ANNOUNCER: Support for, "If You Lived Here" comes from... MAN: The Yuen Foundation committed to bridging cultural differences within the greater Washington, DC community.

♪ ♪ JOHN: Hi, I'm John.

CHRISTINE: I'm Christine.

We're producers at WETA, and we're kind of joined at the hip.

JOHN: We love living in the DMV and finding a place to live here can be an adventure.

CHRISTINE: Join us as we tour three homes at three prices points.

JOHN: And try to get the listing price without going over.

And find out what it would be like...

BOTH: If you lived here!

CHRISTINE: Oh, shh, we're at the library.

JOHN: Sorry.

Let's go.

JOHN: Hey, Rob.

CHRISTINE: Hey, Rob.

ROB: Hey.

How are you?

Welcome to Southeast.

CHRISTINE: So exactly where are we at in Southeast?

ROB: Right now, we're located in Hillcrest.

And right behind you is Fort DuPont Park.

Now, let me tell you a little bit about Fort DuPont Park.

This is the Rock Creek Park of Southeast.

JOHN: I feel like I can breathe easier out here, Rob.

CHRISTINE: I know.

ROB: You probably can.

It is the interconnector for all the other subdivisions east of the river.

It connects us to Hillcrest, Randle Heights, Congress Heights, Barry Farms, Anacostia, and Marshall Heights.

JOHN: You know?

When we ask people like, "Where are we?"

they don't paint a picture as accurate as that.

ROB: Well... JOHN: I really get a sense of where we are.

ROB: This is one of the few places where you can still get a piece of the American dream in Washington, DC.

In fact, we're the last bastion of hope.

We are very high on the crest of Hillcrest.

We are at 310 feet above sea level.

JOHN: What a great view.

Best view in town.

ROB: It's not called Hillcrest for nothing.

The green space here allows all of the homes in this area to be between 8 to 12 degrees cooler than downtown.

JOHN: I think I need to live here because I'm always hot.

So that's... CHRISTINE: What year was this home built?

ROB: This home was built in 1937.

It's a quaint house.

I mean, it's not going to take you long to get through.

And I'm going to meet you in the backyard.

CHRISTINE: Great, Because that yellow door is calling me.

I need to see what's behind there.

JOHN: Christine.

It was.

There you go.

It's a cheery way to enter into this house.

You can definitely tell this has been updated.

CHRISTINE: Right, but you know, as soon as we walked in, I noticed that the steps I think are original, but I think the floors...

I'm a little confused because they do fit that 1939 time period.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: But I can't tell if they're original, if they're not.

JOHN: It's hard to tell.

CHRISTINE: So, they've really embraced the era.

JOHN: Well, but they sure did wonders by opening up this space.

CHRISTINE: Right.

Because originally, this would have been a galley kitchen, which would have been really tight.

JOHN: Really tight.

CHRISTINE: But by opening it, they could put in this nice island... JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: With the waterfall countertops.

JOHN: And what I'm seeing that you're not seeing is the side yard is gorgeous.

And there's a hardscape in the back.

CHRISTINE: Oh my gosh.

What a great patio area.

Did you notice three exterior doors?

JOHN: I did.

You know?

We could play, "Let's Make a Deal".

Tina, you gonna take door number one, door number two, or door number three?

CHRISTINE: Well, I want to check out door number four because I don't know if it's a pantry or if it goes to a basement.

Ah.

It's a basement.

JOHN: Basement?

CHRISTINE: Come on.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Nice space.

JOHN: Yeah, this is.

I like these floors, these tiled floors.

CHRISTINE: And it's perfect for a basement, the ceramic floors.

JOHN: And look what we have here.

Wow.

Nice bathroom.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

This is a big bathroom.

JOHN: Yeah.

Nicely done.

CHRISTINE: But you know?

I just realized that there wasn't a bathroom upstairs, a half bath or anything.

JOHN: Where would you put it?

CHRISTINE: That's a good point.

