Welcome to U Street Corridor

The center of DC nightlife and culture.

Known as Washington’s cultural center at the turn of the century, U Street has long been a backbone of the city’s homegrown jazz, arts, and civil rights movements. Once bearing the scars of riots and protests, today it has regained its rightful place as the street to showcase DC’s vibrant cultural life, from music and food to activism and art.

Pedestrians pass brick storefronts and a restaurant along a busy commercial sidewalk.

U Street has historically brought Washingtonians together to the sound of its homegrown music, from jazz and blues to rock and go-go. Today its renovated clubs, new restaurants and shops are once again the center of DC’s humming nightlife. U Street is home for those who want to march to their own beat.

What to Expect

True urban living with a finger on the city’s pulse.

U Street sees a critical mass of revelers pass down its narrow sidewalks each weekend--increasingly on weeknights, too. The area is no longer just for nightlife, though, and its lifestyle amenities have evolved to support the dramatic influx of new residents. Grocery stores, markets, and hardware stores have popped up to serve all of the neighborhood’s basic and luxury needs.

The Fainting Goat restaurant sign on a window, with diners visible inside.

Sidewalk chalkboard advertising brunch and bottomless mimosas, with pedestrians on the street behind it.

U Street Corridor storefront beside the U Street–African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metro station entrance.

The Lifestyle

Having the best the city has to offer right outside your door.

Residents can walk to an endless array of entertainment options. The metro and ample bus lines make it an easy launching point for downtown commutes. U Street sports a self-confidence and a brash style that’s unique in the city.

U Street Metro station sign beside the African American Civil War Memorial plaza.

Ben’s Chili Bowl storefront on U Street, with its red-and-white facade and projecting signs.

A brick-wall mural shows a cartoon man holding beer beside a Pabst Blue Ribbon can.

U Street knows how to celebrate its past while looking firmly to the future.

Historic True Reformer Building with a faded Coca-Cola advertisement painted on its brick facade.

Unexpected Appeal

Living like a local.

Though weekends on U Street are dominated by fun seekers from outside the neighborhood, locals have the run of the area most other days and nights. Longtime neighborhood restaurants know their regulars by sight and greet them by name.

U Street storefronts and pedestrians crossing at a wide intersection in warm evening light.

The Market

Expensive, with a mix of smaller row homes, large new condos, and loft apartments.

Long gone are the days of finding a true bargain around U Street. Row houses have long since been renovated and condos tend to cater to those who can afford to pay a premium for urban proximity.