H STREET: A GLOBAL NEIGHBORHOOD

H Street, a commercial district: The neighborhood of H Street NE is considered to be one of DC’s earliest and busiest commercial districts. A commercial district is known for their land uses that primarily revolve around commercial activities such as, shops, theaters, banks and most notably their restaurants. Commercial districts can best be contrasted to that of an industrial zone which, consists mostly of the production of goods rather than the distribution of them. As a result of H Street’s label as a commercial district, authorities use zoning laws based around the commercial businesses to define boundaries within and without of the district. The aspects that make H Street a global neighborhood are best defined by the commercial aspects of the community. 

A little bit of back history: So, H Street went through a dramatic decline after WWII where businesses in this specific corridor were damaged as a result of the 1968 riots. The street did not in fact recover until the 21st century as we have seen throughout the regrowth of global economic participation in such things as banking. The cause of this regrowth came from the H Street NE Strategic Development Plan. This plan centralized importance in the Arts and Entertainment District between 12th and 15th Street NE as well as the Central Retail district, between 7th and 12th Street. 

The Entertainment District & global participation: In the mid 2000’s the Art and Entertainment District began the revitalization of The Atlas Theatre. This theatre has been around since the riots in 68 and was in much need of revamping. The place was rebuilt from the ground up and was refurbished and made new and is now the anchor of H Street and what is now known as the “Atlas District”. This theatre brings in a draw to international visitors because of its mere reputation, history and acts that all come from the Atlas. With the implementation of the arts on H Street, many other businesses have been put in to coincide with the facility. 

The sweet aroma of international foods: Restaurants are a huge aspect in the making of H Street as a global neighborhood. The Atlas Room is a very popular rest by not only locals, but international visitors as well. The Chef of The Atlas Room is known for using global flavors while also utilizing local ingredience. The classic cooking of French and Italian food presents another indication of global influences on H Street. Just down the street from The Atlas Room is The Ethiopic's. Ethiopian food is full of spices and flavors uncommon to Americans yet with the prime location and great reviews people flock to try this new out of the ordinary food. The Ethiopic is located at 401 H St NE 
Washington DC 20002. Lastly is the Toki Underground. From most young adults that I had the pleasure of talking to I have been told this is a must eat spot for Taiwanese and Japanese food. This restaurant is so out of the ordinary with graffiti all over the walls and the unexpected sounds of the Wu-Tang Clan coming through the speakers. Toki Underground is known for their soups, pulled pork shoulder and egg and duck wings. The Toki Underground is located at 1234 H Street, NE Washington, DC 20002.With Restaurants such as these three, all in walking proximity, give H Street a certain special global appeal. The smells are what I took notice to when walking down my corridor. Such rich spicy aroma filled my neighborhood with unfamiliar, yet pleasing smells. 

The World Bank: Not as appealing as the food and theatrics of H Street but just as of if not more important in the global aspect of H Street comes from The World Bank located in H Street NE. The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs benefiting the US economy. The official and stated goal of TWB is the reduction of poverty in the global spectrum. As discussed on their website, TWB was put in place to promote global public goods such as delivering vaccines to several parts of the world for diseases such as malaria and AIDS. 

With these HUGE components of global influence and global participation, H Street is most definitely in the category of a global neighborhood! Whether its the smells of global spices or the international draw to the Entertainment District H Street, in my opinion, is an actor in the world of global interaction.