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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 the U Street Corridor and the greater surrounding neighborhood of Shaw. Rich with history, the U Street Corridor 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. The neighborhood 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, surrounding neighborhood known as "Shaw" 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." The U Street Corridor is best known to locals as "14th and U," the names of the two main commercial corridors of the neighborhood. The neighborhood stretches from 9th Street (to the east) to 18th Street (to the west). Florida Avenue forms its northern boundary, and T Street delineates its informal southern boundary. The neighborhood suffered a severe period of decline following riots in the late 1960s. However, since Y2000, 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. Conveniently located within the neighborhood is the "U Street/Cardozza" Metro Station, a stop along the Green Line. The station can be accessed from escalators located at the southeast corner of 13th U Streets or the escalators at 10th & U Streets. To learn more about the U Street Corridor, check out a virtual tour of the neighborhood, courtesy of PBS.
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