Washington, D.C./Shaw

Shaw is a neighborhood in north-central Washington D.C. just east of Dupont Circle and south of Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights. Although it has a diverse population, Shaw is distinctive from the adjacent areas due to its African-American heritage. It is popular due to its jazz clubs, bars, high-end bars and lounges, and for the marvelous food, including many Ethopian eateries. As a note, Logan Circle and the U Street Corridor are included for the purposes of this guide.



Understand
Shaw is a large area that borders the near neighborhoods of Logan Circle, Truxton Circle, and the sub neighborhoods of the U Street Corridor/Cardozo and Blagden Alley. It is bounded by 15th St NW, Florida Ave (formerly Boundary St), North Capitol St, and M St NW.

The neighborhood, named after Civil War Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, was first developed starting in 1865 when the end of the Civil War led to a huge increase in demand for new housing in Washington, D.C. The extension of streetcar lines in the early 1900s up 7th St and 14th St also spurred additional development.

Because Shaw was not affected by covenants that prohibited property sales to African Americans, Shaw became the center of African-American culture in Washington and was home to many black-owned businesses, entertainment venues, and other institutions. It was the birthplace of jazz great Duke Ellington, who lived on the 1200 block of T St. It was the center of Washington's music scene and includes the historic Howard Theater (opened in 1910), Lincoln Theatre (opened in 1921), and Bohemian Caverns jazz club (opened in 1926).

Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968, riots broke out at the intersection of 14th St & U St. The riots resulted in significant damage to 1,200 buildings and resulted in thousands of permanent job losses. With the introduction of crack cocaine in the 1970s and 1980s and the subsequent flight of residents and businesses from the area, Shaw succumbed to urban blight. The entire neighborhood was considered to be unsafe due to rampant prostitution and drug use.

However, beginning in the early 1990s, a wave of gentrification restored the area. In 1986, the Reeves Center, a municipal office building, opened at the intersection of 14th St and U St, bringing thousands of jobs to the area. The Shaw-Howard University Metro Station opened in 1991. In 2000, a Whole Foods supermarket opened at the intersection of 14th & P Street and quickly became one of the retailer's highest grossing stores. Between 2000 and 2002, Harrison Square, the first large scale residential development in the area in a long time, was constructed. Since then, dozens of upscale businesses have opened and thousands of apartments have been constructed. Houses at Harrison Square, which cost $200,000 in 2000-2002, were selling for $900,000 in 2015.

The U Street Corridor (aka Cardozo) is a vibrant collection of boutique shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and art galleries along U St NW between from 9th St and 18th St. The corridor first became commercially significant when a streetcar line operated along U St in the early 20th century. It was and is still known as Black Broadway, the center of African American cultural life from the turn of the century well into the 1950s. It was particularly known as a hub for jazz music, predating the Harlem Renaissance, due to its many Black-owned live music and performance venues, a rarity in segregated pre-World War II America.

Logan Circle, named after Civil War general John A. Logan, is a traffic circle as well as a historic district whose commercial area centers around 14th Street. The beautiful Victorian buildings in this area were less affected by the riots and this area is now highly sought after. Once a seedy red light district, it has long since gentrified to become one of Washington's most fashionable addresses, with many new high-rise condos in between million dollar rowhouses. Most working class residents and artists have long been priced out, moving to Columbia Heights and further east. Logan has become an upscale alternative to U Street, with many trendy bars, restaurants, and clubs drawing people from all parts of the city and surrounding areas. Given its proximity to Dupont Circle, many foreign tourists also flock to Logan Circle, looking for something more edgy.

And finally, the Blagden Alley/Naylor Court area near the Washington Convention Center has emerged as a sub-neighborhood of Shaw, with its own distinct identity. Once a shabby-chic haven for artists and skaters, it now one of the city's finest dining areas, something of a shock to old time Washingtonians. The Michelin-starred Dabney and other trendy haunts lead the way. If you love food, you'll definitely want to make a pilgrimage to Blagden.

By Metrorail
For more information on riding the Metrorail in Washington DC, see Washington DC.

Shaw is serviced by the following Metrorail stations on the Green line:

By bus
The following are the main bus routes operating in Shaw, along with links to timetables and route maps. For more information on riding buses in Washington DC, see Washington DC.


 * Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Circulator Bus ($1) is a limited-stop/express bus that runs Su-Th 7AM-midnight, F Sa 7AM-3:30PM. In Shaw, it stops on 14th St & U St and 14th & P St. It runs from McPherson Square, near the West End, and goes north through Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan and then on to the Woodley Pak-Zoo Metro Station in Upper Northwest.
 * X3 is a very convenient express route heading west from U St/Cardozo through Adams Morgan to area in Upper Northwest including Woodley Park, the National Zoo, and Tenleytown.
 * #52, 53, 54 run along 14th St from the National Mall up to the Columbia Heights Metrorail Station.
 * #S1, S2, S3, & S4 run along 16th St from the National Mall to Silver Spring.
 * #70 is a line that runs on 7th Street/Georgia Ave from the Archives Metro Station to the Silver Spring Metro Station.

