Kenwood House and Kenwood Forest are just a half mile apart in a beautiful setting of green spaces and cherry trees. The two communities both offer easy access to downtown Bethesda and northwest Washington with lots of restaurants, shops and transportation. The two communities are different in their architectural style and legal structure, making them appealing to different types of buyers.
Peek Inside Kenwood House
The Kenwood House is a small mid-century modern co-op building built in 1962 with five floors and approximately 70 units in total. Located at 5100 Dorset Avenue, just before the entrance to the Kenwood community, the Kenwood House sits quietly between Little Falls and the Capital Crescent Trail. In the rear of the building are the sports fields of Washington Episcopal Day School, so from every window of Kenwood House are lovely views of trees and green space. The building is very close to River Road with a Whole Foods, Georgetown Bagel, Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream and Ledo’s Pizza offering some casual dining choices. Up the street at the newly renovated Westbard shopping area, you will find Tatte and a barbecue restaurant with other choices expected in later 2025.
The Kenwood House has large rooms and big windows. As designed, the Kenwood House offers traditional floorplans with enclosed kitchens and large bedrooms. The kitchens tend to be galley styled and separate from the dining and living areas – unless the co-ops have been remodeled, which some have been to create an open concept. The building is smoke free and does not allow pets, except for emotional support and service animals. The community has recently installed several EV charging stations. The laundry is in the basement and has plenty of washers and dryers so that you do not have to wait. There is even a small set of shelves with books donated by other people in the building so you can find a new read even while doing your laundry!
This building offers very good value because of the all inclusive co-op fee (which includes taxes and insurance.) Co-op fees discourage some buyers who think they are high but don’t understand what the fees include. Since each community is different and the fees are particular to that community, be sure to ask what is included.
If you are confused about the differences between cooperatives and condominiums and why you should buy a cooperative, here is an explanation. If you are looking for a home in a quiet location you should put Kenwood House on the list. To see what is on the market right now, just click here.
Financing is slightly different for a cooperative purchase from a condo purchase. Not every lender is able to finance a cooperative so if you plan to purchase a cooperative (or there are enough for sale in your community that you may end up choosing one,) you should ensure that your lender can go the distance with you. If the Kenwood House sounds like the perfect new location for you, then just click here to see what is on the market now.
Children here attend Somerset Elementary, Westland Middle School and Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.
Take a Tour of Kenwood Forest
Kenwood Forest 1 with its sister community, Kenwood Forest 2, combine to make one of the most appealing communities in Montgomery County. Kenwood Forest is made up of traditional brick townhomes arranged around green courtyards with mature cherry trees and colorful azaleas. People who live in Kenwood Forest love walking into Bethesda for dinner or running on the Capital Crescent Trail with their dogs. Condo fees are low and the community is pet friendly.
Kenwood Forest, a condo townhouse community of nearly 400 homes, was created in the late 70’s from an apartment community built after World War II for returning veterans and their families. Kenwood Forest is composed of Kenwood Forest I and Kenwood Forest 2, which look very similar and have similar styled townhomes but are under separate condo associations. The two communities collectively offer a variety of floorplans and facades, including studio and one bedroom garden style condos and two, three or four bedroom townhomes on two or three levels. The homes sit in quiet green courtyards located along Bradley Boulevard, Hillandale, Offutt, Chevy Chase Drive, Willett Parkway, Kenwood Forest Lane, and Fairfax on the edge of Bethesda. Some of the townhomes also have basements, which can add extra living space, including an extra bedroom and bath. The community is always popular because of its location at the edge of downtown Bethesda and close to the Capital Crescent Trail, the Bethesda pool, and Norwood Park.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KENWOOD FOREST I AND KENWOOD FOREST 2
The two communities are very similar in appearance, but they do have a few differences. Kenwood Forest 2 has an on site property manager while Kenwood Forest I uses an off-site property manager. Kenwood Forest I has assigned parking spaces (one per townhome) while Kenwood Forest II has parking stickers for reserved parking but no assigned spaces. In Kenwood Forest I you can park in any space that is Reserved but without a number while in Kenwood Forest II, you get two parking stickers per townhome (if you have two cars) and one guest parking tag.(Depending on where you are in Kenwood Forest 2, the parking is not rigorously enforced.) In Kenwood Forest 2 you can park anywhere on the property as long as you have a sticker, but you do not have a reserved space right outside your front door. Parking generally is not a problem in Kenwood Forest 2.
