Shaw (Washington, D.C.)

Shaw is a neighborhood just north of the center of Washington, DC It lies between M Street NW and Massachusetts Avenue NW to the south, New Jersey Avenue NW to the east, Florida Avenue NW to the north and 11th Street, NW in the West. In Shaw is the U Street Corridor, which is the economic and cultural center of the district.

History

Shaw was founded as a settlement freed slaves outside the original city of Washington and initially called Uptown. It received its current name because a school district located in the city bore the name of Robert Gould Shaw, who was commander of one of the first African-American soldiers consisting of units in the American Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

In the first half of the 20th century Shaw was, in particular, the U Street Corridor, cultural and economic center of the African American population of Washington. Until the 20s ( when Shaw was in this respect overtaken by Harlem ), the area around the U Street even the largest and most important urban center of the African American elite in the United States. Also founded in 1867, historic African American Howard University is located in Shaw.

After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968, there was serious unrest in Shaw, where many buildings were burned down. As a result, began in the 70s, the decline of the neighborhood, the area around the intersection U Street/14. Street became a focus of petty crime and drug trafficking. Since the mid- 90s revitalization measures and decisive action against crime have the quarter brought a new boom. In recent years, a significant gentrification is observed.

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  • The U Street has long been an important center of Washington's music scene, with numerous well-known theaters and clubs ( Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, Bohemian Caverns ). Since the revival of the neighborhood in the 90s, the U Street building on that tradition again.
  • In parts of Shaw has been around since the 90s, a high proportion of immigrants from Ethiopia. One finds, therefore, also numerous Ethiopian restaurants.
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