The D.C. Streets – Understanding the Quadrants & Names

Washington, D.C. is defined by four quadrants: NW, NE, SW, SE. Northwest is where you will probably spend your time. This section of D.C. is comprised of many neighborhoods, each with its own charm and personality. SW is small since it was the part of DC taken back by Virginia way back when. 

Some find the streets confusing, but if you know the rules you will always know exactly where you are just by looking at the nearest intersection’s street signs (just remember that the quadrants are key).

·      The Capitol Building is the center of everything. All streets and addresses are numbered based on their location from the Capitol. A building’s street address signifies its distance from the Capitol in the direction of the street (north-south or east-west).

·      All North-South Streets are numbered (First Street, Second Street, 17^thStreet, and so on)

·      All East-West Streets are alphabetical. There are three alphabets (none include X, Y, Z). Starting closest to the Capitol, the first alphabet streets start with “A Street” this follows the alphabet as you go away from the Capitol with one exception, there is no J in this alphabet and “I Street” can sometimes be referred to as “Eye Street” and the same sometimes goes for “Q Street” or “U Street”. The second alphabet is two-syllable words (example: “Calvert Street”). The fourth alphabet is three-syllable words (example: “Brandywine Street”). There are some other tree names used as a fourth alphabet, but only in part of NW as it approaches Maryland. Non-Street names do not follow this, so beware Place names.

·      State names are Avenues and run diagonally, intersecting with Avenues & Streets at traffic circles.

·      An address can give you all the information you need to find a location in the District. If you in the 5400-block of Wisconsin Avenue of Chevy Chase, Maryland (the numbering carries over to Bethesda and Chevy Chase) and want to go to 3600 Connecticut Avenue

The following information on grid-based naming systems is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

In many cities laid out on a grid plan, the streets are named to indicate their location on a Cartesian coordinate plane. For example, the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811 for Manhattan provided for numbered streets running parallel to the minor axis of the island and numbered and lettered avenues running parallel to the long axis of the island, although many of the avenues have since been assigned names for at least part of their courses. In the city plan forWashington, D.C., north-south streets were numbered away from the United States Capitol in both directions, while east-west streets were lettered away from the Capitol in both directions and diagonal streets were named after various States of the Union. As the city grew, east-west streets past W Street were given two-syllable names in alphabetical order, then three-syllable names in alphabetical order, and finally names relating to flowers and shrubs in alphabetical order. Even in communities not laid out on a grid, such asArlington County, Virginia, a grid-based naming system is still sometimes used to give a semblance of order. Often, the numbered streets run east-west and the numbered avenues north-south, following the style adopted in Manhattan, although this is not always observed. In some cases, streets in “half-blocks” in between two consecutive numbered streets have a different designator, such as Court or Terrace, often in an organized system where courts are always between streets and terraces between avenues. Sometimes yet another designator (such as “Way” or “Circle”) is used for streets which go at a diagonal or curve around, and hence don’t fit easily in the grid.

In many cases, the block numbers correspond to the numbered cross streets; for instance, an address of 1600 may be near 16th Street or 16th Avenue. In a city with both lettered and numbered streets, such as Washington, D.C., the 400 block may be between 4th and 5th streets or between D and E streets, depending on the direction in which the street in question runs. However, addresses in Manhattan have no obvious relationship to cross streets or avenues, although various tables and formulas are often found on maps and travel guides to assist in finding addresses. 

Knitting Needles & Flying

Knitting seems like a perfect thing to do as a passenger. Time can go by and projects can get done and there is something to keep your hands busy so you can forget that you are not being fed. Seems a shame to waste spare time without a project in-hand, but there are safety issues with knitting needles that I had not realized.

