D.C. Ward 4 Neighborhood Guides

Barnaby Woods

Developed in the 1930s on a part of the Chevy Chase tract, it’s a residential part of the city with easy access to Rock Creek Park and Maryland. It’s an area where kids ride bikes by themselves and where neighbors gather for an annual Halloween parade.

Eat:

  • Bagel breakfast sandwich at nearby Olympia Cafe, a no-frills restaurant with diner seating and a large menu.
  • Ice cream from nearby Broad Branch Market, a historic market with a cafe inside frequented by neighbors in the area.

Drink:

  • Coffee from nearby Nagadi Coffee, a specialty roastery in an industrial area in Maryland’s Silver Spring.

Do:

See:

Brightwood

A neighborhood with many names before Brightwood once the site of a horse racetrack with historic homes, a well-preserved Civil War fort, an active community association, and the largest immigrant community in D.C.

Eat:

Drink:

Do:

  • Join the waitlist for the Peabody Community Garden, a large garden cared for by senior gardeners.
  • Take your kids to the large playground at the Fort Stevens Recreation Center, a space with a field and tennis and basketball courts.
  • Walk the trails at the nearby 1909 Walter Reed campus that’s being redeveloped into The Parks. Find the Arts Plaza and old memorials.

See:

Brightwood Park

With murals along Kennedy Street NW, the neighborhood has two commercial areas and many triangle parks. A melting pot of native Washingtonians, immigrant communities, and newcomers, neighbors gather at local businesses like a Black-owned ice cream shop and cider taproom.

Eat:

  • Backed goods from Golden Flour, a bakery that also sells sea moss smoothies along Kennedy Street NW.
  • Breakfast platter at Tony’s Place, a local chain with more affordable food options.
  • Curry chicken lunch special for under $10 Monday-Friday at Adrene’s Caribbean & Soul Food Cafe, a Black-owned restaurant that opened in 2006.
  • “Go Go Gumbo” at Soup Up, a Black woman-owned soup shop.
  • Lobster mac and cheese at the Shellfish Market, a Black-owned seafood restaurant that opened in 2022.
  • Oatmeal Cookie ice cream from Everyday Sundae, a Black-owned shop with 24 flavors open from 3-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
  • Pastries from Pan Lourdes Bakery, a Latin American bakery.
  • Tibs at Melkamu Abegaz, a tiny top-rated Ethiopian restaurant along Georgia Ave NW. Down the road is Hiwot Ethiopian Restaurant.

Drink:

Do:

See:

Colonial Village

Developed in the 1920s modeling historic American colonial homes, the area used to restrict purchasing homes against the Black, Jewish, and Middle Eastern communities. Today, it’s more integrated with a stop on the African American Heritage Trail- the house of a Black lawyer and Civil Rights activist who helped desegregate schools.

Eat:

  • Corned beef at nearby Parkway Deli, a no-frills deli and restaurant with a pickle bar.
  • Dumplings from nearby Moh Moh Licious, a small Nepalese restaurant along Georgia Avenue NW.

Drink:

  • Coffee from nearby Tomoka Coffee House, an Ethiopian cafe inside a strip mall.
  • Craft beer from nearby Silver Branch Brewery, a 2019 brewery with weekly Wednesday trivia nights in downtown Silver Spring.

Do:

See:

Crestwood

A long way from the decades where racial covenants were placed on property, Crestwood is now a diverse neighborhood surrounded by Rock Creek Park on three sides.

Eat:

  • Belgian waffles at nearby The Highlands, a 2008 neighborhood restaurant famous for their chicken and waffles.
  • Carne con tajadas from nearby Catrachitos Restaurant, the city’s first Honduran restaurant.
  • Gyro for under $10 at nearby Athena Grill, a small popular Greek spot.

Drink:

  • Latte from Baltimore‑based coffee roastery Zeke’s Coffee Uptown location nearby.
  • Sangria from nearby Atxondo, a Spanish restaurant that serves grilled octopus and other favorites.

Do:

See:

Hawthorne

Along the Maryland border surrounded by trails is an entirely residential neighborhood with many homes built in the 1940s and 1950s. Wander its streets to see many different architectural styles.

Eat:

  • Hot pastrami from nearby Parkway Deli, a no-frills NYC-style deli with a pickle bar in Silver Spring.
  • Sunday brunch at La Ferme Restaurant, a French restaurant with a fireplace across the border in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Drink:

  • Coffee from nearby Broad Branch Market, a 1919 market with groceries, ice cream, and a cafe inside that sells pastries.

Do:

See:

Manor Park

A Northwest neighborhood where community is formed in triangle parks and through a 100-year-old civic association.

