Deodapper
Washington: Capitol, U Street, Embassy Row
Washington, District of Columbia, US · 9 stops · 10.1 mi (16 km) · about 50 min driving · 19 spoken stories
A political history drive from Union Station through Capitol Hill and the jazz landmarks of U Street, past the ambassador mansions of Embassy Row and Kalorama, to Georgetown. Takes about 50 minutes for 10 miles, best for history buffs and anyone curious about where decisions get made.
Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From Union Station, Washington to Georgetown Waterfront
The stops
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1
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast and Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 15th Street SE & NE, F Street NE, Southeast Boulevard SE, and South Capitol Street SE. Dominated by the United States Capitol, which sits on the highest point of Capitol Hill, it is one of the oldest historic districts in Washington. The neighborhood has a high concentration of rowhouses, largely dating from the 19th century. Home to around 35,000 people in just under 2 square miles (5 km2), Capitol Hill is also one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Washington. The name Capitol Hill is frequently used as a metonym for the U.S. Congress.
“We're on Capitol Hill now, and if you love political history, this is the ground floor of it.”
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2
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
“And here it is, the Capitol itself, seat of Congress and the origin point for the whole city's street numbering and its four quadrants.”
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3
Howard Theatre
The Howard Theatre is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., that has been a pillar of the community since its opening in 1910.
“This is the Howard Theatre at six twenty T Street, open since August twenty-second, nineteen ten, in what was then the heart of Black Washington near Howard University.”
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4
Ben's Chili Bowl
Ben's Chili Bowl is a restaurant in Washington, D.C., United States, located at 1213 U Street, next to Lincoln Theatre, in the U Street Corridor, also known as the Cardozo/Shaw neighborhood in Northwest D.C.
“Ben's Chili Bowl, twelve thirteen U Street, right next door to the Lincoln Theatre.”
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5
Lincoln Theatre
Lincoln Theatre is a historic 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.
“Next door at twelve fifteen U Street stands the Lincoln Theatre, a cornerstone of what people called Washington's Black Broadway.”
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6
Dupont Circle
lunchDupont Circle is a historic roundabout park and neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. The Dupont Circle neighborhood is bounded approximately by 16th Street NW to the east, 22nd Street NW to the west, M Street NW to the south, and Florida Avenue NW to the north.
“Dupont Circle, and you're right where political Washington does its socializing.”
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7
Kalorama
The Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District is a neighborhood and historic district located in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The boundaries of the historic district include Rock Creek Park to the north and west, P Street to the south, and 22nd Street and Florida Avenue to the east.
“We've climbed into Kalorama, or more properly the Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District, tucked between Rock Creek Park to the north and west, P Street to the south, and Twenty-second Street and Florida Avenue to the east.”
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8
Embassy Row
Embassy Row is the informal name for a section of Northwest Washington, D.C., with a high concentration of embassies, diplomatic missions, and diplomatic residences. It spans Massachusetts Avenue N.W.
“This is Embassy Row, the stretch of Massachusetts Avenue running roughly between Eighteenth and Thirty-fifth Streets, from Scott Circle up toward the Naval Observatory.”
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9
Old Stone House
The Old Stone House is one of the oldest structures in Washington, D.C. The house is also the last pre-revolutionary colonial building in Washington, D.C. Built in 1765, Old Stone House is located at 3051 M Street, Northwest in the city's Georgetown neighborhood.
“At thirty fifty-one M Street in Georgetown sits the Old Stone House, built in seventeen sixty-five, back when this was still the British colony of Maryland.”
How it works
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