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The Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. currently draws in crowds of people daily (and nightly) to its jazz clubs, restaurants, boutiques, and cultural attractions.  Once the site of free slave encampments, the area became the center of African American intellectual and cultural life in the late 19^th - early 20^th century, before Harlem took that role around 1920.  Duke Ellington came out of Shaw.  Howard Theological Seminary (later Howard University) was established there.  Many of the great figures of the Harlem Renaissance like Langston Hughes and Alain LeRoy Locke frequented the cafes and jazz clubs still on U Street.  

Shaw is located in the northwest quadrant of the city between N Street NW to the south, New Jersey Ave. NW to the east, Florida Ave. NW to the north, and 11^th St. NW to the west.  Areas such as Logan Circle, Cardoza, and the circleless Truxton Circle were once considered a part of Shaw but are separate now.  It is east of Dupont Circle and south of Adams Morgan.

Like Columbia Heights, Shaw was the scene of riots after the death of Martin Luther King but appealing housing stock, a central location, and stable housing prices in D.C. made it a target for gentrification in the last 15 years. In 1986, a major city building, Reeves Center, was built at 14^th and U.  This triggered renovations of boarded-up commercial buildings and construction of more than 2,000 upscale residential condominiums and apartments between 1997 and 2007.  The result is a more diverse population in one of the most lively neighborhoods in D.C.

"Lively" does not come cheap; according to Trulia.com, the average listing price for homes in late June was $829,436, with a median sales price of $399,000.  Based on what I am currently listing in this neighborhood, you can find a nice 2 bedroom condo for considerably less.  Rentals in the neighborhood run over $2,000 for a 2 bedroom, which gives you a comparison figure to play with when you are deciding if you want to rent vs. buy a place of your own.

So what is so compelling about Shaw?

The Music Scene - Once known as "Black Broadway," the area is home to Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theater, Bohemian Caverns, and other clubs and historic jazz venues.  An older , more affluent crowd tends to patronize these clubs in contrast Georgetown.  The area is also home to great live music spots like the 9:30 Club, the Black Cat, and the Velvet Lounge.

The Food - Noted for its soul food and African cuisine (especially in the Little Ethiopia region of 9^th St. NW between U and T Streets), the area boasts a variety of low to medium price ethnic restaurants: Ben's Chile Bowl, the Florida Avenue Grill, Etete, Negril ....the list goes on with great places frequented by politicians and neighborhood folks alike.

The Galleries - High end exciting contemporary art galleries are located on 14^th Street, including the Adamson Gallery, Irvine Contemporary, and Curator's Office present the work of both well known and less known artists and photographers.

The Shopping - The boutiques on U Street offers trendy "funky" clothing and accessories from lesser known designers that offers an exciting alternative to many of the button-downed shops in other parts of the city with stores like Blink Optical, the Circle Boutique, Nana's, and Redeem.

The Cultural Attractions - The roots of neighborhood are honored in such treasures as the African American Civil War Memorial, the Lincoln Theater, and the Thurgood Marshal Center, constructed as a YMCA, designed by preeminent black architect W. Sidney Pittman, and frequent destination of the former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marhall.

Interested in locating in the Shaw area of D.C?  Visit Rachel Valentino's Atlantic Coast Connection website for a rundown of available listings and the scoop on the D.C. neighborhoods where you might like to live and play.  For a full rundown on what's happening in Shaw, see http://wikitravel.org/en/Washington_(D.C.)/U_Street_Corridor.