Meridian Hill Park

Statue of Jeanne d'Arc, Meridian Hill Park

I've been taking lots of photos on recent walks around town but didn't have room for everything in a previous blog post (A midsummer miscellany) so here's a bit more.  Virtually unknown to non-residents is Meridian Hill Park, dubbed "Malcolm X Park" by local activists and still known by that name to some city residents, albeit not officially (or even acknowledged) by the National Park Service.

Like much of the city, the park fell on hard times in the 1970's and 1980's.  Even in the early 1990's, when I first moved to DC, it had a reputation for being unsavory and unsafe.  Perhaps symbolic of its renaissance, the statue of Jeanne d'Arc has recently been restored with a replica of her long-missing sword.


Meridian Hill Park


Meridian Hill Park

Meridian Hill Park runs parallel to 16th Street as it goes uphill from the Dupont Circle neighborhood to Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights.  The upper level of Meridian Hill Park is one of the highest points in the city, commanding a breathtaking view of the city... or at least, it used to.  An apartment building just south of the park, built in the 1970's, ruined the formerly unobstructed view of downtown Washington.  Hundreds of local residents still gather there on the Fourth of July to watch the fireworks display on the National Mall downtown, which are visible above the building.  A long cascade tumbles down the hill, although the armillary sphere that was once at the bottom is long gone and apparently lost.

Although my photos were taken on a quiet Saturday evening, on Sundays the park comes alive.  The Sunday drum circle is (locally) famous, drawing dozens of drummers and a large audience (many of them dancing), but on a recent Sunday stroll through the park I also found people walking dogs, playing frisbee, slacklining, and even a large yoga class.


Meridian Hill Park


Meridian Hill Park, cascade


Meridian Hill Park, looking down the cascade



The park is still somewhat run down, the gardens largely neglected and the trees now mature and overgrown, but it's still refreshing to see new life in this urban park.  Listening to the drums and joining that crowd that had gathered to watch and dance, I got goosebumps as I realized I was listening to the beating heart of Washington, DC, and it's still going strong.