With free access to hundreds of historical collections, public art installations, monuments and green spaces along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, Washington D.C. truly sets forth what Dickens called “magnificent intentions” for its people.
The most popular Washington D.C. neighborhoods and nearby cities for renters
Politics aside, it can be tough to cast your vote for the best neighborhood in the District. Learn more about the best places in D.C. to live, and then take our Washington D.C. neighborhood quiz to see which is perfect for you.
NoMa
North of Massachusetts Avenue SE, this neighborhood is about as close to downtown as non-diplomats elect to live. NoMa‘s Union Market, a restored mid-century meat and produce bazaar, is now home to top-shelf restaurants like the Michelin-starred Masseria. Adjacent to the foodie finds in Chinatown and Penn Quarter, and just blocks north of the National Mall, NoMa is for urbanites who capitalize on being close to this city’s center.
A one-bedroom apartment in NoMa will set you back about $2,700 a month on average.
Dupont Circle
Most numbered streets in this city run rigidly north-south, but Dupont Circle defines D.C.’s latticework of traffic circles, where cultures — and their cuisines — intersect.
Pedestrians might stop at Dupont’s marble fountain for impromptu tai chi or a pick-up chess tournament on their way to the year-round farmers’ market at Q and 20th streets. With colorful row houses and historic mansions (many are international embassies), Dupont Circle is perfect for the District’s most worldly.
Settle down in Dupont Circle for about $3,100 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.
McLean Gardens
You can see the spires (and maybe count the gargoyles) of the Washington National Cathedral from many points in this slender enclave — where there’s a break in the majestic canopy of mature trees, that is. Ranked among the best for schools, reasonably priced real estate and the green space afforded by adjacent Glover Archbold Park, McLean Gardens has strong pull for families.
A one-bedroom in this family-friendly neighborhood will cost you bout $2,600 a month on average.
U Street
Coined “Black Broadway” for its residents’ creative genius and the prominence of Howard University, U Street is the birthplace of Duke Ellington and a landmark of the early 1900s New Negro Movement.
Today, U Street is home to the best jazz joints in town. This neighborhood is equally renowned for great eats and on-your-sleeve visual art along its 14th Street corridor. Don’t miss the mural on the backside of iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl, which has been serving its “half-smoke” chili dog (half beef/half pork) since 1958.
U Street is one of the more expensive neighborhoods in the city. A one-bedroom here averages more than $5,000 thanks to some high-priced options, but more affordable listings can also be found.
Brookland
This northeast D.C. neighborhood goes by “Little Rome” for its concentration of churches and chapels, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in America and one of the 10 largest in the world.
Catch an exhibition of modern choreography at Dance Place or be seduced by the Charm City Red Velvet Belgian Waffle at gastropub Smith Public Trust. Streets lined with mature trees, stately single-family homes and its own Metro stop make Brookland a place to get out of the fray.
Settle down in Brookland for about $2,300 a month for your one-bedroom apartment.
Woodley Park
It’s not hard to imagine why Washington’s elite would retreat to Woodley Park in the era before air conditioning. Alongside the 2,100-acre Rock Creek Park, now home to 32 miles of trails and the Smithsonian National Zoo (giant pandas!), this neighborhood has both green going for it and mid-century mystique.
With a Metro stop on the Red Line, excellent schools and uptown restaurants like Open City, where Breakfast Royale is served all day, Woodley Park makes being a commuter-with-kids less of a zoo.
Woodley Park is a great place for your next one-bedroom apartment, as long as you don’t mind the nearly $3,000 a month price tag.
Southwest Waterfront
Southwest Waterfront and adjacent Navy Yard, at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, are where contemporary art meets old-school D.C.
Southwest is home to the longest-running open-air fish market in the nation, as well as a $2 billion renaissance of uptown dining and shopping called The Wharf. From 18th-century Federal to Mid-Century Modern, Southwest Waterfront is salt with a side of scenery.
Living in Southwest Waterfront will set you back about $2,900 for your one-bedroom apartment.
Clarendon-Courthouse
Two Metro stops across the Potomac, the Clarendon-Courthouse district (technically in Arlington, VA) offers dinner and drinks minus the dress code.
Test your recall of the 90s with video games and karaoke at Galaxy Hut, D.C.’s original craft-beer bar and go-to venue for live indie bands. Most apartments and townhomes here have been rehabbed with hipsters in mind, so if you like your neighbors quiet and dignified (Arlington National Cemetery is next-door) Clarendon-Courthouse might be your ticket.
Living on the other side of the river will save you a little bit on your rent. The average one-bedroom apartment here is about $2,200 a month.
Find the best Washington D.C. neighborhood for you
Still not sure which Washington D.C. neighborhood is perfect to call your home? Simply answer a few questions and we’ll tell you!
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