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Get to know Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill has been used as a shorthand for Congress for so long that many have forgotten it’s also the name of the largely residential neighborhood surrounding the landmarks. Of course, almost every major government institution is located here — starting with the United States Capitol, which sits on the very peak of Capitol Hill, along with the Senate and House office buildings, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Marine Barracks, and the Washington Navy Yard. Capitol Hill’s housing was initially built for members of Congress to use while serving in Washington; even today, it’s estimated that about a third of congresspeople stay in Capitol Hill. But plenty of non-politicians live in Capitol Hill as well, long-time residents who treasure the neighborhood’s walkability, the blocks of pretty rowhouses, and the knowledge that history is being made in their backyard.

Nearby Neighborhoods:

Living in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is a beautiful city with gorgeous architecture and a vibrant cultural life that also just happens to be the nation’s capital. Of course, Washington, D.C., is a company town — the company being the American government — but only a quarter of Washington, D.C., residents are federal employees, with the biggest employers being the major hospitals and universities. Washington, D.C., is an exemplar of urban planning, thanks to the vision of military engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant. L’Enfant’s plan symbolically put the people in charge by placing Congress, and not the White House, at the pinnacle of the city, with D.C.’s wide boulevards radiating out from the “People’s House” on Capitol Hill. L’Enfant also laid out the National Mall, which stretches for more than two miles from Capitol Hill to the Potomac River, creating a public space for marches, monuments, and museums.