Home > Newsroom > Golden Triangle Invites Public to Experience Urban Oasis Along its Sidewalks
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (June 27, 2024) A fresh rainbow of flowers and plants are jazzing up sidewalks in the Golden Triangle as part of an annual competition to create enchanting walkways and see which properties can display the most creative, beautiful, and sustainable tree box gardens.
The annual Golden Streets initiative encourages buildings within the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, the western portion of DC’s downtown, to go the extra mile to make the tree boxes alongside their properties colorful and appealing. This year’s theme is ‘urban oasis.’
The gardens flourish into the fall and encourage visitors and workers in the BID to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the neighborhood’s green spaces, according to Leona Agouridis, CEO of the BID.
“We love when people are out and about and taking advantage of all the great things happening in the Golden Triangle,” Agouridis said. “These gorgeous plantings brighten up everyone’s walk on the way to the office, doctor’s appointments, shopping, or grabbing a bite to eat, and are another expression of the creativity that characterizes our community.”
This is the first year that a winner was selected by popular vote. The new ‘People’s Choice’ winner was chosen in addition to the traditional approach of multiple ‘Judge’s Choice’ winners selected by a panel of expert judges that includes representatives from Dumbarton Oaks, Landscape Architecture Magazine, NBC4, and Smithsonian Gardens.
The 2024 GLDN+ Streets People’s Choice winner is 1900 K St. NW managed by JLL. The Judge’s Choice winners are 1025 Connecticut Ave. and 1120 Connecticut Ave. managed by Blake Real Estate; 1801 K St. managed by JLL; 1875 K St. managed by Carr Properties; and 1999 K St. managed by Cushman & Wakefield.
A total of 11 different properties participated this year in the competition that has been running continuously since 2011. Besides the beauty of the new plantings, the competition is intended to promote urban sustainability by supporting native and pollinator-friendly flowers and plants. Scattered educational signage informs passersby how they can create pollinator gardens at home.
Efforts to brighten up the neighborhood are only one small part of the BID’s work to add even more excitement to the western part of the District’s central office corridor.
The BID has taken a leading role in promoting pop-up art and theater events, first from the Rorschach Theatre, which has already staged three productions in the Golden Triangle, and then with Artomatic, which returned to the area in March with great success. The Rorschach team will be staging another play this fall called “Sleeping Giant.”
In addition, the Golden Triangle is home to the vast majority of the upcoming Capital Fringe Festival productions, which will take place in empty retail spaces along Connecticut Avenue NW between L and M Streets this July. The Golden Triangle is also hosting ‘Lunch Culture’ events in Murrow Park, showing off dance, theater, and music in free lunchtime events. Plus, the BID’s Farragut Field Days series is bringing lunchtime lawn games and friendly competitions to Farragut Square. More information about all those events can be found on the Golden Triangle website.
###
About the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District
Formed in 1998, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) enhances Washington, DC’s central business district, the 44-square-block neighborhood stretching from The White House to Dupont Circle. For more information, visit goldentriangledc.com and follow the BID on X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact Karyn Le Blanc at 202-497-4572 or karyn.leblanc@kglcommunications.com. And Vince Morris at 202-503-6802 or vince.morris@kglcommunications.com
