The West End is a neighborhood in the

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quadrant Quadrant may refer to: Companies * Quadrant Cycle Company, 1899 manufacturers in Britain of the Quadrant motorcar * Quadrant (motorcycles), one of the earliest British motorcycle manufacturers, established in Birmingham in 1901 * Quadrant Privat ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, bounded by K Street NW to the south,

Rock Creek Park Rock Creek Park is a large urban park that bisects the Northwest, Washington, D.C., Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Created by Act of Congress in 1890, the park comprises 1,754 acres (2.74 mi2, 7.10 km2), generally along Rock Cr ...

to the west and north, and

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NW and 23rd Street NW to the east. The West End is so named because it was the westernmost part of the original

L'Enfant Plan The L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington, D.C. is the urban plan developed in 1791 by Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant for George Washington, the first president of the United States. It is regarded as a landmark in urban design and h ...

for the city of Washington, before the annexation of Georgetown. It is home to the embassies of

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and

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as well as the

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. The

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 George Washington University Hospital are on the edge of the West End, at Washington Circle. The West End is home to numerous luxury hotels, upscale condominiums, and fine dining restaurants. The neighborhood exists due in large part to a 1972 urban renewal plan prepared by the city's Office of Planning and Management, designed "to bring life to a declining part of the city." Titled "New Town for the West End," the aerial photograph on the cover of the study showed the area that was planned to become a "new intown community." The neighborhood is adjacent to Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, and the city's traditional Downtown. Today, DC Planning Office considers the West End part of Downtown (Washington, D.C.), a more broadly-defined Downtown.

History

Historically, West End was a predominantly African American community with brick Victorian architecture, Victorian rowhouses and warehouses. Jazz pianist and composer Duke Ellington was born in the neighborhood in 1899.

Recent developments

The West End has been a hotbed of development, with hundreds of new luxury Condominium, condominiums either under construction or in the planning phase. In 2007, controversy began over the last remaining "underdeveloped" parcel of land, known as Square 37. Bordered by 23rd Street, 24th Street, L Street, and an alleyway, this anomaly, composed of low-rise buildings from the 1800s to the 1960s, stands out amid a sea of new luxury highrises. Square 37 was home to the Tiverton, the last remaining rent-controlled apartment building in the West End. The Tiverton tenants gained local media attention for successfully battling two upzoning attempts by developers in an effort to maintain the square as-is. Trader Joe's grocery store opened in the neighborhood in September 2006, next to the former Columbia Hospital for Women, now a luxury condominium. The Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Council passed controversial emergency legislation in 2007 to sell the West End District of Columbia Public Library, public library branch, the D.C. Special Operations Police Station (both on Square 37), and a firehouse (on neighboring Square 50) to the developer Eastbanc. A new West End Neighborhood Library opened in 2017.

Education

District of Columbia Public Schools operates John Francis Education Campus at 2425 N Street.

References

External links

{{Authority control 1972 establishments in Washington, D.C. Neighborhoods in Northwest (Washington, D.C.)