G is for "Good Neighbor!"

Congress Heights neighborhood

Life East of the River is far from perfect but it is a pretty good life. Plenty of on street parking, lush green spaces, burgeoning development, the promise of new economic opportunities, the prime location – few things beat a 10-minute commute downtown.

Well the good word is getting out and in addition to the surge of new residents moving East of the River and former residents returning the past five years (many from the Maryland suburbs), Northern Virginia and points across the country are now paying an interest to making their next move a River East move.

The number of inquiries regarding life in Congress Heights, Anacostia, Deanwood, and Hillcrest are ever increasing and the inquiries much like the potential residents themselves are diverse and varied; white families from Northern Virginia, single black professionals from Prince George’s county, same-sex couples from DuPont Circle, recent college graduates, 30-something government employees looking to relocate closer to their job.

The questions are varied, some focused on racial diversity, tolerance, safety and housing options but the excitement remains the same, “Once I did some research I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was!”

Despite the reputation as being a “war zone” and the hyper focus on all that is “bad” about life in Wards 7 and 8 there is a lot of good, and not all of it comes in the form of the new residential and commercial development. It comes in the form of caring, committed and considerate neighbors and they come in all types: gay/straight, black/white, blue collar/white collar, middle class/working class.

Asheford Court in Congress Heights

Many potential residents are just looking for a start, a beginning, a place to call home for their families (whatever they may look like) and without breaking the bank so for me if that is called "gentrification" than so be it - although my favorite "G" word is "good neighbor"






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