Written by Jody Trammel

LeDroit Park

LeDroit ParkLeDroit Park is a neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C. The area became a national historic district in 1974 and has been home to notable residents like Duke Ellington and Jesse Jackson.

If you’d like to explore LeDroit Park while you’re in the area, just schedule a pick up with Affinity Airport Sedan. Our punctual, reliable car service will get you where you’re going on time and hassle free. Don’t worry about fighting traffic and searching for parking around the city. Just call Affinity!

About LeDroit Park

LeDroit Park was founded in 1873 by Amzi Barber, a wealthy businessman, who named the area after his father-in-law. The community was one of D.C.’s first suburbs and was advertised as a romantic neighborhood. It featured narrow, tree-lined roads that were given tree names, as opposed to other streets in the District which were generally named after numbers, letters, or states. And landscaping was a major focus, intended to attract residents. The community was even gated to promote security and an air of separation for residents.

Despite its creation as a segregated area, by the 1940s many elite African Americans also called LeDroit Park home. Today, the neighborhood is extremely diverse, representing a countless number of ethnic groups.

LeDroit Park today

Visitors often marvel over the neighborhood’s Victorian mansions and homes designed by famed architect James McGill. Of his 64 homes built in the area during the mid 1870s, no two were identical. Fifty still remain today.

The neighborhood prides its self on engaging residents and promoting beauty and development. The area is home to the Park at LeDroit, which includes a playground, dog park, and Common Good City Farm, a community garden and agricultural education center. The park is so impressive that Prince Charles of Wales stopped by during his 2011 visit to the States. In addition, the community is enhanced by colorful murals painted on many walls throughout the area.

Soak up all the culture and history of LeDroit Park for yourself. And for a ride there, just call Affinity Airport Sedan.

Written by Jody Trammel

Chinatown

Visiting Chinatown

Chinatown Gate in Washington DCChinatown is a historic Washington, D.C. neighborhood near the center of the city. Located east of downtown, the area is home to several Asian restaurants and businesses.

If you’re interested in exploring Chinatown, just call Affinity Airport Sedan for a ride there. Let our professional, ground transportation service navigate D.C.’s traffic-packed streets, so you can sit back and ride stress-free.

About Chinatown

The area that is currently Chinatown was once populated by mainly German immigrants. However, in the 1930s, Chinese immigrants started calling the neighborhood home after being displaced from their original location on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the government began building Federal Triangle, a large government office complex. With the new Chinese residents came decorative latticework and signs written in Chinese characters.

The Friendship Archway, a traditional Chinese gate arching high over H Street NW, was dedicated by the city in 1986. Designed by local architect Alfred H. Liu, this bright, colorful $1 million art piece includes seven tiled roofs, with the tallest sitting at 60 feet high, along with nearly 300 painted dragons modeled after those in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Friendship Archway is known as the world’s largest single span archway.

 Chinatown Today

Today, Chinatown is only approximately 21 percent Asian, despite having a 66 percent Asian population in 1990. Many Chinese Americans relocated to suburbs in Maryland and Virginia after the 1968 riots, seeking economic stability and safer environments.

Chinatown is currently a thriving community, with countless restaurants, bars, and shops, in addition to the Verizon Center, a convention center and sports and entertainment arena. While many businesses in the area are national chains with no Chinese influence, all shops are required to hang signage in Chinese characters, which helps maintain the area’s sense of heritage.

Enjoy getting a feel for Washington D.C.’s Chinatown district. And if you need a ride to Chinatown from one of the District-area airports or train stations, don’t hesitate. Just call Affinity!