Glover Park
What makes Glover Park one of DC’s most popular neighborhoods? There’s a special magic in Glover Park that draws young professionals, families and even empty nesters. I live here and today we are going to talk about my neighborhood and why I love living here.
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Location
Glover Park is nestled between Wisconsin Avenue and Glover Archbold Park. The southern boundary is at Whitehaven Parkway and Fulton Street is the northern boundary. Burleith and Georgetown are to the south and Wesley Heights and American University (AU Park) to the north.
The location offers so much in terms of commutability downtown and to Virginia. It’s also really easy to get to Bethesda and Rockville. For me personally, Glover Park’s location is prime. It’s super easy to get to Northern Virginia and Bethesda in Maryland. I spend a lot of time with clients in Arlington, Alexandria or Bethesda and Rockville and I love how quickly I can drive anywhere.
Real Estate
There are a few types of homes in Glover Park – apartments, condos and DC’s piece de la resistance, the Wardman Rowhome. These homes hail from the 1930’s and originally sold for $7500! Most rowhomes have front porches though some owners have removed the porches over the years. I’m not sure why because our front porches are so charming. Lots of people hang out on their porches and they become the little social centers of the neighborhood.
The prices here continue to deliver consistent returns year after year. Ten years ago, you could get a rowhome here for $800,000. Now you would be lucky to find a rowhome for less than $1.3M.
Most rowhomes were built by the same few builders. Depending on the width, you may have one smaller bedroom on the 2nd level in addition to two decently sized bedrooms. Or you may have four full bedrooms on the 2nd level, though that’s not as common. I know families with 3 or 4 kids who make this setup work so don’t think it is impossible.
Also, most of the rowhomes had sun porches on both the first and second levels. Many of these have been filled in and have become part of the inside of the home now. They can serve many different purposes. Some people use it as another bedroom, some use it as storage, a closet, a sitting area or an office.
One thing to know – because these rooms were once outside, the floors are tilted slightly because they needed to allow for rain runoff. It’s not too noticeable unless you were to use the sunporch as a workout room. Then it’s quite obvious when you’re lifting weights or doing yoga or pilates that you’re not quite level with the ground.
Food
While there aren’t as many restaurants in the strip of Glover Park as there should be, there are most definitely a plethora of grocery stores. The restaurant landscape hasn’t been super consistent here, but there are some long term staples that have stood the test of time. Dumplings and Beyond is amazingly excellent Chinese food. They not only have a dining room but they do an incredible takeout business. When anyone asks on various message boards about the best place for Chinese Food or Dumplings, hands down this restaurant is among the first named.
Old Europe has been a neighborhood fixture since the 1950’s when the original owners escaped Germany and came to DC to open their restaurant.
You can’t walk ten feet without hitting a grocery store. Seriously. Whole Foods is the closest to Glover Park. They had this contactless shopping system. It was very futuristic where you scanned your hand, grab your food and then walk out. Somehow the system “knew” what you bought. They have since abandoned that wild ride and it’s back to business as usual. In addition to Whole Foods, there is Trader Joes and Safeway within walking distance. A mile to the north on Wisconsin Avenue there is a Giant Supermarket and just beyond that is Wegmans.
Families
Glover Park is popular with families and for good reason. Stoddert Elementary School is one of the best schools in the city. The teachers have all been at the school a long time, and there’s very little turnover. This school is one of the main reasons that so many families choose to buy a home here.
If you’re lucky enough to get one of the 19 coveted Pre-K spots, your little one can spend seven years at this dream of an elementary school. Stoddert is starting an expansion this year to make room for more classrooms which are much needed.
Hardy Middle School is on Wisconsin Avenue just south of Glover Park. Hardy’s reputation is solid and the school has really become a school to watch. The scores improved tremendously. While there was a year of weak leadership, things have turned around and all reports from the families at the school are glowing. There’s also a new high school which will serve Georgetown and Glover Park. MacArthur High School opened this year and will alleviate the overcrowding at Jackson Reed High School in Tenleytown.
Glover Park also has a co-operative play group for kids aged 2 & ½ to 4 years old at the Guy Mason Recreation Center. There is also a huge park, playground, sprayground, basketball courts and a baseball field at Guy Mason.
If your littles are younger than 2 & ½ or you want a convenient full-day option for them, Glover Park has a daycare! Situated at the corner of Calvert and Wisconsin, Glover Park KinderCare is really convenient for Glover Park families.
Georgetown Pediatrics has their main location at 4200 Wisconsin Avenue, but they just opened up an additional office in Glover Park on Wisconsin Avenue. Seeing the doctor is now even more convenient!
As a parent, this neighborhood has really delivered for us. I’m not quite sure if there is a magical place like this in other parts of DC inside the actual city limits. Kids run around and play in the neighborhood like kids did in any 1980’s American suburb.
Fun
Why do people want to live in Glover Park? As mentioned, it’s an ideal spot for families. But there’s so much more. Guy Mason Recreation Center offers lots of art and fitness classes and opportunities to socialize. There are programs for seniors as well and the community stays very connected with each other.
There is also a dog park at Guy Mason as well.
Stoddert’s building and fields double as a Department of Parks and Recreation site. There are often leagues which play soccer, basketball or baseball here throughout the year.
Every year in June, there is Glover Park Day where all the neighborhood businesses get together for a day of food and fun.
One of my favorite DC libraries is just down the street – Georgetown Library. We are in there quite often. They have a great Children’s Room and they have programming for all ages.
There are two public pools really close to Glover Park. One is in Volta Park in Georgetown and the other is at the Jelleff Recreation Center by Safeway on Wisconsin Avenue. While we’re talking about Jelleff Recreation Center, in the Fall and Spring they host a roller skating night on Saturdays and I can relive the 1980’s.
There Has to Be One Bad Thing, Right?
Okay, I’ve told you all about the best parts of living in Glover Park. But if I have one complaint, well, I’ll share it because it’s a byproduct of city living.
The alleys behind the rowhomes have driveways for the most part. Some people have reclaimed the driveway as yard space, but there’s still a lot of concrete pads in the alleys. The garages in Glover Park, circa 1932, are just too small for most modern cars. If you can fit your car in the garage, good for you! But the fact is – many people don’t park their cars in the driveways behind their house. Why? Well, we have our garbage bins in the alleys. And that means, we have rats trying to get into our garbage bins in our alleys. Rats are an unfortunate downside of city living. In fact, they are an unfortunate downside in many areas in DC Metro.
When you bring home a warm car, rats can and will likely nest in the car. You will only know this when you start to have electrical issues. I took my car to the shop when some dashboard lights came on. The garage said a little something was gnawing on the wires in my car. From then on, I decided to park in the street. This was better for a while. Until the D2 metro bus careened down the street and smashed into my car.
Here’s my best advice for you to save your car and your wallet from having to buy a new car. Don’t park in your driveways or the alleys. Fortunately, street parking is super easy in Glover Park but don’t take any old spot. You need to be strategic. You want your car to be tucked in with many other cars in front of and behind yours. This way you won’t get clipped as people fly through the streets. When I say “people,” I mean buses and Maryland drivers.
Conclusion
I could talk about Glover Park forever. It’s like a little slice of Mayberry in the middle of this big chaotic city. When people move out of Glover Park it’s usually to get more space and a larger house. But if you can make the rowhome work, I promise you will love it here.
