Designer Apartment in the Heart of Historic Capitol Hill: 10 Min Walk to Capitol

In February 2025 we wrapped up a full renovation of this historic 1895 garden level apartment! I’m an interior decorator sharing the process on my IG @hmbien, and you can check out our other listing (a waterfront cottage in Virginia) for reviews!

Just steps from the U.S. Capitol and a block from historic Eastern Market, the A Street Apartment resides on one of the Hill’s most photographed blocks.

THE SPACE

This one bedroom garden level apartment is located in the heart of historic Capitol Hill, just a block off of East Capitol and on sought after and often photographed A Street SE. We live upstairs in the main portion of the house and this is a completely separate apartment (no shared entrance).

Note: This is a one bedroom apartment with a pull out queen sofa in the living room. We have it listed as four guests because two children could easily stay with two adults. Two adult couples within the space probably is not ideal.

We're a block to Eastern Market and a quick walk to the U.S. Capitol, the National Mall, and all of the historic sites in Washington.

Located on the garden level of an 1895 Victorian rowhome, the apartment is a true one bedroom. You'll enter into the main living area, with a full size kitchen, dining area, living room, original fireplace (converted to electric), and desk area for working. There is a full bathroom and washer/dryer before you enter the bedroom with a queen bed.

There is also a pull-out sofa in the living room and the bathroom has a tub — we wanted to make sure the space worked for families with young children (we have 10 young nieces and nephews, that was a top priority!).

We've carefully curated this space to reflect the history of the home while also making it feel fresh and modern. It was fully renovated, top to bottom, in 2024.

One of our favorite details that ties in its historic provenance: During the renovation process, we discovered an original wallpaper hiding behind layers of drywall. We had that recreated in what is now the bedroom (would have been the original kitchen for the entire house).

GUEST ACCESS

Guests will have the sole use of the garden level apartment. It has both front and back separate entrances, and there is no connection between the main house and the apartment.

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE

This is the garden level apartment of an 1895 Victorian rowhome. If you're not familiar with city rowhomes, the garden level, which is the ground level, was often the original kitchen for the home. In many homes, including ours, they were converted to separate apartments at some point in the 1900s. Ours has ceilings that are just under 8 feet, as well as full size windows in both the living area and the bedroom.

Regarding parking, if you're visiting on Saturday or Sunday, the street parking is not permitted, and you can park wherever you want near the house.

Parking is usually easy to come by — 99% of the time, we park right outside the house. Because of our proximity to Eastern Market, Saturday and Sunday mornings can get a little busier, but we've never had to park farther than a block away. We're also the second house in on the block, so it's easy to unload your car right there, then find parking.

We're about 3 blocks from the Eastern Market metro station if you prefer to take public transit, and there are several bus lines that run nearby. If you're going to the Capitol, it's quickest to walk (we're about .7 of a mile). Public transportation and walking are ideal on Capitol Hill. DC has zoned parking Monday-Friday. You're limited to two hours street parking from 7 AM to 8 PM in our neighborhood (which means you're fine until 9 AM and after 6 PM). We recommend looking at SpotHero for long-term parking options if you're visiting on a weekday and plan on leaving your car.