Trinidad, Washington, D.C.

Trinidad is a neighborhood located in Ward 5, in the northeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. and is a largely residential area.

Geography

Trinidad is bounded to the north by Mt. Olivet Road, to the west by West Virginia Avenue, to the south by Florida Avenue, and to the east by Bladensburg Road.^[1] To the north of Trinidad is the more industrial (and impoverished) neighborhood Ivy City. To the west is Gallaudet University and the Florida Market (D.C.'s wholesale food district, also called the Capital City Market). To the east lies Carver Langston. To the south of Trinidad is Old City, so named because it was part of Pierre L'Enfant's original plan for the city, and generally referred to as either Near Northeast or Capitol Hill North. Located immediately south of Trinidad is the H Street Corridor. The eastern portion of the H Street Corridor is sometimes referred to as the Atlas District, part of a neighborhood branding campaign centered on the revitalized Atlas Theater, now called the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

History

The area got its name from 19th century speculator James Barry, who had once lived on the Caribbean island.^[2] A street in the neighborhood bears the name of Trinidad Avenue NE.

The land passed to and from the Corcoran family who used it as a country estate, to Columbian College, which later became George Washington University, and then to the Washington Brick Machine Company. The brickworks intended to excavate clay from the land, but not needing all of the land, began selling off parcels, and, in the late 19th century, the first houses in southern Trinidad were built.

Trinidad Neighborhood Association

The Trinidad Neighborhood Association is a community-based, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Washington, DC’s Trinidad neighborhood. Founded in 2009, TNA works to identify and address community concerns, and to promote opportunities for economic development by engaging community stakeholders.

Architecture

The first two blocks north of Florida Avenue feature classic Victorian rowhouses similar to those in nearby Capitol Hill. Further north, many of the row houses are built in a flat porch-fronted style (similar to craftsman style) that gained popularity during the 1920s. Northern portions of Trinidad were developed later, some parts as late as the 1940s.

Education

Wheatley Education Campus

Wheatley Education Campus is a DC Public School that serves grades PK-8 in the District of Columbia. It is located at 1299 Neal Street NE.

Center City PCS Trinidad Campus

Center City PCS Trinidad is a Public Charter School that serves grades PK-8 in the District of Columbia. It is located at 1217 West Virginia Ave, NE.

Joel Elias Spingarn Senior High School

Joel Elias Spingarn Senior High School is designed to provide a 9-12 grade standards-based instructional continuum which serves as a basic foundation for the future acquisition of skills and knowledge at the post secondary level, enabling each student to function as a responsible, global citizen. It is located at 2500 Benning Road NE.

Gallaudet University

Gallaudet University is a federally chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in Washington, D.C. It is located at 800 Florida Avenue NE.

Transportation

Washington Metro

Trinidad is served by the NoMa – Gallaudet University Metro station on the Red Line.

MetroBus

Trinidad is served by the D1, D3, D4, D8, X3, and B2 bus services of the MetroBus.

Annual Neighborhood Events

Trinidad Art In The Alley

May 2012, pop-up art fair in garages behind 1200 block of Florida Ave

Art in the Alley was inspired by the confluence of the emergent arts scene in the Trinidad neighborhood of Washington, DC, a desire to build community through positive interaction with our neighbors and an empowering do-it-yourself spirit. Launched in 2011, Art in the Alley celebrates local art in local spaces twice a year - once in the spring and again in the fall. The alley is located between the 1200s block of Florida Ave and Morse St NE in residential Trinidad, just blocks from some of the spectacular art galleries and the H St/Atlas art district.

Trinidad Block Party

The block party is sponsored by the Trinidad Neighborhood Association and is a fun event for all ages. There are fun activities for the young and the young at heart.

Trinidad Garden Tour

An annual garden tour sponsored by the Trinidad Neighborhood Association showcasing the many splendid gardens in the neighborhood.

Annual Trinidad Day

The Trinidad Neighborhood Committee, an informal group of former and current residents, holds the Annual Trinidad Day every August at the Trinidad Recreation Center to celebrate the community and embrace the youth.

Crime

Crime was a significant problem in Trinidad in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2007 and 2008 an abnormal rash of gun violence in the neighborhood resulted in police checkpoints that were later declared unconstitutional by federal courts.^[3]

References

External links

• Trinidad Neighborhood Association Official website of Trinidad Neighborhood Association
• Frozen Tropics A local blog with neighborhood info.