Neighborhoods in Washington DC, DC

ADAMSMORGAN
Centered on 18th Street and Columbia Road, NW, Adams Morgan is synonymous with entertainment, especially late-night. Ethnic restaurants, nightclubs and bars line the two streets and fill with diverse and excitable crowds most nights of the week. During the
day, activities are more subdued as shoppers browse independent bookshops, music stores and boutiques while gazing at murals that adorn many of the buildings’ facades. The recent history of Adams Morgan is one of immigration, and vibrant Latino and
African communities lend an international flavor to this eclectic neighborhood.

ANACOSTIA
Follow the 11th Street Bridge across the Anacostia River to what was Washington, DC’s first planned suburb, Uniontown. Now the Anacostia Historical District, the neighborhood retains its late 19th-century architecture and working class feel. The great
abolitionist Frederick Douglass made his home here at Cedar Hill. His residence is now a National Park Service site open to the public. Also explore African-American history and culture at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum located in this Southeast community.

BROOKLAND
Nicknamed “Little Rome,” this Northeast neighborhood contains the largest concentration of Catholic institutions (more than 60) outside of the Vatican. Catholic University, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center and the Franciscan Monastery delight Brookland’s visitors with beautiful gardens, architecture and art.

CAPITOLHILL
East of the Capitol is the District’s largest residential historic community. Each street contains a variety of rowhouse designs and styles beginning with modest duplexes of the mid-1800s and ending with the press brick manor houses of the early 1900s. Lincoln Park, the East Capitol Street Carbarn and Eastern Market (which is the oldest operating public market in the city) make the neighborhood feel alive even when Congress is not in session. The U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress form the typical impression of the neighborhood. Beyond the federal superstructures, Capitol Hill is home to the Folger Shakespeare Library, Union Station, Capital Children’s Museum and the National Postal Museum.

CHINAOWN
Colorful signs, potent aromas from restaurants and lively Asian grocery stores all stand in the shadow of the world’s largest single-span Chinese arch. The “Friendship Arch” was built cooperatively between the Washington city government and its sister city, Beijing. The neighborhood is bordered to the west by the old Convention Center and on the eastern edge by the MCI Center.

DOWNTOWN
The Downtown district is the crossroads of new and old in Washington, DC. This neighborhood east of the White House is seeing a renaissance best symbolized by the new $778 million Washington Convention Center. What was once the center of social and political life is now the center for dining and entertainment. Not all of its classic flair has been pushed out, though. Downtown is still home to the Old Post Office Pavilion, Warner Theatre, National Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, the new City Museum, the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the National Building Museum.

DUPONTCIRCLE / KALORAMA
In its beginnings, Dupont Circle (at Connecticut and P Streets, NW) was the neighborhood where Washington’s elite lived and played. Today it’s the
hub of cosmopolitan Washington. Victorian row houses and Beaux-Arts mansions have been restored to house embassies, international restaurants, art galleries and museums. Some of these museums include The Phillips Collection, the Woodrow Wilson House, the Textile Museum, the Heurich House, and the National Geographic Society’s Explorers Hall. Culture and entertainment collide at the many cafes and bars in the area where patrons discuss the latest happenings in politics and art alike. Also, the circle itself is a fabulous place to peoplewatch or play a pick-up game of chess. 8 Book your hotel online at washington.org

EMBASSYROW
Just west of Dupont Circle lies the biggest concentration of the city’s 150 international embassies. Many of them are housed along Massachusetts Avenue in grand Beaux-Arts mansions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The terminus of Embassy Row is at the US Naval Observatory, whose grounds include the Vice President’s residence and the atomic clock, which keeps the official time for the country.

FOGGYBOTTOM
This riverfront neighborhood named for the fog that rose off of the Potomac River is east of Georgetown and west of Lafayette Square. It reminds residents and visitors of Washington’s industrial past. Today Foggy Bottom is home to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, George Washington University, and the Watergate complex. A cluster of charming 19th-century houses remain to remind the visitor of its early history as a working class community sometimes referred to as the West End.

GEORGETOWN
Once a thriving colonial port, Georgetown is now a prime example of an intact historical community. Centered on Wisconsin and M Streets, NW, the community is most renowned for shopping, dining and nightlife as well as the university that shares its name. Dumbarton House, Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, the C&O Canal with 180 miles of biking and hiking trails, Old Stone House and Dumbarton Oaks represent the area’s history beyond the boutiques and bars. Incorporated in 1751, the town was not actually named for George Washington, but in honor of King George II.

LAFYETTESQUARE
It is nearly impossible to ignore the ambience of power at Lafayette Square, which surrounds the White House. It is a neighborhood of historic elegance and refinement. The story of the area and the tales of the Square’s notable residents are told through many nearby museums and institutions, including the Octagon House, Decatur House Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Renwick Gallery, Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, the American Red Cross Museum, and St. John’s Episcopal Church.

PENNQUARTER
Many presidential inaugural parades as well as protests have taken place along Pennsylvania Avenue. North of the avenue lies a revitalized downtown community of eclectic art galleries, numerous new restaurants and engaging attractions including the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, National Building Museum, US Navy Memorial, Ford’s Theatre, International Spy Museum, and the Shakespeare Theatre.

USTREET / SHAW
Pre-dating Harlem as a Mecca for African-American culture and the largest urban African-American community, U Street was once home to such legends as Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes. Centered on U Street between 10th and 15th Streets, NW, Washington’s historic “Black Broadway” is a landmark for music lovers. Numerous historic jazz clubs along with new mainstage clubs are drawing audiophiles of all kinds once again. Landmarks include the African-American Civil War Memorial and Museum, Howard University, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House Historic Site, and the renovated Lincoln Theatre.

SOUTHWEST / WARFRONT
South of the National Mall is a neighborhood home to the award-winning Arena Stage (the first theater company to be awarded a Tony Award outside of New York), Benjamin Banneker Circle and Fountain, the Titanic Memorial and L’Enfant Plaza. The scenic waterfront area features a shimmering array of piers, sailboats, yachts, fishing boats, seafood markets, and restaurants. Sightseeing cruises depart from the marina regularly. Though once a working class, immigrant neighborhood, Southwest was revitalized through early urban renewal programs in the 1950s.

UPPERNORTHWEST
The Woodley Park and Cleveland Park neighborhoods along Connecticut Avenue north of Calvert Street feature popular restaurants with cuisines from around the world, interesting local shops and beautiful, natural scenery. The National Zoological Park, Washington National Cathedral, Rock Creek Park, Hillwood Museum and Gardens, and the Kreeger Museum showcase the diversity of Washington’s cultural and natural attractions. The colorful Friendship Arch, located at 7th and F Sts., NW, entices visitors and residents to sample the fabulous flavors of Washington, DC’s Chinatown. The diverse neighborhoods that make up the nation’s capital are home to unique restaurants, historic homes, and small museums.