Home Buyer's Guide: The Hot Zones

While giving a tour of Northwest Washington's Petworth neighborhood, Nadia Nejaime lets us in on a little secret: She thinks real estate in Petworth is a steal.

"You can get a relatively big house for your money," says Nejaime, a real estate agent with DC Living Real Estate. "A half-a-million-dollar house in Petworth? That same house, if you picked it up and moved it to Cleveland Park, would be, at a minimum, $300,000 to $400,000 more."

"Very green, very leafy" streets give minutes-from-downtown Petworth a suburban feel, Nejaime says. And since this 'hood — which gets its name from a 19th-century horse farm once located here — is in the midst of a face-lift by District and private developers, the zone is gaining an assortment of condos, apartments and mixed-use buildings. That's making it more attractive to residents new and old.

Petworth's not the only redeveloping local community with good deals and housing options for home-buyers. Many neighborhoods in and around D.C. are gaining new or renovated residential spaces. In their construction-filled states, these locales don't always look luxurious, but they offer many more affordable choices for a first home than, say, north Arlington or Bethesda. Like Petworth, south Arlington's Columbia Pike and Merrifield Town Center, and Hyattsville, Md.'s Arts District all have prime real estate at reasonable-for-the-area prices. Here's what you need to know before you buy.

PETWORTH
This Northwest D.C. neighborhood's increasing residential and retail projects are sparking renewed interest among home-buyers. Multi-story loft and condo buildings are being built within walking distance of the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro station, making the area much more enticing for young professionals.

The Park Place development, currently under construction across the street from the Metro, will be a convenient place to live, with 156 housing units, ground-level shops and underground parking. Many of the single-family homes and townhouses along Petworth's streets have also been redeveloped. Petworth provides "all the benefits of living in the city without having the noise, the traffic and everything right at your doorstep," says Nejaime.

Elizabeth Pringle, an educational director at public broadcast network MHZ, who last year bought her first home in Petworth — a 700-square foot co-op — agrees. "Here, it's quieter," she says. "It gives you just a tiny bit of isolation from the main thoroughfares."

» Lay of the Land: Petworth lies north of Columbia Heights and south of the 16th Street Heights and Brightwood neighborhoods. Rock Creek Park and Crestwood are to the west.

» What it Costs: Many condominium units are priced between $200,000 and $400,000; many townhouses are priced between $300,000 and $600,000; many single-family houses are priced between $500,000 and $800,000.

» Getting Around: The Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro (Green and Yellow lines), at Georgia and New Hampshire avenues NW, is a hub for transportation into and out of downtown. Also, a number of Metrobuses run along Georgia Avenue, between Takoma, Shaw and other parts of the District.

» Things to Do: Small businesses dot Georgia Avenue and the area surrounding the Metro. The Prohibition-themed Temperance Hall tavern (3634 Georgia Ave. NW; 202-722-7669), which opened last year, serves dinner and Sunday brunch. Its drink menu includes a large selection of rye whiskeys, the Prohibition-era libation of choice. W Domku Bar & Cafe (821 Upshur St. NW; 202-722-7475), another relatively new Petworth joint, specializes in Scandinavian/Slavic cuisine. The Sweet Mango Cafe (3701 New Hampshire Ave. NW; 202-726-2646), dishes out Jamaican specialties.

And Rock Creek Cemetery (Rock Creek Church Road and Webster St. NW) amounts to a neighborhood treasure. Dating back to 1719, it's the atmospheric final resting place of Washington notables like writer Henry Adams and his wife, Marian (Clover), who are buried underneath a moving, vaguely spooky sculpture of a hooded figure by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Visiting the graveyard is "fabulous," says Pringle. "It's a place I'll bring people from different parts of the city or out of town. There's just amazing statuary. You really get a sense of the city."

COLUMBIA PIKE
Tall construction cranes currently mark the future site of the eight-story, 269-unit Halstead mixed-use condominium building on the corner of Columbia Pike and South Walter Reed Drive in south Arlington. And that's just one of the area's mammoth new residential projects currently going up. With hard-won guidelines for developers (a legal document called the Form Based Code), this stretch of Columbia Pike long dominated by strip malls is finally undergoing change.

Residents like Pamela Holcomb, 48, see the Pike gaining appeal for buyers who want affordable housing and a quick commute to Washington. "I think it's very likely that [revitalization] could and will attract the younger professional[s]," says Holcomb, a Pike resident for 16 years and full-time managing director of the nonprofit Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, which supports the area's rehab efforts. She thinks the area "could be just like Clarendon and Pentagon Row, with places where people can do their shopping, interesting places where they can eat … sort of like your Main Street."

» Lay of the Land: There are more than three miles of Columbia Pike in Virginia’s Arlington County: the Pike extends from Washington’s 14th Street Bridge to Fairfax.

» What it Costs: Many condos are listed between $200,000 and $400,000; many single-family homes and townhouses are priced between $400,000 and $600,000.

» Getting Around: Metro and Arlington Transit operate Pike Ride buses, with regular service to neighborhoods like Pentagon City, Ballston and Clarendon. Metro, state and county officials have spent years planning an environmentally friendly streetcar system along the Pike between Pentagon City and Baileys Crossroads. The cars could be in use as soon as 2012, according to some estimates.

» Things to Do: The area abounds with culinary diversity. Bob & Edith's Diner (2310 Columbia Pike; 703-920-6103 and 4707 Columbia Pike; 703-920-4700) has two locations along the Pike. Also on Columbia Pike: Bangkok 54 (2919 Columbia Pike; 703-521-4207), Matuba Japanese Restaurant (2915 Columbia Pike; 703-521-2881) and the new Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe (5700 Columbia Pike; 703-820-2870).