Rick Steves’s helpline has a thread about this which you may find informative: 
http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm?top…

Cork International Airport currently has this on their main page:

Please remember to remove all sharp items from your hand luggage. Cork Airport Security staff will not allow you to carry any sharp items in your hand luggage. Items most frequently found include: scissors, tweezers, tools, knitting needles, knives, darts, household cutlery, razor blades, etc. In order to facilitate the efficient operation of Cork Airport’s passenger security process, passengers are asked to remove outer jackets and belts, before they approach the screening machines. Lap top computers must be removed from their cases and opened to reveal the keyboard.

As disappointing as it is to be traveling and not making use of the time (particularly on long flights), I’d hate to have brought something and have someone with bad intentions use it against me or a fellow passenger. Makes the good old book seem more attractive. But where do I stop being cautious? I regularly bring my knitting everywhere in my purse so if waiting for any length of time I can stitch in a row or two. It really makes me long for the simpler days, except I definitely don’t miss the days when smoking was permitted on planes!

My Favorite Places to Eat Inside the Beltway

Bistro Bis  or Vidalia (at Hotel George), 15 E Street, NW, D.C., Try: chocolate anything, (202) 661-2700

Bistro Français (in Georgetown), 3124 M Street, NW, D.C., Try: French onion soup, (202) 338-3830

Georgia Brown’s (Low Country), 950 15^th Street, NW, D.C., Try: fried green tomatoes & catfish fingers, (202) 393-4499

Legal Sea Foods, various locations including 7^th Street, NW, D.C., Try: creamy crab soup, (202) 347-0007

Potbelly Sandwich Works, various locations including 726 7th Street, NW, D.C., Try: big yummy lunch under $6, (202) 478-0070

The Occidental (at The Willard), 1475 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, D.C., Try: lobster bisque, (202) 783-1475

Cosi (coffee & sandwiches), various locations, Try: s’mores or a sandwich                                      

Positano (Italian cuisine), 4940 Fairmont Avenue, Bethesda, Try: penne al arrabiatta or linguine w/ clams, (301) 654-1717

Ri~Ra (Irish cuisine & spirits), 4931 Elm Street, Bethesda, Try: Fish/Chips & Yuengling, (301) 657-1122

Shanghai Village (Chinese), 4929 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda, Try: vegetable dumplings, (301) 654-7787

Tastee Diner (24/7 since 1935), 7731 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, Try: 4am oatmeal or French toast, (301) 652-3970

Tia Queta (fine Mexican cuisine), 4839 Del Ray Avenue, Bethesda, Try: Enchiladas Verde, (301) 654-4443

Free Things To Do in Washington, D.C.

I have had this list for a while and can’t remember where it came from, but we’ve added to it over the years.

Research your genealogy at the National Archives               

Be dazzled by the 45.5 carat Hope Diamond

Watch ongoing chess matches in Dupont Circle           

Be mesmerized by Shakespeare in The Park

Enjoy lunchtime concerts on Freedom Plaza                        

Browse nostalgic Eastern Market

Visit the National Museum of Health & Medicine                 

Visit your Congressperson on Capitol Hill

Have fun in-line skating through Rock Creek Park              

Jog on the National Mall

Smell the flavors of culturally diverse Adams Morgan         

Frolic on the National Mall

Marvel at Japanese ceramics at the Sackler Gallery              

Tour the White House

Enjoy free concerts along the C&O Canal                             

Ride a bike along the C&O Canal

Roam the many antique stores of Washington, DC              

Play Frisbee on the National Mall

Visit Ford’s Theater, site of Lincoln’s assassination             

Bicycle along the Potomac River

Browse the stores of the beaux-arts Union Station              

Feed the ducks at Constitution Park

Enjoy the Military Band Summer Concert Series                 

Window shop in historic Georgetown

Take a picture in front of the US Capitol with a friend         

Walk in DC’s historic neighborhoods

Enjoy free daily performances at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage

Visit the Corcoran Museum of Art on Sundays and participate in free family programs

See the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star Spangled Banner”

Be moved by the Hall of Remembrance at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum

The buck starts here… See money being printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing

