Kenwood House in Bethesda MD checks lots of boxes for homebuyers searching for an affordable home with lots of amenities close to downtown DC. Kenwood House is a small mid-century modern cooperative is located at 5100 Dorset Avenue, next to Little Falls Parkway.
Why Choose Kenwood House, A Best Coop in Montgomery County
Do you want to see cherry trees in bloom when you look out your window? Do you want to be able to walk into downtown Bethesda in about 15 minutes? Are you a biker who loves the Capital Crescent Trail? Then you should start your co-op search with the Kenwood! Just driving up to your building is an uplifting experience and you will love admiring your neighbors’ homes in next door Kenwood.
The Kenwood House is a mid century modern co-op building with large rooms and big windows. 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. This building offers very good value because the all inclusive co-op fee (which includes taxes and insurance) discourages some buyers who think it is high but don’t understand what it includes. If you are confused about the differences between cooperatives and condominiums, 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.
The Kenwood House is a small co-op building built in 1962 with five floors and approximately 70 units in total. Located on Dorset Avenue at 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. As designed, the Kenwood House offers traditional floorplans with enclosed kitchens and large bedrooms.
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.
Here is What is for Sale at Kenwood House – If Anything
What the Coop Fee Includes at The Kenwood House
The coop fees are truly all inclusive. With one payment, you cover property taxes, all utilities, water and sewer, the underlying mortgage, common area maintenance and custodial services, exterior building maintenance, lawn maintenance, on site management, master insurance policy, laundry room on lower level, bike storage, reserve funds, trash removal, snow removal and trash removal.
In 2016, the co-op fees, which are all inclusive, range from $773 for a one bedroom to nearly $1000 for a two bedroom 1300 square foot co-op, and of course more for the 1500 square foot units. For all your questions about financing the purchase of a co-op, just read here.
By 2021, co-op fees have gone up because the community had to take on an underlying mortgage a few years ago. Unit 411, with 840 square feet of space, had a monthly fee in 2021 of 958.62 a month. Fees for the 03 tier with 1200 square feet ranged from $1312.28 for the first floor unit with one parking space to $1433 for the fourth floor unit with one covered parking space and one surface parking space. A unit in the 02 tier with 1100 square feet had a fee of $1311.42. The 14 tier has 1300 square feet of living space. A unit in the 14 tier had a co-op fee of $1416.33 each month. Only a few units sold in 2024, An 860 square foot condo in the 10 tier had a coop fee of $1156 square feet and sold for $275,500 in March 2024 while a condo in the 02 tier with 1100 square foot had a fee of $1556 and sold in January 2024 for $299,900. A unit in the 09 tier sold in late 2023 for $309,000 with 1300 square feet of space and a fee of $1561.
The Difference between a Condo and a Cooperative Explained
The difference between a co-op and a condo can be confusing – and you probably are wondering if you need to know all that “stuff.”
Before you reject Kenwood House completely out of hand for its high fee, it is crucial that you examine what is included in the co-op fee and compare it to what is included in the condo’s fee. Co-op fees include taxes and insurance. Most co-ops include all utilities in their fees and in many instances an underlying mortgage. The underlying mortgage is deducted from the amount which you will be financing or paying at closing and provides a tax deduction for most buyers. It is really helpful to compare the condo and co-op fee side by side. In most instances, the co-op fee is not as high as it might seem. For more information about the difference between a co-op fee and a condo fee, please read this article.
The co-op fee at Kenwood House includes property taxes, all utilities including electricity and gas, water and sewer, air conditioning and heat, common area maintenance, exterior building and lawn maintenance, master insurance, on site management, parking, recreation facility, reserve funds and snow removal. The fee which covers all your expenses except phone and upgrades to your cable gives you the ability to manage your expenses, a great bonus if you are on a fixed income or trying to save money!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT COOPS VERSUS CONDOS?
HERE ARE SOME USEFUL ARTICLES
Floorplans at The Kenwood House
The smallest coops at the Kenwood House are a spacious 840 square feet for the one bedroom one bath units, found in tiers 07, 10, 11 and 12. The 02 tier is a two bedroom unit at 1100 square feet, while the 06 tier provides you with 1200 square feet of space. The 00, 01, 08, 09 and 14 tiers are two bedroom two bath units with 1300 square feet. If you are looking for more space, you should consider the 04 or 05 tiers with three bedrooms and two baths at 1500 square feet!
To see what is on the market right now (if anything,) just click here.
Here is a sample floorplan of an 800 square foot unit such as found in the tiers 07,10,11 and 12.
