D.C. Ward 4 Neighborhood Guides

Barnaby Woods

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:

• Find yellow flowers every spring along the trail in Pinehurst Parkway Park, a tributary of Rock Creek Park.
• Hike nearby Rock Creek Trail, an 8.8-mile trail that passes historic sites and a planetarium.
• Read a book on the bench at the triangle park where Tennyson Street NW, Utah Avenue NW, and 32nd Street NW meet.
• Take your kids to nearby Lafayette-Pointer Park and Recreation Center, a large green space with a playground and signs that honor the Black community razed to build the park.
• Walk along the creek in Pinehurst Parkway Park.

See:

• Northwest 8 Boundary Stone, one of the city’s oldest monuments that’s in a green circle in a front yard.
• Unicorn statues guarding Chatsworth Townhomes, a development built in the 1970s with a lane called “Unicorn Lane.”

Brightwood

Eat:

• Carne asada tacos from Plaza Teontepec, an authentic Mexican restaurant with a popular green salsa.
• Chorizo tacos from J & J’s Mex-Taqueria, a family-owned Mexican restaurant with tie-dye floors.
• Fresh product from the Whittier Elementary Farm Stand at Whittier Elementary School on Tuesdays from 3-5:30 p.m. May through November.
• Fried chicken at Oohh’s and Aahh’s, a popular Black-owned soul food restaurant.

Drink:

• Rum punch for $10 at Oohh’s and Aahh’s.

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:

• 1936 house where a Howard University Latin professor entertained intellectuals like W.E.B. Du Bois and Carter G. Woodson.
• Emory United Methodist Church, an 1832 congregation that cares for immigrants and runs a S.T.E.M. ministry.
• Fort View Apartments, apartments built in 1939 by local arcitect George Santmyers.
• Historic call boxes that neighbors decorate on the 1600 block of Van Buren Street NW.
• Hughes Memorial Tower, the city’s tallest free-standing structure.
• Murals on the outside of the Military Road Early Learning Center, inside the 1912 building of the city’s third public school for Black students.
• Well-preserved Civil War earthworks at Fort Stevens, the fort that stopped the Confederacy from attacking Washington, D.C.

Brightwood Park

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:

• Aguas in five different flavors at Taqueria Districto Federal, a Mexican restaurant with an outdoor patio.
• Beer at Neptune Room, a tiny neighborhood bar with happy hour every day from 5-7 p.m.
• Cider from the Anxo Taproom inside Brightwood Pizza & Bottle, a popular pizzeria.

Do:

• Browse records at HR Records, a record store with rare jazz, soul, reggae, and African records.
• Donate non-perishable food items at the Community Pantry at the triangle park where Kansas Ave NW, 5th Street NW, and Emerson Street NW meet.
• Find Little Free Library boxes throughout the neighborhood like at Washington Latin Public Charter School and the 5300 block of 5th Street NW.
• Honor Black Lives at Rose Jaffe‘s mural painted with friends, family, and neighbors at 925 Emerson Street NW a few days after the murder of George Floyd.
• Read on a bench at Lorenzo “Larry” Allen Memorial Park, a park named after an ANC for almost 20 years and one of many triangle parks in the area.
• Search for historic call boxes painted gold throughout the neighborhood like at the corner of 2nd Street NW and Ingraham Street NW.
• Take your kids to the enclosed playground at Truesdell Elementary School. Find the colorful Little Free Library at the school’s front entrance.
• Schedule a yoga class at Lighthouse Yoga, a small studio that offers more affordable classes in person and online.
• Volunteer at City Blossoms, a non-profit that empowers the city’s youth through kid-driven gardens. Their HQ is decorated with murals by Rose Jaffe.
• Wood sculpture in a yard at Illinois Ave NW and Farragut Street NW.

See:

• Alley murals, including one of the Cuban flag, nearby along Georgia Ave NW in between Hamilton Street NW and Ingraham Street NW.
• Art on traffic barriers by C.S. Corbin at 9th Street NW and Ingraham Street NW.
• Call box honoring Sergeant John Michael Carter killed in the line of duty in 1997 at the corner of Kennedy Street NW and 5th Street NW.
• “Empathy” sign on a light post near Gethsemane Baptist Church, a 1912 congregation.
• Facade of the 1939 Kennedy Theater on the 300 block of Kennedy Street NW.
• Hampshire Garden Apartment Buildings, a historic Tudor Revival complex that was one of the city’s first garden-style apartment buildings.
• Mural by Palestinian refugee Shirien honoring the resilience of immigrant communities on the side of Family Market. There’s another mural nearby on the side of 500 Kennedy Street NW.
• “Nourish Your Community” alley mural by Rose Jaffe and Katie DeCiccio on the side of Soup Up, a woman-owned homemade gourmet restaurant.
• Views of the city from Emery Heights Park, a hilltop park with a community garden behind the Emery Heights Community Center.

