Trinidad is a neighborhood located in Ward 5, in the
northeast quadrant of
Washington, D.C., and is a largely residential area. It is bounded by West Virginia Avenue NE,
Florida Avenue NE, Mount Olivet Road NE, and Bladensburg Road NE.
Geography

Trinidad is to the east of
West Virginia Avenue, north of
Florida Avenue, and west of
Bladensburg Road.
[Schwartzman, Paul]
Reality Checkpoint
''The Washington Post''. 2008-07-08. Page B01. To the north of Trinidad is the more industrial neighborhood of
Ivy City. To the west is
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first school ...
and the
Florida Market (D.C.'s wholesale food district, also called the Capital City Market or more recently Union Market). To the east lies
Carver Langston. To the south of Trinidad is
Old City, so named because it was part of
Pierre L'Enfant's original plan for the city, and generally referred to as either
Near Northeast or Capitol Hill North. Located immediately south of Trinidad is the H Street Corridor. The eastern portion of the H Street Corridor is sometimes referred to as the
Atlas District, part of a neighborhood branding campaign centered on the revitalized Atlas Theater.
History
The area got its name from 19th-century
speculator James Barry, who had once lived on the
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
island of
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
. A street in the neighborhood bears the name of Trinidad Avenue NE.
The land passed to and from the Corcoran family, who used it as a country estate, to Columbian College, which later became
George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
, and then to the Washington Brick Machine Company. The brickworks intended to excavate clay from the land, but not needing all of the land, began selling off parcels, and, in the late 19th century, the first houses in southern Trinidad were built.
The
American League Park was located at the corner of Florida Ave NE and Trinidad Avenue NE from 1901 to 1904. It was home to the
Washington Senators
Architecture
The first two blocks north of Florida Avenue feature classic Victorian rowhouses similar to those in nearby
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...
. Further north, many of the row houses are built in a flat porch-fronted style (similar to
craftsman style) that gained popularity during the 1920s. Northern portions of Trinidad were developed later, some parts as late as the 1940s.
Education
Crummel Elementary School is located in
Ivy City.
Wheatley Education Campus
Wheatley Education Campus is a public school that serves grades
PK-8. It is located at 1299 Neal Street NE.
Center City PCS Trinidad Campus
Center City PCS Trinidad is a public
charter school that serves grades -8. It is located at 1217 West Virginia Ave, NE. It was the Holy Name School.
Joel Elias Spingarn Senior High School
Joel Elias Spingarn Senior High School is located at 2500 Benning Road NE.
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first school ...
is a university for the deaf and hard of hearing. It is located at 800 Florida Avenue NE.
KIPP DC College Preparatory
KIPP DC College Preparatory goes from 9th to 12th grade and is located at 1405 Brentwood Parkway NE.
Transportation
Washington Metro
Trinidad is served by the
NoMa – Gallaudet University Metro station on the
Red Line of the
Washington Metro.
Metrobus
Trinidad is served by
Metrobus routes
B2,
D4 and
D8 and
X3.
Crime
Crime was a significant problem in Trinidad in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2007 and 2008, an abnormal rash of gun violence in the neighborhood resulted in police checkpoints, which were declared unconstitutional by the federal
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2009.
Gallery
Image:Trinidad Washington DC 1.jpg, Intersection of Montello Ave. and Queen St. NE (2018)
Image:Trinidad Washington DC 2.jpg, Intersection of Trinidad Ave. and Queen St. NE (2018)
References
External links
Trinidad Neighborhood Association– Official website of the
neighborhood association
A neighborhood association (NA) is a group of residents or property owners who advocate to organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary dues.
Some neighborhood associations in the United State ...
Frozen Tropics– a local blog with neighborhood info.
Why Is It Named Trinidad?- Ghosts of DC
{{Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.
Neighborhoods in Northeast (Washington, D.C.)
2009 establishments in Washington, D.C.