All 3 are pretty different. I would just say Columbia Heights can be very congested and crime can vary by the block. One of my friends bought here a couple years ago and this is how she beat explains it Takoma is cute but it feels far sometimes (but this is just a personal thing based on where I spend the majority of my time) NoMa is probably ideal for someone who is moving to DC for the first time out of the 3. Having access to Union market is great but only has the red line