About Capitol Hill

What’s New

By Damare Baker, Daniella Byck, and Maya Pottiger

[Dining] Roost Rundown

Neighborhood Restaurant Group has been rolling out offerings at the Roost food hall (1401 Pennsylvania Ave., SE) since last fall, bringing a taco shop, sushi counter, New York–style pizzeria, low-ABV bar, and more under one roof. The cocktail counter Show of Hands is on the way, but you can join the tavern’s cocktail club now for monthly bottled-beverage drops.

Earlier this year, chef Matt Adler opened the food collective’s standalone spot Caruso’s Grocery (914 14th St., SE), channeling Italian American red-sauce joints in the throwback dining room. The menu is filled with classics like spaghetti and meatballs, Nutella-stuffed cannolis, antipasto platters, and a limoncello martini.

[Retail] Clean Sneaks

Yes, a shoe laundry is a real thing, and Barracks Row got a pretty cool one last year. Sole Wash (427 Eighth St., SE) offers cleaning, restoration, and customization services for all athletic footwear. Owner Nichole Verdejo promises the perfect formula to clean up even the most battered, dirt-covered pair shoved into the back of your closet. While you wait for her to finish her magic, you can shop for new sneakers or look at the sneaker art on display.

[Streetscape] Metro Makeover

After years of community meetings and discussions, the Eastern Market Metro Park was finally finished in July. The redesigned subway entrance is now decked out with a playground, shady pavilion, and splash pad. As DC Council member Charles Allen told HillRag, the idea was to transform the area “from a place that you walk through to a place that you can walk to.”

[Retail] Fab Fabrics

You may have come across Kashmir Boutiques when the business comprised a couple of tents at Eastern Market and a kiosk at Union Station (all of which closed during the pandemic). But in July, the women’s clothing shop moved into its first storefront, right by Eastern Market (760 C St., SE), selling embroidered shawls, coats, wraps, and other items. The garments are all made of fabrics imported from the Kashmir region of India.

[Sweets] DIY Dessert

Sure, DC has a lot of cupcake shops, but Food Network champ Tiffany Lightfoot has put a fun DIY spin on the concept with her new bakery, My Cake Theory (325 Seventh St., SE), by Eastern Market. The Washington native offers a variety of cake flavors, fillings, frostings, and toppings for customers to mix and match into their own perfect cupcake. Think of it as fast-casual dessert.

[Fun] Frisbee, for Free

The District’s first-ever disc-golf course (between Oklahoma Ave., NE, and Lot 6) opened at RFK Stadium in Hill East over the summer. If you’re not sure what disc golf is, think of regular golf but with a Frisbee instead of clubs and a ball, and metal baskets instead of holes. Also unlike traditional golf, the course takes only about 45 minutes rather than half a day. Best of all, it’s free and you don’t need a reservation or a buddy to play.

[Dining] Tasty Trio

Hollis Wells Silverman, former chief operating officer for José Andrés’s ThinkFoodGroup, brought three new spots to the neighborhood over the past year, starting in December with the New American kitchen the Duck & the Peach (300 Seventh St., SE). The restaurant starts the day as a casual cafe with cinnamon rolls and Annapolis’s Ceremony Coffee, transitioning at night into a breezy dining room for plates of roasted duck and thinly sliced crudo.

Two months later, Silverman unveiled the Italian osteria La Collina (747 C St., SE), slinging fresh pastas and Negroni spritzes under the patio’s string lights. The culinary hat trick was completed this summer with the opening of the Wells (727 C St., SE), a verdant spirits den pairing a menu of all-gin cocktails with caviar and potato chips.

[Sweets] Double Scoop

Outposts of two beloved ice-cream chains—both of which happen to be woman-owned—landed on the Hill last year. With flavors such as fresh ginger and honey-lavender at Moorenko’s (720 C St., SE) and “wedding cake” and “skillet cinnamon roll” at Jeni’s (526 Eighth St., SE), the choice is tough.

