Shaw, Washington, D.C.

Shaw, Washington, D.C.
Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
The Phillis Wheatley YWCA, built in 1920, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Shaw within the District of Columbia
Country	United States
District	Washington, D.C.
Ward	Wards 1, 2, and 6
Named for	Robert Gould Shaw
Government
• Councilmember	Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1) Jack Evans (Ward 2) Charles Allen (Ward 6)
Area
• Total	.73 sq mi (1.9 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	17,639
• Density	24,163.0/sq mi (9,329.4/km2)

Shaw is a small neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Named after Shaw Junior High School, a junior high school located at Seventh and Rhode Island Avenue NW, the Shaw neighborhood has been home to the largest urban population of African-Americans in Washington, D.C. since the 1920s. Shaw Junior High School was named after Colonel Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry during the U.S. Civil War. Shaw, centered around U Street NW, has been the hub for African-American social, cultural, and economic progress in the nation's capital, seeing on its own streets, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and many riots, marches, and protests that fought to achieve racial equality in Shaw and the entirety of America.

Shaw is bounded by M Street NW and Massachusetts Avenue NW to the South; New Jersey Avenue NW to the East; Girard Street NW to the North; and 11th Street NW to the West. The area also includes the U Street Corridor, which is the commercial hub of the Shaw, that extends westward to 16th Street NW.

Florida Avenue marks the northern boundary with the adjacent neighborhoods of Columbia Heights and LeDroit Park. The area consists of gridded streets lined with small Victorian row houses. Howard University is located in the Pleasant Plains neighborhood, just north of Shaw. Shops and theatres are located along U Street and centered along 7th Street NW, the original commercial hub of the area prior to the redevelopment in the wake of the 1968 riots and Green Line Metrorail construction.

Shaw continues its historical identity as a community supporting social and cultural development (new housing options and many new restaurants) and as a home for several demographic groups, including a wide range of ethnicities and a growing youth population. This continued growth in diversity has led to the recognition of communities within the community by both Shaw residents and visitors. For example, Logan Circle, Truxton Circle, Randolph Square and other neighborhoods east of 16th St. are often referenced by their specific names.