D.C. Ward 8 Neighborhood Guides

Anacostia

Eat:

•  $6 fried chicken or a $7 fish sandwich from Open Crumb, a scratch kitchen from the son of the former owners of the Ghana Cafe.
• Pizza from Mama’s Pizza Kitchen, a beloved woman-owned pizzeria.
• Steak and cheese sandwich from 6Co Eatery, a small Black-owned takeout spot along MLK Jr Ave.
• Vegan food from ELife Restaurant, a local chain with a location inside the Anacostia Arts Center. 

Drink:

• Grounded Matcha, a latte with matcha, butterfly pea, pistachio, vanilla, and oat milk, from Grounded, a Black-women owned coffee shop/plant store with a wellness studio that hosts yoga and other classes.
• Smoothies from the original location of Turning Natural, a Black woman-owned juice bar with locations throughout the city. 

Do:

• Find murals at Murphy’s Auto Body, across the street from the new Bread for the City building, Paramount Market, and 2420 MLK Jr Ave SE by local artists like Cory Stowers, Eric Brometheus and JAH ONE. (12 new murals went up in 2024, find them all here.)
• Learn about an important part of the city’s history by visiting the Frederick Douglass House. Enjoy the view of the city from the front porch.
• Shop local at the Anacostia Arts Center, a community space with an art gallery and local black‑owned businesses like Vintage and Charmed Classic Clothing, a clothing and accessories store.
• Skate to local DJs on weekend evenings at nearby Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion, the city’s only outdoor skating rink.

See:

• Art at the Honfleur Gallery, a gallery that’s been part of the D.C. community since 1983.
• The Big Chair, once considered the world’s tallest chair, along MLK Jr Ave and V Street SE.
• Call box with “Heroes” inspired in front of DC Fire & EMS Station Engine 15.
• Murals by Candice S. Taylor, Mia DuVall and MISS CHELOVE along MLK Jr Ave near V Street SE honoring women of color who fought for women’s suffrage.
• Unobstructed view of the city’s skyline from the parking lot of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, a historically Black parish on the site of a former Civil War defense.
• Watch a performance at the Anacostia Playhouse, a black box theater that moved to the neighborhood from H Street NE in 2013.
• We Act Radio, an activist radio station that airs its programming from their storefront.

Barry Farm

Eat:

• Food from nearby Sandlot Anacostia, a Black-owned cultural space with rotating Black-owned food options, when it reopens.
• Pizza from nearby Mama’s Pizza Kitchen, a beloved pizzeria in Anacostia. 

Drink:

•  Coffee from nearby Starbucks, a community Starbucks with friendly vibes and local murals inside by Aniekan Udofia.

Do:

• Donate non-perishable food to the small public pantry outside FAN DC, a local non-profit.
• Fix a car tire at Distad’s Tire & Auto, a beloved neighborhood tire shop.
• Learn about history at Campbell AME Church, an 1867 congregation pivotal in helping to end segregation in public schools.
• See murals honoring Southeast D.C. by local artist Mia DuVall along the building near nearby Sandlot Anacostia.
• Take your kids to the Barry Farm Recreation Center, a facility with an indoor pool and waterslide and a space-themed outdoor playground.
• Volunteer at Martha’s Table, a non-profit fighting for a more equitable city for 40+ years. 

See:

• Macedonia Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist church in the area organized in 1866.
• “Many Voices, Many Beats, One City” mural by Cory Stowers and others along MLK Jr Ave SE and Howard Road SE.
• Murals of Black heroes by 3NUF86 at 2500 MLK Jr Ave SE. (Don’t miss the powerful mural on the other side of the building.)
• “River Spirits of the Anacostia” mosaic art by Martha Jackson Jarvis at the Anacostia Metro Station.
• View of D.C.’s skyline from where Douglass Road SE and Douglass Place SE meet.
• Washington Monument and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge from the field behind Barry Farm Dwellings, public housing built during World War II currently up for redevelopment.

Bellevue

Eat:

• Breakfast platter of gluten-free pancakes and veggie sausage from Secrets of Nature Health Food Centers, a Black-owned health food store.

Drink:

• Sea moss smoothie from Secrets of Nature Health Food Centers.

