Neighborhood Profiles

The 2008 SunTrust National Marathon will take runners through six of the city’s eight wards, running through cozy neighborhoods, historic landmarks and beautiful parks.

Basic Layout
Washington, D.C. is divided into four quadrants: Northwest, Southeast, Northeast, and Southeast.  The U.S. Capitol Building marks the center where the quadrants meet.  Always check the quadrant indicator (NW, NE, SW, SE) of a local address before setting out.  Keep in mind that numbered streets run east-west (there are no, J,X,Y,Z streets) alphabetically becoming two syllable names (Adams, Belmont), then 3-syllable names (Allison, Buchanan) as you travel out farther from the center.  Avenues named for states run diagonally, often meeting at traffic circles and squares.

Adams Morgan
Centered on 18th Street and Columbia Road, NW, Adams Morgan specializes in entertainment, especially the late-night kind. Ethnic restaurants, nightclubs and bars line the streets and fill the neighborhood with diverse 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 culture of Adams Morgan reflects the District’s international atmosphere; 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’s first planned suburb, Uniontown.  Now the Anacostia Historical District, the neighborhood retains its late 19th century architecture and working-class feel. In fact, the great abolitionist Fredrick Douglas made his home here at Cedar Hill, and his residence is now open to the public as a National Park Service site. Visitors explore African-American history and culture in this Southeast community. 

Brookland/Northeast
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. In addition to religious icons, Brookland includes the city’s oldest cemetery and the expansive gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmstead at the National Arboretum.

Capitol Hill
East of the Capital is Washington, D.C.’s largest residential historic community. Each street contains a variety of row house designs and styles from the modest duplexes of the mid 1800’s to brick manor houses of the early 1900s.  Capitol Hill includes a number of parks, including Lincoln Park, east of the Capital Street Carbarn and Eastern Market (the oldest operating public market in the city), which make the neighborhood feel alive even when Congress is not in session, however, the U.S. Capitol remains the typical impression of the neighborhood. Beyond the federal superstructures, Capitol Hill is the home of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Union Station, Capitol Children’s’ Museum and the National Postal Museum.

Chinatown
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. “Friendship Arch” was built cooperatively between the Washington, D.C. 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 Verizon Center. 

Downtown
The downtown district is the crossroads of new and old in Washington, D.C. 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 a center for dinning and entertainment. Yet not all of its classic flair has been pushed out! Downtown is still home to the Old Post Office Pavilion, Warner Theatre, National Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, the City Museum of Washington, the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the National Building Museum.

Dupont Circle/Kalorama
Dupont Circle (at Connecticut and P Streets, NW) was historically the playground of  Washington, D.C.’s elite.  Today, it’s the hub of the District as a cosmopolitan city. 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 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, people-watch, or even play a pick-up game of chess.

Embassy Row
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 U.S. Naval Observatory, whose grounds include the vice president’s residence and the atomic clock, which keeps the official time for the country.

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

Fort Dupont Park
Driving down the long, leafy lane into Fort Dupont, visitors quickly leave behind the residential tangle of houses and apartment buildings that make up most of Anacostia. The park is filled with not only thick sweeps of forest, but among the oak, maple and beech trees are reminders of the District's rich history. A bronze plaque signals the site of the actual fort that once played a pivotal role in Civil War by providing shelter for newly emancipated slaves as well as defense of the capital against Confederate troops.

Still taking an important role in the community, the park has an activity center that hosts workshops and nature walks, and the nearby vegetable gardens are tended by Anacostia residents. Fort Dupont also has an ice rink, tennis and basketball courts and various athletic fields. Popular with area families, the outdoors Summer Concert Series during July and August is widely-attended and offers a variety of music. (Photo: Mike Tierney)

Fort Dupont
Fort Dupont is one of the forts that are collectively known as the Civil War Defenses of Washington, or the "Fort Circle Parks". Additional fort sites are administered by Rock Creek Park, as well as Fort Marcy along George Washington Memorial Parkway. This particular fort had six sides, each 100 feet long, protected by a deep moat and trees felled side-by-side with branches pointing outward. It was named for Flag Officer Samuel F. du Pont, who commanded the naval victory at Port Royal, South Carolina, in November 1861.