Eat:

  • Jerk chicken at Peaches Kitchen Restaurant, an immigrant woman-owned sit-down restaurant with “Fried Chicken Wednesdays.”
  • Street tacos from Chef Jaren every Tuesday inside Jackie Lee’s, a popular neighborhood restaurant and bar.

Drink:

  • Chacho (a South American spirit infused with cane sugar and jalapeño) at Chacho Spirits, a distillery with Saturday tours and a tasting room.
  • Coffee from La Coop Coffee, a family-owned coffee shop inside a house with a porch that brews beans from their coffee co-op in Guatemala.
  • Fresh juice from Senbeb Cafe, a vegan/vegetarian soul food restaurant open daily with a Sunday brunch.

Do:

See:

North Portal Estates

The most northern tip of Washington, D.C., this neighborhood was developed as a Jewish community and then became an affluent pre-dominantly Black community in the 1960s. Today, it’s a diverse area full of large homes along the Maryland border and the Civic League Of North Portal Estates, a 1967 civic association with a detailed history of the neighborhood.

Eat:

  • Awaze tibs from nearby Effoi Restaurant, an Ethiopian restaurant across the border in Silver Spring.
  • Matzo ball soup from nearby Parkway Deli, a NYC-style restaurant just across the Maryland border.

Drink:

  • Coffee from nearby Kaldi’s Social House, a popular Ethiopian cafe in Silver Spring with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.
  • Craft beer at nearby Silver Branch Brewing, a local taproom with nineteen beers on tap.

Do:

  • Catch a show at nearby The Fillmore, a popular live music venue in Silver Spring.
  • Hike nearby Valley Trail, one of several trails inside Rock Creek Park, the country’s third national park.
  • Visit nearby Zenith Gallery, a contemporary fine art gallery since 1978 with a sculpture garden.

See:

  • Acorn-shaped gazebo from the 19th century in nearby Acorn Urban Park, a Silver Spring park that once houses a mica-flecked spring that inspired the city’s name.
  • Cherry blossom trees in bloom every spring throughout the neighborhood.
  • Holiday lights at the Bishop’s House, a grand House of Prayer house that decorates with thousands of lights every year after Thanksgiving through the New Year. Bishop’s House also hosts regular outdoor musical events.
  • North Corner Boundary Stone, one of the city’s original boundary stones that are the oldest federal monuments.

Petworth

Triangle parks, neighborhood festivals, top‑rated restaurants, Petworth has emerged from farmland to one of D.C.’s hippest neighborhoods.

Eat:

  • Fried chicken from The Hitching Post, a 1967 soul food restaurant.
  • Pho from Pho Viet, a Vietnamese restaurant with 14 kinds of pho.
  • Pizza from Timber Pizza Co., a popular pizza restaurant that started out of a pickup truck.
  • Ramen from Menya Hosaki, a small shop that started as a pop‑up.
  • Sausage roll from Little Food Studio, a Black woman-owned cafe with daily pastries.
  • Tacos in corn tortillas from Taqueria Habanero, a popular Mexican restaurant that also serves margaritas.

Drink:

  • Beer at Red Derby, a popular bar with half price chicken tenders on Tuesdays.
  • Drip coffee from Büna Coffeehouse, a corner cafe that also sells breakfast sandwiches.
  • Lattes from Rue Café, a new cafe serving Ethiopian coffee.
  • Ranch Fire from Snappy’s Small Bar, a bar inside a rowhouse owned by a former bartender at The Drew Drop Inn with $10 cocktails, popcorn, and a back patio.

Do:

See:

  • Comedy at Room 808, a space that hosts comedy shows five nights a week.
  • (Here I Stand) in the Spirit of Paul Robeson sculpture by artist Allen Uzikee Nelson inside the triangle park at Kansas Ave NW, Georgia Ave NW and Varnum St NW.
  • Jose Piedra’s mural on the side of Hen & Fin, a seafood restaurant.
  • Local art inside Art of Noize, a speakeasy art gallery inside an alley.
  • Micro art at the Free Little Art Gallery, a Little Free Library that showcases art at Illinois Ave NW and Webster Street NW.

Riggs Park (also known as Lamond-Riggs)

Once called “Little Tel Aviv,” Riggs Park was a strong Jewish community before it switched to a middle-class Black neighborhood after the 1960s. Along the Maryland border, it’s now home to a more integrated neighborhood with Little Free Libraries, a mural-decorated recreation center, a brewery, and a popular deli.

Eat:

  • Breakfast burrito from The Class Deli, a small, popular deli open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays hidden within an industrial area.
  • Donuts from nearby Donut Run, a popular shop open daily in nearby Takoma. They post their daily flavors on Instagram.
  • Stuffed eggplant at nearby Olive Lounge & Grill, a family-run Mediterranean restaurant with daily specials in nearby Takoma Park, Maryland.