Do:

• Box at Bald Eagle Recreation Center, one of the few recreation centers in the city with a boxing program.
• Take your kids to Fort Greble Park, the site of an old Civil War fort with a fort-themed playground.
• Walk along the Oxon Run Trail, which runs parallel to Oxon Run (a creek).

See:

• Old murals on the sides of the Bald Eagle Recreation Center.
• Unique architecture at William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Neighborhood Library, designed by the same man who did the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• View of Alexandria’s skyline from the DC Metropolitan Police Academy.

Buena Vista

Eat:

• Breakfast sandwiches from nearby Roy’s Steak & Subs, a mom-and-pop cafe inside Shipley Super Market.
• Half chicken at nearby Sardi’s Pollo A La Brasa, a Peruvian restaurant just across the border in Temple Hills, Maryland.

Drink:

• Milkshake from nearby Roaming Rooster, a Black-owned fried chicken sandwich shop up the road.

Do:

• Learn more about Washington, D.C. and its people at the nearby Anacostia Community Museum, the only community Smithsonian museum.
• Picnic at the nearby Oxon Run Neighborhood Park just across the Maryland border.
• Take your kids to the playground at nearby Douglass Community Center, a community space with murals and trees that honor abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

See:

• “Carryout Kids” murals by Nia Keturah Calhoun on the abandoned building at 2817 Buena Vista Terrace SE.
• “Pod Trees for Naylor” sculpture by Robert Cole at the nearby Naylor Street Metro Station.

Congress Heights

Eat:

• Crab cake sandwich from MLK Deli, a popular shop in the basement of a rowhouse.
• Crab fries from Dionne’s Good Food, one of the stands inside Sycamore & Oak, a retail village with Black-owned businesses and an events space.
• Mac & cheese from Tricey’s D.C., an Afro-Caribbean food stand inside Sycamore & Oak.
• Mumbo sauce at Hong Kong Delite, a Chinese takeout spot.

Drink:

• Cocktails from the bar inside Sycamore & Oak.
• Coffee from Buna Talk Cafe, a family-owned coffee stand serving Ethiopian coffee inside Sycamore & Oak.
• Oreo milkshake from Corner Cafe, a small cafe that also serves popular breakfast items.
• Specialty lemonade from MLK Deli. 

Do:

• Buy fresh produce at the intersection of Elm Street SE and MLK Avenue SE at Ward 8 Farmers Market, the area’s oldest grassroots farmers market open Saturdays 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
• Honor Go-Go music at Darius Hill and M0N2‘s mural on the side of Liff’s Market.
• Learn to line dance every Tuesday evening at Sycamore & Oak.
• Shop for Black art, decor, and wearables from woman-owned Anacostia Art Gallery & Boutique, a gallery and boutique located inside a house open Thursdays-Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Swim at the Ballou Aquatic Center open Monday through Friday from 6-8 a.m. and 5-9 p.m.
• Take your kids to the Congress Heights Recreation, a space with a playground, courts, and more. For another enclosed playground, head to Sycamore & Oak.
• Wander the Saint Elizabeths East campus, the redevelopment of the country’s first federally operated psychiatric hospital.
• Watch the Washington Mystics play a basketball game at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
• Workout at WeFitDC, the first local gym East of the River.

See:

• Activist Dorothy Heights mural by KaliQ next to a 1901 firehouse on the 3200 block of MLK Ave SE.
• Artwork by Chris Pyrate on a shipping container next to 3203 MLK Ave SE.
• Browse books at the Little Free Library at the HQ of Ward 8 Woods Conservancy, an organization working to restore 500 acres of forest in Ward 8.
• Call box with local art near a Capital Bikeshare dock at the intersection of MLK Ave SE and 5th Street SE.
• Clock tower on the 1897 school building at 4 Randle Pl SE.
• Local art inside Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center, a cultural and arts center that hosts regular events on a mission to build community in Wards 7 + 8.
• Mural of Lauryn Hill by The Jackson Brand in a family’s backyard on the 700 block of Malcolm X Ave SE.
• Paintings of Black heroes along the wall outside of Eagle Academy near Oxon Run Park, the city’s largest DCDPR park.
• View of the city during the winter at Fort Carroll, the site of a Civil War defense.

