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Penn Quarter

Penn Quarter

$634,758 Average Value
$746 Average Price per Sq Ft
43 Homes For Sale

Lively living in Penn Quarter

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.

Sara Ferguson
Written By
Sara Ferguson
Anna Cheng
Photography Contributed By
Anna Cheng
Brandon Flash Craigie
Video By
Brandon Flash Craigie

Agents Specializing in this Area

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Schools

Source:
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Parks in this Area

Transit

Airport

Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl

9 min drive

Subway

Archives-Navy Memorial

Subway

Metro Center

Subway

Gallery Place-Chinatown

Bus

F St NW & 13th St NW

Bus

E St NW & 8th St NW

Bus

7th St NW & G St NW

Bus

14th St & F St NW

Bus

7th St NW & F St NW

Bus

E St NW & 9th St NW

Bus

7th St NW & E St NW

Penn Quarter Demographics and Home Trends

Housing Trends

Median List Price
$522,000
Median Sale Price
$560,000
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$1,000,000
Median Change From 1st List Price
0%
Last 12 months Home Sales
59
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
14%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$746

Neighborhood Facts

Number of Homes in Neighborhood
952
Number of Homes for Sale
43
Median Year Built
2004
Months of Supply
8.70
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,068
Significantly below the national average
1,924
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
1,258
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
740
Average Studio Size Sq Ft
529

Open Houses

  • Saturday, Sep 20
    2 - 4pm

    801 Pennsylvania Ave NW Unit 1125, Washington, DC 20004

    $424,900

    • 1 Bed
    • 1 Bath
    • 601 Sq Ft
    • 801 Pennsylvania Ave NW
    • Unit 1125
    • New 2 days ago

    OPEN SATURDAY 9/20 2-4. Welcome to The Residences at Market Square! This is a exceptional opportunity to have an urban oasis in bustling Penn Quarter! There are unbelievable views of DC from the shared rooftop including the Capitol and Monument. The expansive rooftop also sports a pool, gas grills, seating and mature plantings. A unique feature of the property is that it is one of only a few

    Lee Murphy Washington Fine Properties, LLC

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  • Saturday, Sep 20
    1 - 3pm

    631 D St NW Unit 1231, Washington, DC 20004

    $499,000

    • 1 Bed
    • 1 Bath
    • 810 Sq Ft
    • 631 D St NW
    • Unit 1231
    • New 3 days ago

    OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, 9/20 AND SUNDAY 9/21--1-3 PM!Sophisticated 1-Bedroom Penthouse with Monument Views – The Lafayette at Penn QuarterWelcome to this sun-drenched 1-bedroom PENTHOUSE in the elegant Lafayette at Penn Quarter. Boasting an open, modern layout and natural light throughout, this sophisticated residence is a rare find in the heart of DC.Interior Features:-Brand

    Donna Mank Compass

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  • Tuesday, Sep 23
    1 - 5pm

    631 D St NW Unit 635, Washington, DC 20004

    $435,000

    • 1 Bed
    • 1 Bath
    • 740 Sq Ft
    • 631 D St NW
    • Unit 635
    • New 5 days ago

    FOR SALE (Lafayette #635) A Bright, North/West-Facing, 6th Floor, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom, Corner Home is now available For Sale. This home has Berber Carpeting in the Living Areas and Bedroom, and has Views into the Internal Courtyard to the North, and views of the City to the West . The home comes Granite Countertops. THE BUILDING INCLUDES: A 24/7 concierge, private twenty seat home theatre

    Thomas Lee EXP Realty, LLC

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Distribution of Home Values

Source: Public Records

Homes for Sale

Homes for Rent

Condo Buildings

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.

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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.
NEIGHBORHOOD
Penn Quarter