WOODLEY PARK

Conveniently located on the Red Line of the Washington Metro, this genteel historic district is home to the Smithsonian National Zoo, which features more than 1800 animal species, including giant pandas. One of the most popular annual events in the area is the zoo’s ZooLights event, which runs from Thanksgiving until New Year. During this period, the zoo is decorated with more than 500,000 lights, with a range of festive events taking place, including live concerts and snowless tubing.

Homes for sale in Woodley Park are composed of  lined elegant Victorian row houses, with their immaculate exteriors seeming unchanged in over a century. Other properties include luxury modern apartment buildings that are considered ‘high rise’ by D.C. standards, though local regulations restrict their height to a maximum of eight stories to preserve the neighborhood’s character. The neighborhood also features numerous elegant examples of Beaux Arts and Art Deco architecture.

Woodley Park homes for sale are some of Washington’s highest average property prices, with the median sales price over the past year being $1,292,500. Prices in Woodley Park are rising rapidly, with the average cost per square foot of $671 has increased by 22% over the past year.

This prestigious neighborhood offers some respite from the sweltering summer heat of inner-city Washington during the summer months, which is one reason Woodley Park was a preferred summer retreat for Presidents Martin Van Buren and Grover Cleveland.

Woodley Park offers a great range of restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. Located near the Smithsonian Zoo, the brightly decorated Baked by Yael serves delicious and funky cake pops, along with a range of other baked goods, both sweet and savory. Other popular local restaurants serve a diverse range of delicious international cuisine, from the Mediterranean-style dishes of Lebanese Taverna to the Mid-Atlantic comfort food of District Kitchen via the artisanal French fare of Petits Plats and the extensive wine selection of Ardeo+Bardeo. When the weather is pleasant, the patio at Open City is a popular spot to enjoy an al fresco brunch. The restored 1930s Art Deco-style Uptown Theater shows movies on a huge 70 by 40 foot curved screen, with a balcony inside offering tremendous views.

The Woodley Park neighborhood also features several grandiose historic hotels, with the Omni Shoreham Hotel offering an outdoor pool, ultra-modern health club, and spa in a gorgeous building situated beside the natural splendor of Rock Creek Park.

Rock Creek Park is one of the neighborhood’s premier attractions, offering fantastic outdoor activities and a chance to escape the city across more than 2,000 acres of pristine natural scenery in the United States’ third-oldest national park. Rock Creek Park provides extensive hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, as well as areas for jogging and running, sports facilities including tennis courts, and fantastic picnic areas, with numerous beautiful bridges built over the calm creek running through the park’s center.