JOHN: Two floors down.

One to go.

CHRISTINE: Let's go check out the upstairs.

All right.

So, here's the bathroom.

Newly renovated.

JOHN: Not huge, but it's a good size bathroom.

It doesn't have the finishes that downstairs had.

CHRISTINE: Well, this must be bedroom number one.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: And being a corner lot, obviously windows.

It's the light.

JOHN: Lots of sun.

Okay.

Well, that's a good size.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Well, I'll tell you what's not a great size.

Take a look at this room.

CHRISTINE: Ooh.

JOHN: Bedroom number two.

CHRISTINE: It's a little small.

JOHN: Just a little.

I think that is...

So, you could put a crib in here.

CHRISTINE: You could.

It's a nice baby's room.

And I don't know if you can squeeze a twin or not, but... JOHN: It does have a closet.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: Oh.

Look at that.

I'm all right.

CHRISTINE: It obviously it was the original access to the attic.

JOHN: You would still use those to get up to the attic, right?

CHRISTINE: Oh.

That's true.

I didn't even think about that.

I'm just looking at how many shirts you could actually hang, but... You know?

JOHN: That's a 1930s attic access there.

CHRISTINE: It is.

Got a nice window though.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: All right, so, this would be the third bedroom.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: And I think it's actually the largest.

JOHN: I think you're right.

CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: I'll call this two and a half bedrooms.

CHRISTINE: Okay, kind of.

Oh, finally, out in the backyard.

Hey, Rob.

JOHN: Oh, well, the house tour was great, but this is my speed out here.

This is beautiful.

ROB: I know.

Isn't this a nice retreat?

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Oh, it is.

ROB: 800 extra square feet.

JOHN: But this isn't just the only great part of this house.

There's so many interesting features.

I love the finishes.

I love how they took the walls down and opened it up.

CHRISTINE: What I appreciate is that it is move in ready.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Having renovated and currently renovating with paint stuck under my nails, I appreciate just being able to walk into a place and all you have to do is bring yourself and the furniture.

ROB: That is all.

CHRISTINE: And have a friend to help you move.

JOHN: I'm busy that weekend.

CHRISTINE: But I do have one question.

ROB: Sure.

CHRISTINE: And this has been bugging me, the flooring?

ROB: Yes?

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Is it original?

Is it not?

ROB: It's a hodgepodge.

CHRISTINE: So, it's a little mix of old and new then?

ROB: It really is.

It's probably 60% original, 40% new.

CHRISTINE: Okay, now I don't feel so bad trying to figure it out.

JOHN: And that's the story of this house; little old, little new.

Right?

ROB: Story of Washington, DC.

JOHN: There you go.

ROB: So, we have 1,620 square feet of purity goodness in the Hillcrest area.

JOHN: Yes.

ROB: We have three bedrooms, we have two baths, we have three levels.

JOHN: Yes.

ROB: What do you think this house is listed for?

CHRISTINE: Okay, I'm going to jump right in there.

ROB: Okay.

CHRISTINE: Because I'm feeling this place.

I feel good.

I might not feel so good after I hear the final listing price, but I'm going to jump in at $525,000.

ROB: $525,000?

CHRISTINE: Yup.

JOHN: That's exactly what I was going to say.

CHRISTINE: No.

JOHN: We were so much alike.

ROB: You are.

You are.

CHRISTINE: That's a little scary, yeah.

JOHN: We're best friends.

We guess alike.

ROB: You have that mind-meld going.

I know.

JOHN: I'm going to go for $550,000.

CHRISTINE: Ooh.

ROB: $550,000?

You're going to push all the chips in?

JOHN: I'm going to.

CHRISTINE: You're going up.

Okay.

ROB: Oh, good.

All right.

Well, the actual listing price of this home is $539,900.

CHRISTINE: Oh, it's too bad you went higher.

JOHN: It's too bad you took my price.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

There's that too.

ROB: That's right.

So, you're ready to go see some new homes?

