For many, Georgetown is an idyllic centerpiece of the District’s charm. The community in Northwest has cobblestone streets, trendy boutiques and an alluring waterfront that have made it a neighborhood unlike any other in the city. It has been a D.C. tourism mainstay for years.
Founded four decades before the nation’s capital, Georgetown is in the National Register of Historic Places, becoming the first historic district in the city in 1950. Georgetown’s history is so revered that the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has jurisdiction over the design of buildings within the neighborhood. Any building within the boundaries of the historic district is subject to review by the Old Georgetown Board, which must approve any alterations visible from a public space.