Dupont Circle is the name given to a traffic circle, park, neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington, DC.
The district and the park get their names from the original traffic circle, planned by architect Pierre Charles L’Enfant. His original plan for DC included a number of grand boulevards radiating out and intersecting, creating public squares and green space. The Circle itself is a grassy gathering place today, with park benches and a fountain.
Located in the “Old City” of DC – that part designed by L’Enfant – Dupont Circle is also considered by many to be its trendiest neighborhood, and offers a vibrant collection of night clubs, bars, cafes, art galleries, shops, ethnic restaurants and bookstores. It hosts some of DC’s finest museums, historic homes and foreign embassies, as well, including:
Dupont Circle remained largely undeveloped until after the American Civil War. During the 1870s and 1880s, mansions and townhouses were built throughout the neighborhood. In the 1920s, it became more commercial in character and began to decline after World War II.
However the 1970s brought resurgence to Dupont Circle, when urban pioneers began repopulating the neighborhood; particularly, the gay and lesbian community. Today it is considered a historic locale in the development of American gay identity.
Gentrification accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s, and today Dupont Circle is considered more mainstream. Home to many recent college graduates, it offers a number of high-rise apartment buildings and row houses converted into apartments. Street parking is very limited in this neighborhood, so public transportation is advised; Dupont Circle is served by the Washington Metro Red Line at the Dupont Circle Metro station.
The annual Dupont Circle High Heel Race, first held in 1986, pits dozens of drag queens against each other in a sprint down 17th Street NW from R Street to Church Street, a distance of about three short blocks. The event attracts thousands of spectators.
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