I recently had the good fortune to help some lovely buyer clients purchase a terrific home in Hyattsville, Maryland.
The original owners of house, the Mosedales, built it in 1935 and their children sold the home in 2009 to the recent sellers. These sellers found tucked in the eaves of the unfinished attic three diplomas from the folks who first built the house, including this 1925 typing certificate of Mrs. Mosedale before she was married. Although a touch dusty, my clients, the happy new homeowners, will clean these up and display in their beautiful, original framing, once they finish that attic space into a fifth bedroom.
Also found was box of original tiles for the first floor bathroom which we think was added in the 50s or 60s.
Although not part of the designated Historic District of the town, this home is just blocks away from classic four-squares and quite a few Queen Anne Victorian style homes built in the late 19th century. I also unearthed in my web research the Original City Charter for Hyattsville.
Areas like this are ripe for continued vitalization and discovery: inside the Beltway with a short commute into the District and to the University of Maryland, filled with character, charm, and history. More recent developments like the New Arts District and the continuous Green Line Metro that now goes all the way from West Hyattsville and Prince Georges Plaza stations through to Anacostia (stopping in the heart of downtown DC and the Navy Yard/Waterfront areas) are sure to make Hyattsville even more popular over time.
Last evening I was talking with my good friend Pete, who is passionate about the theater. Specifically he is focusing his current efforts on promoting theater-going as a hobby. As we discussed it further, I realized that I could expand my "On the Ground" features to include not only nearby theaters, but also art spaces and other cultural opportunities such as museums and landmarks. Further, I believe the concept of a neighborhood, a community, encompasses other aspects like access to transit and other transportation options like Bike Share (mentioned here), shopping for daily necessities (groceries and medicines) and more fun things like home decor, dining and night life, and recreation.
So watch for more comprehensive "On the Ground" posts in the coming weeks and months. I have three already in the works and I envision more to follow.
I have a new favorite street in Washington, DC: Twelfth Place Northwest. Quiet with one-way traffic, yet walkable to the hub of hip that is the U Street Corridor. An adorable assortment of cozy rowhouses built around the 1890s, it reminds me of Rainbow Row in Charleston, South Carolina, on a smaller scale. Charm and convenience, loaded with personality. Walking down this street reminds me of one of Lucy's old storybooks, The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater. "Our street is us and we are it. Our street is where we like to be, and it looks like all our dreams." Where is your dream street?
Welcome to my new occasional feature, "On the Ground." As you know from previous posts, part of my job involves previewing properties for current and future buyers and also to maintain my working knowledge of the local real estate market. A new goal of mine is to explore or rediscover neighborhoods in DC and Maryland on a broader level by viewing not only specific properties but also the surrounding areas.
My first journey took me to Southwest DC and the Waterfront area. I had previously written about the new development in this area, so I wanted to get an On the Ground look at the current market, housing options, and neighborhood amenities. Who better to assist me but a dear friend and current resident of one of the Harbor Square co-op buildings directly on the water. Al was kind enough to guide me and my older daughter Lucy around on Bikeshare bicycles for about an hour, weaving through streets and developments with running commentary on the types of units and architecture, the accessibility to amenities and job centers like Capitol Hill, and other interesting and useful topics.
I must pause here to note that the photo above was taking directly in front of Al's building and his views are amazing of the water, Haines Point across the river, and of many of the notable landmarks in DC like the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral, and the Capitol Dome. And to give Al a big shout-out for his hospitality and his time.
Back to my report on SW DC.... The recent redevelopment of the existing retail to include one of the nicest Safeway grocery stores I've ever seen (a far cry from the Soviet Safeway I used to rely on in my early days in Dupont Circle) and a CVS pharmacy add tremendous convenience to this area. When they renovated the shopping, they also reconnected 4th St SW with the Mall to the North for better driving access. With all the new planned housing development, it was awesome to discover the pockets of unique, mid-Century modern architecture throughout this area. Some development from the 60s was in the style shown here. You can't find pockets of this style in many places in the DC Metro area.
I look forward to showing buyers this unique area of the city and to my next On the Ground adventure.
