LeDroit Park is one of DC’s smaller neighborhoods. It is primarily a residential neighborhood, but more recently it has become home to many new small restaurants, bars, shopping facilities, spas and the new Inizio salon owned by the amazing hair stylist Jayson Bonetti. The Royal – an early-morning to late-night cafe with South American flare has become a key focus in the neighborhood. It serves as a coffee shop during the day, and a cocktail bar with some great food at night.
LeDroit Park sits close to two Metro Rail stops: U Street/Cardozo subway station and Shaw- Howard University station. It was one of the very first suburbs in DC. Many of its Victorian houses, rowhouses and mansions were developed and marketed as a romantic neighborhood with narrow tree-lined streets. Developers here placed extensive focus on its landscaping which involved planting flower beds and trees to attract high profile city professionals. LeDroit Park has since retained many of its historic qualities while clearly evolving into a place with all the elements of modernity. It’s currently on the upswing with houses having been and continuing to be restored. And, just a few years ago there was a street named after the late Chuck Brown, the God-Father of Go-Go, a style of music that he made famous and Washington, D.C. has become known for.
If you’re interested in academics, you’ll be delighted to know that LeDroit Park is home to Howard University which sits on its northern border. The neighborhood is bounded by Rhode Island and Florida Avenues to the south and 2nd Street to the east. The Howard University Hospital is on its western border. Several other structures belonging to the University are located within the neighborhood. The 100 year-old Howard Theater located across Florida Avenue is now open and is a people’s destination for concerts and events.
The James McGill-designed Victorian homes which LeDroit Park is popular for are undergoing major renovations all over. A lot of the older homes in the neighborhood have undergone full restoration from block to block and now sell upwards of $1.5 Million. The neighborhood has also taken on the trend of basement rentals (INCLUDING THE POPULAR AIR BNB) since the homes are usually 3-5 stories. This allows buyers to have rental income which helps supplement mortgages.
Currently there are brand new row houses, luxury condos, and boxy apartment buildings – all covered in delightful colors with small gardens all around them. Some of the older houses have been divided into condos, with more condominiums on the way. Still, the multiple-roofed detached Victorian homes remain the unique, dominant architecture of the neighborhood.
There has been increased activity in the housing industry here in 2017. House prices have shot up, with the current median sales price standing at $955 000. This makes LeDroit Park one of the neighborhoods in DC that have experienced the best price appreciation in 2017. With its well-maintained homes and new activity everywhere, LeDroit Park is certainly a neighborhood to behold.