See the original Declaration of Independence at the National Archives

See Dorothy’s ruby slippers at the Museum of American History

Visit the Decatur House Museum for free on the first Tuesday of each month

Explore thousands of aquatic plants at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Experience Steward Johnson’s “Awakening” at Haines Point

Picnic at Haines Point and watch airplanes land over the Potomac

Explore Washington’s literary life at its many bookstores and reading rooms

Read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence on the wall of the Jefferson Memorial

Watch a polo match, baseball, kickball, soccer, rugby or volleyball game on the National Mall

Read inscriptions of President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address at the Lincoln Memorial

Stroll beneath free-swinging orangutans at the National Zoo

Explore the Asian art collection at the Freer Gallery of Art

Be fascinated by ancient and modern African art at the African Art Museum

Attend mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Tour the US Capitol and behold the magnificent Rotunda

Be flown away at the world’s most visited museum, the Air & Space Museum

Compete in the monthly 3K race at the Tidal Basin

Peer through a working periscope at the Navy Museum

Observe the live Insect Zoo at the Natural History Museum

Pose for a picture at the Albert Einstein statue (Constitution Avenue around 22^ndStreet NW)

Visit the Castle that houses the crypt of James Smithson, founder of the Smithsonian

Take the production tour at The Washington Post newspaper

See the Marine Corp perform drills with pageantry

Tour the museum of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Count the many statues and monuments of Washington, DC

Visit the luxurious Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery of Art

See masterworks of Van Gogh at the National Gallery of Art

Take a picture at the Capitol Columns at the National Arboretum 

The Streets and Highways of Washington, D.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (so it is full of informative hypertext links)

The streets and highways of Washington, D.C. are based on a plan that provides not only for vehicular transportation in the capital, but also for a distinctive city layout and addressing scheme.

 

City layout

Washington, D.C. is divided into four quadrants: Northwest, Northeast,Southeast, and Southwest. The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.

Washington, D.C., was created to serve as the national capital from its inception. The original street layout was designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant at the time of the city’s founding. L’Enfant based his design on Baroque city planning as exemplified by Versailles, but adapted to the local terrain. L’Enfant incorporated a basic grid system, inter-cut with broad diagonal avenues radiating from circlesand squares to provide vistas. According to a popular but unsubstantiated urban legend, the diagonal avenues also served as sightlines for the defense of the city in the event of an invasion.

At the center of the design is the United States Capitol Building, from which fourquadrants radiate along the four compass directions: Northwest, Southwest,Northeast, and Southeast. The quadrants are separated by North Capitol Street,South Capitol Street, and East Capitol Street, with the centerline of the National Mall taking the place of what would be the western demarcation line. Two avenues, Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue, line the sides of the Mall.

Streets that are oriented north/south are designated by numbers and count upwards from east to west in Northwest and Southwest (1st St NW, 2nd St NW, 3rd St NW, etc.); these streets repeat in Northeast and Southeast, counting upwards from west to the east.

Streets that are oriented east/west utilize a single letter of the alphabet in the central city. Thus, east-to-west lettered streets “count” upwards from south to north in NW and NE, and likewise repeat in the opposite direction in SW and SE. Street numbers count upwards traveling outward from the dividing lines of the quadrants. There is no J Street in any quadrant; there are several rumors for the reason of this, including one that L’Enfant simply disliked the first Chief Justice of the United States, John Jay. However, the most reasonable answer is that J and I look too much alike and could easily have been confused in the handwriting of the 18th century. (In a nod to this, the food court at The George Washington University is named J Street). North of the mall, the road that would be B street is now known as Constitution Avenue; south of the mall, the second east-west street is called Independence Avenue. There are also no X, Y, or Z streets.

“I,” “Q,” and “U” streets properly utilize a single letter of the alphabet for their names. “Eye Street,” “Que Street”, “Queue Street” and “You Street” have also appeared in some historical and contemporary instances for clarity; however, their use is informal.

Because both the numbers and the letters repeat for each quadrant, each street name is appended by the quadrant in which it is located (NE, NW, SE and SW). Use of these directional designations is required in giving directions and in the addressing mail.