CHRISTINE: You bet.

JOHN: All righty.

Yes.

CHRISTINE: Because I'm on a roll.

ROB: You are.

JIM: Well, you are in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Washington, DC.

This is Hillcrest in Southeast DC.

Hillcrest was originally developed as part of a collective of neighborhoods.

It was called, East Washington Heights.

Colonel Arthur Randle purchased the entirety of the East Washington Heights plat, which includes present day Hillcrest, Penn Branch, DuPont Park and Randle Highlands.

He named everything Randle Highlands.

And over the years, the neighborhoods broke off into their own sections, but each neighborhood has its own distinct character.

Some are extremely bucolic; you'd think you were in the country.

Others are a little more urban and nearer to Pennsylvania Avenue.

But the great thing is, is that you have this incredible variety of home stock that you can choose from.

You know, we've always taken great pride in the gardens.

It's one of the things that make people just go slack-jawed when they come here.

It's a hallmark of the neighborhood.

MICHELLE: A lot of the neighbors here, they're so invested in not just the houses that we bought, but we also invested in how we maintain our yards.

I wouldn't say it's competition among us.

It might be, but everyone takes pride of how their yard looks.

People always talk about Ward 7 being the second poorest ward, second, you know?

The highest crime.

But yet, we're like right in the middle of it.

Someone might say that we're an oasis on an island around Ward 7.

JIM: So, a lot of people refer to Hillcrest as being a hidden gem because a lot of people don't know.

Since the late 1960s, early '70s, you find people that have never ventured across the Anacostia River to see the beauty that's here.

Well, once upon a time, Ward 7, Ward 8 had every amenity that you find in the rest of the city; car dealerships, restaurants.

Like most of Washington, Hillcrest started to change in the mid 1960s with the advent of Brown versus Board of Education and the desegregation of schools.

There was a slow movement of white residents out of the cities that was accelerated by the riots in 1968.

What was a little different in Hillcrest; everybody didn't move out of the neighborhood immediately.

And what that did was, the fabric of the neighborhood remained intact.

Historically, Southeast DC had the largest percentage of single-family detached homes as compared to the rest of DC.

This house is one of the Art Deco houses by John Joseph Earley, who was a pioneer of the polychrome method of concrete mixing.

This of course is a very individual, one-of-a-kind home, but the housing stock in Hillcrest is so varied.

It's not a cookie cutter neighborhood.

Some of the houses across the street were developed by Lord and Stone; the developers of Crestwood.

This street in particular has houses by Clifton White and many of the famed architects that people covet in neighborhoods all around Washington, DC.

And it's all right here in Hillcrest, Southeast.

(doorbell) ROB: Welcome to Texas Avenue.

JOHN: House number two.

ROB: House number two.

Just a little bit about this area: Arthur Randle, this is what he envisioned.

He wanted huge homes on huge lots.

And he wanted to rival everything that he saw on Sixteenth Street Heights, the Crestwoods, the Shepherd Parks, he wanted to bring here.

Now when he brought that here, unfortunately, the infrastructure didn't follow.

And therefore, this is definitely a food desert.

You want some night life or entertainment?

You have to travel.

But even with all of that said, I think you're going to be thoroughly impressed by what you see.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Sounds good.

JOHN: Sounds like a plan.

CHRISTINE: All right.

JOHN: Hillcrest house number two.

CHRISTINE: Open floor plan.

Very similar to what we saw in the first home.

JOHN: Very similar, except this house has a fireplace.

CHRISTINE: And not just a fireplace.

It's your favorite.

A wood burning fireplace.

JOHN: Yeah.

I like wood over gas.

And you have a nice view out this window atop of your hill in Hillcrest.

CHRISTINE: So, let's check out the kitchen area.

So, the island has a stove top.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Can I be honest?

I was getting something just a little bigger.

JOHN: So, it wasn't originally a large kitchen, but they chose some really nice features like... CHRISTINE: Right, because I do you like the double oven.

