Overview
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Dupont Circle is a uniquely eccentric and charming neighborhood. The well known traffic rotary (or circle or roundabout depending on where you're from) connects Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut Avenues from a beautiful little park complete with a large fountain in the center. Dupont Circle is also where you'll find Embassy Row, a beautiful part of Massachusetts Avenue that is lined with gorgeous mansions and historic, estate homes. For those who cannot afford a palatial residence on Embassy Row can be sure to find a smaller living space in one of the many rowhouses or high rise buildings. Many recent college graduates who may be interning on the Hill, young professionals and families also call Dupont Circle home.
There are also plenty of hotels, restaurants and lively lounges that line Connecticut Avenue and from the Metro Red Rail Line at the Dupont Circle Metro Station (at Q Street NW and 19th Street NW) you can get to just about anywhere in or outside of The District. Dupont Circle is South of Adams Morgan, a tiny neighborhood filled with college bars and ethnically divere restuarants. It is also West of Logan Circle, an up and coming area filled with trendy eateries and smaller wine bars and also where you will find the closest Whole Foods and some great performing arts theatres. There is always something going on in Dupont Circle. Like the High Heel Drag Race the Tuesday before Halloween where hundred of runners in drag take to 17th street for an entertaining run. Every Sunday you can hit the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market at 20th Street NW, rain or shine from 9am-1pm during the summer months and 10am-1pm during the winter.
If you choose to live here, below are two interesting websites for Dupont Circle Residents:
The Dupont Circle Citizen's Association-Promotes and protects the interests of the citizens
http://www.dupont-circle.org/
The Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission
http://www.dupontcircleanc.net/
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Dupont is great. Lots of places to go out, shop, eat, etc within walking distance, lots of young professionals, and close to pretty much everything in DC.
Dupont Circle is a highly sought after place to live due to its many restaurants and bars, and also how convenient life here is. Dupont is serviced by the Metro and many bus lines, so you can pretty much get anywhere in the city quickly.
When you first come to Washington for work or school, Dupont Circle is one of the neighborhoods that you hear about first. The reason is simple- Dupont Circle has been known for years as a center of gay life in Washington DC. While if the stereotype is true or false remains up for debate, Dupont Circle's reputation as a gay hotspot has lost some of its luster for at least three reasons-
1. DC's gay presence has expanded over the years,
2. While always visible, DC gay presence has never been forceful, and
3. Dupont Circle has several merits on its own.
Dupont Circle transitions all too easily from bustling commercial district by day to DC hotspot by night. With its multifunctional mix of office buildings, banks, stores, and restaurants, there is never a lack of traffic or activity, day or night, any day of the week. While there some strategically placed parking lots and some street parking, like many popular DC neighborhoods, the street parking can become very limited very fast. Dupont Circle is right on a metro line and even people with access to cars, particularly college students and young working professionals choose to travel to Dupont Circle via subway. Dupont Circle a unique DC neighborhood with quite a reputation and much to offer the city, its residents and its visitors.
Dupont Circle is the hub of the gay community in Washington, D.C. but there is an ecclectic mix of young professionals, Hill staffers, lobbyists and families who also call one of the many rowhouses or apartment high rises in Dupont home. You wil also find a lot of recent college graduates who may leave the familiar den of their Georgetown campus to more grown up digs as well as paralegals in their first year of law school who desire residence close to work and school. Crime here is lower than some other neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. and is generally a very harmonious place to live.
There are several great places to eat, drink and be merry in Dupont Circle. If you live in this neighborhood you can easily stroll out any night of the week for a nice meal, drinks after work or a get together with friends. Here's a list of a few favorites.
Swell restaurants:
Sette Osteria
La Tomate
Bistrot Du Coin
City Lights of China
Hank's Oyster Bar
Komi
Urbana Restauarant & Wine Bar
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Dupont Grille & Restuarant
Noshing, Cocktails & More
Sala Thai
If your looking for a nice meal and you like jazz music this has all the makings of a great "supper-club."
Circa at Dupont
A small but classy spot for happy hour and dinner. The canopied patio is lovely and inside you can meet new people at the big "communal table" or sit at the marble topped bar.
