Woodland / Normanstone Terrace, Washington

This neighborhood is so perfect even the trash cans are classy. I lived a couple neighborhoods over for a little while, and my roommate and I would wander over here when we felt like staring at the most gorgeous houses in the city. Or when we felt like making ourselves feel like peasants.

Like so many other wealthy neighborhoods in the city, Normanstone Terrace is very closely contained within itself, and if you aren't a resident, you might not feel entirely welcome, unless your salary rivals somebody who lives here. It's green, lush, and almost impossibly quiet, until the occasional car drives by. Furthering the closed-off feeling is the fact that gates abound here. Lovely, stone gates, that are meant to inspire awe and keep people at arms length, all at once.

While yes, this neighborhood is beautiful, expensive, and centrally located, it doesn't have the best feeling of community spirit. After all, why would rich people ever need to leave their houses?

If you have a lot of money and like your quiet, Woodland-Normanston Terrace is an attractive option in the District. Driving through, you would swear that this neighborhood is in the middle of the suburbs, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Well, it is away from the hustle and bustle, but it is still in the city. A short drive will get you right into the middle of everything Washington. Because it is a purely residential neighborhood, you won’t be able to go to the corner store to pick something up at a moment’s notice.
Never mind that though, it is a tradeoff. People who live here have huge houses, with ample yards. The kids can play ball with each other in the yard, and even on the sidewalk. Because of certain dignitaries who live here, including the Vice President, there is no toleration for mayhem. Woodland-Normanston Terrace doesn’t have the problems you associate with the big city. In general, DC schools are not very good. But if you can afford to live here, chances are you do not care. After all, houses go for over a million dollars here, and most of the neighborhood kids go to private schools.

Woodland / Normanstone Terrace is a quiet and exclusive neighborhood of 1,181 residents located in the northwest section of the city. The neighborhood extends from Cleveland Avenue N.M to Wisconsin Avenue N.W. and from Calvert Street N.W. and 34th Street N.W. to the Rock Creek Park. Homes in this neighborhood are very expensive with eight recently listed for over $4,000,000 each. Neighbors will include the Vice President of the United State, who lives at the Naval Observatory, as well as a former President.

The homes here are on beautiful, tree lined streets that are very quiet. However, shopping and dining out are problematic as this is a strictly residential area. Residents will need to venture into the adjacent neighborhoods to find shopping and dining opportunities. There are public parks in the neighborhood as well including Glover Park, Woodland-Nomanstone Terrace Park and parts of Montrose Park. Schools are not in this neighborhood although there are exclusive private schools nearby.

Recent crime data indicates that there have been no crime incidents in this area. I am sure that the heavy Police presence, including the Secret Service is a big factor.

If you live in the District and have never heard of Woodland-Normanstone Terrace, don't feel bad. As one of the Northwest's smaller neighborhoods, it is often thought to be part of one of the larger surrounding neighborhoods of Woodly Park, Massachusetts Heights, or Observatory Circle. Tucked into a corner of Rock Creek Park, it is a quiet community of single-family homes. Since there are no commercial businesses, residents have to travel outside the area for shopping and employment. Because of the small size, the area is not likely so see any. Fortunately, the area is well served by the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro station on the Red Line. The area is a rather wealthy neighborhood by District standard, with median home prices in the $700,000 to $800,000 range. As with most nice neighborhoods in the district, potential residents need to be aware of the high prices of property. If you want to live here, you will need to purchase a home; unlike many of the nicer areas of DC, there is little in the way of rental property. But if you can afford it, the quiet Woodland-Normanstone Terrace area is a good place to be: close to the city, but miles away from city problems.