Neighborhood

Neighborhood

Woodley Park

Four Embassies call Woodley Park, home. The main commercial district along Connecticut Avenue greets tourists and residents at the Woodley Park Metro station. This stop is filled with restaurants, many with outdoor dining from April to October. A surprising number of restaurants, along with a CVS pharmacy, a bank, dry cleaners, small grocery store, coffee shop, barber shop, beauty salons and a florist, all adorn Woodley Park. Within walking distance is the Washington National Cathedral, which hosts many events throughout the year. The Cathedral has many interests including arts classes, bell ringing and an annual Christmas program open to the public.

Rock Creek Park passes through Woodley Park and its well-maintained bike path leads 25 miles up to a scenic lake in Maryland or 20 miles down along the Potomac River to Mount Vernon. Less than an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C. is the National Aquarium at the Inner Harbor located in downtown Baltimore, and the historical United States Naval Academy in the waterfront city of Annapolis, known as the sailing capital of the world.

In 1918 Harry Wardman designed and built the original Sheraton Hotel, (now Marriott), then called the Wardman Park Hotel. When he announced his plans to build the 1,200 room hotel, Washingtonians dubbed it “Wardman’s Folly” because they thought no one would go to a hotel in what was then considered the country side. A reverse reaction occurred after the hotel was built bringing the city to Woodley Park. In 1928 Wardman added an addition to this grand hotel naming it the Wardman Towers. In years to come it was the Senatorial home of Lyndon Johnson, Vice President Spiro Agnew, spy headquarters for Mata Hari and many more celebrated people.

Mr. Wardman also designed and built Hampton House and Hampton Arms Apartments.

The equally renowned Omni Shoreham Hotel is also a part of the Woodley Park neighborhood. This world renowned hotel has hosted an inaugural ball, and the annual First Ladies Daughters of Congress luncheon since it was built in 1930. Famous for its Blue Room where Harry Truman played poker, John F. Kennedy courted Jacqueline Bouvier and Richard Nixon announced his first cabinet.

Glover Park

Nestled between Wisconsin Avenue to the east, Fulton Street to the north, Whitehaven Park to the south, and Glover Archbold Park to the west, Glover Park is a mix of apartment buildings and porch-front row houses built in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Home to several embassies, including the sprawling Russian embassy (with its legendary tunnels beneath) and the Visa Office of the Chinese embassy, Glover Park also boasts one of the youngest populations in the District. Townley Court Apartments is in the Attendance Zone, approximately two blocks away, of Stoddert Elementary Public School, which happens to be one of the most highly-rated schools in all of Washington DC.

Featuring some of the most popular restaurants along Wisconsin Avenue, including Rocklands (BBQ), Bourbon, Ceviche, Heritage India, Town Hall and Busara, Glover Park also has a nice mix of other businesses, including a Whole Food grocery store, Pearson’s wine store, and Glover Park Hardware. Guy Mason Park is between Wisconsin Avenue and the U.S. Naval Observatory (home to the Vice President), just south of Calvert Street.

The neighborhood is named for Washingtonian Charles Glover, an influential late 19th and 20th century banker and philanthropist. He is credited with the creation of the city’s Rock Creek Park system and with an influential role in the creation of the Embassy Row through generous land donations. He is also considered the father of the National Zoo and Rock Creek Parkway.

Even unusual for Washington, Glover Park has two Victory gardens, leased from the National Park Service, which allows residents to plant and harvest crops from small, individual garden plots. With extensive parklands, hiking trails, a small, close knit community, close by Metro bus stops, Georgetown University and the neighborhood of Georgetown, Glover Park is a hidden gem in Northwest Washington DC.
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