Northwest Quadrant
The northwest quadrant is the largest of the four and contains more than 42% of the entire city. NW also contains a large number the major financial institutions such as the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. It is also home to major universities such as Georgetown and American University, as well as some of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city. Although it is the most affluent area of DC, the southeast corner of the NW quadrant is home to many of the less affluent and working-class families. The NW quadrant is where the majority of Jones’s stories take place, with a particular focus on the M Street neighborhoods. The majority of his work takes place during a time when DC was known as “Chocolate City,” a time in which the African American population was in the vast majority.
Notable Landmarks of Northwest
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School - Paul Laurence Dunbar High School was established in 1870 as the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. As the first public high school for nonwhite students in Washington, DC (and the entire nation), the school’s curriculum was ambitious from its inception, preparing students for college and university enrollment.
Ben's Chili Bowl - Ben's Chili Bowl is a landmark restaurant in Washington, DC, located at 1213 U Street, next to Lincoln Theatre, in the Shaw neighborhood of northwest DC. It is known locally for its chili dogs, half-smokes, and milkshakes, and has been an integral part of the neighborhood's history since its founding in 1958.
Howard Theatre - The Howard Theatre is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, DC. Opened in 1910, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In its heyday, the theater was known for catering to an African-American clientele, and had played host to many of the great Black musical artists of the early and mid-twentieth century.
U Street - The U Street Corridor is a commercial and residential district in Northwest Washington, DC. U Street has long been a center of Washington's music scene, with the Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, Bohemian Caverns, and other clubs like on 9th Street at Harrington's, and Chez Maurice Restaurants and historic jazz venues
Howard University - Founded November 20, 1866, Howard University is a federally chartered, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university (HBCU) in Washington, DC. The university is named after Major General Oliver O. Howard, a Civil War hero and Commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, a U.S. government agency established in 1865 to aid freed blacks. Howard was also one of the early founders of the institution in Washington.
