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 This mural of Duke Ellington previously adorned the side of a building overlooking U Street, the main commercial corridor of the neighborhood. (The mural has since been moved eastward to a higher location on the side of a taller building.) Decades before New York City's Harlem Renaissance, there was Shaw. Rich with history, Shaw is a vibrant community that has been the home of numerous prominent Americans, including renowned jazz musician Duke Ellington, poet Langston Hughes, and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Shaw also lays claim to the first and only National memorial in the United States honoring African Americans who served in the Civil War. In fact, the neighborhood takes its name from Colonel Robert G. Shaw, a white commander of the first black unit to serve in the Civil War, whose service was depicted in the feature film, "Glory." Shaw is best known to locals as "14th and U," the names of the two main commercial corridors of the neighborhood. Shaw stretches from North Capitol Street (to the east) to 15th Street (to the west). Florida Avenue forms its northern boundary, and New York and Massachusetts Avenues delineate its southern boundary. Trendy Logan Circle is but one of the "sub-neighborhoods" within the wider Shaw area. The neighborhood suffered a severe period of decline following riots in the late 1960s. However, today, it has been experiencing a major revitalization. All around one can see historic row houses being renovated and brand new condominiums and townhomes being constructed. Two such developments are the Lincoln Condominiums (located at the intersection of 12th & U Streets), and Harrison Square, a 98-unit townhome development comprising the city block between 13th & 12th Streets and W & V Streets. One of the most recent projects underway is Ellington Plaza, an endeavor that plans to combine 190 residential units above 15,000 square feet of retail space sited on the Northwest corner of 13th and U Streets. Conveniently located within the neighborhood is the "U Street/Cardozza" Metro Station, a stop on the Green Line. To learn more about Shaw, click here and here. Or check out a virtual tour of the neighborhood, courtesy of PBS.
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