The Columbia Residences

The West End is the compact wedge of Northwest DC between Georgetown and Dupont Circle, bounded by Rock Creek Park on the west and north, New Hampshire Avenue and 23rd Street on the east, and K Street on the south. It takes its name from being the westernmost part of the original L’Enfant plan.

Today it is primarily a condominium neighborhood. A 1970s plan to create a “new town” here led to decades of mid- and high-rise construction, and most of the housing now sits in full-service buildings from the 1980s through the 2010s, many with doormen, garages, and rooftop amenities. The Columbia Residences (2006) at 2425 L Street NW is among the most active buildings. A handful of Victorian rowhouses survive on the side streets near New Hampshire Avenue.

Daily life is polished and convenient. Luxury hotels and their restaurants anchor the neighborhood, Trader Joe’s at 25th and L Streets has served residents since 2006, and the West End Neighborhood Library reopened in a new building in 2017. Rock Creek Park’s trail runs along the western edge, connecting to the Potomac waterfront and Georgetown.

Foggy Bottom–GWU station on the Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines is at the southern edge, and Dupont Circle station on the Red Line is a short walk northeast. Georgetown’s shops are just across the Rock Creek bridges.

I enjoy showing the West End because it offers full-service condominium living with Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and two Metro lines all within walking distance.