Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

The first thing you notice when you enter this fantastic Gothic-ish mansion at 1st and V St., NW, is the oblong custom-made three panel stained glass window that stretches up to the living room's vaulted ceiling, a height of nearly two stories. All country club-style woodwork and exposed brick, this majestic area opens onto a massive kitchen; from there you go through a pair of oversize sliding doors leading out to a spacious patio. Come spring, it'd be a perfect place to have breakfast, read the paper, and ask random passersby if they have two-story stained-glass windows in their living rooms. (“You don't? I do.”)

Up to the second floor; there's a beautiful sitting room and a sun- filled southfacing nook. There's also a waist-high overlook, from which you can survey the ground floor; in a unique touch, the top is planted with ornamental cacti. It looks stylish, and it's a clever way to remind guests not to put their empties there. I noticed that on each floor, there seemed to be an identically-shaped closet in the very same spot; it turns out that there used to be an elevator shaft running through the middle of the house, which was converted into closets. If it had been up to me, I would've kept the elevator, and just thrown all my shoes and underwear in there. But then I'm an exceptionally classy person

The third floor is the master bedroom suite, a mini-Xanadu with a heated jacuzzi, gas fireplace, and enclosed patio, perfect for nude sunbathing. Along another side of the house is a long, open deck overlooking the street; on a clear day you can see the Washington Monument. All in all, there are five fireplaces, 3.5 baths, and two-car attached garage. There's also a one-bedroom english basement rental unit, so you could probably get some recent college grad to heavily subsidize your mortgage payment. Ah, America!

2100 1st St., NW
Washington, DC

3 Bdrm, 3.5 Baths
Parking

OPEN SUN 1-4