Washington, D.C./Brookland-Petworth-Takoma

By metro

By bus

By car

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Little Vatican

• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

  phone: +1 202 526-8300
  address: 400 Michigan Ave NW
  This massive, stunning basilica is worth a pilgrimage not just for American Catholics; people of any faith will be in awe at its sheer size, the largest house of worship in North America, and its vast collection of contemporary sacred art. Built entirely by traditional methods, it seamlessly blends architectural styles from different periods over the last 2,000 years.

AgnosticPreachersKid

• Mount St Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land

  phone: +1 202 526-6800
  address: 1400 Quincy St NE
  The Franciscan Monastery is home to a magnificent Italianate church and flower gardens, ringed by a Rosary Portico of 15 chapels with the Angelic Greeting written in 200 languages. The lower gardens are more kitschy— the monastery's founders, in the late nineteenth century, set out to create a Holy Land in America, and commissioned the construction of replicas of overseas holy sites, including the Roman Catacombs, The Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, the Grotto of the Nativity, and other assorted reproductions. A fine place to stroll, read, and contemplate.

• Saint John Paul II National Shrine

  phone: +1 202 635-5400
  address: 3900 Harewood Rd NE
  Elevated to a national shrine in 2014, this Knights of Columbus-operated center offers exhibits on the life, legacy, and teaching of Pope St. John Paul II and on the Catholic heritage of North America. There is a weekday veneration service for a first-class relic, a piece of the blood-stained cassock worn by the pontiff when he was shot on May 13, 1981.

Other attractions

• President Lincoln's Cottage

  phone: +1 202 829-0436
  address: Enter at Rock Creek Church Rd & Upshur St NW
  President Lincoln and his family summered here from 1862–1864 to escape the awful climate (physical and political) by the White House. Here he penned the second draft of his Emancipation Proclamation. Recognizing that Lincoln's political acumen was rivaled by his taste in abodes, later presidents James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Chester A. Arthur all took up the cottage as a summer residence as well. In addition to simply looking lovely, the cottage today contains several exhibits, as well as a reproduction of the desk on which Lincoln wrote his Proclamation.

• Rock Creek Cemetery

  phone: +1 202 726-2080
  address: Rock Creek Church Rd & Webster St NW
  This is no Congressional Cemetery, no Arlington Cemetery. That is to say, no one has heard of the place or the people buried therein. But this is a beautifully-set nineteenth century cemetery, with a High Gothic statuary impressive in quantity and quality. The most famous statue/tomb here is known to Washingtonians as Grief, incorrectly, as the famous sculptor Saint-Gaudens gave it a less catchy title: The Mystery of the Hereafter and The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding. The grounds are huge, so it will pay off to get a map from the cemetery office if you plan to look for anything in particular. Grief is in Section E.

• Dance Place

  phone: +1 202 269-1600
  address: 3225 8th Street NE
  A DC institution that offers drop-in dance classes and occasional dance performances.

Takoma

• PollySue's Vintage Shop

  phone: +1 301 270-5511
  address: 6915 Laurel Ave, Takoma Park, MD
  D.C.'s (OK, technically Maryland's) favorite hidden gem of a vintage boutique is just a five minute walk from the Takoma metro station. Rest assured the prices here will be far more reasonable, and the vintage clothing far more vintage, than the yuppie-hipster fodder downtown. There are plenty of very wearable items here, but there are also a good amount of clothes that would be more fun at a party than in public!

Petworth

• Loyalty Bookstore

  phone: +1 202 726-0380
  address: 827 Upshur St NW
  A well-decorated quirky bookstore with author presentations and sing-a-longs.

Brookland

• Brookland's Finest

  phone: +1 202 636-0050
  address: 3126 12th St NE
  A family-friendly establishment with a modern-industrial theme and a nice outdoor patio.

• Busboys & Poets

  phone: +1 202 636-7230
  address: 625 Monroe St NE
  A cafe / bookstore / restaurant focused with a liberal theme.

• Menomale

  phone: +1 202 248-3946
  address: 2711 12th St NE
  A very popular pizza / calzone / sandwich shop.

• San Antonio Grill

  phone: +1 202 832-8080
  address: 3908 12th St NE
  A nice Tex-Mex restaurant near Catholic, with Mexican food far above the local average, as well as a few Salvadoran and Cuban entries (try the Cuban masitas de puerco). The margaritas have quickly become famous, not just for being tasty, but also for being extremely large.

