The April issue of The Washingtonian compares 20 great neighborhoods. Who’s got the nicest houses? The best schools? The easiest commutes? The best nightlife? In this battle of the neighborhoods, we pit Reston vs. Sherwood Forest; Avenel vs. Dominion Valley;  Georgetown vs. Old Town; AU Park vs. Country Club Hills; Howard vs. Loudon; Bowie vs. Fairfax City; Clarendon/Ballston vs. Silver Spring; Bethesda vs. McLean; Mount Pleasant vs. Takoma Park; and Federal Hill vs. Capitol Hill. Plus, we report on the 100 neighborhoods with the most expensive home sales and how much their prices are going up.

You can find the issue on newsstands now, or click here to subscribe.

This champagne-colored contemporary sofa is going for $1,200 on Craigslist. Made by high-end Italian designer Minotti, the couch retails for more than $7,000, or so the post claims.  The owner is offering to knock $100 off the price for anyone who picks it up before Saturday.  

More cool stuff:

• Antique oak dresser with mirror for $395
• Five modern dining room chairs for $400
• Maple china cabinet for $1,800
• White wooden bench  for $220
• Side table with sewing machine leg base for $45
• Wrought iron dining set—glass-top table and four chairs—for $400
• China cabinet/buffet for $360


Thanks, Craigslist!

This rendering shows the renovated, historic Yale Steam Laundry, which will house 16 loft-style condos.

The Yale Steam Laundry, which once washed linens for the White House, has sat vacant since it closed in 1976. Developer Scott Fuller says the site, at the corner of New York Avenue and 4th Street near Mount Vernon Square, has been “a big mud hole” for years. But Fuller is changing that. With architect John Ronan, he is transforming the 100-year-old structure into condominiums and adding two high-rise towers.

The main building will contain 16 loft-style condos, a fitness center, billiards room, and a rooftop pool. Ronan’s challenge is to offer modern amenities but retain the building’s historic charm. The lofts will feature the laundry’s original white glazed brick plus joists, 14-foot ceilings, and large, square-paned windows reminiscent of the industrial era. The finishes—maple cabinetry and contemporary countertops—will be modern.

Two high-rise towers will offer stunning views.

The new towers also will keep with the laundry’s historic style. One will offer two units housed in the laundry’s renovated carriage house. And they have an advantage over the lofts: panoramic city views from 12 stories up. Fuller boasts that you can see every major landmark in Washington, including the Capitol, Washington Monument, and National Cathedral. 

While the developers tout the location as a “coveted residential destination” and a “vibrant community,” the area is not a hotspot yet. Dingy liquor stores and New York Avenue’s strip of fast-food chains are nearby. Still there is a lot of new construction. In a few years, buying a condo here might prove a great investment.

This drawing shows the historic building and one tower.

What: Yale Steam Laundry Condominium 

Where: 437 New York Avenue, NW.

Number of Units: 359—16 in the main building, 133 in Yale East, 210 in Yale West.

Pricing: Lofts in the historic building have not been priced, but will likely range from the high-$400,000s to the $700,000s. The towers offer studios, one-, and two-bedrooms priced from the mid-$200,000s to the high-$500,000s. 

Expected Completion: The historic building and Yale East should to be completed this fall. The developers have not set a completion date for Yale West.

On Sale? Yale East is for sale; lofts in the historic building go on the market May 10th.

Closest Metro: Mount Vernon Square, on the Green and Yellow lines, is about three blocks away.

Photograph by Matthew Worden

The Washingtonian’s March issue features a package of articles on great home design—everything from where interior designers like to shop to profiles and photographs of stunning Washington-area homes. We offer tips from designers for how to make a small space seem larger, a dark one brighter, and a large one cozier. You’ll also find a list of recommended interior designers who can remake any room. Click here to take a look.

Here’s this week’s roundup of the ten top sales in the region, as reported by American City Business Leads.

The second most expensive is on Woodland Drive, the main street in DC’s ritzy Massachusetts Avenue Heights, where dozens of estates hide behind gates and fortress like walls. Mixed in with a smattering of embassies, the homes are an interesting collection of styles: stucco manors, Georgians, Colonials, and ’70s contemporary. A few even resemble Gothic churches.

Three of Washington’s most prestigious private schools—Beauvoir, St. Albans, and National Cathedral School—are within walking distance. VIPs include car magnate Mandell Ourisman, Senate majority leader Bill Frist, and Republican fundraiser Julie Finley.

$3,100,000—1650 30th Street, NW, Georgetown
$2,650,000—2930 Woodland Drive, NW, Massachusetts Avenue Heights
$2,525,000—11222 River View Drive, Potomac
$2,400,000—10111 Norton Road, Potomac
$2,395,000—5108 Wessling Lane, Bethesda
$2,325,000—5904 Bradley Boulevard, Bethesda
$2,005,000—1483 Evan Farms Drive, McLean
$2,000,000—11409 Luxmanor Road, North Bethesda
$1,950,000—3235 N. Abingdon Street, Arlington
$1,950,000—1612 Orchard Street, Alexandria

Gerber daisy

The adage says that April showers bring May flowers—what if you don’t want to wait?

House plants are a great way to bring spring’s bright colors and fresh smells into your home. We caught up with Joe Carmack, owner of Garden District in Logan Circle, for advice on plants that thrive indoors this time of year.

Rather than a bouquet of flowers, Carmack suggests house plants because they are less expensive and last longer. Whereas bouquets wilt after seven to ten days, house plants bloom for three to six weeks. Says Carmack, “You don’t have to have a house plant forever. And then when you get tired of it, you can try something new. Your investment is less.”

Begonias

Rieger begonias (Begonia x hiemalis), primroses (Primula obconica), gerber daisies (Gerbera jamesonii), and crocuses top Carmack’s list because, he says, they are in-season now. Plus, they are affordable—all sell for $5 to $8 at Garden District and are easy to find at other area nurseries and florists. (For a list of good garden stores and nurseries click here)

A decorative pot adds style, hides the plant’s plastic container, and catches water from drainage holes. If you have a larger pot, use pea gravel or terra cotta shards to fill the bottom, then drop in your plant, plastic container and all. Spanish moss can add flair and hide the plastic.

For more advice on gardening, check out Joe Carmack’s blog.

More flower pictures after the jump. 

Think a Georgetown address is more expensive than one in Howard County?  Think again.

Here’s a look at the ten area neighborhoods with the highest median sales prices in 2006. Two Zip codes broke the $1-million mark: Glenelg in western Howard County and Great Falls in Fairfax. Both used to be farm communities and offer spacious houses on big lots. Georgetown didn’t crack the top ten. The median price there was $739,000, the 14th-highest in the area.

Glenelg, Howard County (21737)—$1,218,288
Great Falls, Fairfax (22066)—$1,140,000
Potomac, Montgomery County (20854)—$920,000
McLean, Fairfax (22101)—$875,000
Chevy Chase, Montgomery County (20815)—$865,000
Fairfax Station, Fairfax (22039)—$859,000
Bethesda, Montgomery County (20816)—$825,000
Fulton, Howard (20759)—$804,365
Chevy Chase, DC (20015)—$800,000
Ashton, Montgomery County (20861)—$790,000

Source: First American Core Logic