Palisades is aptly named, as it is perched upon steep cliffs overlooking the Potomac River.  High atop those bluffs, million-dollar homes line Potomac Avenue, the western boundary of the neighborhood.

Palisades is bordered to the north by the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant and Loughboro Road. The neighborhood's southern boundary extends to the area just below the Georgetown Reservoir, where MacArthur Boulevard converges with Foxhall and Canal Roads.

MacArthur Boulevard serves as the area's eastern boundary and only commercial corridor. Here one can find restaurants, pharmacies, a bakery, dry cleaners and other shops.

MacArthur Blvd. also serves as the boundary line separating Palisades from the neighborhoods of Kent (to the northeast) and Berkley (to the southeast).

Palisades is primarily composed of single-family houses, though a few condominiums (and fewer co-ops) can be found in the neighborhood, most of which are on or near MacArthur Blvd. at the southern end of Palisades.

The homes range in size and architecture. Among the many varieties of houses to be found are cottages, Cape Cods, Sears catalog bungalows, farmhouses, ramblers, colonials, Victorians, as well as newly constructed custom-built homes.

This quiet neighborhood retains the charm of a town from yesteryear -- with its neighborhood restaurants, annual block parties, Fourth of July parades, and a public library. That library, which up until recently was located in "the" Little Red Schoolhouse on MacArthur Boulevard, hosts afternoon "story times" for children twice a week.

In addition to the breathtaking views of the Potomac, Palisades residents also can take advantage of the Capital Crescent Trail and the C&O Canal, the towpath for which provides a nearly level continuous trail on which to hike or bike.