Drink:

  • Chacho, a South American liquor made with cane sugar and jalapeños, at nearby Chacho Spirits, a distillery with a Saturday tasting room and tours.
  • Latte from nearby Lost Sock Roasters, a popular coffee shop in nearby Takoma that also sells empanadas.
  • Local beer at Hellbender Brewing Company, a brewery with a taproom open Wednesday through Sunday with food trucks and a weekly Thursday trivia night. There’s a mural by Jay Hudson on its side.

Do:

See:

Shepherd Park

Named after the former governor of then-Territory of D.C., Shepherd Park has emerged into one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods after having restrictive covenants. Today, it’s an area with homes in every architecture style, an art gallery inside an old house, and restored call boxes.

Eat:

  • Dumplings (“momo”) from Moh Moh Licious, a top-rated Nepali restaurant with ten different kinds of dumplings.
  • Injera from Nahom Injera and Grocery, an Ethiopian shop that makes fresh injera.
  • Jerk chicken from nearby Reggae Vibes, a popular Jamaican restaurant inside a shack painted with the colors of Jamacia’s flag.

Drink:

Do:

See:

  • 1930s architecture at the Shepherd Apartments, a garden complex built in 1936.
  • Ceremonial marker placed by the Garden Club between 1932 and 1933 in honor of George Washington’s bicentennial birthday in front of Morris Miller Wines & Liquors, which often has tastings inside.
  • Cherry Blossom sculpture by Sandra Perez-Ramos at nearby Fern Street NW and 13th Place NW.
  • Contemporary fine art at Zenith Gallery, a 1978 gallery inside a 1927 house open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.  There’s a sculpture garden in the front yard.
  • Dinasaur skeleton sculpture in a front yard along Alaska Avenue NW near Dahlia Street NW. There’s also a community bench at a bus stop nearby.
  • Restored callbox painted gold with “Shepherd Park” etched into it at the corner of 14th Street NW and Holly Street NW.
  • Sign honoring the 16th Street World War I Tree Memorial at 7000 Alaska Avenue NW. A few of the plaques near the maple trees can be found in the neighborhood honoring citizens of D.C. who lost their lives during World War I.

Sixteenth Street Heights

Developed in the early 20th century once the streetcar connected to downtown, the neighborhood is one of the most diverse areas in D.C. Mainly residential, there are dozens of churches and places to worship in Sixteenth Street Heights.

Eat:

  • Baleadas (breakfast burritos) from Catrachitos Restaurant, a popular Honduran restaurant with murals on one of its sides.
  • Build-your-own platter at Hedzole, a Black woman-owned Ghanaian-American fast casual spot.
  • Carna asada sandwich at Simple Bar and Grill, a no-frills bar with regular events.
  • Chicken and waffles from The Highlands, a Black-owned cafe with two locations in the city.
  • Gyros from Athena Grill, a tiny Greek restaurant.
  • Tibs from Gueny’s Cafe & Market, an Ethiopian restaurant with friendly owners open every day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drink:

  • Coffee from Gold Coast Cafe, a corner market with a cafe inside.
  • Cocktails, including a “Pumpkin Spice White Russian,” at Moreland’s Tavern, a popular neighborhood restaurant and bar.
  • Latte from Zeke’s Coffee-Uptown, the newest location of the Baltimore-born coffee roastery.
  • Sangria for $6 at Spanish restaurant Atxondo‘s happy hour Tuesday-Saturday from 3-5 p.m.

Do:

See:

Takoma

Rooted in activism, Takoma is an area with a coffee roaster in a 1924 theater, colorful Little Free Libraries, and hyper local restaurants.

Eat:

  • Fried fish at Horace and Dickies, a local seafood restaurant connected to the beloved original location on H Street N.E.
  • Injera from Nile Ethiopian Restaurant, a family‑owned restaurant with a market that opened on the Maryland border in 1996.
  • S’more cookies from Sticky Fingers Bakery, a woman-owned vegan bakery with gluten-free options.
  • Vegan donuts at Donut Run, a small shop open daily at 7 a.m. posting changing flavors on Instagram.

Drink:

  • Ethiopian coffee at Tomoka Coffee House, a small coffee shop inside a strip mall.
  • Pour over coffee at Lost Sock Roasters, a roastery inside a historic theater that also sells empanadas daily.
  • Smoothies from Turning Natural, a Black woman‑owned juice bar inside a 1924 theater.

Do:

See:

  • Art Deco architecture outside the Whittier Gardens, a condo complex built in 1928.
  • Art exhibits at Rhizome DC, a DIY art space inside a house that hosts events and workshops.
  • Ida B. Wells statue in front of Ida B. Wells Middle School honoring the journalist and civil rights activist.
  • “From A Model To A Rainbow” mural by Sam Gilliam outside the Takoma Metro.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *