F Street shopping district

F Street, N.W. has historically been the heart of the Washington, D.C. downtown shopping district, which also extends to nearby streets. In the first half of the 20th century there were numerous large department stores along and near F Street.[1][2] Transportation by Washington, D.C.'s streetcars, first horse-drawn, then electrified, notably the busy transfer point at F and 9th, helped solidify this area as D.C.'s most popular shopping district during that time.[3]

Former Hecht's department store located at 7th and F Streets NW from 1924 to the 1980s.
Addition to former flagship of Lansburgh's department store (built 1916-24), 8th and E
Woodward & Lothrop flagship, 10th and F, circa 1910s
Woodward & Lothrop Flagship Building 2019, home to Forever 21, Zara, and H&M
Woodward & Lothrop Flagship Building 2019, closeup of restored bas-relief
Former Garfinckel's Department Store at 14th and F

Although Macy's is the only traditional department store left, the district is home to four discount department stores, three small malls or shopping centers, and many on-street retail stores such as H&M, Anthropologie, etc.

From east to west (all in the N.W. quadrant):

  • on F from 6th to 7th, south side, the former flagship of Hecht's department store[4]
  • on Gallery Pl. (G St.) from 6th to 7th, Gallery Place, a small urban power center with Bed, Bath & Beyond, Urban Outfitters, and Regal Cinemas
  • on E west of 8th, south side, former Lansburgh's department store (1882–1973)[5][6]
  • on D from 8th to 9th, south side, site of the former Kann's department store (1893–1975)[7][5]
  • on the block bounded by H, I, 9th and 10th streets, CityCenterDC shopping center, housing luxury boutiques (Hermès, etc.)
  • on the block bounded by F, G, 10th and 11th streets, former flagship of the Woodward & Lothrop department store chain (1887–1996). Reopened in 2003 housing H&M, Forever 21 and Zara.[5]
  • on E from 11th to 12th, Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off Fifth discount department stores
  • on F from 12th to 13th, north side, T.J. Maxx discount department store
  • on G from 12th to 13th, north side, Macy's department store (was a Hecht's, built to replace the flagship, operated 1985-2006)[8]
  • on F from 13th to 14th, south side, Marshalls discount department store
  • on Pennsylvania Avenue from 13th to 14th, The Shops at National Place, formerly a small urban mall, now with a few retail shops and a food court
  • on F, NW corner of 14th, former flagship of Garfinckel's department store (1930–1990)[9][5]

References
  1. "Downtown Washington Greets Shriners". Evening Star (Washington, D.C.). June 10, 1935. F Street is perhaps the principal shopping and theater district of Washington…included in the general F Street shopping district is G Street
  2. "Coolidges shop and make calls". Evening Start (Washington, D.C.). March 1, 1921.
  3. Washington, D. C., Architecture: Market Square. Urban Design and Development Corporation and the Historic American Building Survey, United States Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service. p. 7. Transportation by street cars, at first horse drawn, then electrified, hastened the trend and made this street Washington's fashionable shopping district. By the 1920's the intersection of F and Ninth Streets was the busiest 19 transfer point
  4. http://www.streetsofwashington.com/2020/01/the-hecht-company-last-of-dcs.html
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=4q6fBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA24
  6. https://www.loc.gov/item/dc0654/
  7. https://www.loc.gov/item/dc0157/
  8. http://www.streetsofwashington.com/2020/01/the-hecht-company-last-of-dcs.html
  9. http://www.streetsofwashington.com/2009/12/15th-and-f-streets-nw-revisited.html
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