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It might come down to how much you are paying (total per month) to live and how it factors into your ultimate life plans.  You are not likely to see a big return on your investment on U St.  but you might get a great place where you want to live for the next 20 years.

4:36 PM 12/07/2012 | 0 Votes

U St. Corridor has already up-and-come.  That's not to say there isn't additional room for growth, but it has already experienced the "boom".
I lived on U St for 3 years (~2006-2009) and loved it.  We eventually bought in Petworth because we got tired of the noise and difficult parking on U St (we were right on U St) and simply found that we didn't go out as much as we used to.

5:06 PM 12/07/2012 | 1 Votes

It seems like the OP's main concern is afety.  As far as issues of crime, etc., the U Street area seems pretty tame compared to, say, Columbia Heights.  But D.C. is a very block-by-block city in that respect... you'll want to get a sense for the particular block you're thinking about buying on, and its immediate area. 

5:32 PM 12/07/2012 | -1 Votes

Go to wherever you're planning to live and hang out outside from about 10-2am on Friday and Saturday nights and see if the noise level is acceptable to you. It wasn't to me. I ended up moving. 

10:24 AM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

1. Loud
2. Busy
3. No parking
4. Crowds occasionally bring trouble.
5. It's a great place to live!

2:20 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

I love it.  I bought at Union Row Warehouses, so it is set back off the street.  I've had no problems with noise, I use metro directly for work, I love being able to run into Yes! and pick up dinner, go to CVS to get the cat's insulin.

2:32 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

What makes me hesitate about that area is that the growth happened too quickly and there is still a lot of friction between older elements and newer ones. I have lived in DC for 23 years and, for me, the change in U Street happened too fast and so the problems outlined above are inevitable and I would not want to live htere. I only say this because you asked. Also, U Street and below is very very hot in the summer. If you go a little further north, it's breezier and more pleasant.

2:38 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

I've lived in DC all my life and there is absolutely no way I would live on U Street. Okay, maybe if I were between the ages of 25-35. I agree with the very reasons both Bruno and gonzodc (reasons 1-4 only) mentioned.

3:35 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

I have lived on U for several years, and I love it.  It's loud and busy, but that's the appeal.  I have never felt uncomfortable walking around, as there are almost always people around. 

3:45 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

I have lived on U for several years, and I love it.  It's loud and busy, but that's the appeal.  I have never felt uncomfortable walking around, as there are almost always people around. 

3:45 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

It's loud and busy; as a former Manhattan'ite, I like that. Yeah, you have the rough elements and idiots from MD who come in every weekend. It's a given considering you're surrounded by drinking establishments,. The week days are relaxed and nice. I also really love Sundays on U Street - it's much more calm, though not as charming as Logan Circle.
If you're looking to buy for the long term (20+ years), I think it's a good buy. If you're looking for a transitional place to park money for less than 5 years before moving to the 'burbs, I think it's risky. The area has blown up very quickly and the area is due to have A LOT of housing come online in a time of budget cuts and rising interest rate. There's certainly a risk to buying if you're looking to sell in the next 4 to 8 years.

6:02 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

I've lived in the U Street neighborhood for 5 years.  I love its proximity to the metro, restaurants, bars, major bus lines, etc.  I live on a busy street.  I think given all the development along 14th St, it's only going to get better.  I've not had much in the way of safety issues. I feel pretty safe in the neighborhood. I think that the issues that we've had recently are aberrations. 

9:58 PM 12/10/2012 | 0 Votes

my ex was pulled into a car from the street, abducted, and raped on U street.  I don't know how she got out of that situation alive.

10:09 AM 12/11/2012 | 0 Votes

I've lived in the U street area since 2005 and love it. However, look into the sound proofing on your building. I first lived at the Ellington facing the street and it was loud as hell (not shockingly). Now I live in a nicer condo building a block from U and I don't hear a thing. I love the energy in this neighborhood, and I get some of the issues people are describing above, but I don't think that makes the neighborhood unliveable. If I could afford to buy what I want here, I would. The thing I like least about the neighborhood is that the weekends bring in tons of tourists and DC/VA/MD folks from other neighborhoods, and make most of the bars and restaurants kind of unbearable. But, you can find places that you like. I love music, so having so many live options within walking distance is really awesome. Re: safety, the complaints you hear lately are because there has been a sudden increase. I don't think this sudden increase will be longstanding (i.e. I'm assuming the cops will do their job and find the perpetrators).

10:29 AM 12/11/2012 | 0 Votes

I have lived in the neighborhood for three years and love it. On the saftey side, yes there has been a recent uptick, but these seem to come and go, and I personally have never had an issue where I felt unsafe. I had my car broken into recently (seems to be a big uptick in this in the last few months) and a bike stolen out of my back yard shortly after I moved into the area, but again, nothing were I felt unsafe.
I think alot of the complaints of U st. are valid but if you get 2 blocks off U st. especially towards 9th St. alot of those problems go away (noise, parking). I have to drive to work and I never have had problems parking except after 8pm on a Friday or Sat (and can usually find parking after looking for awhile).

11:38 AM 12/11/2012 | 0 Votes

I've lived about a block off U coming on 2 years, and am a pretty big fan.  Some folks there are loud in the evening and seem to enjoy littering almost as much as they enjoy breaking into houses, so that's irritating.  Still, all told, it's hard to think of a place in the city where you are more conveniently located in terms of metro, restaurants and bars, open spaces and parks, and everyday grocery options (coming soon anyway).  

2:42 PM 12/13/2012 | 0 Votes

I'm surprised no one has pointed out the difference between U St east of 14th and U St west of 14.  I feel like anything east of 14th is always a shi$show, especially on weekends, but the blocks west of 14th are much calmer, given that that there aren't any bars in that direction.  At the same time, its close to all thats on U and down 14th when youre in the mood for it.  I would totally buy a place there if I had the money.  Personally, I also like everything between U and north, but below Euclid...anything above that is pretty shady in terms of safety

2:52 PM 12/13/2012 | 0 Votes

Thanks everyone for your insightful and helpful comments.  You've given me lots to consider. 

6:34 PM 12/13/2012 | 0 Votes