We start at U Street to continue our walk up 16th Street. The first building we see, on our left, is the Balfour Condominium.

The Balfour was built as a luxury apartment at the northern tip of developed 16th Street in 1900. Originally named something else, the building was renamed the Balfour in 1909. Arthur Balfour had left the British prime minister’s position in 1905. His Balfour Declaration was not issued until 1917, when he was serving as foreign minister.

The building has been renovated several times. When built, it had 36 rental units. Now, as a condo, it has 54. Units seem to sell between $500k and $700k.

Across the street from the Balfour is the Brittany, another rental building turned condominium,  built in 1914.

The Brittany has 57 units. Today, none are for sale.

As we continue up the street, with both townhouses and apartment houses, I saw a building with a flag I couldn’t identify, and no clear markings on the outside. The flag has red, white, blue, and green portions, and a tree in the middle. “What could it be?”, I asked Google and was told it’s the flag of Equatorial Guinea. So the building has been identified

We then cross V Street, and find ourselves in front of another enbassy, this time the embassy of Angola.

Next to this austere brick building is another building, of a very different style, but also owned by the government of Angola.

Looking once again across the street, we see the Camden Roosevelt Apartments, opened in 1920 and named after former President Theodore Roosevelt.

This building, like many, has had its ups and downs. It has been an apartment building, an apartment hotel, a seniors facility and again an apartment building. I believe all of the units are either efficienvies or one bedroom apartments.  They rent for about $2500 to $3000 a month.

Living at Washington House, at the corner of 16th and W Street is a little less expensive. This building, dating from 1941, has 142 relatively small units. It advertises mainly its views and its tight security.

This brings us to the end of a short, two block walk. Next? We start walking up Meridian Hill, and find the right (east) side of the street borders one of the most interesting and beautiful parks in D.C.  That will be Part 8.