The Logan Circle Shooting Shook a ‘Special’ Neighborhood

Greg Page, a Logan Circle resident of 20 years, describes his neighborhood as a place people move to and then want to stay for life.

“What’s special about it is the connectivity with the people and community. … You go into restaurants and become familiar with the waitstaff,” Page said Thursday while walking his dog. He pointed to a nearby bagel spot. “I mean, Call Your Mother over there is a weekly visit.”

Any given day, the walkable neighborhood is packed with people grabbing a bite at Le Diplomate or catching a concert at Black Cat. Tourists and residents stop and delight at the everchanging Barbie Pond, and commuters make their way up and down its high-traffic bike lanes.

On Thursday morning, its streets went eerily silent and its sidewalks were empty of passersby as law enforcement swept in to respond to an active shooter who killed one person and injured four others at and around VIDA Fitness.

The area quickly drew national attention as a neighborhood a mile from the White House. But it’s long been much more than that: It’s a social hub for many people and a home base for the LGBTQ+ community. The highlight of the neighborhood is the 14th Street corridor, a high-energy stretch of popular restaurants, bars and clubs, many of which are local institutions.

Hunter, a resident of the area who declined to give his last name, described the neighborhood as a “pretty perfect place to live.” He pointed to the “booming” weekend bar scene, which provides a nice counterbalance to the more residential parts of the neighborhood.

“I see the same people, I recognize people’s dogs,” Hunter, who said he has lived in the neighborhood for a year, told The Sun. “It has become home pretty fast.”

In the aftermath of the shooting, which stemmed from a condominium legal dispute, local officials highlighted how central the LGBTQ+ community is to the neighborhood. D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto, who represents the ward that includes Logan Circle, said VIDA has “become a really safe gathering space for so many in our LGBTQ community.”

“Logan Circle and Dupont Circle are traditionally gayborhoods and are filled with so many in our LGBTQ community,” Pinto said.

At a vigil in Logan Circle on Thursday night, Marty O’Brien, a resident of the neighborhood, said he often likes to sit at the circle to people-watch.

“I’m really most worried about the employees,” said O’Brien, adding that he joined VIDA Fitness this week. “I feel for the VIDA folks. I think this is going to hit them hard.”

Another resident, who attended the vigil but who declined to give their name, said that people wearing everything from sweatpants to work attire ended up sheltering in the neighborhood’s Whole Foods for hours after the shooting. Store employees passed out free water and snacks, he said.

As he spoke, vigil attendees wrote letters on a park bench to deliver to the local businesses and first responders who helped after the shooting.

It’s common to spot people around Logan Circle running errands or putting books in and out of little libraries. Businesses tend to put out water bowls for dogs.

“The nightlife on 14th has never been an issue, and it probably is the biggest strength,” said Colin Cool, Logan Circle Main Street manager with the economic development nonprofit District Bridges. “Foot traffic has never really been an issue. Popularity has not been an issue. Frankly, safety hasn’t even been an issue — until today.”

Cool listed off several recognizable area gay bars, such as Trade and Number Nine, that draw crowds each weekend, calling them “popular, trusted, community-oriented, queer-friendly establishments” that are essential to Logan Circle’s identity. He also said the area is a “very young, very health-oriented” neighborhood, noting that wellness businesses — such as salons, gyms and workout studios — are among the most common offerings.

Thursday’s shooting was jarring to many residents, who are used to living in an area that has reported less crime in the past year than surrounding neighborhoods, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

One resident, Eliot Fuller, who moved to Logan Circle in February, described the neighborhood as “lively” but said he felt a “sense of shock” in the air.

“It’s always felt really safe, even today,” Fuller said as he walked past the Whole Foods with a friend. “But people feel shaken. It’s a little more somber.”