American University Park
Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Map ofWashington, D.C., with American University Park highlighted in red
Coordinates:38°57′N77°05′W / 38.95°N 77.09°W /38.95; -77.09
Country	United States
District	Washington, D.C.
Ward	Ward 3
Government
• Councilmember	Matthew Frumin

American University Park is aneighborhood ofWashington, D.C., named forAmerican University.AU Park, as it is often abbreviated, is situated against theMaryland border in theNorthwest quadrant, bounded byMassachusetts,Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Western Avenues.Tenleytown andFriendship Heights lie to the east,Embassy Row to the southeast, andSpring Valley to the southwest. Politically, it is part ofWard 3 andAdvisory Neighborhood Commission 3E.

This neighborhood includes some of the highest elevations in the city and is close to the District's highest point in neighboringTenleytown at 429 ft (131 m) (the city's lowest point is sea level, on the banks of thePotomac River).

Developed in the 1920s by theW.C. and A.N. Miller, which also developed Spring Valley andWesley Heights, the neighborhood consists almost entirely of single-family homes. A wide variety of architectural styles are present, and most homes have been modified or expanded since the 1930s. Although one of Washington's first tracts developed with theautomobile in mind, the approximately 2,700 homes are closely spaced, featureporches orstoops, and often lackdriveways, which boosters say contributes to community spirit.

W.C. and A.N. Miller establishedrestrictive covenants on the development to prevent Jewish or African-Americans from purchasing homes, which remained in place for decades. Then-SenatorRichard Nixon and his wifePat Nixon signed one in 1951 for their $41,000 home at 4801 Tilden St., also signed by Edward J. Miller, president of WC and AN Miller Company.^[2]

The following is an excerpt from the restrictive covenant:

"NO PART OF LAND HEREBY CONVEYED SHALL EVER BE USED, OR OCCUPIED BY, OR SOLD , DEMISED, TRANSFERRED, CONVEYED UNTO, OR IN TRUST FOR, LEASED, OR PERSONS OF NEGRO BLOOD OR EXTRACTION, OR TO ANY RENTED OR GIVEN TO NEGRO PEOPLE OR ANY PERSON OR PERSON OF THE SEMITIC RACE, BLOOD, OR ORIGIN WHICH RACIAL DESCRIPTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO INCLUDE ARMENIANS, JEWS, HEBREWS, PERSIANS, OR SYRIANS, EXCEPT THAT, THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL NOT BE HELD TO EXCLUDE PARTIAL OCCUPANCY OF THE PREMISES BY DOMESTIC SERVANTS OF SAID PARITIES HERETO OF THE SECOND PART THEIR HEIRS OR ASSIGNS."

Friendship Park, often called Turtle Park, serves as a center for community activity. Neighborhood landmarks include American University'sWashington College of Law andKatzen Arts Center, theGeorgetown Day School,Bernard T. Janney Elementary School, the residence of theJapanese ambassador, and the former embassy ofSweden (which was relocated to the Georgetown waterfront in October 2006), and it was long popular among the diplomatic community. Affordable housing drew young families to American University Park starting in the early 1990s. It remains highly desirable — real estate values have more than doubled since then. Average homes are now valued well over $1 million.^[3]

• Allen, Karen Tanner. "A Great Place to Settle, If Anyone Ever Leaves,"The Washington Post, June 19, 2004
• Couloumbis, Angela E. "Living and Learning At a Higher Level,"The Washington Post, February 10, 1996

• AU Park Coalition for the Common Good
• Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E

• American University Park
• 1920s establishments in Washington, D.C.
• Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
• Neighborhoods in Northwest (Washington, D.C.)

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