Eastern Market is a neighborhood oozing with character, with a large majority of the buildings built in the 1800s. Houses are quaint and built townhome-style, with a few low-rise apartment buildings with about 10 to 20 units. Rent tends to run about $1200-$1600 for a one bedroom, and $2,000 and higher for two bedrooms. It’s a great place for people who like to shop small businesses, since there are not many big box stores in the neighborhood.

As Urban Turf pointed out, the neighborhood has a very European vibe to it.

Pros:

• Easy metro access. Located in the heart of Eastern Market is the namesake metro stop, servicing both the orange and blue lines.
• Proximity to Capitol Hill. Eastern Market is an easy choice for people who work and play on Capitol Hill, the epicenter of power in Washington. The Eastern Market Metro stop is less than a mile from the Cannon House Office Building.
• The Library of Congress will be your library. You can literally get a library card and read almost any book you want — it’s only half a mile from the Eastern Market Metro.
• Lots of character in the housing. Brick exteriors, hardwood floors, and moulding are standard in Eastern Market homes. This is obviously preferred to the wall-to-wall carpeting and plastic countertops of so many new buildings in the District.
• Excellent shopping. Eastern Market is home to, well, Eastern Market, the marketplace of fresh produce and meats from vendors who have been there for decades. Their market is surrounded by brick-and-mortar and pop-up boutiques and vendors, so you can find close to anything you need from independent vendors in the area.
• Excellent restaurants. There’s no shortage of fine restaurants, from American classics at Ted’s Bulletin to Belgian comfort food at Belga Cafe. Eastern Market is also home to one of the hottest restaurants in the District, Rose’s Luxury — a tiny spot that’s first-come, first-served and apparently very worth the wait.
• Great brunching. Plenty of restaurants in Eastern Market serve brunch, and many serve it until 3 p.m.
• Bike-friendly. There are bike lanes everywhere and the traffic is pretty predictable, making Eastern Market a biker’s paradise.
• Great sight lines. Does your heart swell a little bit when you catch a glimpse of the Capitol Dome or the Washington Monument? Then Eastern Market is for you.
• Parking is a breeze. Parking for free or cheap is actually pretty easy in the Eastern Market neighborhood! Some spots are metered, but many aren’t, making it easy for visitors and transplants who might take their time registering their vehicles.

Cons:

• Expensive. Shopping and dining at all of those boutiques and restaurants will add up, as will your high rent. Eastern Market could be a relatively frustrating place to live without a good salary and roommates.
• No big box stores. You can’t exactly run to Target or a grocery store to stock up on things, though there is a good Harris Teeter a few blocks away at 1350 Potomac Ave. NW (near the Potomac Ave Metro stop, one over).
• Distance from similar neighborhoods. If you get bored of Eastern Market, you may want to venture to other neighborhoods with bustling shopping and restaurants like West End, Penn Quarter, Georgetown, U Street and Dupont. Maybe you want to go outside the District to Clarendon or Bethesda. But you’ll realize how Eastern Market is sort of an isolated bubble of affluence, and you’ll have to trek quite a ways to get around.

What do you think about housing in Eastern Market? Weigh in with your take in our comments section below.

Image (c) Pyle/InTheCapital