JOHN: Who wouldn't want a double oven?

CHRISTINE: And a nice sized fridge.

JOHN: It's a huge fridge.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Do you need a fridge this big for this space?

I don't know, but it's pretty and nice.

CHRISTINE: Yeah, if you have kids you do.

JOHN: So, I see a room over here.

Let's go see what that is.

CHRISTINE: Well, can I check out over here first though?

JOHN: Oh yeah.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

So, half bath.

JOHN: Nice.

CHRISTINE: Right?

But I need to check out this yard because this is my area.

I know you can probably put in a pool back there.

JOHN: A pool?

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: That is perfect.

CHRISTINE: I could have pool parties.

JOHN: Pool parties?

I love that.

I'll be at your pool party.

CHRISTINE: Oh yeah.

JOHN: Okay.

Wow.

CHRISTINE: Look up.

I wasn't expecting a vaulted ceiling in here.

JOHN: Me neither.

So, what do you think this room is?

CHRISTINE: I'm wondering, it's not considering it a bedroom.

JOHN: This could be a dining room too.

CHRISTINE: It could be.

JOHN: Yeah.

I'd take out the closet and a very good room to entertain 20 of your closest friends and family.

CHRISTINE: Wow, I just love all these ideas that you're throwing up.

JOHN: After the pool party.

CHRISTINE: Oh yeah.

The pool party.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

Okay.

JOHN: Onward and upward.

CHRISTINE: Check out this room first.

JOHN: Oh, look at this alcove.

That's awesome.

CHRISTINE: Nice.

JOHN: Look over here.

CHRISTINE: Oh wow.

I didn't see all this space.

JOHN: It's huge.

Look, there's stairs.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Oh, look at this space.

JOHN: Bonus, bonus.

CHRISTINE: Definitely a bonus room.

JOHN: All right.

CHRISTINE: You know?

You know why it's funny?

If that door hadn't been open, we would have never noticed that staircase.

The important thing; open every door.

You never know what we're going to miss.

JOHN: Another closet.

So, we have closet, closet, closet.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: This place has lots of closets.

CHRISTINE: You can never have enough closet space.

JOHN: You can never have.

CHRISTINE: It's true.

All right.

So, we have...

This would be bedroom number two on this floor.

JOHN: Oh, that's cute.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

Look.

I mean, obviously it's a little smaller than the first one, but nice natural light coming through.

JOHN: Charming.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: And?

CHRISTINE: All right.

Peak in the bathroom.

So nice full-sized bathroom.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Ooh.

Great rain shower-head.

JOHN: All right.

Bonus.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: There's got to be a basement if there's a garage.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

So, we've got... JOHN: So, look for the door.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

I bet it's this door.

JOHN: I think this has got to be it.

CHRISTINE: Yep.

JOHN: There it is.

Bingo.

CHRISTINE: I think these are the original steps.

JOHN: Oh.

For sure.

CHRISTINE: All right.

So nice downstairs space.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: All right.

But now, if there's anything I've learned in this house is, don't let any door go without opening it.

So, I'm guessing this is a closet.

JOHN: I'll say garage.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

No.

JOHN: Oh.

CHRISTINE: This is a whole other space.

JOHN: Is it a bedroom?

I think it's a bedroom.

That's the game in this house.

It's like, "Is this a bedroom or is it something else?"

I think this is a bedroom.

CHRISTINE: All right, so then... JOHN: And then, the flow goes back and you have this snake right back here.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

But is that a full bath?

JOHN: This is a full bath.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

I'm guessing this is... JOHN: With a shower stall.

CHRISTINE: To the garage, but I don't see washer, dryer.

Oh, that's... JOHN: They found washer, dryer.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

Washer, dryer hookup here.

And then, that's definitely got to be the garage.

JOHN: That's definitely the garage.

You know what this would be good for?

A teenager.

Right?

Be like, go down to your floor.

You've got a bathroom.

They can study out here, have a little living space and a bedroom.

