For newbies to the region, H Street was the site of intense rioting after the assassination of Martin Luther King Junior in 1968. Things got so bad in DC that Lyndon B. Johnson sent the National Guard into the streets. The Atlas managed to survive the chaos, but as the picture* below of a guardsman holding an M19 rifle at the corner of H and 7th Streets demonstrates, there was plenty of destruction to go around.
Although the suburban exodus from DC began soon after the end of World War II, the riots hastened the decline in neighborhoods like H Street and U Street (also the site of intense rioting). H Street was never without its charms, however. The picture** below was taken in 2010 before gentrification hit the area like a ton of bricks.
* Photographer Unknown. Warren K. Leffler / Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-04301
** Carol M. Highsmith. Warren K. Leffler/ Library of Congress, LC-DIG-highsm-09816
The Atlas is a great venue for seeing live music. I perform there regularly (~5x per year) with a community orchestra - they have a wide array of programs that cater to music/dance buffs as well as families. Tickets are reasonably priced - perhaps higher than what you might expect but definitely lower than performances at the Kennedy Center or similar venues. Some groups (e.g., the Capital City Symphony) offer free tickets for kids, as well as dinner/drink specials at area bars and restaurants.
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear Chris! Let us know when you're playing there next and I'll make a note on the blog!
ReplyDeleteHere you go: our next performance is an encore of our "Go-Go Symphony" concert on Friday, June 27. I'm still on the fence whether or not I will be playing, but either way the CCS appreciates the promotion :)
ReplyDeletehttp://capitalcitysymphony.org/8-performances-events/41-go-go-symphony