By car
Driving is definitely not recommended if you are not familiar with the area. The main streets are 14th St, R St, 9th St, 7th St, and Florida Ave. North Capitol St is a good and relatively uncongested artery heading north towards Maryland and the I-495 Capital Beltway. Avoid driving on U St, because it is one of the most congested streets in D.C. On-street parking is possible on the quieter side streets any time of the week.

See




Do
The Greater U Street Heritage Trail is a self-guided walking tour with downloadable audio that will have you visiting major sights in the neighborhood.

Theatre




Buy
U St is the place for the more funky, local, boutique shopping, although discounts are hard to come by.

The art galleries on 14th St have the most exciting contemporary exhibits in the city.

If you are up for some seriously exotic shopping, head to Little Ethiopia on 9th Street, south of U St, to sample the various Ethiopian stores and food markets.

Galleries




Eat
Shaw and Logan Circle offer countless options when it comes to found, with an array of cuisines available. Shaw is famously on the cities top venues for African American and Caribbean food, though their number have declined, many historic institutions remain, most famously Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street. The U Street Corridor is also a hub for African food, particularly Ethiopian and West African cuisines. Little Ethiopia, on 9th St just south of U St, has the best Ethiopian restaurants outside of Addis Ababa. While the number of Ethiopians in the D.C. area has been debated, D.C. is widely considered to have the largest number of Ethiopian ex-pats anywhere in the world and Shaw is the epicenter of their community. To brush up on your Ethiopian dining etiquette, see Washington, D.C..

True to its heritage, Shaw is home to dozens of soul food diners, many of which have been in D.C. much longer than most residents. You won't find the best soul food in the world here, but the feel of these restaurants, which are sometimes covered wall-to-wall in pictures of famous celebrities that visited decades ago, give you a unique peek into the history and culture of D.C.

In contrast Logan Circle, is home to the cutting edge of the DC culinary scene, home to chef driven restaurants that give the best of New York City and Paris a run for their money. As such, prices are notably higher than nearby Shaw/ U Street, however the quality is impressive. 14th street is home to an endless array of cuisines, just walk down the street and go where ever takes your fancy.

On the other end of Shaw, Bladgen Alley, is a slightly more low-key but extremely trendy restaurant area with an excellent array of cuisines. Few tourists make their way here, which means prices are lower than Logan Circle and Dupont, and restaurants are packed with locals and gourmands in the know. Expect great quality, chef-driven food for the price, reminiscent of trendy parts of Brooklyn or Montreal.

As noted below in the Drink section, Shaw also has many independent chic cafes that serve sandwiches at low prices.

Budget
For the cheapest options, try one of several Mediterranean or pizza hole-in-the wall restaurants.



African




Cafes
Shaw is popular for its non-chain cafes, each with its own unique character, although the vibe is almost always hip and liberal.



Bars and lounges
Shaw has several very classy bars. These are not the places where you will find cheap beer.

Music venues
Live music finds its home in Shaw, particularly around U St. The Black Cat and the 9:30 Club are two of the city's most prominent music venues, playing host to plenty of national acts of all types, drawing varying crowds.



Nightclubs
The clubbing scene in Shaw is a younger, hipper alternative to grungy Adams Morgan or upscale Dupont Circle but can get very crowded on Fridays and Saturdays.



Sleep
Most accommodation options in Shaw are in the southwest section of the neighborhood, close to Dupont Circle, the East End, and within walking distance of the National Mall, while other options are further east, close to the convention center. In addition to large hotels, there are a couple small B&B options, although they have much less amenities to offer.

Stay safe
As in many nightlife-centered neighborhoods of Washington, DC, Shaw has a significant problem with drunken belligerent behavior on weekends, particularly around the bars and the public housing projects.

Avoid walking on dark side streets; even some more well-traveled areas like 9th St and parts of Florida Ave can get a little too quiet after midnight.

Drunken club-goers stumbling out of venues on U St, or concert venues such as the 9:30 Club and Black Cat are often targeted for petty theft. Keep an eye on your belongings, and remember to refocus your alertness upon leaving the club.

Vagrants, while annoying, will usually stop bugging you if you keep up your pace and just give them a polite smile and a "sorry."

Smash-and-grab robberies of parked cars has mostly moved to Northeast DC and less well off areas, but can occur on busy weekends.

Connect
There are plenty of cafes that have free WiFi. If you need to use a computer terminal, visit the neighborhood library.



Go next

 * Dupont Circle and 18th St in Adams Morgan are both within easy walking distance for additional nightlife, bars, and cafes. Near Northeast has more choices as well but is further away.
 * If you want to delve further into D.C.'s African-American history, cross the river to Anacostia!