1.7 out of 10

Benning

38.8915287125338 -76.9482595821695
Great for
  • Cost of Living
  • Public Transport
  • Internet Access
  • Lack of Traffic
  •  
Not great for
  • Eating Out
  • Nightlife
  • Clean & Green
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Peace & Quiet
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • Students
  •  

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Medical Facilities 1/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 2/5
2yrs+

"Affordable with shopping"

Benning is a neighborhood of approximately 2,259 residents located in the northeast section of the city. In general the boundaries of the neighborhood are defined by East Capitol Street N.E., Benning Road N.E. and the Anacostia Freeway. Homes here are affordable an the neighborhood is a mixture of attached and detached single family homes. In 2010 the average price of a home sold here was $130,727 with 34% of the homes being owner occupied.

Nia Community PCS is the sole school here. Residents will enjoy restaurants and shopping opportunities including a Safeway grocery store here Public transportation is nearby with the Benning Road Metro as well as numerous Metro Bus stops throughout the neighborhood. Some may find the railroad tracks along the Anacostia Freeway noisy. Thee are only 2 places of worship here. Although there is no dedicated recreational facilities, residents will find the Benning Stoddert Recreation Center close by. Green space is also available just outside of the neighborhood at Fort Mahan Park.

Recent crime data indicates that the neighborhood is relatively safe. As always check the most recent crime statistics to make an informed decision as to the crime risk in any neighborhood. I think that Benning has lots to offer. Affordable with shopping, what more could you want?
Pros
  • transportation
  • cheap housing available
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Safe & Sound 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 2/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 2/5
2yrs+

"Unremarkable and unsafe"

Steer clear, period. There is no reason to even pass through this neighborhood, unless you got lost on the way to Stadium Armory (and even then, very lost). Largely residential, with very inexpensive housing, but also largely dilapidated, with one of the higher crime rates in the area. It has a school, and a library, but that can also be said of the Waterfront area, which has all (if not more) of the amenities, is not too much higher in terms of price, and is *much* safer, not that that would take much. If you're looking for cheap housing in the city, you'll find it here, but you should just keep looking.
Pros
  • cheap housing available
Cons
  • practically nothing to do
  • poor quality housing
Recommended for
  • Professionals
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Safe & Sound 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 5/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 1/5
  • Schools 1/5
  • Childcare 1/5
2yrs+

"urban blight!"

Many of the houses are in disrepair, and the apartments? Well, if you don't mind section 8 and housing projects, you'll be fine. Benning is one of the cheapest and most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. And of course, with cheap you also get loads of noise and hanging out on street corners. This area isn't really safe even in the daytime, and at night, then forget about it. There are plenty of abandoned and foreclosed houses, and the purchase prices are below 200K--barely the cost of their materials. As if this is not bad enough, the entire ward is known for being a ghetto. Even the local politicians admit this and seem to have no desire to do anything about it. So, Benning remains a place full of dirt, grime, and rats. Police presence is minimal because nobody seems to care about the residents of Benning.

Probably the saddest thing of all about Benning is that the residents can barely afford to live there. They are just trying to survive without any education and few job opportunities. Truly the neighborhood is one of the most hopeless places to live. Vagrants, crime and drugs are on every corner. Not where you want to live
Pros
  • transportation
Cons
  • high crime rate
  • poor quality housing
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • Students
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Safe & Sound 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Internet Access 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 1/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 1/5
  • Childcare 2/5
2yrs+

"At Least You Can Get Out Pretty Easily"

Unfortunately, there is very little good that I can say about this neighborhood. It still shocks me that in a nation as prosperous as ours people still have to live this way. Benning is in one of the more desperate parts of Washington, D.C. It is characterized by residents living the classic “live of quiet desperation.” Survival is the order of the day, so there is very little time for community building or socializing. Also, since here are no quality shops or restaurants, people have very little motivation to leave their homes except ot go to work or to spend their meager earnings in some big box store in another part of town. Not surprisingly, there are also no parks or schools in the immediate area, which is probably a good thing since they would not be safe places for children anyway.
The most positive observation that I can make is that the DC Metro does allow those who can to leave during the day for work or other pursuits. However, the streets, once you arrive home, are pretty dangerous, and you certainly don't want to be out after dark.
Pros
  • transportation
Cons
  • high crime rate
  • poor quality housing

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