So Tight-Knit, It's Okay to Make the Neighbor's Place Smell ... Like Turkey

They are devoted to fostering that feeling in their neighborhood. Ludlam is passionately trying to get the area designated as a separate historical district under the name Springland Farm.

He has worked for years to stop drivers from using his street to cut from Wisconsin Avenue to high-speed Reno Road, which essentially bisects the neighborhood. He and a group of his neighbors banded together and appealed to the city to study their case.

After five years, the District finally recommended the installation of three speed bumps and altered traffic patterns at the Wisconsin Avenue end of the street. The residents thought that did not go far enough to quell the "racetrack feel." After further petitions, a permit was finally secured to allow for the creation of a "traffic calming island" at the intersection of Upton Street and Reno Road. While the city paid for the construction of the island, the $7,000 cost of landscaping the small plot of land was shared among 27 neighbors.

That kind of commitment to the neighborhood is prevalent throughout North Cleveland Park and adds to its value, according to Susan Schneider, a real estate agent and local resident. "Despite the down housing market, houses in North Cleveland Park sell relatively quickly," she said.

Schneider and her family moved from Capitol Hill 26 years ago. Her best friend also moved to the same street at the same time because the two families had grown close and were committed to staying together.

"We didn't want to break up a good car pool," said Schneider, in all seriousness. So they looked for a block where there were two houses for sale. "We were lucky to find a big house on a big lot, but it needed everything," she said.

Sarah Rosen Wartell and her husband, Ted Wartell, both grew up in Manhattan apartments, so to them, their home in North Cleveland Park feels downright rural. "Most houses on our block are duplexes, but ours is fully detached, so we have a pretty big yard," said Rosen Wartell, an executive at a Washington think tank. She considers her backyard a vital extension of the home's living space, enjoying the fruits of her small vegetable garden as much as any farmer would. This year's crop is mostly tomatoes and cucumbers.

The family moved to their home in 1988, during a housing boom: "We were one of seven bidders and paid $35,000 over the asking price," Rosen Wartell recalled.

Almost from the first day, they had friends in the neighborhood when they learned that the former owner of their home had traditionally handled the arrangements for the annual block party. "People said, half jokingly, that the job transferred with the deed," she said. "By now, the block party is pretty much self-executing; all I have to do is order the MoonBounce and the clown."

Rosen Wartell said she particularly enjoys the outdoor life of the neighborhood. "People here really use their front porches," she said. "When spring arrives, the kids hit the street and stay there until winter. And with a mix of ages and so many nannies in the neighborhood, there's always someone keeping an eye out on the kids."

On Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings, there is a small farmers market in the Sheridan School's parking lot, which offers organic fare and another opportunity to catch up with the neighbors.

And getting downtown is easy enough. "We are between two Metro stops, and it's a seven-minute walk to both, all downhill: We walk down to one in the morning and then coming home, we get off the train at the other stop and walk down the hill again to our home," Rosen Wartell said.

The family has completed many upgrades to the home, including renovating two bathrooms, putting in new flooring, and finishing the basement as an au pair suite.

"We think we can live here for a long time," Rosen Wartell said. "My husband says he's not moving until he can't do stairs anymore."