Right?

CHRISTINE: That's true.

But at the same time, this would make a great exercise space.

JOHN: Oh.

It would be great for that.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

Okay.

JOHN: Okay.

CHRISTINE: Hey, Rob.

ROB: Hey.

How are you?

CHRISTINE: Good, good.

ROB: What'd you think of the house?

CHRISTINE: Well, my trick with this home is you had to open up every single door because if you didn't, you may have missed a room or maybe even a whole other level if you weren't paying attention.

ROB: That's correct.

JOHN: That's an attic.

Definitely surprised us.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

JOHN: And there are lots of closets in this house.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

ROB: Tons.

JOHN: Which is always a plus.

ROB: Right.

Now, the one thing I just wanted to point out is that you have a bedroom in the attic and that's a legitimate bedroom.

JOHN: So that's a bedroom.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

We were wondering because we were counting them up.

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: So, there's four bedrooms?

ROB: Four bedrooms.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

ROB: But you have to be just seven feet by seven feet with a closet and a window to be a legitimate bedroom in Washington DC.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

ROB: So that is a bedroom.

And probably, the one that confounded you a little bit was the one in the basement.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Okay.

JOHN: So that's a legal bedroom.

ROB: That's a legal bedroom as well.

CHRISTINE: All right, I was wondering about the side one.

So that's not considered the bedroom?

ROB: It could have been a bedroom.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

ROB: If they had just designated that way.

So, with all this talk of bedrooms, let's just talk a little bit about the house.

JOHN: Yeah.

ROB: We have four bedrooms, two and a half baths, three levels and a half.

JOHN: Yeah.

ROB: 5,860 square footage.

A garage, driveway for two cars.

Tell me what you think of the house.

JOHN: It's a lot of house.

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: I have a number in my head and that number is $720,000.

ROB: Okay.

CHRISTINE: All right.

ROB: Now what do you think?

CHRISTINE: I'm going to come in at a listing price of $750,000.

ROB: Okay.

Is that your final answer?

CHRISTINE: Looking at your expression, I'm not so sure.

Yes.

I'm going to stick with $750,000.

ROB: The actual price is $649,990.

JOHN: Oh.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

We both went over.

Wow.

JOHN: Doublé over.

ROB: You were about to get this on the cheap if that's what you thought.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Well, at least we have one more home to look at.

JOHN: Yes.

ROB: Yes.

Are you ready to head on?

JOHN: Let's go.

CHRISTINE: I think so.

JOHN: After you.

ROB: All right.

CHRISTINE: Redemption.

ROB: Redemption.

JIM: Well of course, Washingtonians know the Gold Coast, which is off of 16th Street, Crestwood, Sixteenth Street Heights.

When former Mayor Barry moved to Hillcrest in 1979, it created a vogue for Hillcrest.

And so, black professionals began moving to Hillcrest in droves.

And it gained the nickname, the Silver Coast, because it was an enclave of professionals similar to the Gold Coast.

VILLAREAL: I think the beautiful thing about Hillcrest is that it's a suburban feel in an urban setting.

So, this is the Hillcrest Recreation Center.

This is the pride of the neighborhood.

A few special things that I hear; the Splash Park.

And then, we have a putting green, which my son appreciates.

So, we have these kind of things in our community that are secrets that we only know about.

The garden.

Another secret for our community.

DIANE: The community garden is about six years old.

Probably, two thirds of the gardeners out here are new.

So, they have never had a community garden.

So, they are planting, well, whatever appeals to them.

It's been good.

A lot of people enjoy it.

They like coming out here.

It's a exercise and exhaling when you need to.

You can come out and just get lost in doing your work in the garden.

I think the most part that I like is just the trees.

I've had friends who've come and said, "You still in the city?"

I say, "Yeah.

We're still in the city."

"I didn't know they had trees in Southeast."

I was like, "Oh my goodness."

(door bell) JOHN: Well, now we're thinking big.

