4.6 out of 10

Fort Stanton

38.8562356657051 -76.9796743676792
Great for
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Internet Access
  • Cost of Living
  • Parking
  • Lack of Traffic
Not great for
  • Nightlife
  • Childcare
  • Eating Out
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Shopping Options
Who lives here?
  • Singles
  • Students
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Known for its fort (if the title doesnt give it away)"

Here is an area in a less familiar quadrant of DC that is definitely on the up and up. What was once largely known as just being a Civil War landmark, since the Smithsonian has placed a museum in the neighborhood, Fort Stanton has progressed greatly. It is a great area for families that want their children to get involved in the community at large, or for individuals who just want to feel like productive members of where they live.
Pros
  • Historic Fort! (couldn't have guessed from the title)
  • Opportunities for community activism
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
  • Students
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 1/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 1/5
2yrs+

"The Smithsonian has a museum here"

Fort Stanton is a neighborhood of approximately 2,742 residents located in the southeast section of the city. The neighborhood’s boundaries are generally defined as being within the footprint of the Suitland Parkway, 15th Street S.E., 16th Street S.E. and Fort Stanton Park. In 2010, the average price of a home sold here was $302,000 with 18% of the homes being owner occupied. Although you will find numerous multifamily buildings here the majority of the homes here tend to be the typical “attached “row house” homes found in many neighborhoods within the District. As with many neighborhoods there is a commercial component to the neighborhood as well.

The neighborhood is primarily a residential neighborhood and does not have any schools located within its boundaries, however the Moten Elementary School is located nearby as well as Our Lady of Perpetual High School.. Recreational facilities are located at the nearby Wilkerson Recreation Center. Restaurants and shopping opportunities is not be found within the neighborhood, so residents are required to venture out for these activities. Public transportation is available with numerous Metro Bus stops being located in the neighborhood. Dedicated green space is available in Fort Stanton Park, which is very nice. The neighborhood offers numerous places of worship as well as well as the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum.

Recent crime statistics indicate that crimes against people and property occur. As always check the most recent crime statistics and make an informed decision as to the crime risk in any neighborhood. Overall the neighborhood may be a good choice for those looking to live in a primarily residential neighborhood in the southeast section of the city.
Pros
  • green space
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 5/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 2/5
  • Schools 1/5
  • Childcare 1/5
2yrs+

"tiny hideaway"

Fort Stanton is a tiny area of Anacostia, with not much going on. It used to be a fort during the Civil War, and now has a Smithsonian franchise on Black history. Other than that, the area is unremarkable. There is no real commercial space at all, besides a few fast food joints and the occasional gas station or 7-11.
Fort Stanton too went through the fifties and sixties with a lot of problems: all the whites left, and then the riots tore much of the neighborhood apart in 1968. Many public housing projects were built, and a number of people live there who are hooked on drugs. Youth, facing a very poor education system, frequently drop out before getting their high school diploma. Very few job opportunities are in this area, so you will have to have a car or depend on the busses for everything you need. Also, there is no neighborhood school.
On a more positive note, the population density is rather low, with plenty of single-family homes and yards. If you can stomach the risk of raising your children there, they will at least have some space. More likely though, people who buy houses here intend to rent them out for investment income. Few local residents could afford to actually own their home.
Pros
  • green space
Cons
  • crime
  • no services
  • poor housing choices
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Students
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"A Parklike Setting"

Fort Stanton is a small community in the Anacostia area of Washington, D.C. It is built on the former site of Fort Stanton, one of many forts constructed during the Civil War to protect the capitol city from Confederate attack. During the 20ths Century, several of these former forts were turned into parks as part of the Fort Park Ring, envisioned as a circle of green spaces around the nation’s capital. The hope was that these parks would provide pleasant areas for citizens to rest and relax outside the hustle and bustle of DC city life. Today the three parks, one of which is Fort Stanton, consists of about 55 acres of green space broken up by 11 acres of developed area. This area houses baseball fields and a large recreation center. The green area is popular with walkers and joggers during most of the year.

In addition to parkland, Fort Stanton is also home of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, one of the largest predominantly African American Catholic Churches in the District. It is also the home of the recently created Anacostia Museum. This facility, part of the Smithsonian Institution Museum group, focusing on the history of Americans of African descent from their arrival on slave ships in the early 17ths century to present day.
Pros
  • green space
Cons
  • poor housing choices
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
  • Students

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