Douglass

Eat:

• Burrito from the Chipotle at The Shops at Park Village.
• General Tso chicken and mumbo sauce from Eddie and Eddie Leonard Carryout. 

Drink:

• Coffee from the DC Central Kitchen Cafe inside nearby THEARC, a space for nonprofits, a theater and farm.

Do:

• Read quotes by Frederick Douglass at the Frederick Douglass Community Center.
• Shop fresh produce at the farmers market at nearby THEARC every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June through November.
• Take music classes with Levine Music or ballet with the Washington Ballet inside nearby THEARC.

See:

• Cross made from glass panels on the side of His Church, one of several churches in the neighborhood.
• Frederick Douglass mural at the Douglass Community Center.
• Local art at The Phillips Collection gallery inside nearby THEARC.
• Mosaic animal art at the nearby THEARC Farm.
• Murals near the community garden at Turner Elementary School.
• Trees representing the four states on Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey’s journey to freedom at the Douglass Community Center.
• View into Alexandria from Frederick Douglass Place SE and Tubman Road SE.

Fairlawn

Eat:

• Crab cake sub from Moruss Seafood & Crab House, a neighborhood seafood market and takeout spot.
• Drunken noodles from Thai Orchid’s Kitchen, a family-owned restaurant on a mission to introduce Thai food East of the River.
• Fried chicken and mumbo sauce at Good Hope Carry-Out, a 1984 takeout-only spot.
• Mumbo wings from nearby Kitchen Savages, a restaurant that provided hospitality training to youth.

Drink:

• Coffee from nearby Busboys and Poets, a local restaurant chain with a bookstore and regular events.
• Thai iced tea at Thai Orchid’s Kitchen.

Do:

• Hike along the Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail, a trail that passes several sites of Civil War forts.
• Run along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, a long path that goes into Maryland.
• Skate at the Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion, which offers free skate rentals.
• Swim in the pool open summers at the Anacostia Recreation Center.
• Take your kids to the Anacostia Neighborhood Library‘s “Play & Explore,” an interactive program with toys every Monday at 10 a.m.

See:

• Car mural by Hamilton Glass at Murphy’s Auto Body.
• Holiday tree lighting every December at Triangle Park where Minnesota Ave. and Marion Barry Ave SE meet.
• “Deeply Rooted” mural by Maxx Moses at 2314 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
• Frederick Douglass mural near Bread for the City’s new building.
• Giant map of the USA behind the Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion.
• “Hope and Dream Under Glory” sculpture by Victor Ekpuk at Boone Elementary School.
• Modern art at The Nicholson Project, an artist residency in a 1903 rowhouse with an art gallery, garden, and sculptures.
• Seven murals by local artists and youth thanks to Capital Hill Boys Club, a non-profit empowering youth through the arts, on the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue SE.

Garfield Heights

Eat:

• Chicken wings from nearby Roy’s Steak & Subs, a popular takeout spot with breakfast platters and lunch subs.

Drink:

• Coffee from nearby DC Central Kitchen Cafe at THEARC, a cafe that’s also a job training program.
• Wine from LAX Wine and Spirits, a spacious liquor and wine store. (Remember to drink responsibly.)

Do:

• Honor history at nearby Allen Chapel AME Church, considered the oldest church in Southeast D.C.
• Learn how to do ballet at the nearby Washington Ballet THEARC, a location run by the city’s largest ballet company.
• Take your kids to nearby Fort Stanton Recreation Center, the site of a pool, courts, and a Civil War fort-themed playground.
• Visit the nearby Anacostia Community Museum, a Smithsonian museum with regular exhibits, a seasonal Saturday farmers market, and green space with picnic tables outside.

See:

• Color on the outside of Rocketship Rise Academy Public Charter School.
• Garfield Elementary School, a 1908 building designed by prominent Black architect William Sidney Pittman.
• Local art at the Phillips Collection gallery inside the nearby THEARC: Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus.
• View of the city skyline from the woods behind nearby The Farm at Fort Stanton, a urban farm on a hill.

Knox Hill

Eat:

• Western omelet at nearby Roy’s Steak & Subs, a popular breakfast takeout spot inside a strip mall.

