I lived by that Safeway for 4 years in one of those buildings. While all what you said is somewhat true, I got bored of it after a while because:

1- It's not a real neighborhood. Everything feels artificial after a while. 2- Restaurants are expensive and mediocre. Also always full. 3- No quiet time. Those condo like apartments turn into frat houses on weekends. It's like living in a dorm. 4- We had a rooftop pool and amenities in our building. They're always booked, full and loud. People bring all of their friends who don't live in those buildings and throw parties, and residents just can't enjoy what they're paying for. 5- Our building charged 250 a month to park your car in the garage. 6- Not a huge fan of Chinatown except food delivery. Lots of crazies walking around.

Good things: 1- Walking to the mall whenever I needed an escape was the best. 2- Red line (use Judiciary square stop) 3- Cute dogs 4- 20 min walking distance to my work.

The reason why we left is that the building management increased the rent 600 dollars a month on August, and at that point, it wasn't worth it. Now, with the same rent, I live in a row house with a backyard in a real neighborhood.

I think Mt Vernon is great if you're new to the city and a young professional who just started his/her career. Once that is over, there's no value in that area.