A longtime neighborhood draw, the Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike; 703 486-2345), on the corner of Columbia Pike and South Walter Reed Drive, screens second-run films and hosts live entertainers, sports viewings and beer- and wine-tastings in a slightly scruffy Art Deco building.

MERRIFIELD
This Fairfax County, Va., community near Falls Church City may soon transform from a place commuters pass through to a legit destination. The county and private developers envision a pedestrian-friendly Merrifield Town Center with mixed-use condo buildings and big-name shops, all within a short walk of the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station. The area surrounding the Metro station is also gaining retailers and residents. A new Marriott hotel and multi-story condos, like the two Halstead buildings on Prosperity Avenue, are already in use.

Debra Talley, a Realtor with RE/MAX Preferred Properties, says Merrifield is ideal for buyers who want easy access to jobs, friends and nightlife in Washington. "It's not too far from D.C., yet it's more affordable," Talley says. Besides, Merrifielders might not depend on Washington much longer. Once the area is more developed, "it'll be like its own little hub for social life," Talley says. ”You can be home from work, and go and enjoy meeting people in a coffeehouse or something like that."

» Lay of the Land: Merrifield is located to the west of I-495 and south of I-66. The Town Center site is approximately three-quarters of a mile south of the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station, on Gallows Road.

» What it Costs: Many condominium units are priced between $300,000 and $500,000; single-family homes and townhouses range from approximately $400,000 to $700,000.

» Getting Around: The Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro (Orange Line), on Gallows Road, provides transportation into downtown D.C. Metro and Fairfax Connector buses also bring riders to and from Arlington, West Falls Church, Vienna and other parts of the metropolitan area.

» Things to Do: Local attractions include the 14-screen Multiplex Cinemas (8223 Lee Highway; 703-876-1800) and the cowboy-themed, comfort food-slinging Sweetwater Tavern (3066 Gatehouse Plaza; 703-645-8100). The Great Wall Supermarket (2982 Gallows Road; 703-208-3320) and Super H Mart (8103 Lee Highway; 703-573-6300) stock hard-to-find Asian foodstuffs and exotic produce. The Merrifield Garden Center (8132 Lee Highway; 703-560-6222) at carries a wealth of gardening and landscaping supplies.

HYATTSVILLE
Though the words "Prince George’s County" and "art" aren't always uttered in the same breath, this community may soon be able to rightfully call itself a cultural center. That's because of the Gateway Arts District, which extends along Route 1's two miles, and through North Brentwood, Brentwood and Mount Rainier. Arts District developers hope to foster a lively space for local artists by encouraging new construction and renovation of homes and businesses.

The largest residential development project on Hyattsville's portion of the Gateway Arts District is the 25-acre Arts District Hyattsville, led by Bethesda-based EYA.
The development company plans to build more than 500 new homes with a combo of rowhouses, live-work houses and condos. The first phase of construction (on the west side of Route 1), contains 119 rowhouses and 13 live-work units and will be completed by 2008 or early 2009; 25 to 30 families have already moved into finished homes. The second phase, which will contain approximately 200 rowhouses and 200 condo lofts on 18 acres east of Route 1, breaks ground this month.

Though it's still evolving, Arts District Hyattsville is "definitely breathing new life into our commercial areas," says Stuart Eisenberg, the executive director of the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation. A 16-year resident, Eisenberg believes that the new developments will uphold Hyattsville's character as a "welcoming community" and a refuge from Washington's frenzied pace. "The folks who come here are not quite as wrapped up in the rat race of the D.C. political scene, but they like to nibble on the cheese a little bit," he says.

» Lay of the Land: Arts District Hyattsville sits on a quarter-mile of Route 1 between Madison and Jefferson streets. It's bordered by 43rd Street to the east and railroad tracks to the west.

» What it Costs: Prices for homes in Arts District Hyattsville start in the low $200,000s for lofts, and rowhouses range from the high $300,000s to $600,000s. In greater Hyattsville, many condos are priced between the mid-$100,000s and $300,000s; many single-family homes and townhouses are priced between $300,000 and $500,000.

» Getting Around: Two Metro stations are approximately a mile from Arts District Hyattsville: West Hyattsville and Prince George's Plaza (Green Line). Bus routes pass through Hyattsville on their way to and from neighborhoods in Washington, Prince George's County and Montgomery County.

» Things to Do: Route 1 is currently home to a number of indie businesses, and the Arts District Hyattsville plans to expand this funky mix. EYA hopes to attract retailers that will give the area more of an urban, artsy feel. "Our goal is to make it more eclectic, kind of like U Street," says Aakash Thakkar, EYA's vice president of acquisition and development. Busboys and Poets cafe will open a location in the Arts District, likely by late 2009, across from the Lustine automobile showroom at 5710 Baltimore Avenue (which EYA recently renovated to become a community center, complete with an art gallery and fitness center).

Currently, locals in Hyattsville enjoy the restaurant/brewery/general store Franklin's (5121 Baltimore Ave, 301-927-2740), where they can munch on burgers, sip microbrews like Bombshell Blonde and Anarchy Ale, or shop for knickknacks and penny candy. And across the street, yarn supply shop A Tangled Skein (5200 Baltimore Ave., 301-779-3399) provides everything from beginning crochet classes to high-end designer yarns.

By Katie Aberbach for Express

Photos by Lawrence Luk for Express