Washington, D.C./Petworth

Petworth is home to the massive Armed Forces' Retirement Home, the site of President Abraham Lincoln's Cottage. It also has an eclectic mix of bars and restaurants.

History

Petworth was the name of the 205-acre country estate of Benjamin Ogle Tayloe that encompassed most of what is now the Petworth neighborhood. In 1887, the land was sold to developers for $107,000.
After the extension of the Washington streetcar system northward, the neighborhood experienced a building boom. Many beautiful row-houses were constructed in the 1920s, primarily by local developers Morris Cafritz and D.J. Dunigan Company. These houses originally cost between $7,000 and $12,000 each.

By Metrorail

For more information on riding the Metrorail in Washington DC, see Washington DC#Get_around.
The Green and Yellow lines stop at Georgia Ave - Petworth.

By bus

The following are the main bus routes operating in this area, along with links to timetables and route maps. For more information on riding buses in Washington DC, see Washington DC#Get_around.

• 52 and 54 run down 14th Street from Takoma via Petworth, Columbia Heights, Shaw, and the East End all the way to the National Mall.

• 70 and 71 run almost 24 hours daily, with the only significant gap Su 1:30AM-4AM. They run almost the entire length of Georgia Avenue from Silver Spring, Maryland, down 7th Street, to the National Mall.

• H8 operates through Brookland to Metrorail stations in Petworth and Columbia Heights. It is useful for reaching both President Lincoln's Cottage and Rock Creek Cemetery.

• President Lincoln's Cottage

  phone: +1 202 829-0436
  address: Enter at Rock Creek Church Rd & Upshur St NW
  President Lincoln and his family spent summers here from 1862 to 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
  Not as important as Congressional Cemetery or Arlington Cemetery but this is a beautiful 19th century cemetery, with an impressive and beautiful High Gothic statuary. 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 cemetery is 86 acres in size, 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).

• Carter Barron Amphiteatre

  phone: +1 202 426-0486
  address: 4850 Colorado Ave NW
  A big open air amphitheater off in the woods. Past performers have included Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Louis Armstrong, Andy Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, BB King, the National Symphony Orchestra, Nat King Cole, Peter Paul & Mary, and Kool and the Gang. The amphitheater hosts several events such as jazz nights, reggae nights, free outdoor movies, and most notably the free annual DC Blues Festival.

Festivals and events

• DC Blues Festival

  address: Carter Barron Amphitheater - 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW
  This annual festival features performances by blues legends.

Farmers Markets

• Petworth Community Market

  address: 9th St & Upshur St
  A farmer's market.

Clothing

• Fia's Fabulous Finds

  phone: +1 202 492-8278
  address: 806 Upshur St NW
  A women's clothing store that is a cross between a thrift shop and a vintage shop.

Books

• Upshur Street Books

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

Budget

• Fish In the Hood

  phone: +1 202 545-6974
  address: 3601 Georgia Ave NW
  A long-time no-frills fried/boiled seafood eatery. Pay by the weight. Also serves Southern food such as barbecue and fried chicken.

• 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.

Mid-range

• 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.

Splurge

• Chez Billy

  phone: +1 202 506-2080
  address: 3815 Georgia Ave NW
  A romantic French restaurant.

• 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 nights 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.

• 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 (some Washingtonians like to check in here and consider it a vacation from the city), but the 52/53/54 bus has a stop right outside the front door, and runs all day straight south through Downtown to the National Mall.

Most restaurants and cafes offer free WiFi.

Public libraries

Computer terminals are available for free use at the public libraries:

• Petworth Neighborhood Library

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

• Shepherd Park (Juanita E. Thornton) Library

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

• Columbia Heights is a short walk or bus ride away and has more shopping and nightlife options
• Shaw is only a few stops away on the Metrorail

Petworth, Washington, D.C.