Kalorama, A Residential Neighborhood in Washington, DC
Washington DC’s historic Kalorama neighborhood has long been known for it’s beautiful homes and its prestigious luxury apartment buildings, of which the Mendota was the first. Current nearby neighborhood residents include former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and their two daughters; and Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. During Donald Trump’s presidency, his daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, also lived nearby. Five other former U.S. Presidents have lived in Kalorama: Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Herbert Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt, as have several Supreme Court justices and U.S. Senators.
The word name Kalorama is derived from Greek, meaning “fine view,” and the Mendota is built on one of the highest points in Kalorama, offering spectacular views of the entire city.
The Mendota is located at the corner of Kalorama Road and 20th Street NW, in a tree-lined enclave sandwiched between the Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Woodley Park neighborhoods. The building is only one city block from from Kalorama Park and three blocks from Rock Creek Park, which circles the city, providing walkways, bicycle paths, and a range of recreational activities.
It is nested in Kalorama Triangle, which is a residential section of Kalorama bounded by three major thoroughfares: Connecticut Avenue, Calvert Street, and Columbia Road. Bordering on Rock Creek, this area historically was part of the 19th century estate Kalorama and enjoyed a reputation for its natural attributes—its hilly terrain, cool breezes and fine views over the city of Washington. Developed largely between 1897 and 1931, the neighborhood is filled with architecturally significant free-standing and attached houses, commercial buildings, and variety of the city’s most beautiful apartment buildings sited along curvilinear tree-lined streets.
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is located in the “Old City” of Washington, D.C.—the area planned by architect Pierre Charles L’Enfant—but remained largely undeveloped until after the American Civil War, when there was a large influx of new residents. The neighborhood is centered around Dupont Circle Park, which is maintained by the National Park Service. The central fountain, designed by Daniel Chester French, provides seating and is surrounded by long, curved benches.
Following a period of gentrification in the 1980s and 1990s, and the area is now both mainstream and trendy with coffeehouses, restaurants, bars, and upscale retail stores. The Dupont Circle Farmers Market on 20th Street NW operates weekly year-round on Sunday mornings.
In addition to stately residences, the Dupont Circle neighborhood is home to numerous embassies, many of which are located in historic homes. Other landmarks, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, include the International Temple, Christian Heurich Mansion (also known as Brewmaster’s Castle), Whittemore House (headquarters to the Woman’s National Democratic Club), and the Phillips Collection, the country’s first museum of modern art. The Richard H. Townsend House located on Massachusetts Avenue houses the Cosmos Club, which is dedicated to the advancement of its members in science, literature, and art and whose members have included three U.S. Presidents, two U.S. Vice Presidents, a dozen Supreme Court justices, 32 Nobel Prize winners, 56 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 45 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dupont Circle is home to some of the nation’s most prestigious think tanks and research institutions, including the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Aspen Institute, the German Marshall Fund, the Center for Global Development, the Eurasia Center, and the Peterson Institute. The renowned Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins is located less than two blocks from the circle.
Adams Morgan and Woodley Park
Adams Morgan is a culturally diverse neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., centered at the intersection of 18th Street and Columbia Road. It is a major nightlife area with many bars and restaurants, particularly along 18th Street (the primary commercial district) and Columbia Road. Much of the neighborhood is composed of 19th– and early 20th-century row houses and apartment buildings.
Woodley Park is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. that is bounded on the north by Woodley Road and Klingle Road, on the east by the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park, on the south by Calvert Street, on the southwest by Cleveland Avenue, and on the west by 34th Street. It can be accessed from the Red Line at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro station. At night, the shops and restaurants lining Connecticut Ave become a hive of activity. Straddling Connecticut Avenue south of the National Zoo, the neighborhood hosts fine early 20th-century row houses. To the east, the neighborhood’s curved streets overhang Rock Creek Park. On the west, they bend on the slope leading to the heights of Mt. Saint Albans, the site of the Washington National Cathedral. The stately rows of meticulously designed houses are preserved intact, presenting streetscapes that have changed little for nearly a century. Though busy Connecticut Avenue is always just around the corner, the residential streets are leafy, green, and serene.
Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park is a large park that bisects the Northwest Washington, D.C. Rock Creek is a popular venue for jogging, cycling, and inline skating, especially on the long, winding Beach Drive, portions of which are closed to vehicles on weekends. The main section of the park comprises an astounding 1754 acres (2.74 mi2, 7.10 km2), along the Rock Creek Valley. The parklands follow the course of Rock Creek across the D.C.-Maryland border to connect with Rock Creek Stream Valley Park and Rock Creek Regional Park in Montgomery County.
Nature Center, Planetarium, and Horse Center
Rock Creek Park’s recreation facilities include a golf course; equestrian trails; sport venues, including a tennis stadium which hosts major professional events; a nature center and planetarium; the Carter Barron Amphitheatre, an outdoor concert venue; and picnic and playground facilities. Rock Creek Park also maintains cultural exhibits, including the Peirce Mill.
Rock Creek Park Horse Center, founded in 1972, is located in the middle of the park near the Nature Center. The stable provides trail rides, pony rides, and lessons for the public, along with boarding for private horses.