Capitol Hill Is DC's Family Neighborhood
Ada Wells* (name changed) is not a senator, Member of Congress or congressional staffer although she lives side-by-side with many elected officials and their staffs in her Capitol Hill neighborhood. In contrast to her neighbors, Ada isn’t drawn by the neighborhood’s close proximity to the government buildings or seats of power. Rather -- Ada, her husband, three children, and golden lab, all moved to Capitol Hill because of its small town feel, despite being in the middle of the city. While recent estimates suggest as many as a third of all Members of Congress live on Capitol Hill while in Washington, the neighborhood is increasingly home to young families with kids and dogs. Residents cite “friendly neighbors,” and the number of trees, parks and open green spaces as part of the allure of what they believe is a real community.
One blogger coined the moniker “stroller city” for the ‘hood, noting that there is even a group for Moms living on the Hill called “MOTH” or “Moms of the Hill.” Residents get to know each other in the parks or on weekends strolling Eastern Market. Coffee shops, yoga studios and the stall areas at Eastern market are all popular meeting places. A number of new bars and restaurants along Pennsylvania Avenue and 8th Street offer additional opportunities to socialize. Not everyone is aware that the Library of Congress, also located in Capitol Hill and an elegant museum in itself, is open to the public.
Capitol Hill is the largest residential district in Washington, DC, and home to 35,000 residents in its 2 mile square radius. With many of its 19th and 20th century row houses recently restored to their original glory by gentrification efforts, the price to live at this prestigious address is not cheap. Apart from the small lawns, this is perhaps the only drawback to living in this “village within a city.” And, don’t pay any attention to that recent comment on Yelp as to the high percentage of young MILFs roaming Eastern Market.
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