Both communities include the roofs in their condo coverage and outside maintenance such as painting wood trim or the units with siding. However, Kenwood Forest I does not include the decks in their condo coverage. Deck repair and replacement is the responsibility of the owner in Kenwood Forest I whereas it is covered by the condo association in Kenwood Forest 2. Both communities make infrastructure repairs from reserve funds.
PET POLICY
The community does not have a weight or breed restriction for dogs. The condo rules say that only one dog per household is allowed, but that does not seem to be rigorously enforced. Owners are expected to control their dogs, keep them on leash, and pick up after them. There are dog clean up stations are various parts of the community.
AMENITIES
The biggest amenity to living in Kenwood Forest 2 is its proximity to Norwood Park with the tennis courts, play grounds, and ball fields, the Bethesda pool at the end of Hillandale, the Capital Crescent Trail that runs next to the homes along Hillandale, and its closeness to Bethesda and the metro. However, there are a few other amenities that might not come to mind quickly. There are bikes to rent at the corner of Chevy Chase Drive and Offutt (Bikeshare) and electric charging stations on Chevy Chase Drive and on Hillandale. If you want access to a vibrant small town community with lots of amenities and great schools, you can’t do much better than Kenwood House and Kenwood Forest.
When Kenwood Forest was first completed, many people who lived there had a baby and then moved to the suburbs. Now, people come to Kenwood Forest and stay to raise their families. The schools are great and while the townhomes are not huge, there is room for a growing family that wants to enjoy all the amenities and conveniences of downtown Bethesda.
This townhome community is very popular with people looking for a high walkability index, good schools and lots of amenities. Do you want to leave your car in its parking space and take the Red Line or the new Purple Line to work or fun. If you would rather get in a long bike ride all the way to Georgetown, the Capital Crescent Trail is just a block away right by Silver and Chop’t. Since this is Bethesda, you know that all the restaurants and movie theaters and shops of downtown Bethesda are just outside the door!
Everything you need is nearby from grocery stores to fine shops, good restaurants, movie theaters and commuter routes around the city. The Safeway on Bradley Boulevard is just down the street at the corner of Arlington Road and Target and Trader Joes are just a few blocks away on Wisconsin Avenue. There are several restaurants nearby, like Moby Dick’s or True Foods on Wisconsin Avenue, Uncle Julio’s and Sweet Green on Bethesda Avenue, and Le Pain Quotidien, Luke’s Lobster Roll and Hawkers in Bethesda Row.
The Bethesda pool is nearly in your backyard and Norwood Park is a short walk away. Don’t miss the Capital Crescent Trail which will give you great views of Kenwood House and Kenwood Forest and take you all the way to Georgetown!
SCHOOLS
Children living at Kenwood House or in Kenwood Forest all attend the Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. There are approximately 2,000 students enrolled at B-CC from more than 55 countries. Approximately 75 percent of students go on to attend a four-year college; 20 percent attend a two-year college. BCC High School recently completed a 94000 square foot addition for new classroom space. The new addition includes two wings that connect the existing building to enhance circulation. The design featured collaborative learning areas adjacent to classrooms and found spaces near vertical circulation for gathering, performances, and learning. A naturally lit stairway was incorporated in the new addition as well as a large dance room. The stadium and sports fields were completed in March 2019.
B-CC has been participating in the International Baccalaureate Program since 1996. The program provides students a liberal arts, interdisciplinary education leading to a diploma recognized throughout the world. Instead of pursuing a full IB diploma, students at B-CC may choose to take one or more IB courses (except Theory of Knowledge) and obtain a certificate for the successful completion of the requirements for each course (more on B-CC’s IB program).
Kenwood Forest 1 is part of the Westbrook Elementary, Westland and Bethesda Chevy Chase cluster while Kenwood Forest 2 is part of the Somerset Elementary School, Westland MS, Bethesda Chevy Chase HS cluster.
Nearby private schools include Holton Arms, Landon, Georgetown Prep, and Stone Ridge. If you would like more information about the schools that serve Kenwood House and Kenwood Forest, just click here.
Major Employers in Downtown Bethesda
Major employers in Bethesda include Marriott, the Walter Reed Medical Center, The Howard Hughes Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Capital One Bank, Lockheed Martin, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Booz Allen has just moved into the heart of Bethesda too. Kenwood House and Kenwood Forest are close to not only the Red Line Metro in downtown Bethesda and the new purple line but also the Beltway and I-270, so that you can always get around the metro area from here.
If you have any questions about which community to choose, just give us a call at the Lise Howe Group at 240-401-5577 or email us at lise@lisehowe.com.