Uptown Main Street

About Us

Uptown Main Street is a community-driven organization that supports small and local business along 14th and Kennedy Streets NW.  UMS helps make our unique corner of the city a thriving place to live, work and invest.

Our Initiatives

Thanks to support from donors like you, Uptown Main Street is able to host a full suite of programming to bring excitement to our historic main streets! 

Storefront Improvement Program
Our program gives out small grants to business owners who improve their storefronts  By providing funding for small improvements, businesses are able to attract more customers and improve the appearance of the street.

One-on-one Technical Assistance 
Consulting
Running a small business is hard work and UMS is here to help!  Businesses are paired with technical assistance consultants to employ new marketing strategies, expand their business or solve technical issues.  

Small Biz Sessions

Our group technical assistance sessions, called Small Biz Sessions, bring together our small business owners to learn about specific topics with their peers.  These sessions are hosting monthly and offered in both English and Spanish.

Community Events

At Uptown Main Street, we believe that events build community.  This is why we host events to bring people together along our commercial corridor.  In 2018 we hosted five events that brought more than 3,000 people Uptown!

Historic Preservation Efforts

The Main Street approach to community development is centered about efforts that acknowledge and celebrate the history of our neighborhoods.  All work is done according to design guidelines developed by community members.

The Importance of Community

Community plays a part in all we do.  From planning our programming to providing support for our events, community members help us bring the Main Street vision to life in our neighborhood.     

Consider supporting one of our campaigns and 

joining our community of supporters.