DC's Neighborhood Guide 

Logan Circle remains a trendsetting market due to the smaller boutique-style buildings and location. Logan's proximity to downtown, Dupont, U Street and the business districts of McPherson Square and K Street make it attractive to professionals looking to live close to work. Residents and business owners also cite the appeal of the Whole Foods grocery on P Street Northwest, which has become an ad-hoc town center for everyone from taxi drivers to moms and kids on play dates. Plus there are countless other city-cool shops and restaurants. If the statue of Union Maj. Gen. John Logan at Vermont and 13th streets Northwest could speak, it would have a long and complex story to tell. The neighborhood surrounding the statue, Logan Circle, appeared in Pierre L'Enfant's original 1791 plans for the District, though it was then known as 13th Street Circle. In the two-plus centuries since, this close-in neighborhood has become known for its confluence of upper-, middle- and working-class residents. It's busiest corridor, 14th Street Northwest, has served as a commuter route since the early days of car travel, and was even known as "Auto Row" during the early 20th century. These days, the Victorian architecture filled zone could be called Condo Central, with loft-apartment buildings going up on what seems like every block. And it's no wonder people want to lay down urban roots here. Some of D.C.'s hippest cafes, shops and theaters line 14th Street Northwest and surrounding blocks. Logan Circle's increasing prestige as an address has blurred the boundaries of the neighborhood, especially to the east. But the Logan Circle Community Association (LCCA) continues to define the neighborhood as the area between 10th and 16th streets Northwest, running north-south from S to O streets.

Georgetown, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Washington, DC, served as a major port and commercial center during colonial times because of its prime location on the Potomac River. Today, Georgetown is a vibrant community with upscale shops, bars and restaurants along its cobblestone streets. Many of the homes along the tree-lined streets are 200 year-old restored row houses with beautiful gardens. Georgetown housing is expensive, so most Georgetown University students live on campus or rent apartments uptown or nearby in Virginia.

Dupont Circle is a cosmopolitan neighborhood with some of Washington, DC's finest museums, historic homes and foreign embassies as well as a variety of ethnic restaurants, bookstores, and private art galleries. This neighborhood is the heart of Washington, DC’s nightlife. The Dupont Circle community is home to many recent college graduates and is also popular with gays and lesbians. There are lots of high-rise apartment buildings and many rowhouses have been converted into apartments. The Circle itself is a gathering place with park benches, grass and a unique fountain in the center.

Capitol Hill is the most prestigious address in Washington, DC and the political center of the nation’s capitol with the Capitol Building set atop a hill overlooking the National Mall. Members of Congress and their staff, lobbyists and journalists live on Capitol Hill as well as others who can afford the steep prices of real estate here. Capitol Hill is the largest residential historic district in Washington, DC with many of its 19th and 20th century row houses listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Union Station is located nearby providing plenty of options for shopping and dining.

Adams Morgan is a culturally diverse community with lot of restaurants, nightclubs, coffee houses, bars, bookstores, art galleries and unique specialty shops. Neighborhood restaurants feature cuisine from just about everywhere from Ethiopia and Vietnam to Latin America and the Caribbean. Adams Morgan is the center of Washington, DC's liveliest nightlife and is popular with young professionals.

Washington, DC's Chinatown is a small historic neighborhood with approximately 20 Chinese and Asian restaurants and a handful of other small businesses. The Friendship Arch, a traditional Chinese gate, prominently marks the neighborhood at H and 7th Streets. Chinatown is located near Penn Quarter, a revitalized arts and entertainment district with new restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, museums, theaters and trendy stores. Much of the area was torn down in the 1990s to make way for the MCI Center (now the Verizon Center). Chinatown is most visited for its restaurants and the annual Chinese New Year Prade.

Columbia Heights is a neighborhood in transition in Washington, DC. Over the past few years a revitalization plan has dramatically changed the area. For decades this neighborhood had many abandoned homes and shops. In 2008, DC USA, a 546,000 square-foot retail complex, opened with major retailers such as Target, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond and Washington Sports Club. There are several restaurants and an underground parking garage. Columbia Heights is probably one of Washington's most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods, with a mixture of high-priced condominiums and townhouses and public and middle-income housing.