Recent Sales at The Kenwood House
In 2024, the hallway updates had been completed and the lobby work was underway. In keeping with the very tight inventory in 2024, only two units sold at the Kenwood House. Unit 510, which had 840 square feet, sold for $275,000 with one bedroom and one bath. Unit 510’s penthouse location offered sweeping vistas, while the open kitchen, extensively renovated in 2015, featured ample storage and sleek finishes. The full bath was completely updated and the owner had added engineered hardwood flooring and fresh paint throughout to create a contemporary ambiance. Unit 202 sold in January 2024 for $299,900 with two bedrooms and two baths and 1100 square feet of space. This large, bright, two-bedroom, two-bath unit was in move-in condition and looks out to the Capital Crescent Trail. The unit has neutral décor, pretty hardwood floors, a kitchen that was nicely updated several years back and updated windows. The unit comes with a storage unit, one assigned underground or covered parking space.
Seven homes sold in 2021 at Kenwood House. The least expensive sale was $185,000 for a one bedroom one bath unit with 840 square feet of living space. Prices for the 03 tier with 1200 square feet ranged from $199,900 to $290,000. Sales in the 02 tier with 1100 square feet ranged from $270,000 to $329,600. Unit 314 with 1300 square feet of living space sold for $275,000.
In 2015, prices ranged from $153,000 for a one bedroom 840 square foot coop to $370,000 for a two bedroom, 1300 square foot coop. Coop fees, which are all inclusive, ranged from $773 for a one bedroom to nearly $1000 for a two bedroom 1300 square foot coop, and of course more for the 1500 square foot units. For all your questions about financing the purchase of a coop, just read here.
To see what is on the market right now, just click here.+
Schools Near The Kenwood House Cooperative
The Kenwood House is located in the BCC school district in Montgomery County. Children living here attend Somerset Elementary, Westland Middle, and Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.
BCC’s International Baccalaureate program is a great draw to that 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).
Nearby private schools include Washington Episcopal, Little Flower, Holton Arms, Landon and Concord Hill. For all the information you need about the local schools, just click here.
If this all sounds great and you want to see what is on the market right now at Kenwood House, just click here.
What is Near the Kenwood House
Although the Kenwood House is located on Dorset Avenue at Little Falls, a very quiet area ofChevy Chase, the building is just a short mile stroll to downtown Bethesda along the Little Falls Parkway and another mile back toward Washington and Friendship Heights. Metro access is available at both the Bethesda station and Friendship Heights. Lots of buses run up and down River Road on a frequent basis, also providing quick access to Friendship Heights or Montgomery Mall.
The Capital Crescent Trail is literally just outside your front door. In a matter of a few steps, you can be on your way to Georgetown or into Bethesda! Get your bike or your roller blades – there is no place better for a little relaxation than the Capital Crescent Trail! In addition, if you are a golfer or tennis player, the Kenwood Country Club is a few blocks away.
Grocery shopping is readily available at the Whole Foods just three blocks up River Road and at the updated Giant at Westbard, about a half mile away. All of this Westbard area is changing and has been redeveloped as Westbard Square.
There are not many restaurants immediately nearby, but is a carryout Chinese restaurant within a five block radius and Ledo’s Pizza. Georgetown Bagel and Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream are other welcome additions to the neighborhood. Tatte just opened at Westbard Square and there are other restaurants coming in addition to the Starbucks that is already opened there.
Geico headquarters are less than a mile away, and then in Friendship Heights is the local Microsoft headquarters, and a variety of retail establishments and hotels.
The Kenwood House is a great place to call home If you want quiet and serenity with beautiful views from your window, this is the place to be. You can find coops for sale at the Kenwood House (if there are any available today) as well as all available condos for sale in Bethesda or Chevy Chase on my website.
What is the Value of Your Home in The Kenwood House?
There are a number of sites on the internet that will give you ‘estimates’ for what your home will sell for. These sites use public records and usually some kind of algorithm to try to produce a value for your home. These sites also publicly state their ‘error rates’. That means they aren’t correct, they are simply an estimate based on incomplete date. We would love to do a free comparative market analysis of your home and let you know what could expect to get in today’s market if you are considering selling. Our valuation is based on up to the day data for homes that have recently sold in the area. Our valuation is not based on a formula that relies on public records which can take months to update. Please visit my website in order to get your free property evaluation for your home We would love to help you sell your co-op at Kenwood House in Chevy Chase since we love selling co-ops.
Let’s Talk if You Are Interested in The Kenwood House
I have been a realtor for over 37 years, specializing in helping buyers and sellers with all their Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Northwest Washington real estate needs. In addition to being a realtor with many years experience in all kinds of markets – the good, the bad and the ugly, I also am an attorney admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia. While I no longer practice as such, I think that my years of experience as a lawyer also work to the advantage of my clients.
In addition to a deep knowledge of the market and the ins and outs of the real estate transaction, I bring to my sellers a real commitment to technology in general and its absolute necessity in marketing properties. My buyer clients also benefit from my technology skills because I am constantly searching all the hidden corners of the real estate market looking for that perfect home for them.
If you want an agent who always puts your interests first, then you should call me and set up a time for a cup of coffee, a little pastry and a lot of conversation. Let me show you Howe Real Estate Should Be. I am at 240-401-5577 or lise@lisehowe.com. Looking forward to talking with you!

