| D.C. native Duke Ellington keeps watch over his home turf from high above U Street. The Duke Ellington Mural pays homage to the district’s own jazz genius. Ellington, born in nearby LeDroit Park, began his music career in the clubs along 14th and U Streets in the early 1900s. (True Reformer Building, 1200 U St., N.W.; 202-965-1800) |
Visit the nation’s first and only museum dedicated to African Americans who fought for freedom in the Civil War. The African American Civil War Museum shares with visitors the soldiers’ valiant fight through various visual displays. (1200 U St., N.W.; 202-667-2667) |
Opened in 1958, Ben’s Chili Bowl serves up chili dogs and milkshakes to various celebrities when they’re visiting the nation’s capital. During riots in the late 1960s, this district landmark was frequented by both police and protesters as a safe haven amidst the chaos in the surrounding neighborhood. (1213 U St., N.W.; 202-667-0909) |
While enjoying history, why not purchase a piece of it? At Millennium Decorative Arts (1528 U St., N.W.; 202-438-1218), check out vintage chrome appliances. Or, while there, scoop up affordable vintage furniture. Meeps Vintage Fashionette (2401 18th St., N.W.; 202-265-6546) offers wardrobe pieces ranging from the 1940s to the 1980s. |
