Whitehaven Parkway
35th Street
39th Street
Reservoir Road
Burleith, sandwiched between Glover Park and Georgetown, is made up of about 16 blocks and approximately 1,300 residents, is roughly bounded by 35th Street to the east, Reservoir Road on the south, Whitehaven Parkway to the north and 39th Street to the west.
Although the development of modern-day Burleith did not begin until the 1920’s, the areas unusual name dates back much farther. According to a 1973 publication, "A Short History of Burleith" by historian Edgar Farr Russell, the nearby Georgetown Visitation convent now stands on the former site of Burleith, the estate of Henry Threlkeld, which was built about 1716.
Burleith has a small-town feel, as evidenced by the annual flea market & summer picnic. At the flea market, homemade banners draped on fences announced the event, while hand-painted signs pointed the way.
These activities alone might characterize Burleith as a provincial town, though it exists within an interesting blend of city confusion & suburban serenity. The traffic of Wisconsin Avenue and the activity of nearby Georgetown University and Georgetown Hospital serve as a reminder of its metropolitan surroundings. Student parties and screaming sirens are as commonplace in Burleith as walking through nearby Glover Archibald Park and lounging on back porches.
Burleith is bounded by:
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Whitehaven Parkway |
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35th Street |
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39th Street |
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Reservoir Road |
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Since its inception, Cathedral Heights has been a community with a dual identity – at once both city and suburban, housing short-term and long-term residents in its mixture of single-family homes and apartment houses. In 1928 construction began on the Westchester Apartments and many residents doubted the need for so many apartments at a location that was considered distant from downtown. Throughout the 1920’s construction continued on this former cattle farm and Cathedral Heights became a suburb of sorts predominately developed by Harry Wardman, a D.C. real estate mogul.
The most prominent feature of the neighborhood is the National Cathedral. One resident noted that it is similar to living in a European city in the shadow of a large Gothic cathedral. Most of the neighborhood streets still see little traffic and the whirling of passing cars along Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues is the only reminder that the neighborhood is nestled inside a major city. The supermarket, dry cleaners and restaurants are nearby --- plus the area has a low crime rate and accessible parking. Approximate population: 7000.
Cathedral Heights just north of Glover Park and is bounded by:
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Macomb Street |
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Glover Archbold Park |
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Wisconsin Ave |
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Fulton Street |
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Prior to 1892, this area was largely rural. The construction of the Taft Bridge on Connecticut Avenue and the inception of the Trolley Service created new access to the area and spurred the development of what is now one of the wealthiest and most prestigious neighborhoods in the District of Columbia.
Many residents boast that they love the convenience of the neighborhood and the fact that there are so many good schools close to the neighborhood; including John Eaton, a public elementary school, and many private schools such as National Cathedral School, St. Alban’s and Sidwell Friends. Adults love that fact that shops, movies, restaurants and the Metro are within walking distance; kids like the nearby parks, playgrounds and bike paths. In addition, residents have created the Cleveland Park Architectural Review Board to maintain the architectural integrity of the neighborhood’s homes. As a result, many of the houses, which line the hilly, curving streets of Cleveland Park, look almost the same as the day they were built. Approximate population: 4600.
Cleveland Park is bounded by:
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Rodman & Tilden Streets |
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Wisconsin Ave |
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Connecticut Avenue |
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Woodley & Klingle Roads |
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Foxhall Village is tucked between Foxhall and Reservoir Roads and 44th Street, NW, next to Glover Archbold Park. It consists of approximately 300 homes and although the houses in Foxhall Village look very similar, no two are exactly alike. Some are two stories tall and some are three. Some have marble fireplaces and some don’t have any at all. Most of the houses have screened-in back porches. Fluted molding gives a little something extra to each home. Certain features are trademark of the neighborhood: leaded-style windows, curved chimney pots, stone globes on the pediments and stone crests, called medallions, affixed to brick facades.
Many residents consider Foxhall, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Georgetown, a well-kept secret. Walking along its manicured streets and admiring the numerous gardens, as well as the Tudor homes, one can easily understand why the community’s residents speak of its quiet and relative isolation as the main benefit of living there. The lack of substantial through streets keeps Foxhall Village off the beaten path, and many people pass by the neighborhood many times without ever setting foot inside it.