Biddy Mulligan's Bar
Tucked inside the Jury's Hotel on New Hampshire Ave, this is an authentic Irish bar. You can sit in air conditioned comfort while pulling on a pint of Guinness.
CafeCitron
A Dupont Circle establishment for years, this Latin American hot spot has great mojitos and gets packed several nights a week with djs and live music.
Firefly
Located inside the Hotel Madera on New Hampshire Ave, Firefly is cozy and has great comfort food and some interesting signature cocktails. A lounge-like appeal with outdoorsy design makes it a quite place to have drinks and conversation.
18th Street Lounge
Great little lounge, it's comfy and cozy, with a fireplace and very friendly atmosphere
Dupont is a high rent area. There are row houses, small brownstones and high rises to choose from here. The growing number of national chains, trendy eateries and local merchants laying claim to Dupont's main commercial strip-Connecticut Avenue-has increased foot traffic and with increased commercial rents you also see increase in the livable areas around it. With a popular high rent area you have the chance of landlords and management companies taking advanage of the demand so prices are high. A one bedroom can begin form $1400-$2200 and go all the way up from there. You may find one bedrooms lower but they may lack amenities and they may be in less desirable areas. Dupont is great for it's central location where you'll find a diverse background of people, you just may want to give yourself some time to find the right place for you that is within your budget.
Parking is tight in the District and that goes for the neighborhood of Dupont Circle as well. There is permit parking on the street and a few select high rises are equipped with parking garages for tenants. One should also be aware that certain streets have reverse traffic patterns depending on rush hour and time of the day. For example Rock Creek Parkway is closed along certain entryways for rush hour in both the morning and the evening commute. This allows for more lanes of traffic in and out of the city
Dupont Circle is a great neighborhood for walking as there are grocery stores, drugstores, gyms and parks all easily accessible by foot. So if you don't own a car and live and work near or on a bus or Metro line you can exist very well with the public transportation system. There iare several bus routes which run along the side and main streets of Dupont Circle that can get you just about anywhere. Of course Wahsington, DC's subway system, the Metro has a stop in Dupont at the Metro Red Rail Line at the Dupont Circle Metro Station (at Q Street NW and 19th Street NW). From this stop you can get to the Blue, Green, Yellow and Orange Lines as well. You can find detailed directions, maps, trip planners and schedules with itineraries on the Metro's home page. Cabs are also always available so if you feel like flagging one down on the street it's as easy as walking out your door and getting to a main street. Zipcar, is also available around this neighborhood and it's an easy way to rent a car with pick up and drop off locations in easy walking distance from certain designated parking spots and parking lots.
Bus routes:
Renting may appear difficult in Dupont Circle due to high rents and more demand than supply. You are also competing with many luxury condos that attract short term leasing visitors whose companies are footing the expensive bill. However it isn't impossible if you give yourself enough time to look and have checkbook in hand. Most landlords and management companies will look for some kind of deposit and if you go through a rental broker, possibly a finder's fee.
Tons of stuff to do in Dupont!
High Heel Race-drag queen race the Tues before Halloween
Chess on the chessboards in the park
National Geographic Explorer's Hall
Textile Museum
Phillips Collection
Brewmaster's Castle
National Museum of American Jewish Military History
Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives
International Arts and Artists Museum
Women's National Democratic Club Museum
Theatre Studio
Theatre J
Dupont Cinema 5
Connecticut Avenue, and Dupont Circle, have lots of great restaurants and shopping.
Grocery:
Dupont Market
Safeway
Oasis Gourmet Deli
GNC
Naturally Yours
Nature & Health
Gyms:
National Cpaital YMCA
Yoga District
Quantum Pilates
Joy of Motion Dance Center
Curves
DC Yoga
Tranquil Space
Banks:
PNC
Wachovia
Bank of America
Corporate Bank
L'Enfant Trust
Adams National Bank
Riggs
Eagle
Independence Federal Savings Bank
and multiple ATMs
Ross Elementary School and Emerson Prepatory School are the only schools located in Dupont Circle. However, Dupont is very close to many others, including Catholic University, Georgetown, Francis Jr. High, Shaw Jr. High, Garrison Elementary, Seaton Elementary, Kipp Will Academy, Immaculate Conception, and Scott Montgomery Elementary.
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