Hillcrest 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 in Southeast DC 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 — a southeast counterpart to Crestwood’s “Golden Coast” on 16th Street NW. 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. The secret is getting out slowly. Hillcrest isn’t waiting for the rest of the city to catch up.
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, and the architecture reflects that aspiration.
Westover Drive SE is the pinnacle of Hillcrest’s real estate — a street named after the suburban neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, with 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
Hillcrest’s “Silver Coast” identity attracted some of DC’s most prominent Black 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: What Hillcrest Has and What It Doesn’t
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, and to the Maryland suburbs quickly. Most residents drive for daily errands.
By bus: Alabama Avenue SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE have Metrobus service connecting to downtown and neighboring communities. Not fast, but functional for residents without cars.
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.
🏨 Staying Near Hillcrest?
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.
Quick Reference: Hillcrest DC
- 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 — views of downtown, 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
📘 Getting Around Southeast DC
Hillcrest is car-dependent but well-connected by I-295. The DC Parking & Towing Survival Guide covers every zone in the city — useful when you’re visiting neighborhoods across DC from Hillcrest.