If you are not familiar with Washington, the Palisades neighborhood is one of the most desirable in the city.  The setting is bucolic, close to the palisades of the Potomac River.  The palisades themselves are parkland, with three biking and hiking trails passing within a few hundred yards of 5350 MacArthur.  If you have a mind to commute to downtown by bicycle, you can do so entirely through the parks, never crossing a busy street, or any street at all, in fact, until you arrive in Georgetown.  In the other direction, upriver, you can go for 210 miles along the C&O towpath, now a federal park.  Alternatively, there is excellent bus service at your front door.

 

For water sports, the Potomac just above this point is a world-class white water run.  There are many challenging tributaries all along the way as well.  There are plenty of stretches of river that are perfect for beginners, and many enthusiasts who are happy to induct new paddlers.  The sport that I enjoy is board sailing.  This is best done a mile or two down river where the current is not so strong.

 

Aside from the recreational aspects of life in the Palisades, the people there are from all social strata.  The Palisades neighborhood was once working class, and the descendents of those people are still represented.  Especially a little further upstream, many people are from the families that operated the locks and did other things for the C&O Canal Company.  I am now retired, but when I worked for the David Taylor (ship) Model Basin, upstream from the house you are considering to rent, my colleague was a member of the Swain family that operated Swain's Lock and still lives and operates a canoe concession there.  The Fletcher family operated the canoe and rowboat concession at Fletcher's Lock, near 5350 MacArthur, until the summer of 2011, when it was taken over by the Park Service.

 

Many artists and naturalists live in the neighborhood.  The community spirit is very cohesive.  There are many little cafes and restaurants within an easy walk.  Sibley Hospital is within walking distance, although this probably wouldn't be a feasible way to get there in an emergency.  Georgetown University and Hospital is also nearby, but just outside of walking distance.  The Embassy of France, site of many cultural activities, is across the street from the University/Hospital. 

 

It is one of the greatest places to live, considering access to city amenities and virtual wilderness.  There are not many places where you could canoe to work.  When I lived on MacArthur Boulevard, I biked along the towpath to work.  My commute included pulling myself and my bike across the canal on a little punt, then up the towpath for about eight miles, negotiating my way among the geese, deer, raccoon and amphibians along the way, disturbing the bats in one of the tunnels that go under the canal, and arriving directly at my office at the Model Basin.  Quite a contrast to sitting in steaming traffic.