About 14th & V
The First Busboys and Poets opened its doors on September 7, 2005, to a neighborhood - and city - eager to welcome a new kind of gathering place. Our flagship location at 14th & V Streets NW is located in the Langston Lofts, a residential building in Washington's historic 'U Street Corridor'. A partnership with local independent bookstore Politics & Prose was formed in 2015. In addition to running the bookshops, Politics & Prose brings additional author event programming to the Busboys and Poets event spaces.
The U Street Corridor has long been a center of DC's cultural and activist scene with places like the Lincoln Theatre, Howard Theatre, Bens Chili Bowl, Bohemian Caverns and other historic clubs and venues serving as the hub for politics and artistry. Until the 1920's (when it was overtaken by Harlem), the U Street area was home to the largest urban African American community in the United States. In its cultural heyday, the U Street corridor was known as "Black Broadway", a phrase coined by jazz singer Pearl Bailey. In 1968, the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr sparked rioting across many American cities. In Washington DC, the chaos began on the corner of 14th & U streets - as people smashed store windows, set buildings aflame and looted in outrage.
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14th & V
ADDRESS:
2021 14th St, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
PHONE:
202-387-7638 (POET)
FAX:
202-387-6138
HOURS:
Sunday 9:00 AM - 12:00 Midnight
Monday - Thursday 8:00 AM - 12:00 Midnight
Friday 8:00 AM - 1:00 AM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 1:00 AM
Click here for Bookstore Hours
DIRECTIONS:
Busboys and Poets is committed to promoting the use of sustainable transportation as a way to reduce local traffic congestion, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of driving, we hope you will consider some of the District’s alternative transportation options, which are all included on goDCgo.com’s interactive map.
Metrorail: The closest Metro station is the U Street/African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo station, accessible from the Yellow and Green Lines. It is a five minute walk from the station to Busboys and Poets. Head west on U Street, NW, toward 13th Street, NW.. Then turn right onto 14th Street, NW. We’re on the right.
Metrobus: Nearby Bus lines include the 52, 53, 54, 90, 92, 93, 96 and X3. For more information about these routes and the closest stops, visit the WMATA website.
DC Circulator: The DC Circulator bus runs every 10 minutes and only costs $1 each way. The Adams Morgan-Woodley Park-McPherson Square line serves the neighborhood surrounding our 14th and V Streets, NW location. Stops for the bus running in either direction are located near the intersection of U and 14th Streets, NW.
For more information about DC’s local bus service, visit www.dccirculator.com.
Capital Bikeshare: The District’s bikesharing program makes bicycles available to anyone. Simply take a bike from one of over 154 stations in DC and Arlington, and return it to a docking station near the restaurant. The closest docking stations are:
• 14th and V Streets, NW (across the street) - 25 Docks
• 16th and U Streets, NW (.3 mile) - 23 Docks
For more information about membership, fees and station locations, visit www.capitalbikeshare.com.
Bicycling directions: Biking to Busboys and Poets is easy using the District’s on-street bicycling facilities. You can reach them by using 14th St. NW’s bike lanes. They are accessible using the westbound bike lanes on T St. NW or the eastbound bike lanes on V St. Busboys and Poets is also just a short ride from the 15th St. cycle track. For more information about bicycling in DC, or to request a DC Bike Map, visit goDCgo’s Bicycle Page.
