Visitors who weren’t quite sure where the Greater U Street Neighborhood Visitor Center was located won’t have a problem finding it any longer. Last week, Ben’s Chili Bowl added a new sign to the building that houses their latest restaurant, Ben’s Next Door, and their retail store. The sign boldly proclaims in large yellow and white letters “U Street Visitor Center & Gift Shop.”

The U Street Visitor Center shares the second floor of Ben’s Next Door Restaurant and Bar with the retail shop at 1211 U Street, NW. Visitors as well as neighborhood residents can buy a t-shirt or cap promoting the fact that they ate at Ben’s Chili Bowl, then, pick up a few brochures about neighborhood shopping, dining specials, and cultural attractions to visit while in the neighborhood or the city. The Visitor Center welcomed close to 20,000 people in its first year of operation and late last year a video promoting U Street shopping and dining was added. The Visitor Center includes maps, historic photographs, and a timeline highlighting neighborhood and city developments.