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The Shaw neighborhood sits immediately
south of the Howard University campus,
bound by Massachusetts Avenue NW to
the south, New Jersey Avenue NW to the
east, and 11th Street NW to the west. Shaw
takes its name from Robert Gould Shaw,
who led one of the first African-American
units to fight for the Union in the Civil War.
Through the early 1900s, Shaw was the
pre-Harlem center of African-American
intellectual and cultural life in the United
States. Following the assassination of Dr.
Martin Luther King in 1968, Shaw was one
of the many D.C. neighborhoods that
erupted in rioting. This was followed by a
period of economic decline that lasted until
about 2010. Shaw’s transformation since
then has been unprecedented.
Shaw’s Victorian row house architecture, its
central location, and D.C.’s millennial-driven
housing boom have driven the rejuvenation
of this neighborhood. In just a few short
years, new apartment and condo
complexes have risen in areas that long
stood as parking lots, auto-repair shops,
and vacant land. But this gentrification has
not been without controversy. While Shaw
remains one of the most racially diverse
Cool Streets in our survey, rents have
skyrocketed as this neighborhood’s
popularity has soared, pricing out many
long-time residents. A model of urban
decay just a few years ago, Shaw today is
home to a number of bustling retail
corridors and is considered one of the
District’s most vibrant neighborhoods for
dining, nightlife, music and the arts.
Shaw’s retail revival continues at full
throttle; recent retail arrivals include Warby
Parker, Kit and Ace, as well as many highly-
regarded local shops and brands. The
general range of asking rents for quality
street retail space here is $50 to $70 per sf
and rising. While this is a mature trade area
with virtually no undeveloped land,
redevelopment opportunities exist and the
influx of new residents continues unabated.
We are currently tracking over 1,100 new
multifamily units under construction in the
immediate vicinity and nearly 4,000
additional proposed units. One of the more
successful recent deliveries is the 310-unit
Atlantic Plumbing building. This mixed-use
project also features a retail component
anchored by Landmark Theatres as well as
a mix of boutiques and trendy eateries
ranging from fast casual to upscale. Expect
more projects like this in the future.
43.4%
Millennial Population
$117,035
Average
Household Income
Shaw:
Urban Revival, Supercharged