A humble Washington, DC, row house with a bit of political cachet is officially up for grabs. The three-story building that housed President Barack Obama during his time as a US senator has just been placed on the market for $1.279 million.
The 2,214-square-foot structure is divided into two units: a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment on the ground floor where Obama lived, and a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom duplex above. A simple brick dwelling built in 1975, the abode sits obliquely across from the eastern edge of Stanton Park, which is a stone’s throw from the United States Capitol.
“I think the appeal for [Mr.] Obama to live there was its proximity to the US Capitol and the Senate and House offices,” listing agent Linda Pettie of Coldwell Banker Realty told Mansion Global.
According to Obama’s former landlord, the apartment “was just a meager space in a convenient location,” for the politician’s stint in the senate, which spanned from 2005 through to his 2008 election to the nation’s highest office. Obama paid $1,200 monthly to rent the place and according to the listing, the unit is currently being leased for $1,500 per month.
Obama’s vivid description of the residence given to 60 Minutes shortly after he took office as President says a lot: “It had kind of the vintage-college-dorm…pizza, empty-beer-bottle feel to it,” he joked. He moved out on the advice of the Secret Service once campaigning for the presidency began in earnest.
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Almost twenty years after Obama moved in, it is possible that the first floor abode is now just as refreshed as the duplex that sits above it. Listing images show a pale pistachio color on walls and hardwood floors throughout the second unit. A small enclosed kitchen with a breakfast nook leads to an open-plan space on the second floor. The dining section steps down to a cozy living area with French doors, opening to a small metal balcony with views of the shared backyard. Bedrooms are on the third floor and feature lots of closet space, with at least one of the rooms facing the park.