Petworth

• DC Reynolds

  phone: +1 202 506-7178
  address: 3628 Georgia Ave NW
  A laid-back bar/restaurant with a large outdoor back patio.

• El Torogoz

  phone: +1 202 722-6966
  address: 4231 9th St NW
  Good Central and South American food and drinks with karaoke nights.

• The Hitching Post

  phone: +1 202 726-1511
  address: 200 Upshur St NW
  A comfortable, homey, friendly, old-time soul food diner off by the Armed Forces Home, serving some of the best fried chicken in the metro area, always cooked to order. The sides of slaw, mac 'n cheese, etc. also drive the locals into a foodie frenzy. The portions are enormous; it's not terribly clear how "half chicken dinner" translates into twelve pieces of bird. All in all, a great place to settle into a casual, drawn out meal of slow cooked food during a football game or over a good conversation.

Takoma

• Mark's Kitchen

  phone: +1 301 270-1884
  address: 7006 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park, MD
  Mark's is a fixture of the downtown Takoma Park area. It's a little, very unpretentious Korean restaurant with a specialty in vegetarian dishes, and some solid American dishes at that—you can get your breakfast of buckwheat pancakes, or mung bean pancakes!

Hal Jespersen,

Brookland

• Brookland Pint

  phone: +1 202 758-2757
  address: 716 Monroe St NE
  Modern-rustic ambiance and an extensive craft beer menu.

• Right Proper Brewing Company Brookland Production House + Tasting Room

  phone: +1 202 526-5904
  address: 920 Girard St NE
  A tasting room where you can drink the beers brewed on site. Food is not served but you can bring your own.

• Smith Public Trust

  phone: +1 202 733-5834
  address: 3514 12th St NE
  The bar is made of a shipping container.

Cafes

• Zeke's Coffee

  phone: +1 202 733-2646
  address: 2300 Rhode Island Ave NE
  A small, quiet cafe with friendly staff.

Petworth

• The Airedale DC

  phone: +1 202 722-1212
  address: 3605 14th St NW
  A soccer-themed European bar with a really nice outdoor deck and 15 beers on tap.

• Looking Glass Lounge

  phone: +1 202 722-7669
  address: 3634 Georgia Ave NW
  A bar with nice stained-glass windows. Features open mic and trivia nights.

• Lyman's Tavern

  phone: +1 202 723-0502
  address: 3720 14th St NW
  A trendy bar with pinball tables, a jukebox, and a piano.

• Petworth Citizen & Reading Room

  phone: +1 202 722-2939
  address: 829 Upshur St NW
  A cozy bar with a library that serves bar food and eclectic cocktails.

• The Pitch Tavern

  phone: +1 202 560-5142
  address: 4015 Georgia Ave NW
  A sports bar with occasional live music.

• Red Derby

  phone: +1 202 291-5000
  address: 3718 14th St NW
  A dive bar that serves beer in cans, but it is usually a fun time. Nice roof deck.

Takoma

• Takoma Station Tavern

  phone: +1 202 829-1999
  address: 6914 4th St NW
  W-Sa nights see nightly jazz/R&B/gogo performances (this is the best bar period to see a gogo performance), and Mondays are stand-up comedy. Music usually starts around 11PM.

Budget

• Hilltop Hostel

  phone: +1 202 291-9591
  address: 300 Carroll St NW
  A converted Victorian house down the block from the Takoma Metro station, this is an affordable way to sleep in D.C. without staying somewhere seedy or boring. Private rooms with shared facilities available.

Splurge

• The Uptown House

  phone: +1 202 541-9400
  address: 4907 14th St NW
  Bedandbreakfast.com chose this as the number one urban B&B in the country. It's a simply gorgeous turn-of-the-century 11-bedroom Victorian B&B in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood, with a famously hospitable owner, and a large, beautiful garden patio (a good place for one of Sandy's lemon drop martinis). The full hot breakfasts are on a level you won't likely find elsewhere (think crab quiche, belgian waffles, fresh fruit). The rates are affordable because it is far from the center, but Metrobus 52/54 stops right outside the front door, and runs all day straight south through Downtown to the National Mall.

• Petworth Library

  phone: +1 202 541-6300
  address: 4200 Kansas Ave NW

• Shepherd Park Library

  phone: +1 202 541-6100
  address: 7420 Georgia Ave NW

• Takoma Park Library

  phone: +1 202 576-7252
  address: 416 Cedar St NW

• Woodridge Library

  phone: +1 202 541-6226
  address: 1801 Hamlin St NE