Here's where visitors come to see the National Zoo and the Washington National Cathedral. But there's much more to discover in the five neighborhoods located west of Rock Creek Park. As you tour this stretch of Connecticut Avenue, you'll discover a unique side of Washington history exhibited in the varied architectural styles found in the surrounding neighborhoods. When you need a break, there are plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the avenue's eclectic mix of small restaurants, coffee houses, and one-of-a- kind shops.

Woodley Park

Your tour starts in the Woodley Park Historic District, where the lion-studded Taft Bridge converges with the Duke Ellington Memorial Bridge. Here Marilyn Monroe greets you from her unique vantage point overlooking the park. In the urbane setting of this early 20th-century neighborhood, you'll find two of Washington's distinctive, luxury hotels: the 1930 Shoreham, and its older neighbor, The Wardman Park, and some notable apartment houses.

A walk along Connecticut Avenue and up any of the side streets treats the visitor to blocks of stately two-and three-story brick rowhouses, largely in English styles. Take a break along the way at one of the area's ethnic eateries, outdoor cafés, or unusual boutiques.
 
Cleveland Park

Klingle Bridge defines the entrance to the handsome Cleveland Park Historic District and its much admired residential architecture. Take time to explore this intact streetcar suburb, a favorite of the city's 19th-century elite. The natural terrain winds westward along such roadways as Newark Street, creating a storybook setting for the neighborhood's substantial homes. You'll want to tote your camera to record the many marvelous examples of Queen Anne, Shingle-style, Classical Revival, and Mission-style houses. The area also proudly claims the nation's first Park and Shop and the spacious, Art-Moderne, Uptown Theater.

The apartments that stretch intermittently along Connecticut Avenue parade the talents of many notable architects – from the Art Deco Kennedy-Warren Apartments and the picturesque Broadmoor, to the five-acre park-like setting of Tilden Gardens. Further north you'll see contemporary contenders such as David Schwarz's Saratoga.

Van Ness

Just north of Cleveland Park you'll encounter the striking INTELSAT Building, a space-age crystal palace and an outstanding, contemporary arrival along the Connecticut Avenue Corridor. Drive east through the rolling terrain and beautifully landscaped Forest Hills neighborhood, on the western edge of Rock Creek Park, to Hillwood Museum, the spectacular estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, the Post-Toasties heiress.

Chevy Chase, Tenleytown, and Friendship Heights

Your final stop, Chevy Chase and its western neighborhoods, Tenleytown and Friendship Heights, catch you before you enter the State of Maryland. The variety of Chevy Chase's architectural forms run the gamut of revival styles popular in the 1920s – Tudor, Mission, Italian Renaissance, Colonial, and Craftsman. In Tenleytown and Friendship Heights you can take a walk along Wisconsin Avenue where you'll find plenty to see and do in the area's popular restaurants, upscale stores, and small boutiques.
 
For More Information

Check out our CALENDAR OF EVENTS for up-to-date information on exhibitions, tours, lectures and other heritage happenings in the city.

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