As I mentioned my S is right by Dupont Circle (he can see Brookings from his balcony). He pays $2400 a month for a tiny studio (440 sq ft), a 1bd would be closer to $3000. Most places are condos with high service charges so the costs to buy are quite low ($350K for a studio, maybe $600K for a 2bd). But purchase prices have been fairly static for a long time, unlike the suburbs, and aren’t likely to increase much.