[Dining] Italian Arrival

Restaurateur Fabrizio Costantini moved all the way from Rome to DC to launch La Casina (225 Seventh St., SE), a Roman-style pizzeria near Eastern Market, with plans to open by the end of this year. Per HillRag, the menu will include a number of Roman dishes, such as stuffed olives and fried vegetables, in addition to the pies. It will reportedly have a full bar, too.

[Retail] Great Gifts

HoneyMade (727 Eighth St., SE), selling a variety of handmade gifts and apparel for adults and kids, opened over the summer on Barracks Row. Owner Moo Honey makes many of the fabric items, such as tea towels and cozies, herself. Other local products include shea-butter lotions from BAMI, candles by Handmade Habitat, and home goods from Naked Decor.

[Community] Little Freebies

Of all DC’s neighborhoods, Capitol Hill might be the best at leave-one/take-one spots. Though you can find Little Free Libraries all over the city, the Hill got a particularly elaborate version (E St. between 13th and 14th sts., SE) in June, built by resident Bert Kubli to look like a mini rendition of the Capitol Hill Village headquarters, also on the block. The District’s first Little Free Art Gallery(E. Capitol St. between Third and Fourth sts.) also arrived in the neighborhood this past spring. So far, it has featured everything from tiny replicas of famous paintings to stickers—all free as long as you leave a miniature artwork of your own behind. And since late 2019, neighbors have stocked the Little Free Food Pantry (16th and D sts., SE) with essentials for anyone in need. At this spot, the mantra is “Take what you need, give what you can.”

[Streetscape] Art in the Wild

A narwhal, an emu, and a koala are among the 20 animal sculptures hanging from lights and street signs around Capitol Hill. The installation, known as the Capitol Hill Alphabet Animals, came into being thanks to the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Though the first ones were installed in 2014, the rest finished going up only in summer of last year. See if you can spot them all while walking through the neighborhood.

[Dining] Delicious Duo

In summer 2020, chef Andrew Markert transformed the farm-to-table restaurant Beuchert’s Saloon into a sandwich shop, Fight Club (623 Pennsylvania Ave., SE), slinging options featuring housemade pastrami, buttermilk-brined chicken, and fried salami, alongside boozy punches and nostalgic snacks. Soon Markert will have another spot around the corner. He plans to open Newland (327 Seventh St., SE) later this year, serving Mid-Atlantic fare—pastas, Maryland crab, seasonal cocktails—in homage to his Baltimore roots.

Things to Do in Capitol Hill

Photograph courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.

Barracks Row/Eastern Market

Eastern Market Pottery. The studio has offered pottery instruction on the Hill for nearly 50 years. In weekday and evening classes, students use the wheel and learn decorating and glazing techniques. The studio is open for students to use on Saturdays and for public visits every weekend. 225 Seventh St., SE; 202-544-6669.

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital. This cultural center brought new life to a vacant building that once was a naval hospital for veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American wars. You’ll find classes and programs as diverse as Cambodian cooking, sewing basics for kids, readings, and meditation. 921 Pennsylvania Ave., SE; 202-549-4172.

Marine Barracks Friday Parades. A rare opportunity to see the lovely grounds of the Marine Barracks, these free summer-evening performances feature the President’s Own Marine Band, the Drum and Bugle Corps, the color guard, the silent drill platoon, and Chesty XIV, the bulldog mascot. Request reservations online. Eighth and I sts., SE; barracks.marines.mil.

The Miracle Theatre. This 1909 vaudeville and silent-film house reopened a year ago with 1920s seats, pressed-tin ceilings, and a balcony. Owned by National Community Church, it features almost-new movies like La La Land and favorites such as The Princess Bride, heavy on family-friendly fare. Showings Friday through Sunday. 535 Eighth St., SE; 202-400-3210.

