1519 17th St NW - Annie's and JR's

From 1948 until 1985, this was the home of Annie's Paramount Steakhouse, a popular dining spot for the Dupont Circle gay community. In 1986, Travis Thorn opened JR's on the site of the first Annie's. That same year, JR's sponsored the first high heel drag race at midnight on Halloween. Twenty-five men raced in drag from JR's to the new Annie's, ran upstairs, drank a short and ran back down the street and back to JR's. Clinton Winter won the race and a bottle of champagne. The race has been run every year since, except 1992 when police closed the street.