When the Aperture condominium hit the market in 2022, two of the 19 new-build units were held in reserve: the two-level penthouses, with their roof terraces and sweeping views of D.C. landmarks. Now listing agent McWilliams Ballard is promoting them as elegant, move-in-ready units with high-end features and a location on V Street NW near the U Street corridor, one of the city’s liveliest neighborhoods.
A pair of penthouse condos near D.C.'s lively U Street corridor
Building replaces office space in Northwest Washington; Aperture’s 17 other units have already been sold.
From 2007 to 2020, the two-story brick structure occupying what is now Aperture’s site provided office space for building owner and health IT contractor Cooper Thomas LLC. As the company’s needs changed, a decision was made to demolish the building and replace it with upscale residential space.
“The owners of the property had the vision and made the decision to be a part of the redevelopment of the neighborhood and the local area surrounding the Howard University campus,” Jeffrey McCandless, president of Cooper Thomas, said in an email.
Features
Each of the penthouses, units 601 and 602, has two bedrooms and three bathrooms, including a powder room. Entry to both is on the sixth floor. Unit 601, with 1,781 square feet, was listed in November and serves as Aperture’s model unit, but the slightly larger 602, at 2010 square feet, has yet to be put on the market. Kate Hanley, senior sales director at McWilliams Ballard, said the company plans to formally list 602 after 601 sells, although it is being shown upon request. Aperture’s 17 other condos have already been sold.
Model unit 601 has a foyer, with a closet and skylight, on the entry level, along with a spacious primary bedroom and en suite bathroom. Engineered-wood stairs lead up to an open-concept living area and a kitchen that has an island with a waterfall-style countertop. The living area has a wall-length row of windows and access to a roof terrace with views of the Washington Monument and other landmarks. On the other side of the living space, the unit has the second bedroom, with en suite bathroom. A powder room with washer and dryer is accessible from the living space.
In addition to two bedrooms and three bathrooms (including a powder room), 602 has a den, which is off the entry-level corridor. The corridor leads to a kitchen with a pass-through to the open-plan living and dining area. The smaller of two bedrooms, with an en suite bathroom, is near the entry-level living area. The second level has a second, larger living area with access to a private roof terrace facing north. This penthouse, unlike 601, has a second roof terrace, also on the second level and accessible from the primary bedroom suite with en suite bathroom.
Both units have floor-to-ceiling windows, with 10-foot ceilings on the entry level and nine-foot ceilings on the second level. Both units have engineered white-oak flooring everywhere except the carpeted bedrooms.
Aperture’s shared amenities include a secure lobby and entryway and a package room with space for bicycle storage. Each penthouse has a parking space in a surface-level garage at the rear of the building, with direct access to the building.
Kitchens and bathrooms
The penthouses’ “chef-caliber” kitchens are outfitted with stainless-steel Bosch and Blomberg appliances, including a two-door refrigerator, a gas cooktop and a wall oven. Details include Lyskamm quartz countertops, custom pendant lighting over the islands and full-height herringbone backsplashes.
Bathrooms include backlit vanity mirrors, a frameless glass enclosure for showers and dual vanities with a white finish and quartz countertops.
The units have full-size washers and dryers.
Community amenities and recreation
The U Street corridor is a celebration of D.C. nightlife and culture. Aperture is an intersection away from 9:30 Club, one of the city’s most intimate and popular music venues. The Howard and Lincoln theaters, former haunts of jazz greats including Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, still offer live entertainment as well as a brush with history. Green spaces and affordable dining surround the historic Howard University campus, just blocks north. Meridian Hill Park, with 12 acres of green space and a cascading waterfall designed by sculptor John Joseph Earley, is a half-mile walk west.
Nearby shops and restaurants
Lines still form around the block for half-smokes at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a D.C. landmark since 1958, and the U Street corridor also includes a variety of some of the city’s best dining options. It’s a go-to for Ethiopian food, including Dukem and Habesha, which regularly make best-of lists. Busboys and Poets, now a D.C. institution, has its flagship location off the corridor on 14th Street NW. Head to El Rey for Mexican dining and dancing or to Bresca for Michelin-starred French fare. Whole Foods Market is less than a quarter-mile away.
Schools: Garrison Elementary, Cardozo Education Campus (middle and high), Benjamin Banneker High.
Transportation
The U Street Metro stop, on the Green Line, is a three-minute walk from Aperture’s front door. Bus service is plentiful along U Street, with stops for the 90, 92 and 96 routes. Access to the 63 and 64 routes is available along Vermont Avenue NW.
What sets it apart
Built in 2021 on a site that previously provided office space, Aperture stands out with its rare-for-the-area concrete-and-steel construction, Hanley said. (Brick construction is more typical of multifamily residential buildings in the area.) Not only does this give the building a strikingly bright and clean appearance, Hanley said, but it also serves to deaden sound between units and from the street, giving the penthouses and other condos added privacy and a sense of distance from the bustle of the city.
- Address: 923 V St. NW
- Builder: Urbaniak LLC
- Type of home: Condominium
- Price: $1.79 million and $1.89 million
- Number of units: 2
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 3 (including powder room)
- Square footage: 1,781 and 2,010
- Condo fees: $745 and $829 per month
- Website: ApertureDC.com