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Adams Morgan is a neighborhood in
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Washington, D.C., centered at the intersection of 18th Street NW and Columbia Road, about 1.5 miles (2.54 km) north of the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...
. Notable establishments in the neighborhood include the Washington Hilton and Madam's Organ Blues Bar. Notable residential buildings include Euclid Apartments, Fuller House, Park Tower, Meridian Mansions, and the Pink Palace. Embassies in the neighborhood include the Embassy of Lithuania, the Embassy of Poland, the Embassy of the Central African Republic, the Embassy of Gabon and the Embassy of Cuba. Notable public artwork in Adams Morgan includes '' Carry the Rainbow on Your Shoulders'', '' The Servant Christ'', and ''
The Mama Ayesha's Restaurant Presidential Mural The Mama Ayesha's Restaurant Presidential Mural is a 2009 large mural in Washington, D.C. featuring eleven American Presidents, starting with Dwight D. Eisenhower and ending with Barack Obama. Created by El Salvador-born artist Karla Rodas (a ...
''. Adams Morgan is a thriving spot for nightlife and live music, particularly along 18th Street NW. Approximately 100 establishments possess liquor licenses. A moratorium on new liquor licenses has been in effect since 2000. It has been referred to as D.C.'s last funky neighborhood, although some say it is past its prime. It has also been referred to as "quirky". It is composed of rowhouses and classically-styled mid-rise apartment buildings, including many
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and
condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
s, along with various commercial structures. The name Adams Morgan, once hyphenated, is derived from the names of two formerly segregated area elementary schools—the older, all-black Thomas P. Morgan Elementary School (now defunct) and the all-white John Quincy Adams Elementary School, which merged in 1955 following racial desegregation. Adams Morgan is bounded: *to the south by Florida Avenue NW and the Dupont Circle neighborhood *to the southwest by the Duke Ellington Bridge and by Connecticut Avenue NW and Kalorama-Sheridan *to the north by Harvard St. and Mount Pleasant * to the east by 16th Street NW and Columbia Heights Reed-Cooke is a sub-neighborhood of Adams Morgan, consisting of the easternmost area between Columbia Road and Florida avenue.


History

Before the colony of
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...
was established in 1632, what is now Washington, D.C. was home to the Nacotchtank Native American tribal group, a branch of the Piscataway people. When the District of Columbia was created in 1791, Robert Peter and Anthony Holmead, two prominent colonial-era landowners, held the land comprising Adams Morgan. At that time, these local tracts were north of the original planned City of Washington, and were either undeveloped or only lightly farmed. As the population of D.C. expanded, this land was divided into several estates purchased by wealthy residents, including Meridian Hill, Cliffbourne, Holt House, Oak Lawn, Henderson Castle, a part of Kalorama, and the horse farm of William Thornton. After the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
, these estates were subdivided and the area slowly grew. Once the city's overall-layout plans were finalized in the 1890s, these various subdivisions, using modern construction techniques, developed more rapidly, and the area of Adams Morgan then grew into several attractive and largely upper- and middle-class neighborhoods. In the early 20th century, the area was home to a range of people, from the very wealthy living along 16th Street, to white-collar professionals in Lanier Heights, to blue-collar residents east of 18th Street NW. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and '' Plessy v. Ferguson'', racial desegregation began. When D.C. was formally desegregated, some whites abruptly left the area, other whites stayed and worked to integrate the neighborhood, and some African Americans and Hispanics moved into the area. With cheaper housing, the area also became home to some artists and social activists. In 1948,
Charles Lazarus Charles Philip Lazarus (October 4, 1923 – March 22, 2018) was an American entrepreneur, executive, and pioneer within the retail toy industry. Lazarus founded the Toys "R" Us retail chain, which evolved from a children's furniture store he o ...
founded Toys "R" Us in Adams Morgan. In the early 1950s, before desegregation, the neighborhood was considered "ritzy". Pursuant to the 1954 '' Bolling v. Sharpe''
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
ruling, district schools were desegregated in 1955. The Adams-Morgan Community Council, comprising both Adams and Morgan schools and the neighborhoods they served, formed in 1958 to implement progressively this desegregation. The boundaries of the neighborhood were drawn through four existing neighborhoods— Washington Heights, Lanier Heights,
Kalorama Triangle The Kalorama Triangle Historic District is located in the Kalorama Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It has been listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic ...
, and Meridian Hill—naming the resulting area after both schools. In 1955, Herbert Haft founded Dart Drug in Adams Morgan. In the late 1960s, a group of residents worked with city officials to plan and construct the Marie H. Reed Recreation Center, an elementary school and recreational complex. The development was named after the minister and civic leader. It features a daycare center, tennis and basketball courts, a solar-heated swimming pool, health clinic, athletic field, and outdoor chess tables. After the
1968 Washington, D.C., riots The Washington, D.C., riots of 1968 were a four-day period of violent civil unrest and rioting following the assassination of leading African American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., on April 4, 1968. Part of the broader ...
, white flight continued. In the 1960s, the neighborhood's attractions included the Avignon Freres bakery and restaurant, which furnished the White House with cakes and pastries, it was destroyed by the
1968 Washington, D.C., riots The Washington, D.C., riots of 1968 were a four-day period of violent civil unrest and rioting following the assassination of leading African American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., on April 4, 1968. Part of the broader ...
and although it reopened in 1976, it was never the same, the Café Don restaurant, the Ontario motion picture theater, and the Showboat Lounge jazz nightclub. In 1967, the Ambassador Theater opened; it closed in 1969. In the 1980s, Hazel Williams operated Hazel's, which featured live blues and jazz, and its soul food offerings made it a favorite of Dizzy Gillespie and
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...
when they were in Washington, D.C. The
January 20, 2005 counter-inaugural protest On January 20, 2005, a number of counter-inaugural demonstrations were held in Washington, D.C., and other American cities to protest the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. Rally at Malcolm X Park The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) ...
included a march through Adams Morgan. From 2010 to 2012, the city reconstructed 18th Street NW, one of the neighborhood's main commercial corridors, with wider sidewalks, more crosswalks and bicycle arrows, resulting in a more pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare. In September 2014, the
American Planning Association The American Planning Association (APA) is a professional organization representing the field of urban planning in the United States. APA was formed in 1978, when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Pla ...
named Adams Morgan one of the nation's "great neighborhoods", citing its intact Victorian rowhouses, murals, international diversity, and pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly streetscape. In 2021, many local businesses attempted to disband the local business improvement district. However, they were unsuccessful.


Demographics

Along with neighboring Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan long has been a gateway community for immigrants. Since the 1960s, the predominant international presence in both communities has been Latino, with the majority of immigrants coming from
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
, Guatemala and other
Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
n countries. It also has attracted immigrants from
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
,
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
and the Caribbean. Since 1980, the population of the neighborhood increased marginally from 15,352 to 15,630, while average real annual household income more than doubled from $72,753 to $172,249 and the white non-hispanic population increased from 51% to 68%.


Local institutions

Adams Morgan Day is a multicultural street celebration with live music and food and crafts booths. The Adams Morgan farmers' market operates, weather permitting, every Saturday from June to December. Local growers sell fresh, organically grown produce and herbs, baked and canned goods, cheeses, cold-pressed apple juice, and fresh flowers. The Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District (AMPBID) has been active in the community since 2005; its stated mission is to promote a clean, friendly and safe Adams Morgan. It sponsors local events such as summer concerts and holiday decorations, and provides information to residents.


Transportation

Adams Morgan is not directly served by the
Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview
system. The station nearest to Adams Morgan, Woodley Park station, is in the Woodley Park neighborhood, but was renamed "Woodley Park–Zoo/Adams Morgan" in 1999 to reflect the station's proximity to Adams Morgan. The station was renamed "Woodley Park" with "Zoo/Adams Morgan" as a subtitle in 2011. The southernmost parts of the neighborhood near Rock Creek Park are closer to the Dupont Circle station, while the northeastern parts of the neighborhood are closer to the
Columbia Heights Station Columbia Heights is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Green and Yellow Lines. Due to successful redevelopment since the station's opening, Columbia Heights is one of the busiest Metro stops outside the downtown core, with ...
. In March 2009, the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United States Co ...
(WMATA) began operating a DC Circulator bus route connecting the center of Adams Morgan with both Metro stations. The area is also served by several WMATA Metrobus lines, including the 42, 43, 90, 92, 96, H1, L2, S2, and S9.


Education

The
District of Columbia Public Schools The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the local public school system for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It is distinct from the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools (DCPCS), which governs public charter ...
is the public school system. Adams, Reed, and H.D. Cooke elementary schools all have international populations, with children from over 30 nations in attendance. Latino and African-American children comprise the majority of students in the public schools. Oyster Adams Bilingual School, the neighborhood
K-8 school K8 or K-8 may refer to: * K-8 (Kansas highway), two highways in Kansas, one in northern Kansas, one in southern Kansas * K-8 school, a type of school that includes kindergarten and grades one through eight * AMD K8, the internal designation for ...
, was formed in 2007 by the merger of John Quincy Adams Elementary School in Adams Morgan and James F. Oyster Bilingual Elementary School in Woodley Park. The Adams campus serves grades 4-8 and the Oyster campus serves grades Pre-Kindergarten through 3. The Marie Reed Elementary School, with its Learning Center, built in 1977, was extensively remodeled and reopened in 2017. H.D. Cooke Elementary School is at 2525 17th Street; it was renovated in 2009 as an
environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that cl ...
green building. Part of the neighborhood is assigned to Oyster-Adams K-8, part is assigned to Marie Reed Elementary and Columbia Heights Education Campus, and part is assigned to H.D. Cooke Elementary and Columbia Heights Education Campus. The entire neighborhood is assigned to
Jackson-Reed High School , motto_translation = In days to come, it will please us to remember this , address = 3950 Chesapeake Street Northwest , region = Ward 3 , city = Washington, D.C. , zipcode ...
.


