DC Neighborhoods
The Silver Coast — one of DC’s best-kept secrets, a neighborhood that residents have been trying to tell the rest of the city about for nearly 90 years.
Hillcrest is one of DC’s best-kept secrets. Located on the highest elevated ground close to the Capitol, it earned the nickname ‘The Silver Coast’ when it became one of Washington’s most desirable addresses for Black professionals.
Staying Near Hillcrest DC
Hillcrest has no major hotels — nearby Capitol Hill and Navy Yard have the closest options with Blue Line Metro access and easy car access to the neighborhood.
Kimpton The George
Capitol Hill boutique hotel — Blue Line to Benning Road, closest Metro to Hillcrest.
Check RatesHyatt Regency Capitol Hill
Large full-service Hyatt near the Capitol — Blue Line connection to the Hillcrest corridor.
Check RatesHampton Inn Convention Center
Reliable, free breakfast. Easy car or transit connection to Southeast DC.
Check RatesBrowse VRBO Near Southeast DC
Short-term rentals in Hillcrest and neighboring Ward 7 communities give you the genuine residential neighborhood experience.
Check RatesHillcrest is one of DC’s best-kept secrets — a neighborhood that residents have been trying to tell the rest of the city about for nearly 90 years with limited success. Located in Ward 7 on the highest elevated ground close to the Capitol, it earned the nickname ‘The Silver Coast’ in the mid-20th century when it became one of Washington’s most desirable addresses for Black professionals and families. Marvin Gaye lived here. Mayor Marion Barry lived here. The homes are brick colonials and wooden bungalows on tree-lined streets with spacious lawns and, from Westover Drive, views of downtown DC that most people don’t know exist.
Where Hillcrest Is
Southeast Washington DC, Ward 7, on elevated ground east of the Anacostia River near the DC-Maryland border. No Metro station directly in the neighborhood — closest 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 Silver Coast
When Hillcrest emerged as a Black middle-class neighborhood in the 1940s and 50s, residents nicknamed it ‘The Silver Coast’ — a reference to Crestwood on 16th Street NW, known as the ‘Golden Coast’ for its opulent architecture and Black professionals. The comparison was aspirational and accurate. Hillcrest offered the same suburban charm, larger lots, and community quality east of the Anacostia that Crestwood offered in upper Northwest.
The Architecture
Brick colonial homes and wooden bungalows with spacious lawns on tree-lined streets, primarily built between the 1930s and 1960s. Westover Drive SE is the pinnacle — exceptional views northeast toward downtown DC, premium prices, and homes that represent what Hillcrest’s founders envisioned. A collection of mid-century modern homes on Hillcrest Drive SE — designed in 1964, documented by DC’s Historic Preservation Office as part of the city’s mid-century heritage — represents another architectural layer.
Notable Residents
Marvin Gaye 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 here. 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.
The Honest Picture
Hillcrest residents are clear-eyed about their neighborhood. The homes are gorgeous. The views from Westover Drive 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 walkable retail and restaurant infrastructure. Grocery access requires leaving the neighborhood. Skyland Town Center — a major mixed-use development at Alabama Avenue SE, Naylor Road SE, and Good Hope Road SE — is delivering on retail that has been anticipated for years.
Getting Around From Hillcrest
By car: Near I-295 — downtown DC in about 15 minutes without traffic. By bus: Alabama Avenue SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE have Metrobus service. Metro: Benning Road and Capitol Heights (Blue Line) — bus connection required. See our DC Metro guide.
Hillcrest DC Quick Reference
- Location Southeast DC, Ward 7, elevated ground near DC-Maryland border
- Nickname ‘The Silver Coast’ — Black professional neighborhood since 1940s–50s
- Metro No direct station — Benning Road or Capitol Heights (Blue Line) via bus
- Architecture Brick colonials and bungalows, 1930s–60s, spacious lots
- Best street Westover Drive SE — downtown views, premium real estate
- Notable residents Marvin Gaye, Mayor Marion Barry, Congressman Dennis Kucinich
- Development Skyland Town Center — bringing retail to the Alabama Avenue corridor
- Best for Families wanting DC space, homebuyers, community-rooted living
- Honest gap Limited walkable retail — grocery and restaurants require driving
Bottom Line
Hillcrest is the DC neighborhood that has been making the same argument for 90 years — and is finally getting the audience it deserves. The homes are beautiful, the views are real, and the space is genuinely rare. The gap in walkable retail is real too. For buyers who want a DC address with actual breathing room, Hillcrest delivers.
For neighboring communities: Anacostia DC Guide · Deanwood DC Guide. Full city picture: DC Neighborhoods Guide.
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