Your Next Place

This wonderfully-restored Federal is over 135 years old, making it about as old as my father's suits.  (Depending on the season, he can look like anything from an extra from "Boogie Nights" to a Civil War reenactor.)  Though it has all the modern finishes you could ask for - expanded bedrooms, up-to-the-minute kitchen - it's also retained a lot of the little touches that make it so warm and inviting.  This sounds like an obvious, easy thing to pull off, but judging from all the houses I see that try and fail to capture this vibe, it must be pretty difficult, sort of like all the women that go for the Rihanna look and end up looking like David Bowie.

The house, which is very pleasantly set back from the street, sports a quaint front porch and a small stone patio.  And the wall of the adjacent house, which isn't as set back, is covered with lush climbing vines and greenery, creating a sort of Southern gothic atmosphere.  If I lived here, I'd have a special bodysuit made with ivy leaves all over it, and then film myself standing stock-still against this wall and leaping out at terrified passersby.  Then I'd put the footage on Youtube and let the millions of clicks pay my mortgage.  (Yes, I'm half-joking, but we both know it would probably work.)

Inside, the living room is warm and inviting, with a vintage fireplace and more than a touch of period charm.  Right off the living room is the formal dining, wide and high-ceilinged, and the kitchen is outfitted with all the modern finishes you could ask for.  Upstairs, the bedrooms are generously proportioned - time to order that California king - and outside you have a nice yard, and parking secured by a rollup gate.  Located in Logan Circle which, if you ask me, is still arguably the best location in the city, with easy access to tons of amenities and neighborhoods and bars and restaurants.  You'll have access to so many options, that going out is virtually guaranteed to be an exercise in hand-wringing and paralysis, followed by a wave of regret no matter what you pick, because deep down you know something else could've been better.  Enjoy!

1219 S Street NW
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$759,900