If you are looking for a neighborhood that offers an eclectic mix of architecture, lots of choices for dining out and deep historical roots, you might want to consider Cardozo-Shaw in the District.
Cardozo-Shaw is part of the Greater U Street area in the northwest quadrant of the city between Florida Avenue and S Street. The U Street Corridor, which was the center of the city’s African-American nightlife for much of the 20th century, fell into ruin after the 1968 riots. It only began to reclaim its cachet in the late 1990s when the construction of a Metro stop and rising real estate prices attracted developers and people like Phil Spalding and his wife, who were searching for vibrant city life.
“We lived in Brookland, an interesting 1920s neighborhood near Catholic University,” said Spalding, the neighborhood commissioner and membership director of the Cardozo-Shaw Neighborhood Association. “But it was way too sleepy for us. We wanted to actually live in the city.”
In 1999 the couple, both baby-boomers, bought a run-down Victorian-style row house on the corner of 13th and U streets. They have since restored it and now enjoy the wide variety of nearby dining and entertainment choices.
“I like a neighborhood that feeds me well,” he said. “Where else can you walk to restaurants and get a half-smoke, a serving of foie gras or a plate of chitterlings?”
While most of the homes in Cardozo-Shaw were built between 1880 and 1910, the riots after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death left many buildings and lots vacant — space that later attracted developers such as Imar Hutchins. Hutchins bought the Florida Avenue Grill — next door — and built an ultra-contemporary European-style condominium. He named the 26-unit development The Lacey, after the landmark eatery’s original owner, Lacey C. Wilson, Sr.
“I bought the grill with the plan of designing the new building and naming it after Mr. Wilson,” Hutchins said. “I love this neighborhood and it is important to me to carry on the tradition.”
The Lacey, a glittering gray and black four-and-a-half story stack of boxes, stands out amid rows of brick Victorian row houses. While all units have large floor-to-ceiling windows and nine-foot ceilings, there are no cookie-cutter floor plans. Each unit is outfitted with the top designer lighting, light maple hardwood floors, Italian designer cabinetry, white Corian countertops and stainless steel appliances, including six-burner gas ranges.
The units — meant to appeal to a buyer who appreciates design — range in price from $333,000 for a one bedroom to $900,000 for a penthouse, said Debi Fox, a Realtor with D.C. Real Estate. About half of the units are sold and tenants are expected to begin moving in next month.
Fox and her family moved from Dupont Circle to Cardozo-Shaw seven years ago. Like Spalding, Fox and her husband, Honarkar, were attracted to the city life atmosphere. But they were also interested in the chance to help revive the community that in the early 20th century was known as “Black Broadway.” Back then the area drew such talents as Sarah Vaughn, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway and Billie Holiday.
Theresa Watts, a neighborhood resident who opened Letti Gooch, a trendy and funky women’s clothing shop on 9th Street, said she appreciates the history and character of the neighborhood.
“And I like the idea of owning a boutique that caters to the women in the neighborhood,” she said. “I really am happy to be part of the growth of this community.”