Colonial Village

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:

• Donate books to a two-story Little Free Library that’s a replica of the house behind it along West Beach Drive NW near Sudbury Lane NW. There’s another two-story Little Free Library near the Rock Creek Trail Juniper Trailhead.
• Hike the Valley Trail, a trail that hugs Rock Creek.
• Learn about Black history at 7760 16th Street NW, the former house of Frank D. Reeves, a lawyer and Civil Rights activist that helped desegregate U.S. schools.
• Shop local produce at the nearby FRESHFARM Downtown Silver Spring Market open year round Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Take your kids to the playground when school isn’t in session at the 1965 Lowell School.

See:

• Flower beds along windows at a grand house along Holly Street NW.
• Mosaic art on the outside of the Washington Ethical Society, a group formed in 1944 by Civil Rights activists.
• North Corner Boundary Stone, one of the city’s original boundary stones that are the oldest federal monuments.
• Ohev Sholom Congregation, an 1886 congregation formed by Jews escaping Czarist Russia.
• Pro-Ukraine art installation in a front yard on the 7600 block of 16th Street NW.

Crestwood

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:

• Attend the annual Russian festival at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
• Hike the Valley Trail within Rock Creek Park, the country’s third national park.
• Listen to student poetry at the Parkmont Poetry Festival run by Parkmont School.
• Meander by the gate of the Rockefeller Mansion, one of the city’s most luxurious mansions, at 1940 Shepherd Street NW.
• Read a book on the “Crestwood” benches at the entrance to Piney Branch Park.
• Shop arts and crafts at Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Day Care Center‘s Annual Community Fair & Bazaar.
• Sign up for a cultural event at the Royal Embassy of Cambodia.
• Take a music class at The National Conservatory of Arts.

See:

• 1927 Tudor house designed by prominent D.C. architect James Cooper at 4720 16th St NW.
• Architecture of many kinds by wandering the streets.
• Gates of nearby Carter Barron Amphitheater, a 1950 4,200‑seat amphitheater in Rock Creek Park that’s currently closed.
• Historic church at Zion Baptist Church, founded in 1864.
• Places of worship along 16th Street NW.
• Savannah’s Tree planted in honor of the neighborhood children at the triangle park where 18th Street NW and Argyle Terrace NW meet.

Hawthorne

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:

• Escape the city by walking one of the many nearby trails- Western Ridge, Rock Creek or Valley.
• Shoot hoops at the small basketball court near Pinehurst Parkway Park.
• Walk along the trail inside Pinehurst Parkway Park, a tributary of Rock Creek, the country’s third national park.

See:

• Northwest 9 Boundary Stone, one of the city’s original boundary stones located just across the Maryland border.

Manor Park

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:

• Adopt a pet from the Humane Rescue Alliance, a non-profit protecting animals for over 150 years.
• Attend a community event at Queen Bee Book Emporium, a Black woman-owned bookstore in an alley that brings the community together.
• Garden at the Blair Road Community Garden, one of the city’s largest urban gardens that’s been running for over 40 years.
• Get a haircut at Manor Park Barber Shop that’s been around for more than 60 years.
• Hike the trails at Fort Slocum, a public park that used to be a Civil War fort and then World War II victory gardens.
• Play hopscotch at Pamunkey Park, a triangle park where Kansas Avenue NW, 2nd Street NW, and Longfellow Street NW meet.
• Read at a large stone community table at North Dakota Avenue Triangle Park.
• Shop at Lovely Lady Boutique, a Black woman-owned women’s clothing boutique.

See:

• Legacy Memorial Park, a memorial honoring the lives lost in the 2009 Metro crash.
• Little Free Library honoring Black power at the corner of 1st Street NW and Longfellow Street NW.
• MISS CHELOVE‘s mural on the side of Sonnie’s, a corner market.
• Murals along Kennedy Street NW, including WRDSMTH‘s at 71 Kennedy St NW and Jon Leonardo‘s bright masterpiece around the corner.
• Unique architecture throughout the neighborhood like mosaics on rowhouses or grand entrances like the one on a 1930s apartment building at 5514 1st Street NW.

North Portal Estates

Eat:

• Awaze tibs from nearby Effoi Restaurant, an Ethiopian restaurant 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.

Petworth

Eat:

• Balsamic tart cherry with blood orange scones from Little Food Studio, a Black woman‑owned cafe that opened during the pandemic. At night, the space turns into Almeda, a restaurant by the same owner with several vegetarian options on the menu.
• 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.
• 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.
• Smoothies from The Blend Bar, a shop from the owner of Little Food Studio and Almeda that also sells acai bowls.