Penn Quarter is a revitalized historic neighborhood in downtown Washington, DC. The name “Penn Quarter” is relatively new and not so widely known. The area may also be called Old Downtown by some. Most people refer to the neighborhood as “near the MCI Center” (now the Verizon Center). Since the opening of the MCI Center in 1997, Penn Quarter has become an arts and entertainment district with new restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, art galleries, theaters and trendy stores.

Foggy Bottom is an historic Washington, DC neighborhood with many single-family homes that date back to the late 1800's. It was once a working class community of Irish and German immigrants, as well as African Americans who were employed at the nearby breweries, glass plants, and the Washington Gas and Light Company. The area was given the name Foggy Bottom because it was set low near the Potomac River and was often filled with fog from the local industries. Today, the historic neighborhood is preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Foggy Bottom is most known for the Kennedy Center, the Watergate Hotel and George Washington University.

U Street & Shaw ranks among Washington, DC’s nightlife hot spots and is home to some of the city’s best nightclubs and theaters. Known as the home to jazz legend Duke Ellington, the U Street neighborhood was once the nation’s "Black Broadway" and home to the largest concentration of African American social clubs, religious organizations, theaters, and jazz clubs. In the 1990s, the opening of the U Street Metro station provided better access to the area and the neighborhood has experienced an ongoing revitalization. Today the U Street and Shaw district is as lively and diverse as ever, with people enjoying the extraordinary flowering in art and culture the area has to offer.

NoMa is a rapidly developing neighborhood in Washington, DC located just north of the U.S. Capitol and Union Station and named for its location – North of Massachusetts Avenue. The opening of the New York Avenue Metro station in 2004 sparked the improvement of this section of the city. In 2007-2008, private developers invested over $1 billion to begin the development of office, residential, hotel, and retail space in a 35-block area over the next 10 years. Four new and renovated office buildings have recently opened and a Marriott Courtyard will open in June 2009. Many more buildings are currently under construction. The NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) is encouraging families to visit the area by offering Noma Summer Screen, a free outdoor film festival with live DJs, special guests, barbeque, and surprises.

The Anacostia Waterfront area of Washington, DC is undergoing a massive transformation. With a $10 billion restoration and revitalization plan underway, the Anacostia Waterfront is the city’s fastest-growing area of employment, entertainment and residential growth. The redevelopment project, which includes the building of the Washington Nationas new bseball stadium, will also create 6,500 units of new housing, three million square feet of new office space, 32 acres of new parkland and a 20-mile network of riverside trails.

The Southwest Waterfront of Washington, DC is a 47-acre site along the Washington Channel, stretching from the historic Fish Wharf to Ft. McNair. The Southwest Waterfront was part of Pierre L'Enfant's original city plan. Over the years the area evolved into a multi-ethnic working-class community that suffered gradual decline. In 1950, the neighborhood was part of an urban renewal plan that included realigning the streets and building the Southeast/Southwest Freeway. In recent years, the waterfront area became home to marinas, restaurants and a few popular nightclubs. With a prime location along the Potomac River and excellent access to downtown, the Southwest Waterfront offers an ideal setting to be transformed into a vibrant world class urban community.

Visiting the National Mall is a must for first-time visitors to Washington. The Mall stretches two miles westward from the US Capitol steps; ten national museums line the Mall including the Museum of the American Indian, The National Gallery of Art, and the buildings of the Smithsonian. All of the memorials - the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall among others - will be familiar to you from pictures, of course. But there really is nothing like seeing them in person. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in particular is incredibly powerful.

Though it may seem overwhelming, the National Mall is walkable; if you're up to the challenge, you can hit a lot of the highlights in a day. Springtime is always a wonderful time to wander around and take in the sights, since the weather is slightly more cooperative than in the sweltering summer; people do tend to flock to the Mall in huge numbers when the Cherry Blossoms bloom in April, however. Tours of the Mall, (walking, driving and even Segway!), are available year-round.