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Living in Brightwood

An upper Northwest Washington DC neighborhood between 16th Street and Georgia Avenue, with detached houses, semi-detached brick homes and rowhouses, Fort Stevens at its center, and The Parks at Walter Reed just to the north.
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Living in Brightwood

Brightwood combines 1920s and 1930s houses with a busy Georgia Avenue retail spine in upper Northwest DC.
Brightwood lies in upper Northwest Washington DC, north of Petworth and 16th Street Heights. On this page it follows the DC tax office’s Brightwood assessment neighborhood: from Kennedy Street north to Aspen Street between 16th Street and Georgia Avenue, with the blocks east of Georgia Avenue extending north toward Takoma and east to the 5th Street and Blair Road area. Georgia Avenue runs up the middle, and the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus sits just north of Aspen Street, in Shepherd Park. The housing mix is broader here than in the rowhouse neighborhoods to the south. Detached houses were the largest single group of sales in the past year, followed by semi-detached brick houses, condominiums and rowhouses. Most houses were built in the 1920s and 1930s, with colonials, bungalows and Tudor-influenced designs on lots that often include a driveway. The newest condominiums nearby are at The Parks at Walter Reed, just north of the boundary. Georgia Avenue carries most daily errands, including a Walmart near Missouri Avenue and a run of smaller storefronts. Just north of the boundary, The Parks at Walter Reed added a Whole Foods and a marketplace plaza in 2023. Fort Stevens, a preserved Civil War earthwork at 13th and Quackenbos streets, is the neighborhood’s best-known landmark, and the trails, picnic groves and tennis courts of Rock Creek Park begin on the far side of 16th Street. Brightwood has no Metrorail station inside its boundary. Takoma station on the Red Line is the closest for the northeastern blocks, and Fort Totten serves the southeast. Most transit trips start on Metrobus, with frequent routes on Georgia Avenue, 14th Street and 16th Street running to downtown and Silver Spring, and a crosstown route on Kennedy Street and Military Road. Drivers reach Silver Spring and the Beltway by 16th Street or Georgia Avenue directly. I’m glad to help you compare Brightwood’s detached blocks, its rowhouse streets and the newer condominiums nearby side by side.

Key Highlights:

  • Housing character — Detached and semi-detached houses and rowhouses from the 1920s and 1930s, with new condominiums just north at The Parks at Walter Reed
  • Green space — Rock Creek Park along 16th Street, Fort Stevens, with the Walter Reed campus lawns just north
  • Daily essentials — Whole Foods at The Parks at Walter Reed just north, Walmart on Georgia Avenue near Missouri Avenue, Georgia Avenue storefronts
  • Transit — No Metrorail inside the boundary; Takoma and Fort Totten stations nearby, with frequent Metrobus on Georgia Avenue, 14th and 16th streets
  • Schools — DC Public Schools; assignments vary by address, so confirm with the DC Public Schools boundary locator
  • Market character — A mixed market with a median near $675,000; detached houses sell fastest, at a median of 15 days
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Brightwood Real Estate FAQs

Insight into the nuances of buying and selling in one of the country’s most complex urban markets.

Brightwood is known for Fort Stevens, its blocks of 1920s and 1930s detached and semi-detached houses, and its position beside the redeveloped Walter Reed campus on upper Georgia Avenue.
This page uses the DC tax office’s Brightwood assessment neighborhood: Kennedy Street north to Aspen Street between 16th Street and Georgia Avenue, with the blocks east of Georgia Avenue extending north toward Takoma and east to the 5th Street and Blair Road area. The Walter Reed campus, north of Aspen Street, is part of Shepherd Park.
Not inside the boundary used here. Takoma station on the Red Line is nearest to the northeastern blocks and Fort Totten to the southeast, and Metrobus runs frequently on Georgia Avenue, 14th Street and 16th Street.
A mix of detached houses, semi-detached brick houses, rowhouses and condominiums. Detached houses were about 31 percent of the past year’s sales, and most houses date from the 1920s and 1930s.
The median sale price over the past 12 months was about $675,000 across 135 sales. Detached houses had a median near $902,500, rowhouses and semi-detached houses about $675,000, and condominiums about $400,000.
The median time to contract was 27 days overall and 15 days for detached houses. Sellers received about 96 percent of original list price on average, and roughly 39 percent of sales closed at or above the original list price.
Georgia Avenue is the main retail street, with a Walmart near Missouri Avenue. Just north of the neighborhood, The Parks at Walter Reed added a Whole Foods and a marketplace plaza, and downtown Silver Spring and Takoma are a short drive north.
Brightwood is served by DC Public Schools, with Coolidge High School and Ida B. Wells Middle School sharing a campus at 5th and Sheridan streets. Elementary assignments depend on the address; confirm with the DC Public Schools boundary locator.

