The well-known intersection of Florida Avenue NE and New York Avenue NE, also known as the “Virtual Circle” or “Dave Thomas Circle,” will soon be transformed to make it safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, and improved to include an inviting trio of thoughtfully-landscaped urban spaces for the community to enjoy.
In the coming weeks, the public will be invited to submit nominations to determine the overall name for the trio of new public spaces resulting from the FL-NY Intersection reconfiguration.
For inspiration, refer to the below historical background and some keywords to consider as you brainstorm. What you see below reflects the history of this part of the District that is known and recorded, but we recognize that there are many people and populations whose stories are not as well known, and we invite the public to consider and elevate the stories of those that might not otherwise be a part of this process. In fact, the suggestion for the name of NoMa’s Alethia Tanner Park (named after local historical figure Alethia Tanner) was brought forth as part of a similar community naming process, and the park has become a preeminent setting to tell Alethia’s story.
New York Avenue NE/Florida Avenue NE Intersection History
1700s
1791 – New York Avenue was planned as one of the original streets in the L’Enfant Plan – the original design for Washington D.C., while Boundary Street (later Florida Avenue) would serve as the boundary of the new federal city.
1792 – U.S. surveyor Andrew Ellicott would later revise and finish the L’Enfant Plan surveying the boundaries of the federal district (Territory of Columbia) and the smaller federal city (City of Washington). The New York Avenue NE/Florida Avenue NE intersection would fall immediately outside of the original federal city plan at its northeast border, neighboring what would become the Eckington neighborhood.
1815-2010
1815 – The Joseph Gales estate – the pre-existing Eckington/NoMa area, whose home, Eckington Manor, is its namesake, is subdivided into five (5) subdivisions: High View, McLaughlin’s Subdivision, West Eckington, Center Eckington, and Eckington (the future neighborhood name).
1878 – A building permit for a 2-story brick property was issued in the future tax parcel: Square 709, Lot 5 (the site of the future Wendy’s). The property owner Michael Esch, who resided nearby at 107 Florida Avenue NE, opened a Florist shop in the space.
1887 – Modern Eckington was platted as a residential subdivision in 1887 and developed by real estate entrepreneur George Truesdell. Eckington served as Washington’s first streetcar suburb on the Metropolitan Railroad line. As the second street railway line in DC, it served as the core of Washington Railway and Electric Company (WR&E) operations.
1890 – Boundary Street was renamed Florida Avenue.
1904 – An electric trolley line and railroad track converged at the intersection, serving as outposts of Eckington and Bladensburg, MD
1908 – The florist shop closed, and the building was converted to a station for the Washington Railway and Electric Company (WR&E).
1920s – With the decline of streetcar and trolley ridership and the rise of the automobile and buses, the station closed, and the site saw new life as Thomas J. Crowell’s fuel and auto body shop.
1949 – The fuel and auto body shop were converted to a Texaco gas station.
1980s – The property was acquired by another party, which turned the site into a restaurant leased by Wendy’s, owned/operated by a franchisee.
2010 – DDOT redesigned the traffic pattern of the intersection to operate as a partial traffic circle, or “virtual circle”, with one-way traffic on Florida Avenue NE, First Street NE, and O Street NE, and New York Avenue NE remaining as two-way traffic. The intersection would be unofficially known as “Dave Thomas Circle” by DDOT and locals – named after Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas and referencing Thomas Circle, 15 blocks to the west.
2019-2022
2019 – Mayor Muriel Bowser included $35 million in the District’s capital budget to complete the reconfiguration of the Florida Avene-New York Avenue NE (FL-NY) Intersection.
2021 – On Monday, September 20, 2021, the Wendy’s held its last full day of operation, closing doors the next day – Tuesday, September 21st, 2021. The operator vacated the property on September 30.
2022– As part of its annual mural festival, DC Walls, the NoMa BID commissioned local artists TRAV & EMJAY to paint a large-scale mural on the façade of the building.
Common Naming Conventions for DC Parks
- Named after the street the park/public space is on
- Named after a school or recreation center it is adjacent to
- Named after a neighborhood in which it is located
- Named after a historical figure of note
Naming Suggestions
Click on the tabs below to review each category of naming suggestions.

Green |
Crossing |
Commons |
Estate |
Forest |
Lawn |
Mall |
Plaza |
Ground |
Meadow |
Place |
Yard |
Thomas J. Crowell |
Andrew Ellicott |
Michael Esch |
Helen Shaw Fowler |
Joseph Gales |
Agatha Tiegel Hanson |
Edwin B. Henderson |
James G. Hill |
Mamie “Peanut” Johnson |
Amos Kendall |
Charles Bird King |
Pierre L’Enfant |
Loree Harris Murray |
George Truesdell |

Washington Railway & Electric Company |
Eckington Manor |
Tiber Creek |
Boundary Street |
Judd & Detweiler Printing |
Uline Arena |
Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company |
National Capital Press Company |
Woodward & Lothrop Services Warehouse |

McKinley Technology High School |
Metropolitan Branch Trail |
Gallaudet University |
Eckington Freight Yard |
Union Station |
NoMa |
Eckington |
Swampoodle |
Florida Avenue |
New York Avenue |
U.S. Route 50 |

Rail | Carriage |
Spike | Pullman |
Car | Depot |
Link | Station |
Railroad Ties | Buffer Stop |
Siding | Freight Yards |
Turning | Trolley |
Switching | Outpost |
Porter | Engine |
Locomotive |