Photo by andradeXcobain

Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his new colleague Justice Sonia Sotomayor aren’t only on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, but they also seem to have very different tastes when it comes to housing.

While conservative-minded Thomas opts for a home in Fairfax Station—even liberal Justice Stephen Breyer likes Georgetown—the Washington Business Journal reported this morning that Sotomayor chose a two-bedroom condo just off of U Street:

The justice paid $660,000 June 19 for a two-bedroom condominium in the neighborhood, according to D.C. property tax records. Sotomayor paid about $136,000 more than the unit’s current property tax assessment, but the condo does qualify for a $67,500 homestead credit.

This won’t be the first time she’s bought in a hip neighborhood—she’s also owned a 999-square-foot condo in Greenwich Village that she bought in 1998. According to New York City property records, she still owns that condo.

That, of course, raises one issue—the D.C. homestead deduction. That deduction—$67,500 off of the assessed value of the home, effectively lowering property taxes owed by the owner—is only supposed to be used by residents, not out-of-towners who merely buy here but maintain their primary residence elsewhere. A number of congressmen have been caught over the years trying to exploit the property tax break; 22 senators, members of the House and even Karl Rove improperly benefited from the deduction over the years. Sotomayor, though, is on the right side of the law—she registered to vote in D.C. in 2010, and is thus legally entitled to the deduction.

For now, Sotomayor—who celebrated her 2009 swearing-in at Chinatown’s Irish Channel—can certainly enjoy her new life in one of America’s Great Places (according to the American Planning Association) and just down the road from one of the city’s most emblematic eateries. And since she’s got a lifetime appointment, she’ll certainly be around to see the Trader Joe’s open up!