ROB: Isn't this gorgeous?

CHRISTINE: It is.

JOHN: It's beautiful.

You know?

Coming into this neighborhood was a real joy because it has every single type of home.

It's got Dutch Colonials, it's got Bungalows, it's got Tudors, and it's got Mediterranean.

ROB: Mediterranean Villa.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Okay.

I have to give a shout out to all the garden space.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: As a gardener, I could just walk these neighborhoods on the weekends just to enjoy the backyards, the front yards, all the flowers.

I'm loving it.

But looking at this house, there has to be a story behind it.

ROB: You know there is.

Built in 1932, was constructed by an Italian stonemason; not only built this home, but he built this home across the street for his daughter just to keep an eye on her.

CHRISTINE: Because they'd keep an eye her.

JOHN: Italian dad.

CHRISTINE: That's what my dad would do actually.

ROB: And it was a speakeasy back in the '30s.

BOTH: A speakeasy!

ROB: Yes and you'll see that when you go down and visit the basement.

CHRISTINE: Since it was a speakeasy, we don't need a secret password or anything to get in?

We don't have to...

ROB: No.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

ROB: Just go on in there and enjoy.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Okay.

I'm excited about this one.

CHRISTINE: I'm very excited.

Oh.

And you know what?

JOHN: Wow.

CHRISTINE: It's exactly how I envisioned it.

JOHN: All the beautiful archways, the doors.

These doors.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Look at these beautiful doors.

JOHN: Oh great.

CHRISTINE: I feel like I'm making this grand entrance.

JOHN: You are to this gorgeous dining room.

Yeah.

CHRISTINE: But these are beautiful and solid.

And I love the...

This wood.

JOHN: Mahogany?

Yeah.

CHRISTINE: I would guess.

I'm not quite sure.

JOHN: Do you notice what I notice in this room?

CHRISTINE: The beautiful moldings?

I bet most of the moldings in this home are going to be made out of plaster.

JOHN: I think the whole house is plaster.

CHRISTINE: I think so.

JOHN: Okay.

Yes, the moldings are nice, but no.

There's something else.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: It is a square.

CHRISTINE: Oh yeah.

JOHN: Yeah.

And it makes it such an interesting space.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Now can we head towards the kitchen?

JOHN: Yes.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

But before we do, did you notice this has actually a square entryway?

JOHN: I did.

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

JOHN: Not everything's an arch in this house.

CHRISTINE: Not everything.

Okay.

Well now, everything definitely isn't an arch because look at this archway.

JOHN: That's definitely not an arch.

Well, it's kind of an arch, but what is that?

CHRISTINE: Archway.

But what's that?

JOHN: What kind of era is that?

I didn't even know.

But you know, first thing I noticed of course, these stained-glass windows.

CHRISTINE: Do you think they're original to the house?

JOHN: Yeah.

It's leaded glass.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

So that would be in the era... JOHN: It looks very Italiano.

CHRISTINE: So, did you want my first impressions on this kitchen?

JOHN: What's that?

CHRISTINE: Okay.

It's a little small.

JOHN: Well, not for the period of the house maybe.

I don't know.

CHRISTINE: Not for the period, but... JOHN: It's not a narrow kitchen.

It's wide.

CHRISTINE: No.

JOHN: I do agree.

It doesn't have a lot of counter space, but... CHRISTINE: It's perfectly fine as is.

JOHN: Yeah, it is.

And it's got a lot of character.

CHRISTINE: This door is locked kind of.

JOHN: Uh-huh.

Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And you know what that means.

JOHN: Yeah, that means we need to see what's inside it.

CHRISTINE: We need to check it out, but maybe this is the speakeasy.

Do we have to do a special knock, like?

(knocking and tapping) You know?

Is that special?

JOHN: You know what?

It could just be a closet.

CHRISTINE: It could be a pantry.

No.

JOHN: Oh.

You're right.

CHRISTINE: All right, so I don't even know kind of where to go.

