American University Park is a neighborhood of Washington, DC named for the American University. AU Park, as it is often abbreviated, is situated against the Maryland border in the Northwest quadrant, bounded by Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Western Avenues. Tenleytown and Friendship Heights lie to the east, Embassy Park to the southeast, and Spring Valley —the actual home of the university—to the southwest. Politically, it is part of Ward 3 and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E.

Developed in the 1920s by the WC and AN Miller Company, which also developed Spring Valley and Wesley Heights, the neighborhood is almost entirely comprised of single-family homes. A wide variety of architectural styles are present, and most homes have been modified or expanded since the 1930s—homes rarely come onto the market. Although one of Washington's first tracts developed with the automobile in mind, the approximately 2700 homes are closely spaced, feature porches or stoops, and lack driveways, which boosters say contributes to community spirit.

Friendship Park, often called Turtle Park, serves as a center for community activity. Neighborhood landmarks include the Georgetown Day School, the chancery of the diplomatic mission of Japan, and the embassy of Sweden, and it was long popular among the diplomatic community. Affordable housing drew young families to AU Park starting in the early 1990s and remains highly desirable. Although more affordable than neighboring Spring Valley, larger homes in the neighborhood approached $1 million in 2005.

References

• Allen, Karen Tanner. "A Great Place to Settle, If Anyone Ever Leaves," Washington Post, June 19, 2004
• Couloumbis, Angela E. "Living and Learning At a Higher Level," Washington Post, February 10, 1996

External links

• Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E