After years of decline, in the 1960s Dupont Circle was one of the hubs of Washington's counter-culture. Students and hippies occupied the dilapidated premises before the demolitions of the 1970s. The inhabitants then mobilised and the Circle and the part located north of T Street were designated as protected areas. The houses have been tastefully restored and the neighbourhood, with its trendy shops, bars and lively restaurants, has regained its prestige.