Once single letters are exhausted as east-west street names the “alphabet” system continues anew with two syllable names beginning the first letter of the alphabet; streets in this set are commonly referred to as being in the “second alphabet” (for example, Calvert St. NW would be the third street of this second alphabet). As in the previous series of names, the names beginning with X, Y, or Z are not used. In Northwest and Northeast D.C., which are the largest quadrants, a “third alphabet” is started using three syllable words, e.g.Brandywine St NW. In only the Northwest Quadrant is a “fourth alphabet” necessary. This fourth alphabet uses botanical names without regard to the number of syllables: Aspen, Butternut, Cedar, etc. Verbena Street NW is the last in this series before the Maryland border.

Diagonal avenues, generally named for states, are exempt from this syllabic rule, as are streets designated as “Place” or “Way” and streets laid out after the alpha-name was established for that area (For example, between E and F Streets in Southeast, one will find Duddington Place).

The original city plan for Washington included only the original city of Washington, i.e., the part between the waterfront and what is today Florida Avenue. It has since been extended throughout the District. Georgetown, which was founded before the District of Columbia, had its own street naming system until 1895, when the streets were renamed to conform to the street names in use in Washington.

The city’s addressing system is best understood in terms of a Cartesian coordinate system with its origin at the Capitol. While the system may appear complex, once learned, it allows one to pinpoint not only where one is, but also where and how far one may need to travel. For example, if one needed to find 633 A Street SE, the address informs that the address is southeast of the Capitol, with A Street one block south of East Capitol Street, and that the location on that street is on the 600 block, which is between 6th Street and 7th Street SE. Another more familiar example would be the White House, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, is located at 16th Street NW (Lafayette Square) and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. This works both ways; an address at 514 19th St NW would be on 19th St west of the Capitol, and since E is the fifth letter of the alphabet, the 514 address would be between E and F Streets NW.

 

Major roads

A large system of freeways was planned in the District. Many, especially in the northern half, were cancelled after freeway revolts. (Cancelled freeways are shown in light blue.)

 

Interstate highways

Interstate 495, also known as the Capital Beltway, creates an artificial boundary for the inner suburbs of Washington and is the root of the phrase “inside the Beltway“. Almost completely circling Washington, D.C., it crosses a tiny portion of the District at its southernmost point which is at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.I-66 runs from the eastern edge of Georgetown, connects with the Beltway, and continues through northern Virginia to I-81. I-295 comes up from the south starting at the eastern edge of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Beltway and crosses the Anacostia River into downtown, linking up with I-395, a major commuter route extending from New York Avenue to the Beltway and Interstate 95 in Springfield, Virginia, and the unsigned I-695. The Inner Loop was a proposed network of freeways in the city center; however, only portions of it were ever built.

 

Other expressways and parkways

The Anacostia Freeway (DC-295) splits from I-295 on the south side of the Anacostia and links with the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, which eventually becomes Maryland State Highway 295, via a short section of Maryland State Highway 201. The Suitland Parkway connects the city with the southeastern suburbs in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The Whitehurst Freeway, an elevated freeway over K Street in Georgetown, allows U.S. Highway 29 traffic to bypass Georgetown between the Key Bridge and K Street downtown. The E Street Expressway connects I-66 with the city’s Foggy Bottom area and the areas immediately to the west of the White House. The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway provides access to downtown from the northern and western ends of the city.

 

City streets

Among the major roads in the city are MacArthur Boulevard NW, 14th Street NW,16th Street NW, 18th Street NW, 7th Street NW, Connecticut Avenue NW, K Street NW, H Street NW, Wisconsin Avenue, M Street NW, H Street NE,Pennsylvania Avenue, Constitution Avenue, Independence Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, U Street NW, South Dakota Ave NE, North Capitol Street, South Capitol Street, East Capitol Street, Georgia Avenue, Minnesota Avenue, Nannie Helen Boroughs Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, New York Avenue, andRhode Island Avenue.