Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Explorer's Guide to U Street Corridor

The U Street Corridor is an epicenter of art and African American heritage in Washington, DC. Once known as “Black Broadway,” U Street was the center of Black culture in America. (It’s where Duke Ellington was born!) Though the neighborhood struggled in the years following the 1968 riots, it’s as vibrant as ever today. Start your day on U Street at a mural honoring Black Americans from Harriet Tubman to Dave Chapelle, and end at a beloved Ethiopian restaurant where you might be lucky enough to catch some live music and dancing. Along the way you’ll grab a drink, uncover forgotten history, and stand inside theaters where everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Nirvana have performed.