Drink:

• Coffee from nearby DC Central Kitchen Cafe at THEARC, a small cafe with murals inside.

Do:

• Honor local history at the Southeast 4 Boundary Stone, among the city’s oldest federal monuments once marking the district boundary.

See:

• Historic “Girls Entrance” sign on Garfield Elementary School, an old brick building undergoing renovation.
• Paintings on shipping containers in the parking lot of Knox Hill Apartments, a large brick apartment building built in the 1980s.

Navy Yard

Eat:

• Breakfast scallion pancakes at Any Day Now, an all-day cafe with Wi-Fi and plenty of seating.
• Coal-fired mushroom hummus from Albi, a Michelin-star Levantine restaurant.
• Crispy chicken sandwich from AmperSandwich, the popular sandwich concept inside the Shilling Caning Company.
• Pizza from Andy’s Pizza, a family-owned, award-winning pizzeria inside Atlas Brew Works.
• Sandwiches from the deli inside Cornercopia, a corner market.
• “Tikka Chance On Me” bowl from Rasa, a fast casual Indian restaurant with a stunning blue door.
• Tripleta (three meat sandwich) at La Famosa, a Puerto Rican cafe.

Drink:

• Craft cocktails at Trouble Bird, one of the area’s first cocktail bars.
• German beer at the brig, an outdoor beer garden with TVs.
• Sour ale from Bluejacket, one of the city’s longest-standing craft breweries.

Do:

•  Attend an event at Sandlot Southwest, a Black-owned cultural event and shipping container bar.
• Ice skate at Canal Park, an outdoor rink that opens in November.
• Learn about restoring the Anacostia River at Earth Conservation Corps inside a 1906 pump house.
• Rent kayaks from Boating In DC during warmer months.
• Run along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.
• Shop local at Half Street Central Farm Market Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May through December.
• Take your kids to the splash area at The Yards Park, an award-winning park along the river with a summer Friday concert series.
• Visit the Transportation Walk, an outdoor, 24/7 U.S. Department of Transportation museum about the history of transportation. 

See:

• Latrobe Gate, the gate to the U.S. Navy Yard first built in 1806.
• Old streetcar barn at the Capital Turnaround now owned by National Community Church.
• Site of the East Coast’s oldest Black boat club at the Anacostia Community Boathouse.
• View of the U.S. Capitol from Smoke & Mirrors, a spacious rooftop in the AC Hotel.

Park Naylor

Eat:

• Empanadas from nearby Maizal, a Latin American restaurant with colorful murals inside.
• Fried chicken sandwiches at nearby Roaming Rooster, a Black family-owned local chain with milkshakes.
• Ramen from nearby Fuji Hibachi & Sushi, a Japanese restaurant inside the Skyland Town Center.

Drink:

• Coffee from the nearby Starbucks, the city’s only drive-thru Starbucks.

Do:

• Hike the Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail, a long trail that passes through the sites of former Civil War forts.
• Take your kids to the enclosed playground along 28th Street SE behind the Park Naylor Apartments, a large complex on a hill.

See:

• Art Deco architecture at nearby Texas Gardens, a garden housing complex.
• Fence painted with sports logos at the house along 28th Street SE near Texas Avenue SE.
• Playground that once belonged to the Obamas at the White House at the 2500 block of Naylor Road SE.
• Views of the city skyline from the Park Naylor Apartments.

Shipley Terrace

Eat:

• Breakfast platter from Roy’s Steak & Subs, a popular takeout spot inside a strip mall.

Drink:

• Latte from nearby DC Central Kitchen Cafe at THEARC, a cafe with regular specials open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday.

Do:

• Learn how to line dance at nearby Sycamore & Oak, a Black-owned market and space with Black-owned businesses.
• Splash at the Villages of Parklands Splash Park, a recently-renovated interactive water park with a snack bar open in the summers.
• Take your kids to the enclosed playground at Ridgecrest Court SE and Savannah Street SE.

See:

• Southeast 5 Boundary Stone, a nearby 18th century boundary stone.
• THEARC: Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus, a nearby campus with an art gallery, cafe, an urban farm, and more.

