Washington DC has some of the best museums and most impactful memorials in the country. While each of these sites are a “must see”, we recommend taking some time to venture away from the hustle and bustle of the National Mall and off the beaten path. The Capital Hill neighborhood is the place Dustin and I call “home”, and while we might be a little biased, it is one of our favorite places to spend our time. It’s full of history, parks, quintessential row home architecture, local food…and did I mention history. There is so much more to see in Capitol Hill, but we have mapped a walking path, hitting a few of the highlights of the neighborhood. To make this excursion a little more assessable, we made sure to include a metro stop at the beginning and end of the route. While it could take just under an hour to walk it through, you could stop along the way for a bite to eat or give kids a chance to play. Don’t forget to take in the amazing architecture along the way of not only the row homes, but also the schools, businesses, and churches.
**We do not have pictures of interiors in this post due to COVID-19 shutdown. Though we are currently in phase 1 of reopening, Dustin and I are still maintaining as much distance as we can while being out. Please feel free to check out our other posts about DC here. We have other posts with pictures of most places interiors on our blog or on our instagram.
Capitol Hill Neighborhood Map
While I love wandering on my own, I love when locals give suggestions of walking paths or stops. Below is a map of our suggested path, or you can use it as a starting point on your own walking tour of the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
1. Union Station
Union Station is more than just a train station for national and regional train lines. It is a metro stop (Union Station: Red Line) on the local line, a great stop for food, coffee, shopping, architecture, and people watching.
Walk around the corner on Columbus Circle and you’ll find a Capital Bikeshare city bike to rent if you’d rather bike through Capitol Hill. The neighborhood is super bike friendly, with many bike lanes and bike return stations, including the one at Eastern Market Metro.
2. Ebenezer’s Coffee House
Capitol Hill neighborhood has some really great coffee stops, this one happens to be one of our favorites and just a block from the metro. Stop in to Ebenezers and grab a coffee, chia tea, or a honey lavender latte before you head out on your tour. They also have great seating on the patio, and in the lower level.
3. Union Kitchen Grocery
Union Kitchen is our favorite quick breakfast in Capitol Hill. While they sell locally sourced items, they also have a food counter/ cafe serving coffee, breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Menu here). We love their breakfast sandwiches. They also are a big stop for locals with dogs, as the store owner loves dogs. Inside is a picture wall of Capitol Hill neighborhood dog regulars. Plus pre-COVID they pass out treats for the pups too. They have a small outdoor seating area where we love to hang out. Consider bringing your food to the next stop (Stanton Park) to eat picnic style.
4. Stanton Park
Just a few blocks later and you enter Stanton Park. On any given day there are families enjoying a picnic, kids playing on the playground, and people walking their dogs. There are lots of open grass areas shaded by trees. It is also a great place to get cherry blossom pictures in the spring.
From Stanton Park take Massachusetts Ave southeast for about 15 minutes. The homes on this street are amazing! The sidewalks are wide and shaded. This walk will lead you to Lincoln Park.
5. Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is located in the heart of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood. It is our green respite away from the tourist filled National Mall. Dog friendly, you will find many pet owners letting their dogs get some energy out and playing. Family friendly, it has 2 playgrounds for kids. A running path for people to run in the shade. Tree covered grass makes space for people to picnic. Streets of quintessential row homes radiate from this park, so if you want to forge your own path, any of the streets will not disappoint.
A small cafe (Wine & Butter) located on the west side of the park is a great place to get some coffee. The outdoor seating gives me all the Paris cafe vibes with the addition of people watching to the coffee.
Once you are ready to move on, travel southwest on North Carolina Ave for about 10 minutes and make your way to Eastern Market. Again, take in the architecture of the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood.
6. Eastern Market
Eastern Market is technically its own neighborhood, but it is a hub for Capitol Hill neighborhood residents. Trader Joes, Sephora, local stores, restaurants, a year round farmers market inside the Eastern Market building, and its own metro stop (Eastern Market: Blue/ Orange/ Silver) make this area central to local life in southeast DC. One of the best Italian restaurants is on 7th Street across from the Eastern Market building Aqua Al 2. One of my favorite clothing consignment stores is just a couple doors north of Aqua Al 2, Clothes Encounters DC. If you are wanting to feel like a local, wait in line for at Bullfrog Bagels for what some consider the best bagels in the city. Especially on a weekend, there will be a line that stretches outside.
7. Eastern Market Metro/ Barracks Row
You could keep wandering south on 8th street to see a movie at Miracle Theater or eat at Ted’s Bulletin (or any of the many restaurant options) . OR there is a very convenient metro stop (Eastern Market : Blue/Orange/Silver Lines) that can take you back to the middle of the National Mall (Smithsonian: Blue/Orange/Silver Lines).
There are historical information boards located all around the neighborhood that explain other walking tours you can do, and what happened historically in the area.
Seasonal:
Winter: Christmastime transforms Capitol Hill neighborhood, filled with homes decked-out in lights and Christmas cheer. There is a huge tree in Union Station and one in the middle of Eastern Market.
Fall: Capitol Hill loves their Halloween/ fall decor. Front gardens, and stoops are covered in mums, pumpkins and more!
Spring/ Summer: Check out the outdoor farmers market on the weekends outside the Eastern Market Building. The flowers in not only the parks but the front gardens of homes make this neighborhood instagram worthy!
Capitol Hill Neighborhood Visit Resources
Here are some additional resources for visiting this part of Washington DC:
- Capitol Hill Bid
- HillRag
- Washington.org (For Capitol Hill and Eastern Market ideas)
Finally
This list is definitely not all encompassing of what you could see or do in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. There are so many other local restaurants and so many other routes to take. We hope this one is an inspiring side trip you could take to go beyond the normal DC vacation.
Let us know what you think, and if there is any information we should add to this route!
Cat & Dustin
