I’ve never gone to the Banana Cafe but I really want to. This place is on Barrack’s Row, Eastern Market’s cafe/restaurant/bar area. As you can see, Capitol Hill/Eastern Market is pretty leafy throughout…and if you’ve read my blog for a while, you know I’m all about trees and vegetation. Nothing like trees to make a neighborhood seem livable!
Cafe/restaurant scene across from Eastern Market. Attractive, traditional architecture, bikes, and restaurants/shops you find in upwardly mobile liberal urban areas.
You know things have gone too far when there are food trucks not only for humans but for dogs as well. As much as I love my dog, I draw the line at doggy restaurant dining.
My sister was telling me she went on a tour of her neighborhood and the tour guide said there are alleyway neighborhoods scattered throughout Capitol Hill. This is one such neighborhood, located in an alleyway cul-de-sac.
The other side of the alleyway cul-de-sac. One of the things I love about Europe — which is missing from a lot of U.S cities — is homey, charming little hidden alleyways that you stumble upon seemingly out of nowhere. I love t his!
Generally speaking, there are some many nice, tree-lined residential streets and hidden alleyways in Capitol Hill (I have a preference for narrow streets) but there are some wider avenues/boulevards.
Young urban bikers using D.C’s bike share program. The Capitol Hill/Eastern Market neighborhood definitely attracts a certain kind of demographic (Think mature parents with advanced degrees, good jobs and liberal politics) but there is also a sizable yuppie population. And a couple hipster types scattered throughout.
I have no idea what this is. A boat bike? This dude was blaring music too and looked like he was having a grand old time. Another thing I miss about Europe or bigger U.S cities…seeing weird things. Yes, we have the occasional street musician,fake statue, colorful-character types in D.C, but you don’t see things like this all that often.
An old church converted into an apartment building. Someone actually gets to enjoy that stained glass window everyday! The romantic in me loves this kind of thing…the old and forgotten restored and converted into something relevant and useful.
Thank you to my brother (check out his urban design/architecture blog here) for being the photographer on this urban adventure, and to my sister for knowing her neighborhood well enough to give us an hours-long tour. Hope you all enjoyed this Eastern Market/Capitol Hill neighborhood stroll. I still have 23 metro stops to go, so let me know if you’d be interested in coming along sometime! Click here to read my blog post on the Eastern Market food and craft markets, here to read about neighborhood demographics, Frager’s Hardware Store and Capitol Hill Books and here to read about what $8 can get you at the Eastern Market Farmer’s Market 20 minutes before closing.
Categories: D.C, D.C Culture, D.C Neighborhoods, Orange Line Project, The Urban Anthropologist Files
Orange Line Project: Eastern Market I: Capitol Hill Books and Frager’s Hardware Store 
i want to live in an alley house!
Me too. But a nice one.
My Nomad Life,
The resemblances to Montreal are eerie…
Le Clown
Really? I was in Montreal about 20 years ago so my memories are a little blurry. But this might be deceiving! This is just one little exceptionally nice neighborhood in D.C…I’d say most of the city doesn’t look like this!
Beautiful! Hey, I was just thinking semi-seriously about visiting Montreal today. I have several Colombian friends who have moved there. We should go! And maybe we could even get motivated to study French before we go, maybe even make it a competition 😉
It is nice…if I remember correctly. I’d love to go, but not in winter.
Also, can’t believe they turned a church into apartments! That’s ingenuity.
I know!