CALM AND VIBRANT
Before 1907, when Chevy Chase got its start as one of the many “streetcar suburbs” springing up around Washington DC, the area was primarily farmland. When it fell under the ownership of the Chevy Chase Land Company, the area began its evolution into middle-class neighborhood (thanks, in part, to the Chevy Chase streetcar line which connected the growing housing stock to downtown DC).
There’s a pervasive feeling of calm and contentment that lingers along the streets of this neighborhood. Nevertheless, while Chevy Chase is somewhat removed from downtown DC, there still exists a vibrant commercial energy that has only expanded and strengthened in recent years.
GREEN SPACES
The social backbone of the neighborhood, Connecticut Avenue NW, is where the neighborhood’s earliest homes and business emerged. The stretch continues to serve as a home base for residents’ needs, whether it’s supermarkets or public libraries or restaurants.
Chevy Chase also shares a boundary with nearby Friendship Heights, whose high-end shopping and dining offerings allow neighbors something of a Georgetown-style experience.
Part of what’s given the neighborhood it’s lasting charm is its deep connection to green spaces. The streets of Chevy Chase are peppered with parks and recreation centers, among them Chevy Chase Recreation Center, Lafayette Recreation Center, and Francis G. Newlands Park.
Of course, the star of the show is Rock Creek Park, which rests against the neighborhood’s eastern borders. Chevy Chase makes the perfect location from which to launch into a world of natural beauty. It is, in some ways, the perfect neighbor.
