Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map of Washington, D.C., with Chevy Chase highlighted in red

Chevy Chase is an affluent neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C. It is located mostly in Ward 3 and partially in Ward 4, and its Advisory Neighborhood Commission is 3/4G. It borders Chevy Chase, Maryland, a collection of similarly affluent neighborhoods.

Chevy Chase DC, a comparatively large neighborhood by DC standards, provides a more sedate and suburban feel compared to many of the better known and more urban residential neighborhoods in of Washington, such as Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill and Dupont Circle.

In the late 1880s, Senator Francis G. Newlands of Nevada and his partners began the aggressive acquisition of farmland in Washington, D.C. (northwest)|northwestern Washington, D.C. and southern Montgomery County, Maryland, for the purpose of developing a residential streetcar suburb. (See Washington streetcars.) They founded the Chevy Chase Land Company in 1890, and its eventual holdings are now known as this neighborhood and Chevy Chase, Maryland. Chevy Chase DC was developed beginning in the early 1900s after construction was completed on the Chevy Chase Line, a streetcar line stretching to and beyond the northwestern boundary of the District of Columbia, thereby linking the area to downtown. Over succeeding decades the formerly remote area was transformed from farmland and woods to middle-class housing. The housing stock in Chevy Chase DC includes many "Sears Catalog Homes", a popular housing option in the early 20th century that allowed individuals of modest means to order by mail the materials and instructions for a home and build it themselves.

The neighborhood's major commercial road is Connecticut Avenue N.W., which, in addition to commercial establishments is home to apartments, a Community Center, and a regional branch of the D.C. Public Library. Unlike many urban neighborhoods that have lost local businesses to large chains and suburban malls, the small and generally locally owned businesses along Connecticut Ave. remain in place and are well patronized by the local population. Parks in the area include parts of Rock Creek Park as well as Lafayette Park and Livingston Park.

The public schools that serve Chevy Chase are Lafayette Elementary, Ben W. Murch Elementary, Alice Deal Junior High, and Woodrow Wilson Senior High.

The main roads leading in and out of Chevy Chase DC are Connecticut Avenue, Nebraska Avenue, Reno Road, Military Road and Western Avenue. The area is served by the M4, L1, L2, L4 E2, E3, E4 and E6 Metrobus lines. Chevy Chase is within walking distance of three Red Line stations: Van Ness-UDC, Tenleytown-AU, and Friendship Heights. The neighborhood is generally agreed to be bounded by Rock Creek Park on the east, Western Avenue (which divides D.C. and Maryland) on the north, and Reno Road to the west; but opinions differ on the southern boundary, where Chevy Chase meets Forest Hills.