Downtown Washington, D.C. is the central business district in the northwest quadrant of the District of Columbia, the capital city of the United States.
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Location
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Geographically, downtown Washington is broadly considered to be anything north of Constitution Avenue NW, east of Rock Creek Park, south of M Street NW, and west of the U.S. Capitol. The area east of the Capitol and north of Massachusetts Avenue is sometimes called "Downtown East". However, that geographical area includes as many as nine separate neighborhoods, including Foggy Bottom, West End, Penn Quarter, Mount Vernon Square, Chinatown, Sursum Corda, Judiciary Square, Swampoodle, and NoMa.
Thus, the boundaries of the Downtown district (subtracting the above-mentioned neighborhoods) are somewhat irregular and difficult to define. The core of the area lies roughly between Constitution Avenue to the south, M Street to the north, 17th Street to the west, and 12th Street to the east. North of Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and extending five additional blocks west of 17th Street to 22nd Street, is also considered "downtown".
Some define the area around the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and K Street NW as a separate neighborhood called "Connecticut Avenue/K Street". However, this intersection is very much the heart of Washington's business center; since "downtown" is defined as a city's central business district, the K Street/Connecticut Avenue area is, by definition, part of downtown Washington.[citation needed]
A triangular group of government buildings known as the "Federal Triangle" is between Pennsylvania Avenue, Constitution Avenue and 15th Street NW.[1]
Character
The core of the downtown district east of Foggy Bottom, west of Penn Quarter, and south of Massachusetts Avenue is almost exclusively commercial. The Penn Quarter has recently become an entertainment district, with numerous retail, restaurant, and theater options. Foggy Bottom is dominated by midrise apartment buildings and The George Washington University.
Cityscape
The majority of downtown Washington is composed of office buildings of varying architectural styles. The oldest tend to be of the Federal school, as are the White House, the U.S. Treasury, Blair House, and the rowhouses that line Lafayette Square. Others run the gamut from Neoclassical (such as the buildings at Federal Triangle) to Second Empire Style (the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) to postmodern (One Franklin Square).
Height restriction
Unlike other large cities in the U.S., Washington's downtown has a low skyline. With the advent of the skyscraper and the construction of the Cairo Hotel, residents were concerned that the city's European feel might be dwarfed by high-rise buildings. Congress therefore passed the Heights of Buildings Act in 1899, restricting any new building in Washington from exceeding the height of the U.S. Capitol. The act was amended in 1910 to allow buildings to be 20 feet (6 m) higher than the width of the adjacent street.[2]
As of 2006[update], the tallest building in downtown Washington – excluding the Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol, Washington National Cathedral, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, all of which are outside of the downtown district – is the Old Post Office, whose 315-foot-tall (96 m) clock tower looms far above the other nearby structures. Built in 1899, it was grandfathered past the Heights of Buildings Act. The tallest commercial building is One Franklin Square at 210 feet (64 m).[3]
Parks and public squares
A number of public urban parks punctuate the downtown area. Four are particularly prominent: The Ellipse, Farragut Square, Franklin Square, and McPherson Square.
President's Park is the grounds of the White House, which includes Lafayette Square between H Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. It is a private park, except for Lafayette Square, which is open to the public.
A small paved square, Freedom Plaza, sits on Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. It is a frequent site of outdoor concerts, protests, and political rallies.
Government
The Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID), a tax-funded non-profit organization, works to enhance the urban core of Washington, D.C. The BID covers 140 square miles of land, including about 825 properties. The BID encompasses Chinatown, Federal Triangle, Franklin Square, Gallery Place, McPherson Square, Midtown, and Penn Quarter.[4]
Culture
The Verizon Center sports and entertainment arena is located in Chinatown. The Warner Theatre and the National Theatre are located downtown.
References
- ^ "The Federal Triangle." National Park Service. Retrieved on May 7, 2009.
- ^ D.C.'s Fear of Heights
- ^ Buildings of Washington / Emporis.com
- ^ "About the Downtown DC BID." Downtown DC Business Improvement District. Retrieved on May 12, 2009.
External links
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Coordinates: 38°54′9″N 77°1′58.3″W / 38.9025°N 77.032861°W
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