Forest Hills Community Guide Real Estate Like living in a suburban forest close to all D.C. has to offer!

Updated 6/1/2023
History and Flavor
This northwest Washington D.C. neighborhood is bordered on one side by Rock Creek Park. Old oaks and maple trees tower over the area’s lovely diverse housing. The community is an official Tree and Slope Protection Overlay District. The height of buildings and the maximum ground coverage for each lot is limited. Forest Hills is often called “Van Ness” because of its proximity to the University of the District of Columbia (UDC)’s Van Ness campus and the Van Ness–UDC station on the Washington Metro’s Red Line.
The quiet, residential neighborhood is home to embassies and large single-family homes. The Hillwood Estate is a Georgian-style mansion dating from the 1700s with French and imperial Russian decor and is surrounded by formal gardens.
Forest Hills has plenty of recreational opportunities. Soapstone Valley Park has a pretty, forested hiking trail along a tributary of Rock Creek. Forest Hills contains the former Civil War-era Fort Kearny site (which no longer remains). Rock Creek Park is nearby and is a favorite attraction for all residents.
Enjoy The Hillwood Museum, located in a home that belonged to philanthropist and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post. It contains a vast collection of decorative objects, including several Fabergé eggs.
Several Asian and Italian eateries are on Connecticut Avenue near UDC’s Van Ness campus. Shopping and entertainment are close and unique.
The embassies of the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Suriname, Hungary (and several others) are located in Forest Hills. You will also find the Howard University School of Law campus, the Levine School of Music, and the Edmund Burke School in the area.
Entertainment
Music & Parks
- Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar – Teams of pianists take audience requests & the staff dances at this show bar with a pub-fare menu.
- Pearl Street Warehouse – Rock, country, folk, soul, bluegrass, rhythm, and blues acts from around the country take the stage nightly, offering every seat in the house a front-row music experience.
- Nanny O’Brien’s– Pub offering music sessions, craft brews, and Guinness in narrow, wood-paneled digs with Irish signs.
- Atomic Billiards– Pool tables, shuffleboard, darts & board games in a no-frills sci-fi-muraled basement space.
- Forest Hills Playground– One large, fenced play area at the park with a sandbox and play equipment. Other park amenities include tennis courts, a basketball court, a ball field, and open space.
- Soapstone Valley Park– Forested parkland offering a modest walking/biking path, wildlife & stream crossings.
- Melvin C Hazen Park– A popular jogging/hiking trail bisects this forested green space with a creek & wildlife sightings.
- Rock Creek Park– An urban oasis that borders Kalorama. With dozens of miles to hike and bike, wildlife to spy, historical artifacts, colonial homes, horseback riding, boats, and a planetarium, you’ll find the best of rural life right in the middle of the city.
Shopping/Restaurants
Popular Shopping and Eats
- Transcendence-Perfection-Bliss Of The Beyond– Quaint gift shop featuring a range of greeting cards & small toys, including plush animals for kids.
- Adas Israel Gift Shop– Jewish lifecycle gifts for all occasions: B’nai mitzvah, baby naming, Shabbat, havdalah, confirmation.
- Femme Fatale DC– A hub for women and non-binary creatives, entrepreneurs and organizers. We catalyze: a women-led economic ecosystem that advances intersectionality on a platform of equality. We are on a mission to amplify the influence of women by providing inspiration and practical support.
- DC USA– DC USA is an 890,000-square-foot retail development in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. A Washington City Paper poll named DC USA the “Best Designed Retail Space” of 2009. The development is adjacent to the Columbia Heights station on the Yellow and Green Lines of the Washington Metro.
- Sfoglina Van Ness– Chef Trabocchi’s homemade pasta, hearty mains & soft serve gelato are offered in Italian villa digs.
- Phở 14– Showcasing a menu of noodle soups, sandwiches, and other Vietnamese eats in cozy digs.
- Thai Pad– A menu featuring traditional Thai dishes with a modern, industrial interior and outdoor tables.
Schools
Best Public High Schools
- Washington Metropolitan High School 1357 students, 8:1 student-teacher ratio
- Jackson-Reed High School 1,872 students, 16:1 student-teacher ratio
Best Public Elementary Schools
- Murch Elementary School 623 students, 15:1 student-teacher ratio
- Hearst Elementary School 340 students, 12:1 student-teacher ratio
Public Transportation
Buses/Trains
Nebraska Ave & Fort Dr – Bus stop
Connecticut Ave & Van Ness St – Bus stop
Porter St & Connecticut Ave – Bus stop
Nebraska Ave & Connecticut Ave – Bus stop
Park Rd & 19th St – Bus stop
Connecticut Ave & Brandywine St – Bus stop
Van Ness-UDC – Subway stop
Cleveland Park – Subway stop
Median Home Value
$923,000 as of 2023
Renters: 68%
Owners: 32%
Demographics
Population 11,500
Median household income – $106,089
Median age: 38.5
Families with children – 11%
High school diploma or equivalent – 1%
College Degree: 97%
69% White
11% African American
11% Hispanic
6% Asian
3% Other
Guides
- Cathedral Heights Community Guide
- Forest Hills Community Guide
- Crestwood Community Guide
- U Street Corridor Community Guide
- Woodley Park Community Guide
- West End Community Guide
- American University Park Community Guide
- The Palisades Community Guide
- McLean Gardens Community Guide
- Glover Park Community Guide
- Potomac Maryland Community Guide
- Friendship Heights Community Guide
- Ivy City Community Guide
- Foxhall Village Community Guide
- Anacostia Community Guide
- 16th Street Heights Community Guide
- Bloomingdale Community Guide
- Brightwood Community Guide
- Brookland Community Guide
- Burleith Community Guide
- Capitol Hill Community Guide
- Chinatown Community Guide
- Cleveland Park Community Guide
- Columbia Heights Community Guide
- Congress Heights Community Guide
- Deanwood Community Guide
- Dupont Circle Community Guide
- Eckington Community Guide
- Foggy Bottom Community Guide
- Fort Lincoln Community Guide
- Fort Totten Community Guide
- Georgetown Community Guide
- Howard University Community Guide
- Kalorama Community Guide
- Kenilworth Community Guide
- Kingman Park Community Guide
- LeDroit Park Community Guide
- Logan Circle Community Guide
- Mount Pleasant Community Guide
- Navy Yard Community Guide
- NoMa Community Guide
- Park View Community Guide
- River Terrace Community Guide
- Shaw Community Guide
- Southwest Waterfront Community Guide
- Takoma Community Guide
- Tenleytown Washington DC Community Guide
- Trinidad Washington DC Community Guide
- Woodridge Washington DC Community Guide
- Adams Morgan Community Guide
- Alexandria, VA
- Arlington, VA
- Chevy Chase Washington DC Community Guide
- Hyattsville, MD
- Petworth Washington DC Community Guide