AU Park, DC Neighborhood Guide: Things to Do & Fun Facts

Big trees, front porches, a world-class campus art museum, and a WWI secret buried down the street. Upper Northwest at its most charming.

BY EJF RENTALS · NORTHWEST DC · WARD 3 · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

A white colonial with black shutters, tucked behind ornamental grasses and hydrangeas.

AU Park feels like a small town that happens to sit on the Red Line.

Tucked between Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Western Avenues, American University Park is a grid of closely spaced colonials, Tudors, and bungalows under a thick canopy of oaks. Neighbors know each other by name, kids bike to Janney Elementary, and Tenleytown's shops and Metro station are a short stroll away.

AT A GLANCE

A 1920s Neighborhood That Never Went Out of Style

The W.C. and A.N. Miller company built most of AU Park in the 1920s, the same developer behind neighboring Spring Valley and Wesley Heights. A century later, it's still almost all single-family homes and still one of the most sought-after addresses in the District.

THINGS TO DO

Six Ways to Spend a Day in AU Park

AU Park is mostly quiet residential streets. The fun is in what's tucked around them.

The Katzen's curved limestone exterior, with sculpture out on the lawn.

A rainbow-speckled elephant standing guard outside one of AU's marble buildings.

WHERE TO EAT

The Regulars: Delis, Patios, and Margaritas

AU Park itself is residential, so locals eat a few blocks over in Spring Valley and Tenleytown. Start here.

Hours and menus change, so check before you head out.

FACTS

6 Things You Didn't Know About AU Park

1. A WWI chemical weapons lab was here. In 1917, the Army set up Camp Leach on AU's campus, where chemists developed and tested weapons including mustard gas. Buried munitions turned up in neighboring Spring Valley in 1993, kicking off an Army Corps of Engineers cleanup that lasted decades.
2. JFK gave a history-making speech on campus. On June 10, 1963, President Kennedy delivered "A Strategy of Peace" at AU's commencement, a Cold War turning point that helped lead to the Limited Test Ban Treaty.
3. The Nixons lived on Tilden Street. Then-Senator Richard Nixon and Pat Nixon bought a home at 4801 Tilden St. in 1951 for $41,000.
4. It's some of DC's highest ground. The neighborhood sits right next to Point Reno, the city's natural summit.
5. It's a diplomatic favorite. The Japanese ambassador's residence is here, and the former residence of Sweden's ambassador sits on Nebraska Avenue.
6. AU was chartered decades before its first class. Congress chartered American University in 1893, but classes didn't start until 1914.

A pop of pink on the plaza outside the Katzen Arts Center.

WHY IT MATTERS

Living and Renting in AU Park

Renters come for the space, the schools, and the quiet streets. Janney Elementary, Deal Middle, and Jackson-Reed High are all in-boundary public options. Faculty, grad students, diplomats, and families keep demand steady year round.

For owners, that means reliable interest and high expectations. These are mostly older homes, so maintenance, licensing, and tenant screening matter. That's where a local property manager earns their keep.

FAQ

AU Park, Answered

Where is AU Park in Washington, DC?

Upper Northwest DC (Ward 3), roughly bounded by Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Western Avenues. Tenleytown and Friendship Heights are to the east, and Spring Valley is to the southwest.

What Metro station serves AU Park?

Tenleytown-AU on the Red Line is closest. Friendship Heights, also on the Red Line, is an easy walk from the northern edge.

What kind of housing is in AU Park?

Almost entirely single-family homes, roughly 2,700 of them, mostly colonials, Tudors, and bungalows built from the 1920s onward.

Is AU Park a good place to rent out a home?

Demand is steady thanks to the university, nearby embassies, strong public schools, and Red Line access. Just make sure your rental is licensed with DC before you list it.