Best Addresses: A Century of Washington's Distinguished Apartment Houses

by James M. Goode

A century ago, the popularity of early Washington landmarks like Stoneleigh Court and the controversial Cairo (which, at a soaring twelve stories, shocked District officials into enacting the city's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874744768
• ISBN13: 9780874744767
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books
• Length: 597 Pages
• Weight: 3.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 9.3" x 12.2"

Customer Reviews

Great Residential Architecture and History Reference

I like this book a lot. It's good for DC architecture fans. Some of the buildings featured in the book are absolutely amazing. There are not many other places to learn about these residential gems [...]

Amazing book

I live in one of the buildings described in the book and I feel the history around me deeper after reading this book. The essential must-have if you're interested in Washington DC historical codo buildings. Richly illustrated, it reads like a novel. Highly recommended

Great book for anyone interested in DC

This book has interesting information and beautiful photographs. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Washington, DC.

My favourite book

Best Addresses surprised me. It's much larger than I expected, and extremely handsome in its own right. James Goode is so passionate about these apartment houses, and writes eloquently about not only the buildings, but the people who lived there. I found myself in tears when I came across an especially beautiful building, with exquisite architectural details, only to read the caption 'STATUS: opened as rental 1903; razed 1958.' The 1950s were cruel times for ornate architecture, but thankfully buildings such as 2101 Connecticut Avenue, The Wyoming, and The Dresden still live on. My favourite chapter is about 2101 Connecticut Avenue, because there is so much information about its conception, right through to the present day, and there are a lot of clear photographs as well as a floor plan. This book has been well researched, with many interior photographs, as well as the exquisite exteriors, even of buildings which no longer stand, or which have been hideously converted into condos. Even the gracious public dining rooms of the grander buildings have now disappeared, also converted into apartments. Only a few remain in their original state (such as the Westchester), harking back to a more gracious era, when people dressed for dinner! There are many reasons why this magnificent book quickly became the favourite of my collection.

A must have for DC real estate owners and realtors

As a realtor, this book is immensely useful in garnering the history of some of these cherished buildings. As an adopted Washingtonian and architecture buff, the details included in the book are hard to find elsewhere. The writing style is inviting and accessible. Long out of print, it is great to have ready access to this valuable tomb again. Fifth star withheld solely for the fact that I hoped an expanded update section for up and coming buildings or new neighborhoods would have been included in the reissue.