JOHN: What is this?

CHRISTINE: I don't know.

JOHN: Okay, I'm about to check out... CHRISTINE: So, let's check out this room.

Oh my gosh.

JOHN: Well, we have found the speakeasy.

CHRISTINE: I think so.

This is crazy.

JOHN: It is huge.

I didn't think when he said there was a speakeasy, it was like for you and the hundreds of your friends and neighbors.

CHRISTINE: I know.

I know.

This would be probably the bar over there.

JOHN: That's definitely the bar.

The liquor would've gone on these shelves, and a bar right in front of me.

CHRISTINE: Would you believe they even had a coatroom?

JOHN: We need a coatroom.

CHRISTINE: We do?

JOHN: When you're having all these people over?

It's a stage.

CHRISTINE: Oh my gosh.

They even had a stage.

JOHN: Wanna get up and sing a little something?

CHRISTINE: Oh.

It is a little tempting.

JOHN: Go on.

CHRISTINE: Well, really.

JOHN: No.

No.

Go on.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

Really.

JOHN: You'll just do great.

You're great.

♪ CHRISTINE: It don't mean a thing ♪ ♪ if it ain't got that swing ♪ JOHN: You killed it, kid.

CHRISTINE: Oh, thanks.

JOHN: You made me proud.

CHRISTINE: I love this space.

JOHN: The crowd loves you.

CHRISTINE: Really?

JOHN: Well, they're all on the hooch.

Another window into a room.

CHRISTINE: But you know?

I bet this opened, and maybe they passed through liquor or... JOHN: It has to be something like that.

CHRISTINE: I guess it was.

Yeah.

JOHN: We're going to have to ask.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: But I think that kind of makes more sense now.

JOHN: I think this was a very well thought out operation.

CHRISTINE: I do.

JOHN: Well, that was fun.

CHRISTINE: That was the first.

That was a first.

JOHN: That was like a little excursion.

And finally, we could get to the great room, living room.

CHRISTINE: And what a beautiful room.

And the first thing you notice when you walk in the room is this ceiling.

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And I think it's a nave ceiling.

JOHN: I think you're right.

I mean, you see these a lot here in churches in Europe.

CHRISTINE: Exactly.

But overall, this room is actually quite cozy... JOHN: It is.

CHRISTINE: Because you would think with such a high ceiling, it might not be.

JOHN: Of course.

You know I love a good fireplace.

CHRISTINE: And again, that's probably plasterwork.

JOHN: One of my favorites.

CHRISTINE: But you know?

Are you saying that this is your favorite room now over the dining room?

JOHN: Well, that would be number two.

And maybe number three is right around the corner.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Maybe.

We haven't seen any bedrooms yet.

JOHN: Well, I think we've arrived.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Oh, it looks like we actually have found bedroom number one.

CHRISTINE: And it's a really large bedroom, just like your dining room.

You know?

Nice big square, really spacious.

And I love the view of the backyard out the window.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

Over here, I found the bathroom to this suite here.

And it has the original tile, which is quite unique.

And another... CHRISTINE: Arch.

JOHN: Arch above the shower.

Did that surprise you?

No.

CHRISTINE: No.

No, not really.

So, another full bath.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

CHRISTINE: But I have to point out... You know this era?

That good old cast iron tub.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

They are sturdy.

JOHN: Oh.

Well, get a load of this.

What do we have here?

CHRISTINE: Wow.

JOHN: Well, I don't want to say this is a little odd, but it's a little odd.

I really don't even know how you would...

I mean, I guess you would access it through the outside, but I guess if you want, you can like... CHRISTINE: Do you want me to help you?

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Oh.

Okay.

All right.

Overall though, great room.

Keep trying.

Great room, but this is not a room that I would let my teenager have.

JOHN: Oh.

No way, Jose.

CHRISTINE: They'd find a way to get up and out.

JOHN: With their own escape door?

We're not playing that.

No.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

No.

JOHN: No way.

