A Washington Post profile of the neighborhood aptly describes Brookdale as having "its heart in the country and its feet in the city". Brookdale was designed with no two homes being the same and so that no home was set directly across or adjacent to its neighbor which contributes to its bucolic feel. An active citizens association hosts events throughout the year, including multiple block parties, Porchfest and 4th of July and Halloween celerations held in Brookdale Park. While the design and tight social fabric of the neighborhood give Brookdale a charming, rural feeling, its enviable location bordering Chevy Chase, MD and Friendship Heights, DC gives the residents of Brookdale unmatched access to restaurants, high end retail and other urban amenities.
Brookdale's history dates all the way back to 1713 when it was part of a land grant known as "Friendship". It largely remained farmland through the 1920's until Cooper Lightbown, a builder from Palm Beach, Florida who became known for his work building Mar-A-Lago, began to subdivide the farmland on either side of River Road. The Cooper Lightbown Co went on to build 150 homes, largely in the "English Cottage" style, in Brookdale between 1938-1943. The neighborhood now encompasses 400 residences.
English Cottage, Brick Colonials, Ranch, and a few refurbished farmhouses
Brookdale Park, proximity to Capitol Crescent Trail, short distance to Friendship Heights Metro
Wisconsin Avenue Retail Corridor (The Collection at Chevy Chase, Saks Fifth Avenue), Whole Foods, Redevelopment of Mazza Gallerie Shopping Center
