 Retail and apartment buildings at 14th andU Streets in 2019 | |
 Interactive map of 14th Street Southwest and Northwest | |
| Maintained by | DDOT |
|---|---|
| Length | 7.2 mi (11.6 km)[1] |
| Location | Southwest andNorthwest,Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′22″N77°1′55″W / 38.88944°N 77.03194°W /38.88944; -77.03194 |
| South end |   I-395 /US 1 inEast Potomac Park |
| Major junctions |  US 50 (Constitution Avenue) inFederal Triangle US 29 (K Street) inDowntown |
| North end | Eastern Avenue inShepherd Park |
| East | 13th Street |
| West | 15th Street |
| Construction | |
| Commissioned | 1791 |
Fourteenth Street Historic District | |
   | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by S, 12th, N and 15th Sts., NW.,Washington, District of Columbia |
| Area | 105 acres (42 ha) |
| Architect | Brown, Glenn, et al. |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century Revival, Late Victorian, Modern Movement |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000992[2] |
| Added to NRHP | November 9, 1994 |
14th Street NW/SW is a street inNorthwest andSouthwest quadrants ofWashington, D.C., located 1.25 miles (2.01 km) west of theU.S. Capitol. It runs from the14th Street Bridge north toEastern Avenue.
NorthboundU.S. Route 1 runs along 14th Street from the bridge toConstitution Avenue, where it turns east withUS 50. US 1 southbound previously used 15th Street NW due to the ban on left turns from westbound Constitution Avenue to 14th Street, but it now uses theNinth Street Tunnel, five blocks to the east. 14th Street crosses theNational Mall and runs near theWhite House and through the western side of Washington'sLogan Circle neighborhood.
Because it connects to one of the main bridges crossing thePotomac River intoNorthern Virginia, 14th Street has always been a major transportation corridor. It was the location of one of the firststreetcar lines, and today it is the location of several afternoon carpooling "slug lines", which allow commuters to meet thehigh-occupancy vehicle requirements ofI-395, theHenry G. Shirley Memorial Highway.
In the middle of the 20th century, 14th Street NW near the intersection of P Street was home to manycar dealerships and was known as "auto row".[3] The Casino Royal at 14th and H Streets was one of the city's most popular nightclubs.The street was the location ofrace riotsin 1968 after theassassination of Martin Luther King Jr.[4]
In the 1970s and 1980s, a portion of 14th Street became known primarily for itsred-light district. Severalstrip clubs andmassage parlors were concentrated roughly betweenNew York Avenue andK Street, while prostitutes plied their trade aroundLogan Circle. However, rising land values eventually pushed out the adult businesses. TheSource Theatre, founded byBart Whiteman in 1977, was given some credit for the area's revival. Whiteman stood outside the theater to escort people inside in order to make them feel safer.[5]
With thegentrification of the neighborhoods through which it passes – particularly downtown,Logan Circle, theU Street Corridor, andColumbia Heights – 14th Street is now known for live theater, art galleries, and trendy restaurants. Moreover, while the nominal center of the city'sgay life is stillDupont Circle, theWashington Blade called 14th Street between U Street andMassachusetts Avenue (Thomas Circle) the best place to see and be seen.[6] As of 2012, the center of gravity had shifted and Logan Circle was voted "DC's gay neighborhood."[7]
The opening of aWhole Foods Market at 14th and P Streets in 2000 was considered a turning point for the neighborhood.[8] The 21st century brought rapid gentrification along 14th Street, especially south of Florida Avenue. Within a decade, it had become one of the preeminent dining destinations in the Greater Washington area.[9] In nine months of 2012 and 2013, two dozen restaurants opened on 14th Street.[10] From 2010 to 2012, almost every block of 14th between Rhode Island and Florida Avenues had a major residential redevelopment project scheduled, adding more than 1,200 housing units and 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2) of retail.[11]
14th Street has been a major transit route ever since theCapital Traction Company streetcar line was built around the turn of the 20th century. The successor to that line is theMetrobus 14th Street Line—routes 52 & 54.
There are twoMetrorail stations on 14th Street (theU Street station is one block east, at 13th and U Streets NW and is considered the most convenient stop to visit the heart of 14th St between P and V Sts NW):
The followingMetrobus routes travel along the street (listed from south to north):
TheDC Circulator'sWoodley Park–Adams Morgan–McPherson Square Metro bus line traveled along 14th Street betweenColumbia Heights and Franklin Square.[12]
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