WASHINGTON— Workers in Tenleytown agreed the cost of living has increased to a rate unaffordable for the average American, according to several interviews conducted Monday.
Menelik Walker, a Whole Foods employee, said he is concerned about the high cost of real estate. According to realtor.com, home prices in Tenleytown can exceed $1 million.
“They’re beautiful homes, but I don’t know if it’s affordable,” Walker said.
The cost of living in Tenleytown, an area south of Chesapeake Street and north of Van Ness Street, is 68.5 percent higher than the average Washington cost and 98.3 percent higher than the average national cost, according to areavibes.com.
Michael Warner, an American University alumnus who sells newspapers to raise money for the homeless, said that prices of homes and necessities are similar to the extravagant costs of New York City and residents here need a high-paying job and good education to afford cost-of-living expenses.
“You have to be educated to live in D.C.,” Warner said.
Maria Harris, a worker at the Tenley-Friendship Library, said that living in Tenleytown is an acquired taste due to the high cost of living but says she still sees economic diversity.
“It’s all over the place,” Harris said. “There are people who are wealthy and others who are poor.”
Warner and Harris both agreed that even though the cost is high, the location in Northwest Washington, D.C. is convenient. Harris explained that Tenleytown is a “vibrant” place to live, and that there are many places to go and activities to keep anyone from boredom.
“Necessities are within walking distance,” Warner said. Teneleytown is an “excellent place to live.”