French Street is located in northwestern Washington, D.C. in the Shaw neighborhood.

I'm biased to this area

as it was the first place I lived when I moved to DC. The street has a block of row houses on each side, with a
small French Street park on the northwestern corner of the street. One reason that I think it is a great place is
because it encompasses the traditional row house character and architecture of DC. It offers its
residents proximity to downtown with less traffic and more greenery than typical city living. The traditional DC
city planners had a large influence, but I believe the residents over the last 100+ years have the biggest hand
in making it such a special place. In a neighborhood of redevelopment, French street has and will retain its
integrity. Its a stable place that I believe is a gem in the Shaw neighborhood.

Street view of French Street

Birdseye Google maps image of French Street NW. The street is lined
with row houses (example of a row house in the picture to the right).
The green circle marks French Street Park.

French Street Park from 10th St NW

French Street Park interior

The U street corridor is a district of Washington that I believe is a very special place in D.C.

U Street (highlighted in yellow) from 14th Street NW to 8th Street NW

This area is made up of commercial and residential development, and has been designated a historic district.
Duke Ellingtons childhood home was on U Street, and there is a unique sense of music, art and culture this
corridor. The Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, 9:30 Club, U Street Music Hall and Black Cat are some of the
theatres and music venues found in the district. U Street also hosts Washingtons Funk Parade, a festival and
celebration of funk music, community arts, and creativity. I think this area is Washingtons best music scene.
Until the 1920s this district was the largest urban African American community in the U.S. While it has seen
decades of difficulties, it has successfully embraced and protected the significance of the African American
community in Washington during segregation. There is a mix of people that use this area, including residents
that have lived there their entire lives and a transient population of young people. It certainly is changing a lot
with redevelopment projects, but I hope that the core culture and historical significance of U Street will live on
for decades to come.

Photos of commercial and residential U Street

Birds eye view of Lafayette Square

Lafayette Square Park

Lafayette square, a public place on the north side of the White House, is one of my favorite spots in
Washington DC. It was designed in the early years of DC and is a skeletal part of the downtown district. While
Lafayette square is a huge draw for tourists you can also find a lot of working professionals gathering there
during the day to take a quiet moment from their busy lives. During my research I discovered that it used to be
called Presidents Park, and that it has been used as a racetrack, graveyard and a zoo amongst other things.
This park is a stable fixture in downtown DC, and I cannot see it changing in the near future. Due to its
proximity to the White House it has also seen a variety of protests throughout American history. Its a great
spot to sit down and watch the diversity of people that cross its path, with an awesome view of the White
House and the Washington monument in the background.

Marquis de Lafayette statue

Google maps view of Lafayette Square. The White House South Lawn connects to Washington D.C.s National Mall.