Shaw Main Streets

Shaw Wins Great American Main Street Award

Over 3 Billion Dollars and Counting: Development in Shaw

Shaw Wins Great American Main Street Award

Shaw Main Streets received the Great American Main Street Award, the Oscar for downtown commercial revitalization and historic preservation, at the Main Street Now conference in Milwaukee, WI on May 23, 2016.

The Vibrant Shaw Neighborhood

Primely located in the heart of Washington, DC, the Shaw neighborhood is a desirable place to live, dine, shop, drink, visit, and do business.

Over 3 Billion Dollars and Counting: Development in Shaw

Shaw has been transformed by over three billion dollars in development over the past decade.

See it. Do it. Share it.

See what's happening in Shaw, discover all you can do, and enjoy fun pics and quips as Shaw fans share their experiences on social media platforms. See it. Do it. Share it. #SeenInShaw

Eat, Drink and Shop in Shaw

The online business directory of Shaw Main Streets provides a great resource for those interested in learning about the diverse offerings of Shaw’s hundreds of small businesses.

What's Happening in Shaw

Call for Artists: Art All Night Shaw 2023, 09/30/23!
Artists and Performers of All Types are Invited to Participate in This Year’s Festival in Shaw.
Shaw First Friday Art Walk Events Start 06/02/23!
New monthly event debuts on Ellington Plaza, in front of the Howard Theatre
On June 14, 2023, Come Celebrate Shaw Main Streets’ 20th Anniversary and Eat and Drink Your Way Through the Shaw Neighborhood in One Night!
Enjoy food and drink from more than 20 of Shaw's best bars and restaurants at the Howard Theatre
Join Councilmember Pinto for an Earth Day Cleanup, 04/22/23!
Meet at Bundy Dog Park for Coffee, Pick Up Trash, Then Celebrate at Dacha Beer Garden Afterwards.
Shaw Main Streets Annual Meeting, 03/21/23!
Hear from DC leaders, see what SMS accomplished in 2022 and plans for 2023, and elect Board of Directors members. And you may win dinner for two at a new restaurant!

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Did You Know?

Shaw Main Streets has been helping Shaw’s commercial corridors bloom since 2003. And we’re not just referring to the 2,600 tulips we’ve planted on 9th Street during our annual bulb planting event: as a result of our direct support and assistance, the neighborhood is bustling, with new coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries, bars, yoga studios, pet stores, law firms, banks, bakeries, hair salons, boutiques, garden centers, tobacconists, and insurance agencies.

Our Generous Sponsors

Our Funders

Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streets program and is funded in part by the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Humanties DC are project sponsors.

2016 Great American Main Street Award Winner

Shaw Main Streets is the winner of the 2016 Great American Main Street Award and the 2015 Innovation on Main Street Award, both conferred by the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

As a Main Street America™ Accredited program, Shaw Main Streets is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America™ Accredited programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by the National Main Street Center.

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