Columbia Heights

NW, the neighborhood is an important retail hub for the area, as home to DC USA mall and to numerous other restaurants and stores, primarily along the highly commercialized 14th Street. Columbia Heights is home to numerous historical landmarks, including Meridian Hill (Malcolm X) Park, National Baptist Memorial Church, All Souls Church, along with a number of embassy buildings.

Developed as a suburb after the U.S. Civil War, the area's growth accelerated in the early 1900s. The extension of the DC streetcar system in 1914 made the neighborhood a popular place to live among federal workers. In the 1940s, the designation of Cardozo High School as a "colored" school resulted in a demographic shift and the neighborhood became predominantly African-American. The 1968 Washington, D.C., riots devastated the area and turmoil in the 1970-80s followed. In light of this, Washington Metro edited the course of the Green Line in order to service riot-torn neighborhoods. In the late 1990s, the opening of the Columbia Heights station led to the redevelopment of the neighborhood. Today the neighborhood has diverse demographics.