Southeast, Washington, D.C.

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Color-enhanced USGS satellite image of Washington, D.C., taken April 26, 2002. The "crosshairs" in the image mark the quadrant divisions of Washington, with the U.S. Capitol at the center of the dividing lines. To the west of the Capitol extends the National Mall, visible as a slight green band in the image. The Northwest quadrant is the largest, located north of the Mall and west of North Capitol Street.

Southeast (SE or S.E.) is the southeastern quadrant of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, and is located south of East Capitol Street and east of South Capitol Street. It has a rich cultural history, including the historic Capitol Hill and Anacostia neighborhoods, the Navy Yard, the Anacostia River waterfront, the long-running open-air Eastern Market, the remains of several Civil War-era forts, historic St. Elizabeth's Hospital, RFK Stadium and the Congressional Cemetery. The quadrant is bisected by the Anacostia River, with the northwestern half sometimes referred to as "Near Southeast".

The population of Southeast is exceedingly African-American, particularly east of the Anacostia River. Despite overall high crime rates for the quadrant, there exist certain Black middle class neighborhoods, such as Hillcrest, Penn Branch, and Fort Dupont. Throughout the Southeast area (except for the gentrified Eastern Market area closest to the United States Capitol), basic shopping, dining, entertainment, and cultural facilities are very minimal and scanty, so that residents must travel either downtown or to the suburbs for such services. Cultural events/activities include the annual Martin Luther King Birthday parade, the free weekly summer jazz concerts in Fort Dupont Park, the Fort Dupont year ice-rink, the Anacostia Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, and the tennis and learning center for youth on Mississippi Avenue.

Politically, Southeast includes most of Ward 8, as well as much of Wards 6 and 7. Ward 8 is home to controversial former mayor Marion Barry.

The quadrant is known to many DC area residents as being plagued by a consistently high crime rate relative to the rest of the city. Public transit facilities are frequently targeted for vandalism. The Washington Post reported in 2003 that rock attacks on public buses were so common that bus drivers were instructed to wear safety goggles while traversing the quadrant.^[1]

Recently, some areas of the Southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. have undergone a reformation. In areas close to the United States Capitol Building housing values have risen dramatically and residents have been forced out of their homes by the increased cost of living. In up and coming areas such as Eastern Market, young professionals have created a high demand for restaurants and bars. The new Washington Nationals baseball stadium opened in March of 2008.

Southeast Washington is accessible via the Blue, Orange and Green Lines of the Washington Metro. The Anacostia article names several famous people native to Southeast.