H Street Corridor

Atlas Performing Arts Center. A catalyst for the revitalization of H Street, the former 1938 movie house reopened in 2006 as a community-focused arts organization. It hosts art shows, dance performances, plays, and spoken word. This summer, check out the resident Mosaic Theater Company’s Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival—two plays that delve into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 1333 H St., NE; 202-399-7993.

The Escape Lounge. Gather a group of friends and pay to get locked in a room—really. For $25 a person, you can “Escape the Oval Office,” an hourlong game in which your team puzzles through clues to uncover a White House scandal before time runs out. If that one hits too close to reality, try another option, such as kid-friendly “Escape the Classroom,” in which your group must find the key to get out of school before the last bus leaves. 1322 H St., NE; 202-399-0900.

Gallery O on H. After a major renovation in 2013, this early-20th-century building—made of the same stone used in the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery—was transformed into an indoor/outdoor community space that hosts art and photography shows as well as music performances. Weather permitting, local jazz artists play free weekend concerts in the courtyard all summer. 1354 H St., NE; 202-649-0210.

H Street Country Club. Head to this campy haunt for taco- and margarita-fueled competition. After getting your fill of Tex-Mex, partake in a collection of arcade games, including shuffleboard, skeeball, and the main attraction—a nine-hole mini-golf course of tiny DC landmarks. The games are first-come, first-served, but you can wait your turn on the 2,000-square-foot roof deck, the largest on H Street. 1335 H St., NE; 202-399-4722.

Rock & Roll Hotel. When nightlife impresario Joe Englert opened this music venue and bar in an old funeral home in 2006, most of H Street was vacant and you could forget about finding a cab. But his bet paid off—more than a decade later, it remains a staple of the H Street corridor, now lined with other bars and restaurants. Rock & Roll Hotel still packs its upstairs dance floor every weekend, while its first-floor concert hall hosts acts nearly every night of the week. 1353 H St., NE; 202-388-7625.

Navy Yard

Ballpark Boathouse. Paddling along the Navy Yard and the Yards Park will give you a new perspective on the Anacostia River. Renting a kayak ($16 an hour for a single, $22 for a double) or canoe ($25 an hour), you can hear cheers from Nats Park, enjoy a Friday-night concert from the water, and, if you’re lucky, spot river wildlife. Potomac Ave. and First St., SE; 202-337-9642.

Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Movie Series. Pack your picnic and head to the north side of Canal Park every Thursday for free movies this summer, including classics such as Grease and Sister Act as well as recent blockbusters like Arrival and Rogue One. The series begins in June; showtime at sundown. Canal Park, Second and I sts., SE.

Nationals Park. Since it opened in 2008, Nats Park has helped springboard surrounding Navy Yard into the fastest-growing neighborhood in DC. The stadium seems to evolve every season along with its environs. This year’s additions include a mojito cart, gourmet tater tots at the new food stall See You Tater, and MLB’s Ballpark app—download it to your phone and get special deals (such as upgraded seats), order concessions without waiting in line, and play along with your favorite Racing Presidents. 1500 S. Capitol St., SE; 202-675-6287.

Trapeze School New York. Channel your inner circus performer. If the idea of jumping off a 23-foot-high platform has you shaking in your safety belt, skip trapeze and learn another skill, such as trampoline, juggling, or acrobatic partner-balancing. TSNY’s local branch offers kids a special one-day circus experience as well as summer camps, culminating in performances for proud parents. 1299 New Jersey Ave., SE; 202-479-6861.

Washington Navy Yard Tour. New this year, the National Museum of the United States Navy is organizing free, two-hour walking tours of the Navy Yard. The next is July 17 at 10 am. Registration required; e-mail [email protected] or call 202-433-4882. 805 Kidder Breese St., SE.

Real Estate in Capitol Hill

Photograph of Rowhouse courtesy of Bright MLS

Hot restaurants, historic architecture, great parks, and proximity to power make Capitol Hill one of DC’s most desirable neighborhoods—and also bring a steep price tag. By the second quarter of 2021, the Hill’s median home price was $959,805, up by nearly 13 percent since last year. Here are some recent sales.