At noon on a blustery Wednesday in February, 14th Street is bustling. People pack each side of the street, stopping to talk with friends, meeting for lunch, ducking into a store for a little midday shopping, grabbing a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
The scene is one that would have been unimaginable just five years ago, when Columbia Heights’ “main street,” more often than not, was deserted.
The revitalization of this once-vibrant Northwest Washington neighborhood is a District success story. New condos, apartments, restaurant, bars and retail outlets have meshed seamlessly with older row houses and residences to create one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods.
“It’s definitely come into its own,” said Gordon Chin, an attorney who moved to the neighborhood from Alexandria in May. “The proximity to the Metro is great. A lot of my friends and colleagues live around here. It’s easy to meet for happy hour after work. And it’s still developing.”
Columbia Heights’ renaissance can be traced back to the beginning of the decade, when Metro opened a Green Line station at the corner of 14th and Irving. In 2005, Donatelli Development began construction of Kenyon Square, a now-complete 153-unit condo building that is more than 70 percent occupied. With three unique facades and a restaurant, coffee house, spa and wine shop on the ground level, the building provides an architectural as well as economic boost to the neighborhood.
“We do mixed-use buildings with retail because it helps the neighborhood flourish a little more,” said John Groth, Donatelli marketing director. Groth, like Chin, lives in Kenyon Square. “This is a great alternative to U Street in a lot of ways. Though 14th Street is busy, it’s a little less hectic than U Street can get. You’re in walking distance to Adams Morgan or Mount Pleasant. You’ve got a lot of established Latino residents and African-Americans who have lived in the neighborhood for a long time. It’s a very diverse place to live.”
Tivoli Theatre, an old movie house renovated in 2005, now is home to the GALA Hispanic Theatre. Next door are shops, a Latin fusion restaurant and Nori, a sushi bar. Mexican, British, Chinese, Japanese and American cuisine are all available within a few blocks, and a new Giant supermarket is located on Park Road. There are plenty of fast food places, like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, housed on the ground level of the ultra-chic Highland Park apartment building directly above the Metro station.
Another boon to the neighborhood, which is bordered by 16th Street to the west, Georgia Avenue to the east, Spring Road to the north and Florida Avenue to the south, was the opening of DC USA, a shopping mall that houses Best Buy, Target, Staples, Marshalls and others.
“We’ve got some of the advantages of people in the suburbs right here in the city,” said Gwen Prisco, sales manager for Kenyon Square.
With charter schools popping up throughout the neighborhood and Meridian Hill (also known as Malcolm X) Park, the city’s second-largest, Columbia Heights also is attracting more families.
Just stroll down 14th Street at noon and it becomes crystal clear: The Columbia Heights secret is out.
