The Curbed Cup, our annual award for the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of the year, is kicking off with 16 areas vying for the prestigious (fake) trophy. This week we'll have two matchups per day, and all the results and the full tournament bracket will be reviewed on Friday. Voting for each pairing ends 24 hours after it begins. Let the eliminations commence!
In the year 2015, which neighborhood really was better in every way possible: Capitol Hill or SW Waterfront? Both neighborhoods are in the midst of gentrification with fewer lower-income households and a higher number of upscale retail and restaurant options. Both are also in the midst of huge development projects, such as Capitol Hill's Hine School redevelopment and SW Waterfront's Wharf project. If you believe one outshone the other this year, be sure to vote in the poll below. Also, if you prefer Navy Yard over Anacostia or Anacostia over Navy Yard, be sure to cast your vote here. According to We Love DC, Capitol Hill is "probably" the largest neighborhood in Washington, D.C. as well as one of the most diverse. Along with distinctive features like Eastern Market and Barracks Row, you can also find residents that range from recent college graduates to empty nesters. Over the past few years, a myriad of conversions and redevelopments have caused Capitol Hill's real estate market to grow with classrooms, auto repair shops, garages, and hospitals turned into housing. The neighborhood is also home to the District's tiniest home. Since 2002, the number of low-income households in Capitol Hill has dropped from 24 percent to 16 percent in 2013, according to the D.C. Office of Revenue Analysis. With this drop in low-income households, there has also been a rise in the number of retail and restaurant options available. If interested in finding out where you should go to get the best eats, be sure to check out Eater DC, Curbed's sister site.
If you encounter the SW Waterfront today, your view will probably be bombarded by hordes of cranes and construction crews. That's because of the $2 billion, 3.2 million-square-foot, 27-acre project known as The Wharf. This development is one of the largest mixed-use developments on the East Coast and will feature new apartments, condos, offices, hotels, a movie theater, restaurants, and a 6,000-capacity concert hall. The Waterfront's Maine Avenue Fish Market will also get a new look in the next two years with a myriad of renovations, relocations, and a brand new market pavilion. For some suggestions on where to eat or drink in the neighborhood, Curbed's sister site Eater DC will help you out.
The below poll will close at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 18.
· Capitol Hill coverage [Curbed DC]
· SW Waterfront coverage [Curbed DC]
· All Curbed Cup 2015 coverage [Curbed DC]