Vernon St. is right between the 3 best areas in my opinion in DC. Its closest to Adams Morgan which is just up 18th street, next to U street, and also Dupont Circle North. There are so many bars, restaurants and night life around. The Red line is about a 10 minute walk and the green/yellow lines are about 15 minutes away. There are also buses but I always just walk to the metro instead.

Vernon street itself is fairly quiet, but if you are close to 18th street is can definitely be a little loud. I don't think people live in the area to be in a quiet place though, they live here to be around the city. This is a very safe street for the city. Of course there is some amount of crime since it is a city, and I am sure most of it occurs late at night when the bars close.

Baffetos pizza is also just on 18th street which is a great pizza place, if you get it fresh out of the oven. The wine store on the corner is also a great place (de vinos) its a little yuppie, but the guys that work in there are extremely nice, helpful, and not the least bit pretentious if you know or don't know about wine. I also belong to the gym Mint which is a little pricey but it is also fancier than other gyms around.

As you can see I am a fan of this area, specifically moved to this area because i like it so much.