“Eckington is basically like the new Bloomingdale. Shaw is like the next Columbia Heights. Navy Yard is like the new Eckington.”

And

“Let’s get some grilled cheese at Big Bear.”

SocialStudies says that “whether you’re a native Washingtonian or a DC transplant, chances are you’ve heard people say all of these . . . sometimes in one night.”

Check it out!

List Price: $629,999

This completely remodeled Victorian was built in 1900 and has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. At just over 2,000-square-feet, the home includes a finished basement, which spans about half the length of the house and includes a wet bar.  

Like many of its neighboring residences in Eckington, the biggest draw during the open house was the spacious and light-filled master suite.   

The pub, situated in the heart of the neighborhood’s restaurant scene, is located at 116 Rhode Island Ave NW at the southwestern corner of the intersection with First Street. An ode to DC’s roots, Boundary Stone takes its name from the stones laid to shape the city and its aesthetics from the news world’s old world – with incandescent Edison bulbs, copper ceiling tiles and tons of reclaimed wood.

For food, the bar has a consistent menu of soups, salads and sandwiches and features a different entree special each night. Saturday night’s pick was Chicken Confit. For drink, they’ve got a pretty even split between obscure and well-known beers, ranging from $3 to $6.50.

Check back for more photos and info in the coming weeks. In the meantime, visit Boundary Stone’s website and Prince of Petworth’s lovely shots of its interior.

If you have a barren planter outside those bounds or your tree is in need of some TLC, call 311 or use DC’s online service center to request planting, pruning or removal. A tip from ANC commissioner Timothy Clark: To prevent crowding growing trees, avoid planting deep-rooted flowers in sidewalk boxes.

List Price: $699,923

Houses have been flying off the market in Eckington this summer, and this one was no exception.

This is your typical, stately Eckington Victorian, built in 1905 and brought back to life with a quality renovation. At about 1,700 square feet, the home has 5 bedrooms and 3.5 baths and includes a rentable in-law suite in the basement that will likely rent for $1,300+.

We caught the first open house and thought it was lovely.

“I hope it finds new owners who love the house, but more importantly, the neighborhood, as much as we did. Not suggesting they have to take over this blog, but they at least will have to put my spare Eckington bumper sticker on their car.”

Two days later, we walked into the house that’s now our home, and by that evening the ink was dry on the deal. So Jay’s house is now our house. And for now, we’ve got a sticker-free bumper. But we love our house, we love the neighborhood and we love this blog.

Here’s to Jay— for four years, 105 posts and nearly 20,000 views.

105 R ST NE

Our house is officially on the market:

105 R ST NE – $429,000

Open House
Sunday, May 1st, 1 – 4 pm

I hope it finds new owners who love the house, but more importantly, the neighborhood, as much as we did.

Not suggesting they have to take over this blog, but they at least will have to put my spare Eckington bumper sticker on their car.

Beating Engine Company 12 (a.k.a. “EC-12″; “Firehouse”) out of the gate, Todd Gray (of the wonderful Equinox restaurant) has opened the neighborhood’s first upscale restaurant.  Watershed bills itself as “a neighborhood gathering place featuring nationally acclaimed Chef Todd Gray’s homage to the regions of the Eastern Seaboard with his signature modern and approachable culinary interpretations of coastal dining.”

Eckington Punch

My wife ate lunch outside on their patio yesterday and could not resist getting the “Eckington Punch”–a cocktail that will have daily alterations.

See the “Restaurants” page for more info, such as food offerings, hours and a note about bringing your dog…

This week we will be placing our house (105 R St NE) on the market with an open house on Sunday. I plan on writing a more lengthy post about our time here in Eckington and how much it has changed in just the 4+ years since we arrived.

If you have any questions about the house, please contact our Realtor, Lee Murphy.

• Washington, D.C. (3.6% annual growth)
• San Diego (0.1% annual growth)

Moreover, the Washington area was the only one where prices rose from the month before, albeit a miniscule 0.1 percent gain.  From the report:

“Washington DC appears to be the only market that has weathered the recent storm.  While it was up only 0.1% for the month of January, it’s annual rate was a relatively healthy +3.6%, it is still +10.7% above its March 2009 low, and ranks number one among the 20 markets as its average value is almost 85% above its January 2000 level.”

What makes Washington so resilient to the housing collapse that continues to engulf the country?  A couple of opinions:

Maureen Maitland, vice president of S&P Indices, said the Washington area’s relative strength derives in part from a lack of inventory glut. “Washington’s land mass for new construction is pretty low, and it attracts new jobs,” she said.

…..

Stephen Fuller, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, attributed the Washington area’s performance to strong job growth among private and government employers. The metro area had 74,600 more jobs in February than it did a year earlier, he said, and only 8,000 of them were in government. The retail, hospitality, health and education, and professional and business services sectors recorded job gains, he said. “Even construction was up by 5,000 jobs.”

“People have been moving here,” Fuller said. “That’s why we have a 3 percent vacancy rate for rentals compared to 6 percent nationally.”

Source: Washington Post