Rents tend to be a little high, but it's worth it if you want to experience city living. The center of nightlife in the DC area. Tons of clubs, bars, record stores and neat ethnic restaurants. Can be kind of sketchy at night in certain areas and pretty far from the metro stations. Rents tend to be lower than Dupont.
Many apartment building are around.
Commute time to the NIH is about 25 minutes. The Van Ness area is just north of Cleveland Park and is a relatively expensive and conservative neighborhood. There are several shops and restaurants along Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues, most of which cater to the well off residents of the area. Grocery, pharmacy and other essentials are usually no more than a few blocks away. Commute time to the NIH is about 20 minutes.