Most people know Washington DC’s Embassy Row – that center of diplomacy, culture and architecture on Massachusetts Avenue, but did you know our own Glover Park neighborhood hosts representation from eight nations along its own embassy row? The known Embassy Row stretches from the Naval Observatory to Dupont Circle along Massachusetts Avenue and is home to grand beaux-arts buildings, imposing high-walled compounds and flags and plaques from many nations. Glover Park’s embassy row (GPER) along a four block stretch of Wisconsin Avenue might not attract the tourists and probably would not be an exciting embassy crawl on open house day, but they can still work their diplomatic functions just the same. Here is a run-down of our GPER:
Russia
2650 Wisconsin Ave NW
Most DC residents are familiar with the imposing gated compound of the Russian Federation containing the recognizable tall white modernist-style building along with residences and a school constructed from 1979-85. Anatoly Antonov took over as ambassador to the U.S. in 2017 and it was recently reported by the New York Post that he has not spoken to Vladimir Putin since he was appointed. Politico reported that the embassy staffing is down to 170 now after about 100 have been expelled by the U.S. in recent months.
Switzerland
2201 Wisconsin Ave NW
While Switzerland has a large building at 2900 Cathedral Ave NW in the Woodley Park neighborhood, their main public location for access to consular services is in this Glover Park office building.
Afghanistan
2233 Wisconsin Ave NW
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (now known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan after the takeover by the Taliban in 2021) once had a stately, elegant building off Embassy Row at 2341 Wyoming Avenue, though without any diplomatic relations in the U.S. it has shut down and the property now is overseen by the U.S. government. In theory, they still maintain this consular services office in Glover Park even though the U.S. technically has ended all diplomatic relations here, yet the phone goes unanswered and the status of this office and the staff is up in the air.
Chile
2174 Wisconsin Ave NW
These red brick office condos house the Embassy of Chile Military, the sister office to their civil embassy located on Embassy Row in Dupont Circle. The military embassy is led by the Chilean Defense Attaché General Cristian Gueldelhoefer Erbetta. The army, navy, air force and police force are represented from this Glover Park office.
Burundi
2233 Wisconsin Ave NW
The Republic of Burundi runs its U.S. consular services, diplomatic relations and tourism promotion all from Glover Park with Ambassador H.E. Jean de Dieu NDIKUMANA at the helm.
Panama
2201 Wisconsin Ave NW
Panama maintains an embassy in Massachusetts Avenue Heights at 2862 McGill Terrace, but takes care of some consular services from its offices in Glover Park. Ambassador Juan R. De Dianous passed away last November and President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen recently appointed Ramón Martínez, currently the country's Minister of Commerce and Industries, to the post. Relations with Panama were strained last summer when the U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 "Do not travel" alert due to crime and Covid. They have since pulled that back to a Level 3 "Reconsider travel."
China
2201 Wisconsin Ave NW
The People’s Republic of China has the architectural centerpiece among about a dozen embassies on 47 acres of U.S. federal land known as the International Chancery Center up in the Van Ness neighborhood but takes care of a lot of its consular services to the public from the visa office in Glover Park. The location is so popular it has sprouted pop-up businesses including passport photos, visa consultation and a travel agency. The overcrowding and poor service, though, has resulted in mostly bad reviews online.
Serbia
2233 Wisconsin Ave NW
Ambassador Marko Djuric has headed this embassy of the Republic of Serbia since late 2020 and at 38 years old makes him one of the youngest ambassadors to the U.S. I wonder if Novak Djokovic has been spotted waiting in line, or getting lunch at Wingo’s while waiting for his paperwork.
Chris Jones
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