18th, M & Connecticut: What Do You Call It?

Map It:  Dupont Circle   Farragut North 

THIRTY YEARS AFTER METRORAIL lines started to spread out from the center of the city, various neighborhoods took the name of the nearest station, whether it matched up with the original neighborhood or not. For example, little Friendship Heights grew to eat up parts of Chevy Chase and North Cleveland Park became "Van Ness."

But in D.C.'s central business district, there is a busy crossroads with its own identity that's wedged between two stations on the Red Line, Dupont Circle and Farragut North. Which begs the question: What do you call the spot where Connecticut Avenue meets 18th and M streets NW. The odd intersection is home to a collection of popular nightclubs, bars and office buildings and is normally busy at all hours of the day and night, whether its populated with 9-5 office types or after-hours clubbers.

But then again, the intersection does belong to a neighborhood of sorts: the Golden Triangle. The business improvement district, which is celebrating its 10th year of existence, includes the intersection on its eastern edge. Since the Golden Triangle takes in the south end of Dupont Circle and Farragut Square, the district's branding can be easily confused with the proper names of surrounding neighborhoods.

Golden Triangle's executive director, Leona Agouridis, tells Express that her organization's primary mission is to keep the area clean and presentable for the approximately 150,000 people that work within its boundaries, which extend west roughly to New Hampshire Avenue and south to Pennsylvania Avenue. Name recognition is another matter entirely.

"We haven't tapped into that identity," Agouridis said. At least not yet.

While sidewalk banners and street-level Golden Triangle "ambassadors" are probably the BID's most recognized elements, Connecticut Avenue is poised to become more of an identifiable draw for the area.

Later this year, Golden Triangle will put out what's called a Request for Qualification, a move that will eventually invite proposals for a streetscaping revamp between Dupont Circle and Farragut Square. With that, Agouridis said, her organization is starting to work with its members to see what can be done to improve Connecticut Avenue's retail component to give the corridor more signature shopping options.

And the intersection where the grand avenue meets 18th and M streets, would serve as an important focal point, considering its triangle park and varied architecture.

But if you're an average club-goer standing in line outside MCCXXIII, at right, or a cubicle-dweller working above the Brooks Brothers, what do you call the neighborhood you're in?

Express went out on the street for a sidewalk survey, and sentiments were, not totally unexpectedly, mixed.

George Calhoun of Potomac considers it "halfway between Dupont Circle and Farragut," even though "it technically is Golden Triangle. ... If you called it Golden Triangle, I'd know what you meant, but I don't really call it that."

Glenn Isaac of Northwest D.C. calls it Dupont Circle because "from M Street on [northward], that's what I consider Dupont Circle."

Kerr Mone, who works at the intersection, calls it Golden Triangle: "I see the signs everywhere, so that's what it's called."

Mark Wold of Cathedral Heights doesn't take the signs as gospel: "I've been here 9 years, and it's not the Golden Triangle." He says the area is part of Dupont Circle.

Just don't try to use the word "Farragut." A woman, who would only give her first name of Michelle, said she hates the name of the Civil War naval hero, although she usually names neighborhoods based on their Metro stops: "S***, I don't say Farragut North."

So what about a totally new name? How about Longfellow Triangle? Much like Dupont Circle, it would take its name from a statue — that of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which sits in the middle of the triangle park. That will likely never catch on, but feel free to throw out your suggestions in comments.

With contributions from Gabe Nelson
Photo of people in line at club MCCXXIII by Preston Keres/The Washington Post