Location & Neighborhood

Upper Northwest DC, between Rock Creek Park and Blair Road, north of Kennedy Street

For this page Brightwood follows the DC tax office’s Brightwood assessment neighborhood. It runs from Kennedy Street on the south to Aspen Street on the north between 16th Street and Georgia Avenue, with Rock Creek Park beyond 16th Street on the west. East of Georgia Avenue the boundary extends north toward Takoma, with the 5th Street and Blair Road area on the east. Georgia Avenue holds most of the retail and the newer mid-rise buildings, Missouri Avenue and Military Road cross the neighborhood east to west, the Walter Reed campus sits just north of Aspen Street in Shepherd Park, and the detached houses cluster west of 13th Street.

Getting around from Brightwood

Sixteenth Street and Georgia Avenue are the two main routes, running south to downtown and north to Silver Spring and the Beltway. Metrobus lines on Georgia Avenue, 14th Street and 16th Street provide frequent service, and a crosstown route on Kennedy Street and Military Road connects toward Fort Totten and upper Connecticut Avenue. Takoma station on the Red Line is the nearest rail stop for the northeastern blocks.

The Whole Foods at The Parks at Walter Reed and the Walmart on Georgia Avenue near Missouri Avenue cover most grocery trips. Smaller shops and restaurants line Georgia Avenue and Kennedy Street. For a wider range of stores, downtown Silver Spring is about two miles north on Georgia Avenue, and the retail blocks of Takoma are just east of the neighborhood.

Neighboring Area:

  • Shepherd Park — north, above Aspen Street, including the Walter Reed campus
  • Takoma — northeast, across Blair Road toward the Red Line station
  • Manor Park — east, beyond 5th Street toward Fort Slocum Park
  • Petworth — south, across Kennedy Street along Georgia Avenue
  • 16th Street Heights — southwest, below Kennedy Street toward Carter Barron

A Day In The Life - Snapshot

The quick details buyers ask about most.

Metro Access
No Metrorail station inside the boundary. Takoma station on the Red Line is nearest to the northeast blocks and Fort Totten to the southeast; frequent Metrobus runs on Georgia Avenue and 16th Street.
Walkability
Sidewalks and a regular grid throughout. Blocks near Georgia Avenue and the Walter Reed campus can handle errands on foot; the western blocks near 16th Street are residential and more car-oriented.
Typical Home Types
Detached colonials and bungalows, semi-detached brick houses and rowhouses from the 1920s and 1930s, with newer condominiums along Georgia Avenue and at The Parks at Walter Reed just north.
Parking
Easier than in neighborhoods to the south. Many detached and semi-detached houses have driveways or garages, street parking is generally available, and the new condominium buildings include garages.
Vibe
Tree-lined residential streets with front lawns and porches, a busier commercial spine on Georgia Avenue, and new plazas at Walter Reed just to the north. Rock Creek Park forms a wooded western edge.
Best For
Buyers who want a detached or semi-detached house with a yard and off-street parking inside the District, and who accept relying on Metrobus or a car instead of a nearby Metrorail station.

Brightwood Market Snapshot

A high-level look at current pricing, demand, and sales activity in the Brightwood real estate market.
$675,000

Median Sales Price

$368

Median Price Per Sq Ft

27

Median Days On Market

135

Annual Closed Sales

+3.9

YoY Median Price Change

Brightwood is a mixed market of detached houses, semi-detached houses and rowhouses, with a smaller condominium segment. The snapshot covers every closed sale inside the DC tax office’s Brightwood assessment neighborhood over the trailing twelve months through September 2026 — 69 rowhouses and semi-detached homes, 48 detached houses, and 18 condominiums. Price per square foot uses interior living area.

