Off The Beaten Turf: Spanish Steps
✉️ Want to forward this article? Click here.
Spanish Steps
The topic of this Off the Beaten Turf is an unexpected moment of peace right in the middle of the city: Kalorama’s Spanish Steps.
Tucked away in one of the city’s toniest neighborhoods (and the topic of an upcoming neighborhood profile) are the Spanish Steps, a beautiful solution to a topographical dilemma.
Located on what would be 22nd Street NW, just below S Street and above Decatur Place (map), the steps were constructed in 1911 on a slope deemed to steep for carriages. Instead of continuing 22nd Street, city planners built steps to allow pedestrians to cross.
What may have been a simple staircase in another era became the Spanish Steps in the early 20th century; at the time, city planners were deep into the “City Beautiful“ philosophy, believing that beauty would instill in residents a sense of civic duty and pride.
Entering from the North
As a result, the steps, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are quite aesthetically pleasing, with a lion-head fountain, sturdy balustrade, and a dignified air. There is greenery lining them and two lamp posts at the bottom. The steps are pretty well hidden from the north, but imposing and impressive when entering from the south. After decaying for a few decades, they were restored in 1999.
You can find couples relaxing on them at night, and one UrbanTurfer has attended a wedding there. So grab some gelato from Connecticut Avenue, sit and watch residents stroll home, or sneak away with a date to enjoy a public space less conspicuous than Dupont Circle at almost any time of the day.
Similar Posts:
- Off the Beaten Turf: A. Litteri
- Off the Beaten Turf: Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse
- Off the Beaten Turf: Hana Japanese Market
- Off The Beaten Turf: The U.S. National Arboretum
See other articles related to: kalorama, off the beaten turf, spanish steps
This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/off_the_beaten_turf_spanish_steps/5478.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever
Local nonprofit Community Forklift has made deconstruction an important part of their... read »
Mortgage rate buydowns can be a good option for buyers who want to save money on inte... read »
A plan to add another new residential building to the Friendship Heights pipeline is ... read »
The eight-bedroom, 35,000 square-foot home in McLean known as The Cliffs went under c... read »
This week’s Best New Listings includes a bi-level condo north of Adams Morgan's mai... read »
- Renovating? Choose Deconstruction Instead of Demolition
- How Does a Mortgage Rate Buydown Work?
- Donohoe Files PUD For 127-Unit Development in Friendship Heights
- A $30 Million Sale? One Of The DC Area's Most Expensive Homes Finds A Buyer
- Best New Listings: Windows Galore on Biltmore; One Up, One Down on Swann
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro