The Culture of the Community Of DC's 20011 (houses, theater)

[amber_luv]

Greetings New Neighbors. I am a new resident of DC from TX and I wanted to know if anyone could give me some insight of the zip code of 20011. I need to gather some cultural, economic, social, educational conditions, and historical background of this part of DC. If you grew up in the area thats even better!!! Thanks alot

[Rayma]

This is a big question on a pretty diverse zip code. According to one map I used to search 20011's boundaries, this zip code runs from Rock Creek Park on the West, as far north as Walter Reed (almost), and all the way East to Fort Totten. Socio-economically, its residents run the gamut from lower-middle/working class to upper-middle class ... a few summers ago when I worked at Howard University, I would take the bus up Georgia Avenue (a big road that seems to bisect the area we're talking about) and walk home through some very, very poor areas, across 16th street into a pretty wealthy district.

To talk about the culture of the 20011 is pretty much to talk about the greater district, excluding the areas occupied by the federal government. I'd say this particular zip code doesn't have a ton to offer in the way of entertainment, but it borders a lot that any newcomer to the city would like to see. There's a train station on Georgia Avenue (Petworth), the green line that'll take you downtown to Chinatown, the Verizon Center and the surrounding shopping, entertainment and national landmarks. Before you even get that far, you could hit up U Street which offers a lot of cultural attractions - bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs ... independently owned bookstores and Ben's Chili Bowl. Just south of the west side of 20011 is Adams Morgan around 18th and Columbia Rd, similar to U Street but with a more international flare.

There are some large parks/places to walk around if it's your idea of fun on the east side of the zip ... including the Old Soldier's Home, Rock Creek Cemetery (think Arlington Cemetery, only way smaller) and a park. Just north of 16th and Colorado Avenue is Carter Barron, a large amphitheater-tennis arena, next to a bunch of smaller public courts, a big track and large fields that host kids soccer league games during the weekend but are otherwise open for pick up games.

20011 is (in my mind) primarily residential. My family has lived in Crestwood for a long time (my mother and her siblings grew up here), and my grandparents still occupy the same house. Though I grew up in Connecticut, in 2001 I moved back to Crestwood with my mom to start high school ... and though I'm away at college now, I spend the majority of my breaks here. Crestwood is emblematic of a lot of what lines 16th street (once known as the Gold Coast). Houses, some of them pretty big, old, brick and stone. There are a lot of churches, a few synagogues on 16th street as well ... but that's about it.

Hope this helps.