The Foxhall name was derived from an early resident of the area named Henry Foxall, a friend of Thomas Jefferson’s who built a cannon factory in 1799 in what is now Glover Archbold Park. The residential community was built later, in the 1920’s by Washingtonian Harry Boss. After visiting the English town of Bath, he returned to Washington determined to replicate the stucco Tudor-style houses he had admired on his travels. With the help of his construction firm Boss and Phelps, the first homes were built along Greenwich Parkway and Reservoir Road. At the time, the homes were described as "situated on a high, gently rolling tract of land, desirably removed from the noise and bustle of the City Proper --- yet within three miles of Washington’s main business districts."
Glover Park (as in a winter "glove") is home to a mixture of young professionals, young families, college students and long-time homeowners. The neighborhood consists of a combination of detached homes, row houses, town houses, garden apartments and high rise condominium buildings. Many of the area’s single family and row houses are rented to college students and young professionals who eventually become homeowners and choose to remain in the neighborhood by purchasing homes and condominiums.
Many of Glover Park’s residents say they love the convenience of the neighborhood. Situated just above Georgetown, nestled among the trees and jogging paths of Glover Archbold Park, the neighborhood offers the perfect balance between city living and urban feel. A number of local shops and restaurants have taken up residence along Wisconsin Avenue offering residents a variety of places to catch a quick dinner in their hectic lives. Approximate population: 8300.
Glover Park is just south Cathedral Heights and is bounded by:
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Fulton Street |
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Glover Archbold Park |
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Wisconsin Ave |
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Whitehaven Park |
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The Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood consisting of approximately 500 homes is located on what was once the grounds of a large estate know as Kalorama with the manor house situated on the present day intersection of 23rd & S streets. The neighborhood's current name is derived from a combination of the estate's name & Sheridan Circle which makes up the southern boundary of the neighborhood.
Developers demolished the 150 year-old manor house in 1889 & divided the remaining property into building lots for the city's wealthy residents who wanted to get away from the press of downtown & live in a peaceful "suburban" setting. Kalorama was developed over a 30 year period, and unlike Dupont & Logan Circles which were dominated by Victorian row houses, it was predominately made up of impressive, free-standing mansions. There are also a significant number of luxury apartment buildings, many of which are noted in the well-known publication "Washington's Best Addresses," and a scattering of large townhouses.
The neighborhood boasts some of the city's finest mansions. Many of these homes still have ballrooms, grand staircases, and circular driveways. While many of the neighborhood's properties have been taken over by foreign embassies, Kalorama is still home to many of Washington's politicians, lawyers, artists, military leaders, and socialites. Former residents include presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and many other well-known historical figures.
Wesley Heights consists of approximately 300 homes and is bounded by New Mexico Avenue to the east, Edmonds Street on the south, Nebraska Avenue to the north and 49th Street to the west.
Wesley Heights is an oasis of residences among the parks of Northwest DC. It is bounded on three sides by parks - Glover Archbold, Wesley Heights, and Battery Kemble. Tunlaw Farm occupied most of the area until the 1880's when John F. Waggaman bought the farm, divided it into 1,081 lots, and started the first real estate boom in the neighborhood. In 1923 brothers William C. and Allison N. Miller revitalized the area, which had remained largely untouched since the first homes were built nearly 30 years earlier. In addition to preserving the natural setting, the Millers included a variety of architectural styles --- Georgian revivals, English cottages, and Dutch colonials.
There is a very soothing and serene quality to the neighborhood. Over the years, the residents have preserved many of the old trees and old houses, so the neighborhood does not feel like a subdivision. Many of the homes built in the 1920's were designed as smaller homes on large lots, artfully placed so residents did not seem to be living on top of each other. During the real estate boom of the 1980's, many new residents added large additions or replaced the small homes with much larger homes which occupied a larger part of the lots. As a result, residents lobbied the DC Zoning Commission to pass a zoning overlay to restrict what percentage of the lot a house can occupy & the limit the amount of square footage allowed on the lot to prevent over-development.
