Van Ness North Cooperative – Check It Out

Van Ness North Cooperative is part of the original Van Ness Centre built over six years from 1964 to 1970 on an 18-acre site. The residential part of the $50 million development was spearheaded by Robert I. Silverman of Southeast Construction Company as rental properties, while the commercial building (which includes the Giant grocery store) was developed separately.

In 1979, Van Ness North and its surrounding land were sold for $26 million to a corporation led by Conrad Cafritz for cooperative conversion and most tenants were able to acquire their units at discounted rates.  The following year, residents at 2939 Van Ness bought Van Ness East and its land for $20 million, facilitating its conversion into a condominium. However, tenants at Van Ness South—the largest of the three buildings— were able to block conversion of that building into a condominium in 1980 and again in 1983, thereby keeping it as a rental property even today.

Joseph Abel, the principal architect of much of the complex, resided in a three-bedroom unit in Van Ness North from its opening until his death in late 1985. Over a distinguished forty-year career, Abel designed more than 100 luxury apartment buildings in Washington, showcasing styles from the Tudor Revival and eclectic designs of the 1920s to the Art Deco and early International Style of the 1930s and 1940s. Van Ness Centre was his final major apartment project before retirement.

Van Ness North is located on Veazey Terrace NW and is one of three apartment buildings and a commercial building comprising the Van Ness Centre complex built in the first half of the 1960s on an 18 acre parcel of land. The complex is bordered by Connecticut Avenue NW on the west side, Van Ness Street on the south, Soapstone Valley Park on the North, and on the east side, the continuation of Soapstone Valley Park and the campus of Howard University Law School.

Van Ness North is a cooperative apartment building originally consisting of 466 units; a few units have been combined. It is 16 stories tall, built into the side of hill, with the main entrance facing south on Veazey Terrace NW. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Abel and Weinstein and consists of efficiencies, one, two and three bedroom units. Many have balconies or terraces. There are three levels of underground parking for approximately 500 cars.

The four building complex is designed in the International Style. The three residential buildings have similar facade designs and exteriors comprised of light brown (tan) brick.  However each building is different in the size and mix of units within. All of the buildings are well sited and connected by large plazas, terraces, driveways, and walkways. Landscaping includes an assortment of fountains and open lawns and several swimming pools. Of the 18 acres, 13 are open space.

Amenities at Van Ness North Cooperative include a front desk staffed 24-hours a day, a party room, an exercise room, a library and separate saunas for men and women, a package room that receives deliveries for all residents. Many units have parking spaces and extra storage.  There are shared laundry facilities on each floor.  There are also two outdoor swimming pools that open during Memorial Day weekend. The smaller pool closes during Labor Day weekend and the large one is opened two weeks beyond Labor Day. During the season, this pool opens early for lap swimming on weekdays.

Van Ness North is in the Forest Hills neighborhood of northwest Washington, D.C, and backs up to the Soapstone Valley parkland.

Forest Hills extends along both sides of Connecticut Avenue, between the neighborhoods of Cleveland Park and Chevy Chase.  The University of the District of Columbia is across Connecticut Avenue where the Van Ness metro is located..

Things to See

• Avalon Theatre
• Chevy Chase Public Library
• Cleveland Park Public Library
• Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
• National Zoo
• Peirce Mill – working grist mill in Rock Creek Park
• Politics and Prose – Independent bookstore hosting literary events

Houses of Worship

• Adas Israel (Jewish)
• Blessed Sacrament (Catholic)
• Capital Memorial 7th Day Adventist
• Cleveland Park Congregational (United Church of Christ)
• Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
• National Cathedral (Episcopal)
• National Presbyterian School (Presbyterian)
• St. Ann (Catholic)
• St. Columba (Episcopal)
• St. Mary’s Armenian (Apostolic)
• St. Thomas Apostle (Catholic)
• Washington Hebrew Congregation

Stores and Retail

• Bank of America
• Bread Furst – a bakery
• Calvert Woodley Liquors
• CVS Pharmacy
• Giant – connected to the building’s parking garage
• Wells Fargo Bank
• In the immediate vicinity of Van Ness North, you can also find dry cleaners, hairdressers, realtors, and more.

Restaurants and Cafes

Restaurants come and go along Connecticut Avenue but rest assured there are lots of restaurants and cafes to choose from within half a mile both north and south of Van Ness North, such as Pot Belly, Bread Furst, and Viet Chopsticks.

Children living at Van Ness North Cooperative attend Hearst Elementary, Alice Deal MS and Jackson Reed High School.  VNCC’s proximity to the University of the District of Columbia on Connecticut Ave., American University on Massachusetts Ave (and the American University Law School on Wisconsin) and the Howard Law School next door on Van Ness all make it a great place for a professor or an undergraduate or graduate student to call home.

Nearby Private Schools include:

• Beauvoir, The National Cathedral Elementary School (Episcopal)
• Edmund Burke School (Private)
• Georgetown Day School (Private)
• Levine School of Music (Private)
• National Cathedral School (Episcopal – girls)
• Sheridan School (Private)
• Sidwell Friends School (Society of Friends)
• St. Albans School (Episcopal-boys)
• St. Ann’s Academy (Roman Catholic)
• St. John’s College High School (Roman Catholic – Christian Brothers)
• Washington International School (Private)
• Washington School of Ballet (Private)

18 properties sold at VNCC in 2024 ranging in price from $260,000 for a one bedroom coop with 936 square feet to $595,000 for a two bedroom two bath coop with approximately 1375 square feet.

It is important to remember that a cooperative has a different legal structure than a condominium, so the monthly fee is going to include the property taxes in addition to utilities and fees for any amenities.  In the case of the Van Ness North Cooperative, the monthly fee includes all the utilities such as air conditioning, electricity, gas, heat, water and sewer.  The monthly fee also includes common area maintenance, exterior building maintenance, fiber optics, insurance, management, the parking fee, recreation facility fees, snow removal and reserve funds.  Amenities included in the monthly fee include the concierge, extra storage, guest suites, laundry facilities, fitness center, library, meeting room, outdoor pool, sauna and security.

After you have seen all these great coops at VNCC on line, you probably want to schedule an in person showing.  That is easy!  Just give us a call at 240-401-5577 or email us at lise@lisehowe.com.  We can explain all the ins and outs of coop living and help you pick the perfect coop for your needs! Let’s talk!