May 16, 2008

No Arsenic in AU’s Turtle Park: Mayfair is On!

When I started writing this post a couple of days ago it had the title “Mayfair Brings AU Park Together.”  AU Park is American University Park, if you don’t know it. It is a leafy, tightly-knit neighborhood in the Upper NW section of D.C., well-known for its good public elementary school and ideal in-town location next to the Tenleytown Metro.

Mayfair is an annual rite in Friendship Park, locally known as “Turtle Park” because of the cement turtles in the sand box. It is a wonderful day designed for the kids (mainly under eight years old) and organized by a dedicated corps of volunteers.  A trip to Mayfair is a great way for potential homeowners to get acquainted with one of the heart and soul institutions of the neighborhood. This year’s Mayfair, however, scheduled for this Saturday, was threatened because of erroneous news reports that high levels of arsenic were discovered in the playground soil. This scare was connected to an actual finding of arsenic in a park at Fort Reno, which has been closed for further testing. In fact, extensive tests were done in 2002 at Turtle Park and no significant levels of arsenic were found. This week, new tests confirmed that the park is safe. It is open and Mayfair is on from 10 am - 4 pm.

If you do decide to tour the area, you’ll find fewer houses for sale than last year, that’s for sure, but the prices have held firm. There is a wide variation among the typical colonial or bungalow homes you’ll find. Many have expensive, high-end additions. Others are smaller and more affordable. Some blocks are in the $700,000-$900,000 range, while others are well over $1 million. This weekend there are several open houses in the lower price range, although a lot of them are in what I would call “Friendship Heights” across River Rd. 

In the heart of AU there are three houses on the market within 2 blocks of the Metro and Janney Elementary School. They are not large but you cannot beat the location. Two are classic AU colonials and one is a side-by-side. If you have not considered a side-by-side, I urge you to take a look anyway. It is on a good block and you’ll never regret moving to this area. 

- 4227 Brandywine St. NW - 4 bed/2.5 bath side-by-side for $799,000. Open Sun from 1-4 pm.
- 4240 Alton Pl. - 3 bed/1.5 bath for $810,000. Open Sat/Sun from 1-4 pm.
- 4220 Albemarle St. - 3 bed/1.5 bath for $699,000. Open sun 1-4 pm.

Cheers,
Allison