Convenience at a Price

All the new apartment construction in-and-around the convention center in Washington DC is another example of sterile neighborhood development sweeping through our cities in a rush to create profitable 24-hour environments. You can see the same approach in downtown Toronto and downtown Los Angeles, in Houston and Atlanta as well as other major markets. The idea prompting this new development is to build high-end apartments near office districts and satisfy demand for convenient lifestyles sought by upwardly mobile millennials and well-heeled older executives looking for pied-a-terres. In fancily appointed apartments with various gym amenities and providing concierge services you can be steps from work instead of stuck in traffic during time-sucking daily commutes.

At Washington’s City Center, condominium residences in sleek mid-rise boxes start selling in the million dollar range. Filling adjacent office buildings, major law firms and lobbyists have moved east from redoubts in the traditional K Street corridor now closer to where they can conduct business on Capitol Hill. The likes of Burberry and Hermes showcase stores here, stylish restaurants with signature chefs draw lunch and dinner crowds, and the nearby Metro stops are some of the busiest in the city.