The 12 stories tall Van Ness East Condominium (VNE) is wrapped on two sides by the valleys and woods of Rock Creek Park. Its grassy slopes on the east blend into the dense forests of Rock Creek Park whose flora and fauna frequently compel residents of building to stop and admire before departing on a hike. The only structure separating the north-side of the Condominium from the serene Soapstone Valley is its secluded swimming pool where residents can relax and listen to the sounds of the birds. The building's entrance to the south is located at the end of Van Ness Street, just one block away from Connecticut Avenue. Located to the east of the building, across from its front plaza, are VNE's neighbors - Van Ness South (a rental building), and Van Ness North (a coop). |
The 443 unit Condominium is comprised of efficiencies, one, two and three bedroom units. Many have balconies and patios. Van Ness East is prized for its close proximity to the Van Ness-UDC metro station (Red line), shops including Giant Grocery, many restaurants and the University of the District of Columbia.
|
History |
Our Building
Van Ness East was opened in 1964 as a rental property, the first of the three Van Ness residential buildings to open. All were rental buildings when they first opened, with Van Ness North opening in 1967 and Van Ness South opening in 1970. The whole complex covers 18 acres, of which 13 are open spaces. With 1,524 units in total, housing about 3,500 individuals, the buildings are together the largest apartment complex along Connecticut Avenue in the District. Van Ness East has 433 units, the fewest number of units of the three buildings.
The land occupied by the Van Ness complex, which also includes an office building that was completed in 1967, was leased for 75 years from the Chevy Chase Land Company, which was formed in 1890 to develop D.C.’s upper northwest and parts of Montgomery County. The owners of the buildings in the Van Ness complex paid the Chevy Chase Land Company yearly rent for use of the land, but in the late 1970s the owners purchased the land from the Chevy Chase Land Company and shortly thereafter turned to selling the buildings and land.
Van Ness North was sold first, for $26 million in 1979, and was converted to a cooperative. The residents of the North building had organized a tenants association in the hope of purchasing the building themselves, but the purchase failed and the conversion to a co-op was carried out by a corporation headed by Conrad Cafritz. Two efforts to convert Van Ness South into a condo, in 1980 and 1983, failed because of tenant opposition. The South building is still a rental property and has changed ownership a couple of times since originally being sold by the Van Ness complex owners . In 1980, however, the tenants of Van Ness East, in partnership with a developer, were successful in purchasing the building and land for $20 million. Each tenant who wanted to purchase a unit in what was going to be the Van Ness East Condominium provided a down payment for the type of unit the tenant wanted to purchase. Those down payments, along with funds put up by the developer, were used to obtain the financing to purchase the building and gave the tenant providing funds the right to purchase a unit at well below the market rate that was eventually offered to the general public. Van Ness East has operated independently by the condominium association ever since.
Van Ness Area
The Van Ness complex was named for Van Ness Street, which was named for the city’s ninth mayor, John Peter Van Ness. Van Ness was a native of New York, but came to Washington to serve as a member of the House of Representatives shortly after 1800. He remained in the city, became mayor, and married an heiress, Marcia Burns, whose father owned a small plantation near the present site of the White House. John Van Ness eventually became the city’s largest landowner, and remained active in civic affairs until his death in 1846.
Information source: Best Addresses: A Century of Washington’s Distinguished Apartment Houses, James M. Goode, Smithsonian Books, 1988
Van Ness East was opened in 1964 as a rental property, the first of the three Van Ness residential buildings to open. All were rental buildings when they first opened, with Van Ness North opening in 1967 and Van Ness South opening in 1970. The whole complex covers 18 acres, of which 13 are open spaces. With 1,524 units in total, housing about 3,500 individuals, the buildings are together the largest apartment complex along Connecticut Avenue in the District. Van Ness East has 433 units, the fewest number of units of the three buildings.
The land occupied by the Van Ness complex, which also includes an office building that was completed in 1967, was leased for 75 years from the Chevy Chase Land Company, which was formed in 1890 to develop D.C.’s upper northwest and parts of Montgomery County. The owners of the buildings in the Van Ness complex paid the Chevy Chase Land Company yearly rent for use of the land, but in the late 1970s the owners purchased the land from the Chevy Chase Land Company and shortly thereafter turned to selling the buildings and land.
Van Ness North was sold first, for $26 million in 1979, and was converted to a cooperative. The residents of the North building had organized a tenants association in the hope of purchasing the building themselves, but the purchase failed and the conversion to a co-op was carried out by a corporation headed by Conrad Cafritz. Two efforts to convert Van Ness South into a condo, in 1980 and 1983, failed because of tenant opposition. The South building is still a rental property and has changed ownership a couple of times since originally being sold by the Van Ness complex owners . In 1980, however, the tenants of Van Ness East, in partnership with a developer, were successful in purchasing the building and land for $20 million. Each tenant who wanted to purchase a unit in what was going to be the Van Ness East Condominium provided a down payment for the type of unit the tenant wanted to purchase. Those down payments, along with funds put up by the developer, were used to obtain the financing to purchase the building and gave the tenant providing funds the right to purchase a unit at well below the market rate that was eventually offered to the general public. Van Ness East has operated independently by the condominium association ever since.
Van Ness Area
The Van Ness complex was named for Van Ness Street, which was named for the city’s ninth mayor, John Peter Van Ness. Van Ness was a native of New York, but came to Washington to serve as a member of the House of Representatives shortly after 1800. He remained in the city, became mayor, and married an heiress, Marcia Burns, whose father owned a small plantation near the present site of the White House. John Van Ness eventually became the city’s largest landowner, and remained active in civic affairs until his death in 1846.
Information source: Best Addresses: A Century of Washington’s Distinguished Apartment Houses, James M. Goode, Smithsonian Books, 1988