American University Park, also known as AU Park, is a quiet neighborhood of well-maintained single-family
homes set among mature trees that create a parklike setting in Northwest Washington on the Maryland border. This suburban-style community enjoys the best of both worlds: peaceful streets where neighbors stroll with their dogs and children but also quick access to shops, restaurants and downtown Washington by bus and Metro.
Most residents can walk to the Tenleytown Metro station at Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street Northwest, where they will find a Whole Foods grocery store, Best Buy, Container Store and multiple other shops and restaurants.
The Tenleytown/Friendship Heights branch of the D.C. Public Library, under construction, is anticipated to open sometime this winter. Residents will be able to walk to the library and also can walk to shops and restaurants in Spring Valley along Massachusetts Avenue Northwest.
The homes in AU Park, many of which were built in the 1920s, represent a range of styles, from small brick Colonials to Craftsman-style bungalows, Cape Cod-style homes and Victorian-style homes. Some of the homes have been expanded or remodeled to increase their living space.
The home at 4603 48th St. NW, on the market for $1,100,000, was expanded and almost entirely rebuilt in 2009. An asphalt walk leads past garden beds and mature trees to the covered front porch, which has columns and a white picket fence.
The grounds of this home include a landscaped and fully fenced backyard with a stone patio, deck, lawn and extensive plantings, including perennials and a vegetable garden. Tall trees nearly surround this home, creating privacy and treetop views from the upper-level windows.
A driveway is at the back of the home, although the owner says street parking is readily available. The driveway has space for a garage to be added.
While the exterior of this home blends perfectly with its neighbors, the front door opens to reveal a surprisingly modern interior, with an open floor plan, ceilings that are 9 and 12 feet high, and extensive oversized windows. Solid hardwood flooring has been installed on the three upper levels, along with recessed lighting and wiring for speakers on two levels. Throughout the home, the owner installed extra outlets and wiring for cable, so chandeliers, ceiling fans and televisions or computers can be added easily.
The main level features an open, L-shaped living and dining room with the flexibility for either space to be used for either function. One wall features hidden closets tucked above the baseboards and below the crown molding, including one section for coats and tall items and another with wood shelving for serving dishes and other storage.
At the back of the home, multiple oversized windows frame a view of the garden and lawn. A sunken family room is set a few steps below the open kitchen and breakfast area and includes a gas fireplace flanked by built-in cabinets and shelving.
The open kitchen has granite counters, furniture-grade cabinets, a granite center island and some stainless steel appliances, including a convection microwave. Above the range is a pot-filler, a pipe with cold water that makes it possible to fill pots with water while they’re on the stove.
The breakfast area includes a glass door to the deck, which has steps leading to the garden and patio. Serpentine pendant lighting enhances the recessed lighting in the kitchen and breakfast area.
The main level also includes a bedroom suite with a double-door closet in the bedroom and an adjacent full bath with a glass-enclosed ceramic tile shower, a glass-block window above, and a vessel-style pedestal sink in the shape of a flower.
Hardwood stairs link all four levels of this home. On the second floor, the master suite overlooks the garden through a wall of oversized, floor-to-ceiling windows with two additional windows on a side wall. The bedroom has a sitting-area alcove. The master suite includes a room-size walk-in closet with built-in shelving and a window.
The master bath has ceramic tile flooring and a top-of-the-line chromatherapy air-jet tub with a full complement of air jets surrounding the bottom of the tub and a choice of colors that can be set to rotate or to remain stable. The tub is set in the corner under two large windows, with a glass-enclosed, oversized shower adjacent. The bath also has a double-sink vanity and an enclosed area for the commode with a glass-block window.
The second level has three additional bedrooms, each with extensive windows, high ceilings and large closets. These three bedrooms share a full bath off the hall with ceramic tile flooring, a glass-enclosed shower with ceramic tile walls and a storage niche, and a glass-block window. The two bedrooms facing the front of the home have treetop views and windows on two sides of the room.
The upper level is a finished loft space with plenty of room for any function. The sloping ceiling is high, with operable skylights with screens. At either end of this space, which extends from the front of the house to the back, are Palladian windows. The loft has two ceiling fans, extensive built-in storage shelves and cabinets, a window seat facing the backyard and a separate furnace and air-conditioning system. The loft could be used as a playroom, study, home office, art studio or even a guest bedroom.
The finished lower level has new carpet and several spaces for storage, plus new laundry equipment.
This expansive five-bedroom home easily could accommodate a large family or provide flexible rooms for home offices and visitors. Entertaining spaces on the main level can hold 50 or more guests at one time.
Buyers looking for the charm of an older neighborhood with the amenities of a new home may want to consider this AU Park home.
Details:
Address: 4603 48th St. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Community: American University Park
Age: Built in 1925, almost entirely rebuilt in 2009
Price: $1,100,000
Lot size: Approximately 4,000 square feet
Taxes: $7,819 in 2009
Exterior features: Colonial-style single-family home of maintenance-free shingle siding with front porch with columns, deck, patio, and landscaped backyard with perennials, vegetable patch and gate to rear driveway
Interior features: Four finished levels with five bedrooms, three full baths and hardwood flooring; main level with open floor plan, sunken family room with fireplace and built-in bookshelves; open kitchen and breakfast area with granite counters, granite island, stainless steel appliances, furniture-grade cabinets, pendant and recessed lighting, door to deck with steps to garden; main-level bedroom suite with large closet and custom-designed full bath; upper-level master suite with sitting area, walk-in closet, and luxury bath with air-jet tub and glass-enclosed shower; three additional bedrooms share upgraded hall bath; finished attic level with window seats, skylights, built-in storage; finished basement with new carpet, extensive storage space and new laundry equipment
Amenities: Gas fireplace, two furnaces and air-conditioning systems, in-wall speaker wires on first and third levels, recessed lighting throughout the home, oversized windows
Close by: Walk to shops and restaurants in Spring Valley; less than one mile to Tenleytown Metro station and Wisconsin Avenue shops and restaurants; easy access to downtown Washington, Georgetown, Friendship Heights, Chevy Chase and Bethesda
Schools: Janney Elementary, Deal Middle, Wilson High
Open house: By appointment
Contact: Associate broker Jane Fairweather of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Bethesda at 301/530-4663
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