City politics

Adams Morgan is a part of Ward 1, and is in the service area of
Advisory Neighborhood Commission Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are bodies of local government in District of Columbia, in the United States. The ANC system was created in 1974 through a District referendum (73 percent voted "yes") in the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. T ...
1C, the Adams Morgan Advisory Neighborhood Commission. The ANC covers the area between Harvard Street and Rock Creek to the north, Florida Avenue and U Street to the south, 16th Street NW to the east, and Connecticut Avenue to the west.


Notable residents and former residents

* Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey * Vernon Orlando Bailey *
William Bankhead William Brockman Bankhead (April 12, 1874 – September 15, 1940) was an American politician who served as the 42nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1936 to 1940, representing Alabama's 10th and later 7th congression ...
* Carl Bernstein and Nora Ephron - lived in the Ontario Apartments for many years after the
Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
* Gary Condit - California Representative suspected at one point in the murder of Chandra Levy; lived on Adams Mill Road in Adams Morgan while he was a congressman and during his affair with Levy * John L. DeWitt * Dwight D. Eisenhower *
Mamie Eisenhower Mary Geneva "Mamie" Eisenhower (; November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979) was the first lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 as the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in Boone, Iowa, she was raised in a wealthy household in ...
* Nora Ephron and Carl Bernstein - lived in the Ontario Apartments for many years after the
Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
; Ephron wrote her book ''Heartburn'' about their time as a married couple in the building *
Father's Children Father's Children is an American funk band, that was formed in the late 1960s and rose to fame in the mid-to late 1970s. The group was initially formed as a doo-wop trio in Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C. under the name The Dreams, but evolved into ...
- funk band formed in Adams Morgan *
Thomas Gore Thomas Pryor Gore (December 10, 1870March 16, 1949) was an American politician who served as one of the first two United States senators from Oklahoma, from 1907 to 1921 and again from 1931 to 1937. He first entered politics as an activist for ...
* Jim Graham * Alexander Campbell King * Jane Tunstall Lingo * Josephine Diebitsch Peary * Robert Peary *
Nora Pouillon Nora Pouillon (born October 26, 1943) is an Austrian chef, restaurateur, and author. She was the owner of Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C., famous for its status as America's first certified organic restaurant. Biography Early life Pouillo ...
*
Robert Maxwell Pringle Robert Maxwell Pringle (born November 12, 1936, in New York City) was the American Ambassador to Mali from November 6, 1987, until September 17, 1990. Early life Of Scottish heritage, the first Pringle to come to the United States emigrated in the ...
*
José Ribalta José Manuel Ribalta (born March 31, 1963) is a Cuban former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division from 1982 to 1999. He is best known for his fight against Mike Tyson in 1986. Early years Ribalta's family fled Cuba by wa ...
* Robert F. Rockwell * Wendell Phillips Stafford - in addition to living in Adams Morgan, an apartment building on Lanier Place was named for him * Josiah Alexander Van Orsdel *
Paul Zukerberg Paul H. Zukerberg (born November 20, 1957) is an American activist, lawyer, and politician. Through a series of lawsuits and appeals, Zukerberg successfully ensured the direct election of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia in 2014 af ...
*
Saagar Enjeti Saagar Enjeti (born April 21, 1992) is a journalist, podcast host, and political commentator currently hosting the American political news and opinion series '' Breaking Points''. Early life and education Enjeti born on April 21, 1992 to an imm ...


In popular culture


Film and television

The neighborhood's competing " jumbo slice" pizza establishments were covered in an episode of the
Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United ...
's '' Food Wars''. In the
Showtime Network Showtime is an American premium television network owned by Paramount Media Networks, and is the flagship property of the namesake parent company, Showtime Networks, a part of Paramount Media Networks. Showtime's programming primarily includ ...
series ''
Homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...
'' Season 3, Episode 4 ("Game On"), the main character Carrie Mathison states that she lives in Adams Morgan. Scenes from the 2010 movie '' How Do You Know'' featuring
Paul Rudd Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ...
and
Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...
were filmed in Adams Morgan. In the Netflix series ''Taken'', the neighborhood is mentioned in Season 1, Episode 8, as the location where a car bomb explodes. In the 1993 feature film "In the Line of Fire," Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) lives in Adams Morgan, likely at the corner of 18th St NW and Belmont Rd NW. The film features several locations in Washington, and Adams Morgan in particular.


See also

* List of restaurant districts and streets in the United States * Architecture of Washington, D.C.


References


External links


Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1C

Adams Morgan Heritage Trail
Cultural Tourism DC
Oyster Adams Bilingual School

Marie Reed Elementary School
{{Authority control Neighborhoods in Northwest (Washington, D.C.) Restaurant districts and streets in the United States Entertainment districts in the United States