Shiny, Hip, Historic, Edgy
Find cool local shops, foodie restaurants, concert halls and African American history in this rapidly developing downtown zone.
Delve in to African-American history and a cool shopping and food scene in one of DC’s oldest neighborhoods. The site of businesses, theaters and rowhouses since the 19th-century, the Shaw neighborhood is situated east of the U Street corridor, famously known as “Black Broadway” thanks to still-in-business spots like the Lincoln Theatre and the Howard Theatre. It was there, in the early 20th-century, where acts like Cab Calloway and Pearl Bailey once played. Nearby, the legendary 9:30 Club hosts rock and alternative acts in a two-level, warehouse-like space.
Shaw is now one city’s hippest up-and-coming neighborhoods, with attractions like the shops and eateries at The Shay and the Atlantic Plumbing complexes and bustling cafes like and .
Small-business shopping also blooms here with plant and flower studio , while the southern end of Shaw gives way to high-end shopping mecca CityCenterDC and the retail-filled Penn Quarter & Chinatown neighborhood.
The dining and bar scene in Shaw sizzles, with new spots opening up on 7th and 9th Streets and in the neighborhood’s quirky, historic alleyways. Happy hour at , a dog-friendly brewtopia and cafe pouring German, Belgian and American suds, is a must. Head to for Mid-Atlantic seafood and southern sides cooked over a wood fire.

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Shaw is hip, trendy and edgy. From the live rock and roll music to the African-American Civil War Memorial, you’ll get plenty of excitement and culture here. See what’s happening in this hip neighborhood. Share your Shaw story.

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