When you emerge from the dark depths of the subway and receive a quick breath of fresh city air, you are quickly overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of U Street. Depending on where you are, you might smell coffee and an overwhelming aroma of chili and cheese coming from Ben's Chili Bowl as the cars whiz by. If you stand in front of Ben's Chili Bowl and look to your left, it's clear that urban renewal, which began in the mid-1990s, has been effective with many new buildings and luxury condominiums. However, if you look to your right, the drastic changes that U Street has undergone become apparent. Depending on who you ask, U Street could be a great club scene, an African American cultural epicenter, a historic neighborhood, or a very “shady” area. The fact of the matter is that U Street is all of these things, many different niches have been created throughout its history and now there is something for everyone in the U Street corridor, whether you are a history buff, interested in the theater arts , admirer of culture and food, or unfortunately a drug addict. However, U Street was not always what it is today, it has undergone many drastic changes throughout its existence. The demographics, culture, perception and institutions of U Street have changed and have been influenced by three specific instances; the riots of 1968, the construction of the subway in 1980 and the gentrification around 1990. Many people have glorified the vision of change. Barrack Obama was elected president thanks to his campaign calling for change. People believe that change is good and is always for the better. There will always be a debate about whether change is good or bad, but there is no escaping the fact that change will inevitably happen. CS Lewis believes that “……half of the document……ne 2005: n. page The New York Times. Network. 23 Oct. 2011.Kronholz, June. "A neighborhood worth exploring." The Wall Street Journal January 16, 2009: n. page The Wall Street Journal. Network. October 20, 2011.Kuan, Diana. “U Street, Adams Morgan hums again.” Boston Globe January 28, 2007: n. page Premier of academic research. Network. November 7, 2011.Lusane, Clarence Pipe Dream Blues: Racism and the War on Drugs SouthEnd Press, Boston 1991Ong, Ming. Personal interview. October 22, 2011. Ruble, Blair. Washington's U Street: A Biography. Baltimore: The Johns HopkinsUniversity Press, 2010. Print.Smith, Kathryn S. “Remembering U Street.” Washington History 9.2 (1998): 28-53. JSTOR. Network. October 23, 2011.Wilson, Frank Harold, Jr. Gentrify the Water and Sell Jim Crow. Diss. U of Michigan, 1985. Ann Arbor: UMI, 2002. 8512536. Academic Search Premier. Network. October 21st. 2011.