| Charming LeDroit Park and stately Bloomingdale both began as exclusively white enclaves. But exclusion could not prevent change, as African American families sought better neighborhoods near Howard University. Explore the blocks where many of the nation's most esteemed black intellectuals got their start, and learn why "worthy ambition is food for the soul." Follow the 16-sign trail (click here for map) to meet, or renew your acquaintance with, some of our country's most respected individuals. Beginning in the 1890s LeDroit Park attracted important African American intellectuals, artists, and professionals. At the same time, prominent white, and later prominent black, Americans called Bloomingdale home or got their start there. Learn how longtime residents fought for the survival of two beautiful neighborhoods along the city's original border. See once-boarded-up Victorian houses returned to glorious reminders of earlier days. Download the map below: | 