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Kingman Park Community Guide Real Estate An urban neighborhood with a suburban feel

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History and Flavor 

Named after Brigadier General Dan Christie Kingman, previous head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kingman Park has always been a project. The Army Corps of Engineers gained Congress’s backing in 1898 to begin dredging the Anacostia River to help make it more passable for commercial traffic. The resulting dredge was used to build up the muddy flats and eventually form dry land. 

Before 1920, the area was a mostly uninhabited forest near the city dump. Real estate developer Charles Sager started constructing homes on the vacant land that is now Kingman Park in 1927. The first 40 homes– built on 24th Street NE– were sold in July 1928.

Sager focused on selling homes to African Americans, so Kingman Park became the first D.C. neighborhood of single-family houses to be developed for middle-class African Americans. Most worked for the federal government. 

During the 1940s and 1950s, most African Americans moving to the neighborhood were blacks leaving the Deep South during the “Great Migration.”  

Today, Kingman Park sits near RFK Stadium and is home to many restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and parks.  Many mature trees and plants make this urban area a suburban feel.  The area is affordable and close to public transportation, making it a great place for young professionals looking for their first home. 

Entertainment

Parks & Sights

  • Kingman and Heritage Islands Park – The product of dredging the Anacostia River over 100 years ago is now home to important and rare ecosystems, including tidal freshwater wetlands, vernal pools, wildflower meadows, and tidal swamp forests. The islands are home to more than 100 different species of birds, mammals, and other wildlife. 
  • Kingman Park- Rosedale Community Garden – This community garden was founded in the Spring of 2005 to provide Kingman Park and Rosedale residents with a space for growing food and connecting with neighbors. 
  • Skate Park at RFK Stadium – A 10-year-old skatepark with over 15,000 square feet of space to give skateboard and scooter enthusiasts a safe place to work on their tricks. Open year-round, dawn to dusk.
  • The Fields at RFK Campus – A multi-purpose sports complex about two miles due east of the US Capitol Building, near the west bank of the Anacostia River. The Fields, completed in 2019 and operated daily by Capitol Riverside Youth Sports Park (CRYSP). The campus features three multi-purpose turf fields to accommodate kickball, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and more
  • RFK Stadium – With 45K plus seats, RFK Stadium is a 60-year-old multipurpose facility serving the D.C. area with top-notch music and sports.

Shopping/Restaurants 

Popular Shopping and Eats

  • Hechinger Mall – The dominant grocery-anchored shopping center in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC, is strategically located at the intersections of five heavily traveled traffic corridors.
  • Georgetown Park – is a 315,028 square foot, mixed-use, local icon between Georgetown’s two “Main Streets” and the historic C & O Canal.
  • Rainbow Shops – Shoes and clothes for all, plus some tech.
  • Ross Dress for Less – High-quality department and specialty store brands at extraordinary savings while providing an easy, fun, and organized shopping experience.
  • The Hill Cafe – Coffee and sandwiches. 
  • DC Capitol Square Bar & Grill –  Healthy comfort food in a diner is a reality at the DC Capitol Square Bar & Grill.

Schools

Best Public High Schools

Best Public Elementary Schools

Public Transportation

Buses/Trains

Stadium Armory Subway station

Bladensburg Rd NE & Maryland Ave NE Bus Stop

17th St NE & Benning Rd NE Bus Stop

Median Home Value

$610,393 as of 2021

Renters: 47%

Owners: 53%

Demographics

Population 10,091

Median household income –  $90,424

Median age: 33

Families with children – 21%

High school diploma or equivalent – 17%

College Degree: 76%

65% African American

28% Non-Hispanic White

7% Other

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