Shepherd Park

One of the northernmost neighborhoods in the District of Columbia, Shepherd Park is bordered by Georgia Avenue NW (on the east), Eastern Avenue NW (on the north) Aspen Street NW and the recently decommissioned Walter Reed Army Medical Center (on the south), and 16th Street NW and the grandeur of Rock Creek Park (on the west).

Shepherd Park is rightly celebrated for the magnificent single-family homes that line its streets (named, you’ll notice, after flowers). Walk the green streets of Shepherd Park and you’ll spot everything from colonials and Tudors to ramblers and Craftsmen.

There’s a tight bond of community among the homeowners of Shepherd Park, and a pride in their homes. Annual community events sponsored by the Shepherd Park Citizens Association include a neighborhood garden tour for appreciating front yards and gardens, as well as a New Year’s potluck.

DC SUMMER MANSIONS

The “Shepherd” in Shepherd Park is Alexander Robey Shepherd, governor of Washington, DC, from 1873 to 1874 at the dawn of the Gilded Age. The original land for the neighborhood was the site of “Bleak House,” Shepherd’s summer mansion.

Housing developments arrived in Shepherd Park in the first decades of the 20th century. Grand and gorgeous single-family homes began to arrive as the neighborhood took shape—all while maintaining the sense of natural splendor from Rock Creek Park which first drew Shepherd to the area. The arrival of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1909 also spurred on more development.

The year 1917 saw the arrival of the still-flourishing and still-passionate Shepherd Park Citizens Association. The association hosts frequent neighborhood events, including garden tours, planting parties, picnics, and yard sales.

THE PARKS AT WALTER REED

In 2011, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus shut down. Five years later, the DC government took over its share of the 60-plus acre site. What’s currently in the works: The Parks at Walter Reed.

This massive new development project is designed to draw even more attention to this charming neighborhood, as well as to provide residents with access to major retail without disrupting the peace of their tree-lined streets. It’s set to be a micro-village of its own, with townhomes and apartments, green spaces, a hotel, a big-box grocery store, a medical care clinic, and more.

The result, expected to be delivered over the stretch of several years, promises to change for the better the character of the upper Georgia Avenue NW corridor. Not only that, The Parks at Walter Reed will make Shepherd Park an even more coveted neighborhood than it currently is.

Move

Live just a short drive from the Capital Beltway. Be at the Silver Spring Metro station (serving the Red Line) in minutes. Enjoy a straight shot to downtown Washington or Silver Spring along 16th Street and Georgia Avenue.

Dine

Pick up fast-casual West Indian rotis at Teddy’s Roti Shop. Hang out with some brews in the beer garden at nearby Denizens Brewing Co. Sample the rich and hearty flavors of Ethiopia at Nile Ethiopian Restaurant.

Live

Cross 16th Street NW and enjoy plenty of outdoor adventuring in Rock Creek Park. Throw some balls and have a picnic at Jessup Blair Local Park. Hop over into Maryland for a performance at Montgomery College’s Cultural Arts Center.

Shop

Grab your groceries at Giant Food or Whole Foods Market. Hop across the border into downtown Silver Spring and take advantage of both small boutiques and larger businesses. Head east to Takoma and browse the Takoma Park Farmers Market.