Across all home types the median sale was $675,000 at about $368 per square foot, with a median of 27 days on market and sales averaging 95% of original list price. The median rose about 4% from the prior twelve months. Within segments, the rowhouse median held near $645,000 and the detached median fell about 3% to $865,000. Much of the overall change reflects the mix of homes that sold rather than a broad shift in values.

Market data reflects recent 12-month activity. Individual buildings may vary.

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Homes for Sale in Brightwood

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Recently Sold

Recently Sold in Brightwood

Closed sales from the past 12 months — the comps that set today’s pricing.

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In-Depth Market Analysis

Brightwood Market Insights

How pricing trends, absorption rates, and inventory levels are shaping buying and selling

Inventory & Absorption

There were 135 closed sales in the past 12 months, up from 127 the year before. Detached houses made up 48 of them, semi-detached houses and rowhouses 69, and condominiums 18. Detached sales rose from 30, while condominium volume held near 19. The newest condominium supply is just north of the boundary at The Parks at Walter Reed.

Pricing Dynamics

The overall median was about $675,000, up about 4 percent from $650,000. Detached houses had a median near $865,000, about 3 percent below the prior year, and rowhouses and semi-detached houses about $645,000, essentially flat. Condominiums were about $383,000 on a small sample of 18 sales, so the condo median can swing from year to year.

Buyer Profile

Demand is firmest for detached houses, which went under contract in a median of 15 days at about 97 percent of original list price. Rowhouses and semi-detached houses took a median of 31 days at about 95 percent, and condominiums took about 85 days at about 91 percent, so pricing to recent comps matters most for attached homes and condos.

Strategic Outlook

Prices by product type were close to flat, and the rise in the overall median owes much to what sold. Further phases at The Parks at Walter Reed, just north of the boundary, may add condominium and townhouse supply that competes with Brightwood’s condos. Detached houses continue to sell faster than the other segments. Sellers of attached houses should expect buyers to compare closely against recent nearby sales.

Market Position Overview:

Inventory Level: Balanced with selective competition

Negotiation Environment: Moderate flexibility

Typical Days on Market: 25-45 (well-priced units)

Rental Demand: Consistent due to transit proximity

Long- Term Outlook: Stable, walkability-driven value

Brightwood Housing & Architecture

Brightwood offers a large share of detached and semi-detached houses, alongside rowhouses, older apartment buildings and new construction nearby at Walter Reed.
Detached Houses
Colonials, bungalows and Tudor-influenced houses from the 1920s and 1930s, concentrated west of 13th Street and toward 16th Street. Many have driveways or garages. Fifty-two sold in the past year with a median near $902,500.
Semi-Detached Brick Houses
Paired brick houses with side yards and front porches, a signature type in Brightwood. They made up 39 of the past year’s sales and usually offer three or four bedrooms, a basement and often a parking pad.
Rowhouses
Porch-front brick rows on the blocks closer to Georgia Avenue and Kennedy Street, similar to those in Petworth. Forty interior and end units sold in the past year. Renovation level is the main driver of price.
Georgia Avenue Condominiums
Elevator and low-rise condominium buildings along and near Georgia Avenue, with the new buildings at The Parks at Walter Reed just north of Aspen Street. Eighteen condominiums sold in the past year, at a median near $383,000.
Georgia Avenue Condos and Co-ops
Older low-rise and mid-rise apartment buildings converted to condominiums, plus a few cooperatives, along Georgia Avenue and nearby streets. These provide the lowest entry prices, with sales starting under $200,000.
New Townhouses and Infill
Scattered infill townhouses and houses on individual lots, with newer townhouses just north at Walter Reed.

Condo Buildings

Condo Buildings in Brightwood

Building-by-building guides with amenities, fees, recent sales and what's for sale now.

Brightwood

Whittier Gardens

301 Whittier St NW

  • Built 1928
  • 3 stories
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All Brightwood condo buildings →

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