Southeast (SE or S.E.) is the southeastern
quadrant of Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. is administratively divided into four geographical quadrants of unequal size, each delineated by their ordinal directions from the medallion located in the Crypt under the Rotunda of the Capitol...
, the capital of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and is located south of
East Capitol StreetEast Capitol Street is a major street that divides the northeast and southeast quadrants of Washington, D.C. It runs due east from the United States Capitol to the DC-Maryland border. The street is uninterrupted until Lincoln Park then continues eastward to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium...
and east of
South Capitol StreetSouth Capitol Street is a major street dividing the southeast and southwest quadrants of Washington, D.C. It runs south from the United States Capitol to the Washington-Maryland line...
. It has a rich cultural history, including the historic Capitol Hill and
AnacostiaAnacostia is a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Its historic downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is the most famous neighborhood in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, which the area is...
neighborhoods, the Navy Yard, the
Marine BarracksMarine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I Streets, Southeast in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a National Historic Landmark, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps, and home to the Commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806...
, the
Anacostia RiverThe Anacostia River flows for about 8.4 mi from Prince George's County in Maryland, USA and through Washington, D.C. where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Arsenal Point. The name "Anacostia" derives from the area's early history as Nacotchtank, a settlement...
waterfront, historic
Eastern MarketThe Eastern Market is a public market in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., housed in a 19th century brick building. It is located on 7th Street SE, a few blocks east of the U.S. Capitol between North Carolina Avenue SE and C Street SE. The Eastern Market is on the National...
, the remains of several
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
-era forts, historic
St. Elizabeths HospitalSt. Elizabeths [sic] Hospital, located in Washington, D.C., was the first large-scale, federally-run psychiatric hospital in the United States. It is known colloquially as "St. E's"....
,
RFK StadiumRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, better known as RFK Stadium or RFK, is a multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of Major League Soccer's D.C. United....
, Nationals Park, and the
Congressional CemeteryThe Congressional Cemetery is an historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of hundreds of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of the...
. The quadrant is bisected by the
Anacostia RiverThe Anacostia River flows for about 8.4 mi from Prince George's County in Maryland, USA and through Washington, D.C. where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Arsenal Point. The name "Anacostia" derives from the area's early history as Nacotchtank, a settlement...
, with the portion that is west of the river sometimes referred to as "Near Southeast".
The population of Southeast is predominantly African-American, particularly east of the
Anacostia RiverThe Anacostia River flows for about 8.4 mi from Prince George's County in Maryland, USA and through Washington, D.C. where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Arsenal Point. The name "Anacostia" derives from the area's early history as Nacotchtank, a settlement...
. Despite overall high crime rates for the quadrant, there are
Black middle classThe black middle class, within the United States, refers to African Americans who occupy a middle class status within the American class structure. It is predominately a development that arose after the 1960s, during which the African American Civil Rights Movement led to reform movements aimed at...
neighborhoods, such as
HillcrestHillcrest is a neighborhood in the southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C., United States. Hillcrest is located in Ward 7, east of the Anacostia River. Hillcrest is a rather affluent and well-kept neighborhood. Former mayor Marion Barry is a former resident. Current residents include D.C. Council...
,
Penn BranchPenn Branch is a neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., east of the Anacostia River. It is bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue SE to the south; Pope Branch Park and Pope Creek to the north; Branch Avenue to the west; and Fort Davis Park to the east...
, and
Fort DupontFort Dupont/DuPont may refer to:*Fort Dupont, Washington, D.C.*Fort DuPont State Park in Delaware City, Delaware...
. Throughout the Southeast area (except for the gentrified Eastern Market area closest to the United States Capitol), basic shopping, dining, entertainment, and cultural facilities are very minimal and scanty, so that residents must travel either downtown or to the suburbs for such services. Cultural events/activities include the annual Martin Luther King Birthday parade, the free weekly summer jazz concerts in
Fort DupontFort Dupont/DuPont may refer to:*Fort Dupont, Washington, D.C.*Fort DuPont State Park in Delaware City, Delaware...
Park, the Fort Dupont ice-rink, the
Anacostia MuseumThe Anacostia Community Museum is a Smithsonian Institution museum in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States, opened in 1967...
of the
Smithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazines...
, and the tennis and learning center for youth on Mississippi Avenue. The population of the southeast quadrant is roughly 134,800 and is about 97% African American.
Politically, Southeast includes most of Ward 8, as well as much of Wards 6 and 7. Ward 8 is home to former mayor and current DC Council Member
Marion BarryMarion Shepilov Barry, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as the second elected mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth mayor from 1995 to 1999. He was the target of a high-profile 1990 arrest on drug charges, which precluded him from seeking...
.
The quadrant is known to many D.C. area residents as being plagued by a consistently high crime rate relative to the rest of the city. Public transit facilities are frequently targeted for vandalism.
The Washington PostThe Washington Post is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Washington, D.C. and is the city's oldest paper, founded in 1877. Being located in the nation's capital, it has a particular emphasis on national politics and international affairs...
reported in 2003 that rock attacks on public buses were so common that bus drivers were instructed to wear safety goggles while traversing the quadrant.
Recently, some areas of the Southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. have undergone a reformation. In areas close to the United States Capitol Building housing values have risen dramatically and residents have been forced out of their homes by the increased cost of living. In up and coming areas such as Eastern Market, young professionals have created a high demand for restaurants and bars. Nationals Park, the new home of
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
's
Washington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly-built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK...
, opened in March 2008.
Southeast Washington is accessible via the
BlueThe Blue Line of the Washington Metro consists of 27 rapid transit stations from Franconia–Springfield to Largo Town Center. It has stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland...
,
OrangeThe Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 rapid transit stations from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to New Carrollton. It has stations in Fairfax County and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland...
and
Green LinesThe Green Line of the Washington Metro consists of 21 rapid transit stations from Branch Avenue to Greenbelt. It starts in Prince George's County, Maryland, runs through all four quadrants of the District of Columbia, and exits back out into Prince George's County...
of the
Washington MetroMetrorail, commonly called Metro, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
. Southeast Washington will also be accessible via the
Silver LineThe Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, informally dubbed the Silver Line after its color on planning maps, is a planned extension of the Washington Metro rapid transit system, consisting of 29 stations from Route 772 in Loudoun County, Virginia, to Stadium-Armory in Washington, D.C., United States...
when completed. The
AnacostiaAnacostia is a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Its historic downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is the most famous neighborhood in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, which the area is...
article names several famous people native to Southeast.