Where Hillcrest Is

Hillcrest sits in Southeast Washington DC, Ward 7, on elevated ground east of the Anacostia River near the DC-Maryland border. As its name suggests, the neighborhood sits on a hill — the highest elevation close to the Capitol — which gives it views of downtown that most residents in denser parts of the city don’t have and cooler temperatures in summer that real estate promoters touted as a selling point a century ago.

The neighborhood is served by Metrobus routes along Alabama Avenue SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The closest Metro stations are Benning Road and Capitol Heights on the Blue Line — requiring bus connections. Most residents drive, which contributes to the neighborhood’s deliberately quiet, residential character.

The Architecture

Hillcrest’s housing stock is one of its most significant features — brick colonial homes and wooden bungalows with spacious lawns on tree-lined streets, primarily built between the 1930s and 1960s. The neighborhood was developed to attract middle-class families who wanted suburban character within DC city limits.

Westover Drive SE is the pinnacle of Hillcrest’s real estate — exceptional views northeast toward downtown DC and the ring of hills that once supported Civil War defenses. The houses on Westover Drive command premium prices and represent what Hillcrest’s founders envisioned when they marketed the neighborhood as the equal of any northwest DC address.

A collection of mid-century modern homes on Hillcrest Drive SE — designed in 1964 at the height of the steep incline — represent another architectural layer, with exceptional northeast views and designs by architects trained at Howard University’s School of Architecture. DC’s Historic Preservation Office has documented this collection as part of the city’s mid-century modern heritage.

Notable Residents

Marvin Gaye — whose name also graces a park in nearby Deanwood — lived in Hillcrest. Mayor Marion Barry, who served four terms as DC’s mayor and remains one of the most significant figures in the city’s political history, lived in Hillcrest. Congressman Dennis Kucinich lived here during his time in Washington.

The neighborhood attracted Pentagon employees, federal agency workers, Howard University faculty, and the professional class that built Black Washington’s middle class in the postwar era. That legacy is present in the neighborhood’s housing stock, its community character, and its ongoing identity as one of Southeast DC’s most stable and desirable addresses.

The Honest Picture

Hillcrest residents are clear-eyed about what their neighborhood offers and where it falls short. The homes are gorgeous. The views are real. The community is stable and rooted. The space — actual yards, driveways, breathing room — is genuinely rare for a DC address.

What’s missing is the retail and restaurant infrastructure that other DC neighborhoods take for granted. There’s no main street with restaurants, bars, and boutique shops. Grocery access requires leaving the neighborhood. Skyland Town Center — a major mixed-use development at the intersection of Alabama Avenue SE, Naylor Road SE, and Good Hope Road SE — is bringing retail and residential development to the area that has been anticipated for years and is now delivering.

Residents who love Hillcrest point out that it’s not as far from everything as it seems. “People have become so accustomed to going Northwest that they have overlooked entirely one of the best sections of Washington from every point of view” — those words appeared in the inaugural issue of the Hillcrest Bulletin nearly 90 years ago. Residents are still making the same argument today, with more evidence to support it.

Getting Around From Hillcrest

By car: Hillcrest’s location near the DC-Maryland border and I-295 makes it accessible to downtown DC in about 15 minutes without traffic. Most residents drive for daily errands.

By bus: Alabama Avenue SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE have Metrobus service connecting to downtown and neighboring communities.

Metro: Benning Road and Capitol Heights (Blue Line) are the closest stations — requiring bus connections from the neighborhood. The Blue Line connects to downtown DC, National Airport, and Arlington.

Hillcrest sits in the broader Southeast DC corridor — read our Anacostia DC guide and Deanwood DC guide for neighboring communities with similar histories. For the Ward 7 story next door, our Marshall Heights guide covers the neighborhood Eleanor Roosevelt and Queen Elizabeth both visited. For the full DC neighborhood picture, our DC neighborhoods guide covers every corner of the city.

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