The Neighborhood

The concept of neighborhood includes both geographic (place-oriented) and social (people-oriented) components. Geographically, a neighborhood is a localized community within a large city or town. Socially, neighborhoods are generated by social interaction among people living near one another. In this sense they are local social units larger than households not directly under the control of city or state officials.

The term neighborhood has many meanings and uses. For example, neighborhood can be used to refer to the small group of houses in the immediate vicinity of one's house or to a larger area with similar housing types and market values. Neighborhood is also used to describe an area surrounding a local institution patronized by residents, such as a church, school, or social agency. It can also be defined by a political ward or precinct. These many interpretations lead to a healthy debate on what boundaries are most useful in neighborhood planning efforts. Neighborhood associations and community groups offer their interpretations; city planning departments often designate neighborhood boundaries along census tract boundaries. While community residents frequently have a very different mental map of their neighborhood than the officially designated neighborhood areas used by planners and policymakers, the question is how one begins to create agreement over the definitions so that the debate focuses not on boundary definitions but on how to make positive changes in the neighborhoods. Collectively, these definitions help make up the breadth and depth of the neighborhood defining its character and characteristics.

Our Neighborhood, collectively the southern riverfront, spans the area south of Independence Avenue; south and east of the SE-SW Freeway (I-395 and I-295), west of the 11th Street Bridge; and northeast of the Potomac River and northwest of the Anacostia River.

Southeast (Southwest Waterfront), located at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, is Washington DC 's largest Waterfront neighborhood. Situated on the edge of the Washington Channel, the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood has a rich history that dates back centuries to the early settlement of our nation's capital. Accessible by four Metro lines, and two highways, new development features a retail oriented street-scape along 4th Street - all in close proximity to the new baseball district, the Southwest Waterfront and major destinations throughout the region.

Near-Southeast (Capitol Riverfront or the Front), is a 500-acre neighborhood featuring one and a half miles of river frontage and stretching north to the U.S. Capitol. The Front is conveniently located around the Navy Yard Metro and within walking distance to Capitol South Metro and Eastern Market Metro. Some of the prominent landmarks in the Front include the U.S. Washington Navy Yard, the U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters, Nationals Park, Diamond Teague Park, Half Street entertainment district, and "The Yards". The Capitol Riverfront is anchored by the Washington Navy Yard, now the longest continually operating naval facility in the country.