Although its garrison and guns never saw battle, Fort Dupont served as a lifeline of freedom. Runaway slaves found safety here before moving on to join the growing community of "contrabands" in Washington. The barracks and guns are gone, but the fort's earthworks can still be traced near the picnic area on Alabama Avenue.

In the 1930s, the National Capital Planning Commission acquired the old fort and surrounding land for recreation. An 18-hole golf course was constructed. As the city grew, golf gave way in 1970 to the sports complex along Ely Place that now includes tennis and basketball courts, athletic fields, and a softball diamond. An indoor ice rink offers skating all winter. Where once the Civil War fort looked out over farmlands, city dwellers now grow vegetables in community garden plots.

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 its 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.

Hillcrest and Twinning
Hillcrest is a community of rolling hills, manicured lawns, red brick colonials and ramblers. The Penn-Branch and Hillcrest neighborhoods are full of civic-minded, people, who love their neighborhoods. The communities of Hillcrest and Penn-Branch, which were once considered suburbs of Washington, D.C., are often referred to as the best-kept secrets of Washington.

Hillcrest and Penn-Branch are conveniently located, only three miles from the Capitol. Most of Hillcrest has an altitude of approximately 300 feet above sea level, higher than most of Washington. The pure air assured by this altitude, in combination with numerous mature trees, parks, green spaces, and unusually large lots, make these neighborhoods a more comfortable environment than most other Washington area neighborhoods, especially during the hot summer months.

Overlooking the Capitol on the northwest and Oxon Run Valley, Maryland, on the southeast, the drives and scenery of Hillcrest are a source of pleasure to motorists and walkers alike. The surroundings are becoming more attractive each year with the well kept lawns and gardens, along with the natural beauty of the oaks, maples and dogwoods which flourish in Washington. Bus transportation is convenient. Metro bus service provides direct transportation to and from downtown or Potomac Avenue Metro. The Naylor Road Metro stop is in easy walking distance from Hillcrest.

Lafayette Square
It is nearly impossible to ignore he ambience of power at Lafayette Square which surrounds the White House. It is a neighborhood of historic elegance and refinement. 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 are located here and tell the neighborhood’s story.

Penn Quarter
Many presidential inauguration parades as well as protests have taken place along Pennsylvania Avenue. North of the avenue lies a revitalized downtown community of art galleries, budding restaurants and engaging attractions, including the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, National Building Museum, U.S. Navy Memorial, Ford’s Theatre, International Spy Museum and the Shakespeare Theatre.

U Street/Shaw
Predating Harlem as a Mecca for African-American culture and the nations’ largest urban African-American community, U Street was once home to such legends as Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes. In fact, centered on U Street between 10th and 15th Streets, NW, you can find Washington, D.C.’s historic “Black Broadway,” a landmark for all music lovers. Numerous historic jazz clubs, along with new main stage 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/Waterfront
South of the National Mall is a neighborhood that is home to the award-winning Arena Stage (the first theater company to be awarded a Tony Award outside 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 though early urban renewal programs in the 1950’s.

Upper Northwest
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, D.C.’s cultural and natural attractions.

METRO (www.wmata.com)
Metrorail subway system and Metrobus provide the safest, cleanest and most efficient way of getting around Washington, D.C. and the metropolitan suburbs. Five rail lines and an extensive bus system connect the District with the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Train lines are named for colors: red, yellow, blue, green and orange. Station entrances are marked by brown pylons, capped with the letter “M,” and colored stripes indicate which lines are available. 

Route maps are posted at each station and inside each subway car. Metrorail hours are Monday-Thursday, 5:30 am to Midnight; Friday, 5:30 am to 3am Saturday; Saturday 7 am to 3 am Sunday; 7 am to Midnight. Each train displays the name of its farthest destination. Rail farecards can be purchased at vending machines located in the stations. Farecards are inserted in the turnstile gates to enter and exit the subway platforms.  The fare is automatically deducted each time you exit a station. To continue your trip by Metrobus, obtain a transfer at your originating station before boarding the train. Buses travel to Georgetown and other areas not serviced by the subway. 

To obtain schedules for connecting Metrobus service, locations of Metro sales offices and other public transportation information, simply call Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority at (202) 637-7000.

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