CHRISTINE: No.

No.

Okay.

I get this room.

JOHN: This is... CHRISTINE: I mean, it's a really nice sized bedroom.

It's light and airy.

But this space?

JOHN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Wow.

JOHN: It's so cool in here.

CHRISTINE: Oh, I love it.

You could use it four seasons because they've got radiator heat and then they've got an air conditioning unit.

JOHN: Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

It's perfect.

CHRISTINE: All right.

Second level.

All right.

Final space in the house.

JOHN: Okay.

Yes.

Nice for kids.

CHRISTINE: But you know?

We started through an arch and through the very top we have another final arch.

JOHN: Oh.

The final arch.

There it is.

All right.

Well, our job is done here.

CHRISTINE: Hey, Rob.

ROB: Hey, Christine.

CHRISTINE: So here you are on this beautiful patio.

ROB: Mm-hmm.

If you love this patio, have you checked out the one that sits on a half floor?

JOHN: Yeah, we saw it through the weird little door in the bedroom.

ROB: It's a half floor.

CHRISTINE: I don't think I've ever heard of that before, but that answers the question of... JOHN: Why it's a half door?

CHRISTINE: Why it's a half door.

ROB: You saw where the speakeasy was, correct?

JOHN: Can't miss it.

CHRISTINE: You couldn't miss that.

ROB: Can't miss it, right?

The backroom was an ice room.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

JOHN: Oh.

An ice room?

ROB: And whereas that was the central location for all of the neighbors?

JOHN: Yeah.

ROB: Well now, the new central location is the Hillcrest Community Center that you hear the kids frolicking and playing.

JOHN: Is there a water park ever there?

ROB: There's everything over there.

CHRISTINE: Oh, that's nice.

ROB: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: It doesn't get much better than that.

JOHN: Nice.

ROB: Well, let's just run down the list.

You just saw five bedrooms, three baths, three and a half floors, 5,175 square feet, a huge lot built in 1932.

What is the list price of this home?

CHRISTINE: So, I'm a little nervous on this one and I'm just going to do a listing price of $800,000.

ROB: $800,000?

CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: Well, I think I'm going to make a guess and I'm kind of going between two.

I think I'm going to go for the lower amount so that gives me a little wiggle room.

So, I'll go with a number of $750,000.

CHRISTINE: Oh?

ROB: The actual list price of this home is $750,000.

CHRISTINE: Oh.

Gosh.

JOHN: On the nose.

ROB: On the nose.

JOHN: Right here.

On the nose.

CHRISTINE: $750,000?

Oh my gosh.

Okay.

You did good.

Okay?

JOHN: Okay.

That was pure luck.

ROB: Bravo.

JOHN: Winner.

ROB: I mean, big chicken dinner.

I swear if this was, "The Price is Right", he would get an extra $1,000.

JOHN: Yes, thank you, my friend, Rob, exactly.

ROB: I wish I could've take you to a hotspot in Hillcrest, but we've already talked about it being a food desert.

So, I'm just going to take you right down the street to Eastern Market.

CHRISTINE: Okay.

JOHN: Ooh.

We'd love that.

CHRISTINE: I liked it.

ROB: Okay.

Let's head on out.

CHRISTINE: But John is still paying, right?

ROB: He's still paying.

JIM: If you lived here, you would know that you can have a suburban experience just minutes from every amenity and tourist attraction in Washington, DC.

EARL: If you lived here, you would know what a great neighborhood this is and how friendly the people are and how beautiful the homes are.

ALLISON: And I've just been able to meet so many people just doing different, you know, community activities and walking around.

So, it just feels warm, you know, like a, like a neighborhood should.

VERONICA: And Hillcrest and Penn Branch have always been hidden secrets.

Seriously, so, people really don't know about this beautiful community.

We don't really want you all to know because everybody... You know?

They want to try to move here.

ANNOUNCER: To find out more about living in the Washington Metro area, visit weta.org/ifyoulivedhere.

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