Do:

• Browse diverse books at Loyalty Books, a Black‑owned independent bookstore.
• Join the compost cooperative at Twin Oaks Community Garden.
• Listen to rock‑n‑roll at Slash Run, a woman‑owned bar that also hosts weekly trivia nights.
• Read a book on a bench in Grant Circle Park or Sherman Circle Park.
• Run the track at Roosevelt High School when school isn’t in session.
• Take your kids to the playground at Raymond Recreation Center, one of many playgrounds in the area.
• Walk by 1200 Delafield Place NW, the site of the country’s first Black professional ballet company.

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)

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:

• Donate books at the Little Free Library in front of Washington DC Christian Reformed. There are more unique Free Little Libraries along Whittier Street NW in between Eastern Avenue NW and Sandy Spring Road NW.
• Play table tennis at Washington D.C. Table Tennis, the city’s only table tennis facility open every day of the week.
• Take your kids to the enclosed playground at the Lamond Recreation Center. There’s a baseball field on its grounds.

See:

• 1925 grand building that was once an infirmary at 6001 Sligo Mill Road NE.
• 1993 mural by M. Jenkins on the side of Roots Activity Learning Center, an early child development center focused on uplifting the “connection of Mother Africa” within its children.
• Old signs on industrial buildings along Chillum Place NE.
• “Playing in The Fields of Lamond” mural by G. Bryon Peck at the Lamond Recreation Center.

Shepherd Park

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:

• Coffee at nearby Tomoka Coffee House, a popular Ethiopian cafe inside a strip mall.
• Ethiopian honey wine from nearby Nile Restaurant and Market, a popular Ethiopian restaurant and market near the Maryland border.

Do:

• Donate books to the two story Little Free Library outside of Shepherd Elementary School.
• Honor a neighborhood hero at Marvin Caplan Park named after a World War II veteran who champion racial equality in Shepherd Park.
• Read a book at Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library, a public library with program for kids.
• Sit on the chairs in the tiny circle park at the end of 15th Place Street NW behind Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church.
• Take your kids to the Shepherd Park Community Center, a space decorated with murals on the inside and outside with an enclosed playground and soccer field.
• Visit The HBCU Museum, a small museum about Historically Black Colleges & Universities with an $8 self-guided tour.
• Walk the trails of nearby The Parks on the redeveloped campus of historic Walter Reed, the army’s medical center built in 1909.
• Work out at Northminster Presbyterian Church, a 1906 congregation, on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at their “Fitness for Life” program.
• Wrapped electrical boxes in front of Target, one of the few Target stores inside D.C.

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

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:

• Buy fresh produce at the FRESHFARM Uptown Farmers Market, a Saturday farmers market open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May through November.
• Donate books to the Little Free Library in front of Christ Lutheran Church, an 1891 congregation.
• Hike the Valley Trail, a trail in Rock Creek Park that passes bridges and more.
• Learn how to play tennis at the Rock Creek Tennis Center, which holds tournaments.
• Picnic at Webster Varnum Green Space, a green space in an alley.
• Play soccer Carter Barron Soccer Fields, fields within Rock Creek Park.
• Sign up for music lessons at the National Conservatory of Arts, a conservatory that offers all kinds of musical instruction.
• Take your kids to the playground at the Hamilton Recreation Center, which also has courts.

See:

• Ballerina mural on a garage in the alley behind the 4700 block of 14th Street NW.
• Blue tiles at the entrance of Mosaic Church of the Nazarene, one of the many churches along 16th Street NW.
• Callbox decorated in tennis balls at the corner of 16th Street and Longfellow Street NW. Also along 16th Street NW is a call box decorated with golf balls.
• Chùa Giác Hoàng, a Buddhist temple along 16th Street NW.
• Churches in every architectural style along 16th Street NW.
• Decatur Mansion, a historic mansion that’s being restored.
• Murals at 14th Street Graffiti Museum, a walkable outdoor art experience highlighting work of some of the city’s muralists.
• Sculptures with mosaic faces at the triangle park at Emerson Street, 13th Street, and Arkansas Ave NW.

Takoma

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.
• 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:

• Donate books at the pink Little Free Library that matches its historic house at 437 Butternut St NW.
• Drop into a story time or toddler play time at the Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, one of four Carnegie libraries built over 100 years ago.
• Learn how to break dance at The Lab D.C., a dance academy inside a historic building with breakdance classes.
• Listen to jazz at Takoma Station Tavern, a pub that’s also a live music venue.
• Swim at the Takoma Aquatic Center, an indoor pool free for D.C. residents.
• Swing on the Big Oak Swing, a community swing, at 200 Aspen St NW.
• Take your kids to the Takoma Playground, a fenced‑in spacious playground.
• Visit the Battleground National Cemetery, a tiny national cemetery dedicated by Abraham Lincoln after the Union army defended the city from attack at nearby Fort Stevens.

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.