightly for business. They’re in and out multiple times a month, so they need a pied-à-terre or somewhere to lay their head,” he says. “There are some people who decide to buy in the Penn Quarter that live there year-round, but they are often from what I would consider much higher glass-and-steel cities and want to live in a dense area.”
While Penn Quarter has become one of the hottest neighborhoods in the district, it wasn’t always this way. “It was kind of seedy back when I was growing up,” says Sterling Mehring, a Realtor with Long & Foster and a native of the D.C. metropolitan area who has worked in the real estate industry since the early 1970s. “There were disreputable businesses. Getting rid of those was a precondition of redevelopment. The Metro and the Capital One Center laid the groundwork for development, and then all the hot new restaurants moved in.”
Eclectic dining scene featuring restaurants by Jose Andres and Guy Fieri
Feasting in the neighborhood means making a choice between upscale experiences at restaurants like barmini or Jaleo by celebrity chef Jose Andres – two of several restaurants the Michelin-winning restauranteur owns in the area – or popping into casual spots like Ella's Wood Fired Kitchen. The faces of other celebrity chefs also adorn windows at Guy Fieri’s DC Kitchen + Bar in the Capital One Arena and at Gordon Ramsay’s soon-to-open Street Pizza.
Options abound, from fast food to upscale steakhouses and authentic Chinese food. “Penn Quarter used to be all Chinatown,” Mehring says, “and it still preserves much of that culture.” Cross under the towering Friendship Arch to find restaurants like Full Kee and NewBigWong, one of Eater Magazine’s “Essential Late-Night Food” choices. There are also several eateries around the Capital One Center where huge crowds regularly watch the Washington Capitals take the ice or the Washington Wizards and Georgetown University Hoyas play basketball. When the home teams are away, folks can catch the game at neighborhood sports bars like Penn Social, place live bets at the Caesar’s Sportsbook in the arena or gather with friends to go bowling or see a movie at the Gallery Place mall next door.
Locals living in Penn Quarter also have prime access to the luxury stores at CityCenterDC, like Bulgari, Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton. The mixed-use space also houses steakhouses, gelato shops and Italian restaurants. For groceries, medicine and other essentials, people typically walk a half mile north to the Safeway just off New York Avenue.
Steps from The National Mall, museums and Ford's Theatre
Penn Quarter is named for Pennsylvania Avenue, the iconic thoroughfare that runs along the neighborhood’s southern edge. Just steps away is the National Mall, where two pebbled walking paths lead to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and branches of Smithsonian Museums like the Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art. “The National Mall functions as the green space” for people living in Penn Quarter, says Morrison, who previously managed a restaurant in the community. “When I would go on my lunch break, I would go run there, shower at the gym on G Street and then go back to work.”
Inside Penn Quarter, the permanent exhibition in the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery features several presidential portraits from various painters. Visitors can also lunch in its large atrium with green gardens. Connected to the Portrait Gallery is the American Art Museum, where people can trace the nation's progression chronicled in fine art. History buffs visit Ford’s Theatre, the infamous backdrop of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, furnished with exact replicas of its original 1865 décor. Locals can still catch plays in the historic space four times a year. For shows year-round, try Warner Theatre, which opened its doors in 1924 and stages everything from rock concerts to comedy shows under its gold leaf, chandeliered ceilings.
Condos with city views
Condo units of all sizes, in renovated prewar neoclassical buildings with stately columns and new modernist high rises, line the streets throughout Penn Quarter. Studio and one-bedroom apartments are priced between $270,000 and $715,000. The higher the floor, the higher the price point. Homeowners association fees for these options range from $450 to $800 and include access to amenities like fitness rooms, rooftop terraces, pest control, sewer and trash fees. “A lot of the new residents are millennials working for the government,” says Mehring. “They’ve got everything they need right outside their doors.” At the top of the market, 1,300 to 2,000-square-foot condos with two to four bedrooms and views of the famously low-lying city sell for $1 to $5 million. Homeowners association fees for these options are much steeper, anywhere from $1,400 to $4,300 a month.
Easy access to the D.C. Metro
In the heart of Penn Quarter, the Gallery Place-Chinatown stop next to the Capital One Center is a major hub for the Metro rail system, averaging about 9,600 daily passengers on the Red, Green and Yellow Lines. In addition to the nearby Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter stop on the Green and Yellow Lines in the DC Metro system, Penn Quarter is also the site of the Judiciary Square stop on the Red Line. While much of Penn Quarter is oriented toward entertainment, the Judiciary Square section of the community is far more sober and reverent with the city’s district courthouse, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
People can access medical care at George Washington Hospital, which is 2.5 miles away. To travel outside the city, locals can make the nearly 4.5-mile drive along George Washington Memorial Parkway to reach Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. There’s also an Amtrak stop at Union Station less than a mile east.
STEM program offered at Cardozo Education Campus
District of Columbia Public Schools serves students living in Penn Quarter. They may attend Thomson Elementary School, which earns a B rating from Niche and was the first elementary school in the district to become an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme World School. They’ll later filter into B-minus-rated Cardozo Education Campus, which serves sixth through 12th grades. Students can enroll in the school’s TransSTEM Academy, offering computer science and engineering courses.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
FOR SALE: Bright, South-Facing, 6th Floor, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom, 1 Balcony Home is now For Sale. This home has Wall to Wall Wood Flooring and Granite Kitchen Countertops. THE BUILDING INCLUDES: A 24/7 concierge, a newly updated private twenty seat home theatre room, and in the basement there is a live professional performance theater (The Wholly Mammoth Theater), there are two fitness
Just updated and move-in ready! The Residences at Gallery Place puts you in the center of it all- Metro, Capital One Arena, restaurants, coffee, shopping, concerts, you name it. Inside you've got brand new stainless steel appliances, fresh paint from top to bottom and all new lighting that makes the space feel bright and modern. The open layout features hardwood floors, oversized windows, a
FOR RENT: Bright, North-Facing, 9th Floor, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom Home with a Balcony is now For Rent. This fenced-in Balcony provides unobstructed views of the Tranquil, Landscaped Courtyard. The Balcony is also also covered to provide the new homeowner shelter from rain. This home has Wall to Wall Bamboo plank flooring, an Electric Range, Granite Countertops, and an extra wide Garden Tub. THE
Modern Living at The Artisan – Stylish Corner 1BR/1BA in Penn QuarterWelcome to this charming corner unit offering the best of city living in the heart of Penn Quarter. This 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom home features gorgeous bamboo flooring, a gourmet kitchen with maple cabinetry, granite countertops, and gas cooking. The spacious walk-in closet and in-unit washer/dryer add everyday convenience.
Nestled on a tranquil interior corner, this exquisite residence offers serene views of lush greenery and private garden terraces, creating a "treehouse" ambiance in the heart of the city. Floor-to-ceiling sliding windows that open wide, envelop you in the serenity of the trees and make for the perfect retreat from the action of the city. Spanning over 1,150 square feet, this spacious unit
FOR RENT: Bright, North-Facing, 9th Floor, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom Home with a Balcony is now For Rent. This fenced-in Balcony provides unobstructed views of the Tranquil, Landscaped Courtyard. The Balcony is also also covered to provide the new homeowner shelter from rain. This home has Wall to Wall Bamboo plank flooring, an Electric Range, Granite Countertops, and an extra wide Garden Tub. THE
FOR RENT is a South Facing, SEMI Furnished, Spacious 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Home with Wood Flooring Throughout. The kitchen has Stainless Steel Kitchen Appliances, Granite Countertops, and a Tiled Backsplash in the Kitchen. There are Walk-in Closets throughout, the bathroom has an Extra wide Garden bathtub, the home has access to high-speed internet connections and much more. Building features:
FOR RENT: A Bright, Junior (furnished/unfurnished) 1 Bedroom Home is now available for rent in the Clara Barton - Lafayette Condominiums. The home comes with built in shelving and has Electric Kitchen SS Appliances, Granite Counter tops, a Breakfast Overhang Bar, Under Cabinet Lighting, and a Garbage Disposal system in the kitchen. The home hardwood flooring throughout all the living spaces. The
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Tyler Siperko,
an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Renters
Demographics
Total Population
3,121
Median Age
42
Population Density
17 ppl/acre
Population under 18
11.8%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
13.9%
Below the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$150,250
Significantly above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$173,940
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
98%
College Graduates
86.6%
Significantly above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
56.4%
Significantly above the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
82.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
42''
Average Winter Low Temperature
31°F
Average Summer High Temperature
89°F
Annual Snowfall
13''
Area Factors
Biker's Paradise
Bike Score®
91/ 100
Walker's Paradise
Walk Score®
99/ 100
Rider's Paradise
Transit Score®
100/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