Skyland

Eat:

• Honey butter fried chicken sandwich at nearby Roaming Rooster, a Black-owned local fried chicken sandwich restaurant.
• Pastries from the bakery inside Lidl, D.C.’s first location of the German grocery store with more affordable prices.

Drink:

• Coffee from the city’s only drive-thru Starbucks at 2800 Alabama Ave SE.
• Milkshakes from Roaming Rooster. 

Do:

• Hike the Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail, a long trail that weaves through the sites of old Civil War forts.
• Learn about the overlooked stories of the city at the nearby Anacostia Community Museum, the Smithsonian’s only community museum.
• Shop local produce at FRESHFARM‘s Farm Stand at the Anacostia Community Museum‘s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays April-November. 

See:

• Mural by Rose Jaffe and Kate Deciccio outside of Stanton Elementary School.
• Obama White House’s playground now at the New Horizon Apartments at 2607 Naylor Rd SE.
• Views of the city skyline from nearby Sklyand Town Center, a new development with apartments, restaurants, and local businesses.

Washington Highlands

Eat:

• Charbroiled chicken from nearby Pio Pio Grill A LA Brasa Mexican Grill, a popular Peruvian restaurant in a stirp mall just across the Maryland border.
• Takeaway from nearby Star Carry Out Shop, a Chinese restaurant across the Maryland border with popular chicken nuggets.

Drink:

• Grab-n-go drinks at Chesapeake Big Market, one of the few bodegas in the neighborhood.

Do:

• Donate books to the Little Free Library at 4235 4th St SE.
• Explore via bike by renting a Capital bikeshare at the dock in front of Ingenuity Prep PCS.
• Honor peace advocate Lorraine “Chyna” Thomas at her mural on the side of Chesapeake Big Market by Uncle Wiink. Tragically, Chyna was murdered one block away.
• Learn about nutrition at The Well at Oxon Run, an urban farm that hosts outdoor classes, fitness events, and more for the community.
• Play basketball at the Livingston Road SE Basketball Courts near the Oxon Run Trail.
• Run along the Oxon Run Trail, which heads north to the city’s largest Department of Parks and Recreation green space.
• Take your kids to the Ferebee-Hope Playground. There’s another enclosed playground next to Ingenuity Prep PCS.

See:

• Aniekan Udofa‘s bright mural at Ingenuity Prep PCS. He has another mural nearby at South Capitol Liquors.
• Giant mural on the side of St Thomas More Catholic School by Zéh Palito, Rowan Bathurst, and Rudney Novaes.
• “Shoot For The Stars” 2000 mosaic mural by Cheryl Foster on the side of the Chesapeake House. There are more murals across the street in the shopping center’s parking lot.
• Southeast 6 Boundary Stone and Southeast 7 Boundary Stone, 18th century D.C. border markers.
• Stop on the city’s Civil Rights Tour at 524 Foxhall Place SE, the home of Calvin and Wilhelmina Rolark, two activists for D.C. and the co-founders of the United Black Fund.
• Street art outside of an apartment building along Wahler Place SE.
• View of the area from Washington Highland Recreation Center.

Woodland

Eat:

• Local produce at nearby FRESHFARM Anacostia Community Museum Market, a Saturday farmers market April through November.

Drink:

• Milkshake from nearby Roaming Rooster, a Black family-owned fried chicken spot.

Do:

• Donate books at the Little Free Library along the Bruce Place SE side of Woodland Terrace Public Housing, a 1960s public housing complex originally meant for senior citizens.
• Hike the trail by Fort Ricketts north to Fort Dupont Park, one of the largest parks in the city.
• Picnic at the tables at Fort Ricketts, a small park on the site of a former Civil War fort.
• Play basketball on the courts behind 2703 Bruce Place SE.
• Visit the nearby Anacostia Community Museum, the Smithsonian’s only community museum with regular exhibits about D.C.

See:

• Allen Chapel AME Church, a nearby church started in 1850 and the oldest church in Southeast D.C.
• Color on the outside of Rocketship Rise Academy Public Charter School.
• Emmanuel Baptist Church, the 1893 building of a historic congregation.
• View of the D.C. skyline from the parking lot of Independent Church of God.