Penn Quarter is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located just north of Pennsylvania Avenue, halfway between the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building. Penn Quarter has experienced gentrification, stimulated by the nearby Verizon Center which opened in 1997. Penn Quarter also houses Washington's Chinatown, and its famous archway at 7th and H Streets, N.W. near Gallery Place Metro. The area is home to numerous restaurants and other entertainment venues, and dozens of new restaurants and shops have recently opened for business both on and off of 7th Street. On Thursday afternoons during summer, a farmers market is open on 8th Street, adjacent to the U.S. Navy Memorial. The Newseum and Freedom Forum is being built on 6th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue and is slated to open sometime in 2007. The gentrification of the area is continuing at a steady pace, with the addition of several new condominium buildings in the area along with fine shopping. A Balducci's (gourmet grocery store) is opening at 7th and D Street in late 2006, which will bring a desirable amenity to the neighborhood: a grocery store within walking distance for local residents and businesses. Other neighborhood amenities include several coffee shops, a Teaism teahouse and restaurant, and the Toka Salon and day spa. The neighborhood houses some of the most expensive condominium buildings in the area, including The Pennsylvania Condominium, and the Lansburgh Building.

Penn Quarter is served by the Archives-Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter and Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro stations.

Attractions located in Penn Quarter include:

Ford's Theatre
International Spy Museum
J. Edgar Hoover Building - FBI headquarters
National Archives
National Gallery of Art
U.S. Navy Memorial
Verizon Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum (closed for renovations until July 4, 2006)
National Portrait Gallery (closed for renovations until July 4, 2006)


SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA.ORG (APRIL 2006)