Inside the D.C. Neighborhood That’ll Be Home to Both Trumps and Obamas

Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Kalorama section of northwest Washington, D.C., has been in the news of late as the new digs for “first daughter” Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Barack and Michelle Obama have also moved to a grand old home, very close to the Kushners, and, Jeff Bezos has reportedly just bought a two-building compound in the mansion-rich neighborhood.

Boundaries

Much of the Kalorama neighborhood is surrounded by Rock Creek Park at the north, with Connecticut Avenue NW as the eastern edge, Florida Avenue NW as the southern border, and Massachusetts Avenue NW, which is known as Embassy Row, as the western edge. The neighborhood is sometimes referred to as Sheridan-Kalorama.

Price range

As with any in-demand, picture-perfect neighborhood, you’ll pay top dollar in Kalorama. Most single-family homes sell for $4 million to $7 million, “with occasional ones that go for $8 million to $15 million,” said Michael Rankin, managing partner with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Townhouses start in the mid-$2 million range, up to about $3.5 million. There are some condos and co-ops in the neighborhood, mostly on Connecticut Avenue, he said. Prices for a one-bedroom apartment would be about $500,000, with three-bedroom units going for about $5 million.

Housing stock

Most of the housing stock dates to the first half of the 20th century, with row houses going up in the 1910s and most of the detached houses, in a range of architectural styles, in the 1920s and ’30s, Mr. Rankin said. Popular styles, all done with expert craftsmanship, include Beaux Art, Georgian and Neocolonial American with a center hall. “All were very well built by noted architects and builders of their time. All were put together with a great deal of thought,” Mr. Rankin said. Lavish architectural details and building materials include plaster walls, elaborate woodwork, carved limestone, quarter-sawn oak floors, wrought-iron fences, and marble fireplaces.

What makes it unique

“It’s a very high-end, very prestigious neighborhood,” said Terri Robinson, an associate broker in the Georgetown office of Long and Foster-Christie’s International who has been working in Washington real estate for 46 years. “It’s considered one of the nicest in the city. It’s very close to the downtown area, which makes it extremely accessible.”

Mr. Rankin, who has worked in the neighborhood for more than 25 years and has lived in four different houses in Kalorama, agreed. “These homes were for the elite of Washington’s elite. They are all very, very well detailed, well layered, and well constructed.”

“There is not a bad house in Kalorama,” he added. “Some of these are historical masterpieces—historical jewels really.”

Luxe amenities

Interestingly, there is no commercial district in Kalorama, Mr. Rankin said, but it’s an easy walk to nearby commercial areas, including restaurants and shops in Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. The neighborhood, which sits on a hill, has highly walkable sidewalks, old-growth trees and a lot of green space, with easy access to the surrounding Rock Creek Park, as well as Mitchell Park. While there are no private schools in the immediate area, the National Cathedral School an independent Episcopal day school for girls in grades 4 through 12 is very close. Its brother school, St. Albans, and Beauvoir, a co-ed elementary school are also nearby, on the 57-acre Cathedral Close in northwest Washington near the Washington National Cathedral.

Who lives there

Historically, the neighborhood was home to the “congressional and diplomatic corps,” Mr. Rankin said. A lot of U.S. ambassadors currently have residences in Kalorama, including those from France, Monaco, the Netherlands and Greece, he said. “There are also a lot of families with kids—you see them out on their scooters and bicycles.”

“We have a lot of foreign diplomats living in, as well as working in, the neighborhood,” Ms. Robinson said.

“You also have a lot of residents who have lived there for many years, which gives it a maturity,” she added. “Residents have always been very generous and welcoming.”

Notable residents

Kalorama, which means “beautiful view” in Greek, has been home to several presidents, both before and after their White House residences, including Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding and Herbert Hoover. Obama is the first president to stay in D.C. immediately after leaving the White House since Wilson left office in 1921. The late Senator Ted Kennedy also called Kalorama home.

Outlook

“It’s just a great place to live, a great neighborhood to be in,” Mr. Rankin said. “It’s so established and so successful that I can’t imagine it not continuing to be so.”

It’s also strongly protected by historic preservation (ie. there are height restrictions and you can’t tear down a property unless it’s condemned), so don’t expect any new tall, shiny condo buildings anytime soon.

“Land is tight and the area has been totally developed for years. There are no lots for sale,” Ms. Robinson said.

As for the new high-profile residents: “It will increase security and further strengthen its desirability, which certainly increases value,” Mr. Rankin said.

This article was written by Bill Cary and originally appeared in Mansion Global.

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