U Street Corridor
Encyclopedia
The U Street Corridor is a commercial and residential neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C with many shops, restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, and music venues along a nine-block stretch of U Street. It extends from 9th Street on the east to 18th Street
and Florida Avenue
on the west. Most of the area is part of the larger Shaw
neighborhood, with the western end entering the Dupont Circle neighborhood. It is served by the U Street Washington Metro
station.
. The area is made up of row houses constructed rapidly by speculative builders and real estate developers in response to the city's high demand for housing following the Civil War
and the growth of the federal government
in the late 19th century. The corridor became commercially significant when a streetcar line operated there in the early 20th century, making it convenient for the first time for government employees to commute downtown to work and shop.
The U Street Corridor and neighboring Strivers' Section
has emerged as fashionable neighborhoods
for Washington's African American residents. It became the city's most important concentration of businesses and entertainment facilities owned and operated by blacks, while the surrounding neighborhood became home to many of the city's most prominent African Americans
.
Until the 1920s, when it was overtaken by Harlem
, the U Street Corridor was home to the nation's largest urban African American community. In its cultural heyday, it was known as "Black Broadway", a phrase coined by singer Pearl Bailey
. Duke Ellington
's childhood home was located on 13th street between T and S Streets. The Lincoln Theatre
opened in 1921, and Howard Theater in 1926.
While the area remained a cultural
center for the African American
community through the 1960s, the neighborhood began to decline following the assassination
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
in 1968. The intersection of 14th Street
and U Street was the epicenter of violence and destruction during the 1968 Washington, D.C. riots
. Following the riots, and the subsequent flight
of affluent residents and businesses from the area, the corridor became blighted. Drug trafficking
rose dramatically in the mid-1970s, when the intersection of 14th and U Streets was an area of drug trafficking in Washington, D.C.
In the 1990s, revitalization of Adams Morgan and later Logan Circle began. More than 2,000 luxury condominiums and apartments were constructed between 1997 and 2007.
, with the Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, Bohemian Caverns
, and other clubs and historic jazz
venues. The 9:30 Club
, the Black Cat, DC9, U Street Music Hall, and the Velvet Lounge musical venues are located on the corridor, which is also home to the D.C. music collective Spelling for Bees
.
18th Street NW (Washington, D.C.)
18th Street Northwest is a prominent north–south thoroughfare in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.Part of Pierre Charles L'Enfant's plan for Washington, the roadway today is one of the main streets in the Adams Morgan neighborhood . 18th Street also travels through downtown Washington and...
and Florida Avenue
Florida Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Florida Avenue is a major street in Washington, D.C. It was originally named Boundary Street, because it formed the northern boundary of Pierre L'Enfant's original plan for the Federal City...
on the west. Most of the area is part of the larger Shaw
Shaw, Washington, D.C.
Shaw is a neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It is roughly bounded by M Street, NW or Massachusetts Avenue NW to the south; New Jersey Avenue, NW to the east; Florida Avenue, NW to the north; and 11th Street, NW to the west...
neighborhood, with the western end entering the Dupont Circle neighborhood. It is served by the U Street Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
station.
History
The U Street area is largely a Victorian-era neighborhood, developed between 1862 and 1900, the majority of which has been designated a historic districtHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
. The area is made up of row houses constructed rapidly by speculative builders and real estate developers in response to the city's high demand for housing following the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the growth of the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
in the late 19th century. The corridor became commercially significant when a streetcar line operated there in the early 20th century, making it convenient for the first time for government employees to commute downtown to work and shop.
The U Street Corridor and neighboring Strivers' Section
Strivers' Section Historic District
The Strivers' Section is a historic district located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C.Strivers' Section was historically an enclave of upper-middle-class African Americans, often community leaders, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
has emerged as fashionable neighborhoods
African American neighborhood
African-American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Generally, an African American neighborhood is one where the majority of the people who live there are African American. Some of the earliest African American...
for Washington's African American residents. It became the city's most important concentration of businesses and entertainment facilities owned and operated by blacks, while the surrounding neighborhood became home to many of the city's most prominent African Americans
American Black Upper Class
The American Black Upper Class consists of African American professionals in fields such as law, medicine, business and entertainment that have incomes that amount to $100,000 or more...
.
Until the 1920s, when it was overtaken by Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, the U Street Corridor was home to the nation's largest urban African American community. In its cultural heyday, it was known as "Black Broadway", a phrase coined by singer Pearl Bailey
Pearl Bailey
Pearl Mae Bailey was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968...
. Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
's childhood home was located on 13th street between T and S Streets. The Lincoln Theatre
Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
Lincoln Theatre is a theater in Washington, D.C. located at 1215 U Street, next to Ben's Chili Bowl. The theater, located on "Washington's Black Broadway", served the city's African American community when segregation kept them out of other venues. The Lincoln Theatre included a movie house and...
opened in 1921, and Howard Theater in 1926.
While the area remained a cultural
African American culture
African-American culture, also known as black culture, in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in...
center for the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community through the 1960s, the neighborhood began to decline following the assassination
Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination
Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent American leader of the African-American civil rights movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39...
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
in 1968. The intersection of 14th Street
14th Street Northwest and Southwest (Washington, D.C.)
Fourteenth Street is a street in Northwest and Southwest Washington, D.C., located 1¼ mi. west of the U.S. Capitol. It runs from the 14th Street Bridge north to Eastern Avenue....
and U Street was the epicenter of violence and destruction during the 1968 Washington, D.C. riots
1968 Washington, D.C. riots
Five days of race riots erupted in Washington, D.C. following the April 4, 1968 assassination of Civil Rights Movement-leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil unrest affected at least 110 U.S...
. Following the riots, and the subsequent flight
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
of affluent residents and businesses from the area, the corridor became blighted. Drug trafficking
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
rose dramatically in the mid-1970s, when the intersection of 14th and U Streets was an area of drug trafficking in Washington, D.C.
In the 1990s, revitalization of Adams Morgan and later Logan Circle began. More than 2,000 luxury condominiums and apartments were constructed between 1997 and 2007.
Music and culture
U Street has long been a center of Washington's music sceneMusic of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. has been home to many prominent musicians and is particularly known for the musical genres of hardcore punk, bluegrass, and a local funk genre called "go-go". The first major musical figure from D.C. was John Phillip Sousa, a military brass band composer...
, with the Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, Bohemian Caverns
Bohemian Caverns
The Bohemian Caverns, founded in 1926 , is a restaurant and jazz nightclub located at 11th Street and U Street NW in Washington, D.C.The club started out as Club Caverns - a small establishment in the basement of a drugstore - famous for its floor and variety shows...
, and other clubs and historic jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
venues. The 9:30 Club
9:30 Club
Foo Fighters Promise to come back to D.C. and play the 9:30 ClubNightclub 9:30 is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. Originally located at 930 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s it was called the "Atlantis Club", and hosted primarily rock, New Wave, and punk bands...
, the Black Cat, DC9, U Street Music Hall, and the Velvet Lounge musical venues are located on the corridor, which is also home to the D.C. music collective Spelling for Bees
Spelling for Bees
Spelling for Bees, also known as SfB, is an American music collective based in the Washington DC area. With over 40 active members, it is the largest musical collective in DC.- Musical Influences/Style :...
.
See also
- Mary Ann Shadd Cary HouseMary Ann Shadd Cary HouseThe Mary Ann Shadd Cary House is a historic residence located at 1421 W Street, Northwest in Washington, D.C. From 1881 to 1885, it was the home of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, a writer and abolitionist who was one of the first African American female journalists in North America, and who became one of...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Northwest Quadrant, Washington, D.C.