Palisades
Palisades, or The Palisades, is a neighborhood that runs along the Potomac River, from the edge of the Georgetown University campus at Foxhall Road to the D.C.-Maryland border near the Delacarlia Treatment Plant. The main thoroughfare through the neighborhood is MacArthur Boulevard.
Palisades was first subdivided in 1893, following the plans of the Palisades Improvement Company. Servicing the area was the Great Falls Electric Railway, running from 36th and Prospect to Glen Echo. In 1896, the International Athletic Park and Amusement Company constructed a Bicycle Track and General Amusement Park on a large block of the neighborhood. In 1909, the Potomac Heights Land Company acquired the amusement park land at a reported cost of $1000 per acre. This land was divided into 800 lots, each costing about $500 with instructions that no home could be erected for less than $2500.
Today, Palisades is one of the lesser-known neighborhoods of Washington. Its housing is a mixture of detached houses, apartments, and townhouses. Homes along the bluff on Potomac Avenue are graced by a broad view of the Potomac River and the Virginia riverfront, and are often treated to spectacular sunset views. This neighborhood also boasts being home to a variety of popular restaurants with a vast array of cuisine from clam bar to Asian fusion.
