The Georgetown Historic District is roughly bounded by Reservoir Rd., NW, and Dumbarton Oaks Park on the north; Rock Creek Park on the east; the Potomac River on the south; and Glover-Archbold Parkway on the west.

The elegant homes and estates are home to many well-known national figures, and scores of prominent Washingtonians.

The primary commercial corridors of Georgetown are M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, whose high fashion stores draw shoppers year-round.

Along the riverfront there are several high-end developments featuring outdoor bars and restaurants popular for viewing passing boats on the Potomac River.

Nearby, the historic C & O Canal is plied by replicas of 19th Century

boats, as joggers, bikers and strollers take advantage of the adjacent trails.

Georgetown is home to Georgetown University, as well as to the embassies of France, Mongolia, Sweden, Thailand, and Ukraine.

One of the oldest and best known neighborhoods in Washington is Georgetown, located on the waterfront of the Potomac River.

Georgetown was named for King George II.

It started out as a tobacco port and soon became a major eastern seaport along with Baltimore and Alexandria.

In 1828 Georgetown sponsored the building of the C & O Canal that connects Georgetown and Cumberland, Maryland, a project that took 30 years to complete.

In 1871 Georgetown's original charter was revoked and it became part of the District of Columbia.

Georgetown is a distinct, historic community where many homes and buildings date back to the early 1800's.

The atmosphere in Georgetown is uniquely "Georgetown".

It is a mix of smart shops, historic homes and a lively pedestrian street life.

Strict building codes have kept the old world architecture intact, with newer buildings or renovations designed to blend in perfectly.

There are wonderful restaurants along its main streets and some of its side streets, as well as specialty shops, bars and discos.

Main thoroughfares are M Street NW and Wisconsin Avenue NW.

Grocery shopping can be found at the Georgetown Safeway on Wisconsin Avenue, at Wholefoods a little further north along Wisconsin Avenue or at Dean & DeLuca which occupies the Old Market House, an historic building at 3276 M Street, the site of Washington's first public market that was established in 1795.

A block south of the C & O Canal is a two-block stretch where the historic Duvall Foundry was renovated in 1976 to retain its past and at the same time offer the finest in modern day shopping and restaurants.

Georgetown Park is another masterful piece of modern architecture at the intersection of M Street NW and Wisconsin Avenue.

It is a three-tiered "conservatory" of shops and restaurants.

Along the waterfront on K Street between 29th and 31st Streets is Washington Harbour, a major residential and office complex with a lively restaurant scene on the riverside promenade.

Georgetown is further enriched by the presence of Georgetown University which is located in its midst.

Adjacent to the university is Georgetown University Hospital, a world-renowned medical center.

Also located in Georgetown at 35th and R Streets, is the Duke Ellington School of The Arts.

It is a four-year public school in DC that is devoted to dance, music, drama and the visual arts.

Nearly 80% of its graduates continue their educations at Julliard, the Pratt Institute of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design.

At 3101 R Street is Dumbarton Oaks, a late Georgian mansion set in formal Renaissance gardens.

Only 16 acres remain of the original 495 acres whose first owner was Col. Ninian Beall.

An historic treasure, Dumbarton Oaks today houses a pre-Columbian art museum.

It is currently owned by Harvard University.

Adjacent to Dumbarton Oaks and separated by a cobblestone trail, is Montrose Park, a delightful urban oasis in which to relax.

Moving away from the hub, you find beautiful residential neighborhoods of tree lined streets and cozy Federal, Georgian and Victorian townhouses.

In the early days of Georgetown's history, wealthy merchants built houses on the west side of Wisconsin Avenue.

Throughout Georgetown you can find small row houses, medium size places or large elegant homes.

Many houses in Georgetown have English basements that provide popular rental accommodations.

Both young professionals and a large number of Washington's jet set have found their niche in Georgetown.

Georgetown is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., originally founded in 1751 and evolving into a port town for tobacco, flour, and other goods. 

You can still see evidence of this mercantile history in some of the buildings along the Georgetown waterfront and in the C&O Canal. 

Today, Georgetown continues as a vibrant area to do business although most of it these days is focused on retail shopping, and food and beverage. 

The center of Georgetown is considered by many to be the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. -- which explains why this is the busiest traffic area in Georgetown.

The Georgetown Partnership Housing is dedicated to making Georgetown cleaner, safer and more accessible through the cooperation of the businesses, property owners and other community organizations. 

Georgetown is one of the most popular destinations in Washington, D.C. and is renowned as a vibrant neighborhood-commercial district.  

The Georgetown Partnership is working to create a well-managed and attractive environment by providing a range of enhanced management services.

The housing stock in Georgetown tends to be dominated by townhouses, but there are garden-style and mid-rise apartments and condos. 

You can stay on top of Georgetown happenings by reading the local newspaper, The Georgetowner. 

The main grocery store in Georgetown is the Safeway on Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., but there is also Dean & Deluca on M Street, N.W., and Whole Foods just north of Georgetown in Glover Park. 

There are no metro stations in Georgetown, but the neighborhood is well served by Metrobus. 

The Georgetown Washington Parkway, I-66, and the Rock Creek Parkway are convenient, short drives.

Who lives in Georgetown: This is ground zero for politicos—particularly Dems—and the media elite, including Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, Maureen Dowd, and TV anchor Tracey Neale.

Mixed in are European diplomats and a few thousand college students and young professionals who rent group houses and English basements.

The Georgetown Homefront: Plenty of Victorian and Federal-style townhouses, many from the 18th century. Back then, says Maria Casarella, an architect with Georgetown-based Cunningham & Quill Architects, “no one cut corners like they do today.

Every inch of space was beautiful.”

Features like high ceilings, large windows, third-floor cupolas, and pocket gardens are common.

New contemporary luxury-condo buildings have gone up near Water Street.

On the market: Most houses in Georgetown sell for between $1 and $3 million.

Local Georgetown favorites: Longtime M Street cafe and bakery Furin’s for deli sandwiches and chatting with neighbors, Patisserie Poupon for lattes and pastries, and Cady’s Alley for stylish home furnishings.

A welcome Georgetown change: Crews recently broke ground on a 12-acre waterfront park to replace the grunge underneath Whitehurst Freeway with green spaces, Potomac overlooks, and paths for bikers and joggers.

Georgetown comes together: The Citizens Association of Georgetown hosts outdoor summer concerts, publishes a newsletter, and organizes meetings with city officials and cultural figures. Georgetown’s three parks—Rose Park, Montrose Park, and Volta Park—are hot spots for parents and dog owners.

Only in Georgetown: The annual house-and-garden tours are the most anticipated events of the year. As one resident put it, “One of the greatest pastimes in Georgetown is getting inside one another’s houses.”

How Georgetown beats Old Town, Alexandria: Nathans Restaurant owner Carol Joynt, a longtime resident, says Old Town “doesn’t have the same sizzle as Georgetown—it’s much more beige, more inhibited.”

Georgetown on the Web: Georgetown BID (georgetowndc.com); Citizens Association of Georgetown (cagtown.org); the Georgetowner newspaper (georgetowner.com).

Georgetown Resources

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