Guidebook for Washington
Essentials
Closest grocery store, with a pharmacy and hot food bar. Carries wine and liquor, too.
410 locals recommend
Harris Teeter
900 Army Navy DrClosest grocery store, with a pharmacy and hot food bar. Carries wine and liquor, too.
Alternative grocery story. Also has a pharmacy and liquor section. Not quite as extensive a hot bar as Harris Teeter but sometimes better produce. Starbucks inside.
855 locals recommend
Safeway
3830 Georgia Ave NWAlternative grocery story. Also has a pharmacy and liquor section. Not quite as extensive a hot bar as Harris Teeter but sometimes better produce. Starbucks inside.
Large open-air produce market on the weekends, limited hours during the week. Huge flea market on weekends. Inside the Eastern Market building itself there are food venders during weekdays too.
699 locals recommend
Eastern Market
225 7th St SELarge open-air produce market on the weekends, limited hours during the week. Huge flea market on weekends. Inside the Eastern Market building itself there are food venders during weekdays too.
Entertainment & Activities
Great playground on D Street side and huge playing field.
8 locals recommend
Watkins Elementary School
420 12th St SEGreat playground on D Street side and huge playing field.
Tyler Elementary School
1001 G St SEGreat playground around back. Enter from 10th Street SE.
Closest playground. Entrance is from Ives Pl SE on the corner of Ives and 14th Street SE.
Chamberlain Elementary School
1345 Potomac Ave SEClosest playground. Entrance is from Ives Pl SE on the corner of Ives and 14th Street SE.
Forgot your stroller or carseat? They rent them. Lose a shoe? They sell them. All sorts of kids stuff at consignment prices.
Monkeys' Uncle
323 7th St SEForgot your stroller or carseat? They rent them. Lose a shoe? They sell them. All sorts of kids stuff at consignment prices.
Nearest non-school affiliated playgrounds. Very popular with preschool-age children.
106 locals recommend
Lincoln Park
Nearest non-school affiliated playgrounds. Very popular with preschool-age children.
Toddler and Preschool-friendly playground near Eastern Market. No shade, but very often busy anyway.
12 locals recommend
Marion Park
401-479 E St SEToddler and Preschool-friendly playground near Eastern Market. No shade, but very often busy anyway.
Unofficial "playground" in the metro plaza near 9th and Pennsylvania SE frequented by toddlers daily. Not a city-run and exists only because neighbors supply and maintain the play equipment.
880 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Unofficial "playground" in the metro plaza near 9th and Pennsylvania SE frequented by toddlers daily. Not a city-run and exists only because neighbors supply and maintain the play equipment.
Indoor play space with themed rooms and lots of toys. Technically a used bookstore? ~$7 per person for entry
Be With Me Playseum
545 8th Street SoutheastIndoor play space with themed rooms and lots of toys. Technically a used bookstore? ~$7 per person for entry
Drinks & Nightlife
Trusty's
1420 Pennsylvania Ave. SEPopular neighborhood watering hole.
Very kid-friendly pub with an entire second floor for dinner. Kids under 8 eat free on Tuesday nights (with a paying adult.)
31 locals recommend
Mr. Henry's Restaurant
601 Pennsylvania Ave. SEVery kid-friendly pub with an entire second floor for dinner. Kids under 8 eat free on Tuesday nights (with a paying adult.)
Looking for a date night option? Sonoma a great choice.
39 locals recommend
Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar
223 Pennsylvania Avenue SoutheastLooking for a date night option? Sonoma a great choice.
Food Scene
La Lomita Restaurant
1330 Pennsylvania Ave. SEKid-friendly Mexican restaurant with patio dining option.
Pizzaiole
1123 Pennsylvania Ave. SECheap, yummy pizza - by the slice or pie. Great for take-out but does deliver.
Haven't been here for brunch since it changed management, but reviewers on Yelp seem to like it still.
St. Mark's Yoga Center
118 3rd St SEHaven't been here for brunch since it changed management, but reviewers on Yelp seem to like it still.
Independent coffee recently voted best in the city. Free WiFi.
171 locals recommend
Peregrine Espresso
660 Pennsylvania Ave. SEIndependent coffee recently voted best in the city. Free WiFi.
Coffee or cafe food during the day, wine bar at night. WIFI during daytime hours.
25 locals recommend
Pound the Hill
621 Pennsylvania Avenue SoutheastCoffee or cafe food during the day, wine bar at night. WIFI during daytime hours.
Starbucks
3100 14th St NWReasonable amount of seating, but pretty busy and no upstairs.
Largest Starbucks on this side of the Hill. Upstairs seating makes a good place to work.
466 locals recommend
Starbucks
3100 14th St NWLargest Starbucks on this side of the Hill. Upstairs seating makes a good place to work.
Good Stuff Eatery
303 Pennsylvania Ave. SEBurger joint that's very popular, even with the Obamas.
Sizzling Express
600 Pennsylvania Ave. SESalad and hot bar and deli. Options for everyone.
Our favorite north Indian restaurant. Often has instant Groupon deals.
10 locals recommend
Aatish On the Hill
609 Pennsylvania Ave. SEOur favorite north Indian restaurant. Often has instant Groupon deals.
The other "Henry's" is a Mexican restaurant with patio seating in warm weather.
6 locals recommend
La Plaza Mexican Cuisine
629 Pennsylvania Ave. SEThe other "Henry's" is a Mexican restaurant with patio seating in warm weather.
Al's Gourmet Pizza
1382 East Capitol St NEAnother good pizza delivery place.
A longtime favorite pizza delivery place because they will do garlic cloves and spinach, but we haven't ordered since discovering Pizzaiole's vegetarian pizza at 12th & Penn SE.
10 locals recommend
Pizza Boli's
3738 10th St NEA longtime favorite pizza delivery place because they will do garlic cloves and spinach, but we haven't ordered since discovering Pizzaiole's vegetarian pizza at 12th & Penn SE.
Bakery/Restaurant with good options from breakfast through dessert, specializes in organic, but not exclusively. Kid-friendly with good vegetarian options.
86 locals recommend
Le Pain Quotidien
660 Pennsylvania Ave. SEBakery/Restaurant with good options from breakfast through dessert, specializes in organic, but not exclusively. Kid-friendly with good vegetarian options.
Takeout food purveyor in Eastern Market that is almost a tourist attraction in itself. Line is often out the door on weekends during breakfast.
37 locals recommend
The Market Lunch
225 7th St SETakeout food purveyor in Eastern Market that is almost a tourist attraction in itself. Line is often out the door on weekends during breakfast.
Coffee shop and bakery that serves nice breakfasts and soups for lunch.
35 locals recommend
Firehook Bakery
1909 Q St NWCoffee shop and bakery that serves nice breakfasts and soups for lunch.
Consistently reviewed as extremely kid-friendly by neighborhood parents. Food also gets regular props; great milkshakes.
425 locals recommend
Ted's Bulletin
505 8th St SEConsistently reviewed as extremely kid-friendly by neighborhood parents. Food also gets regular props; great milkshakes.
Sort-of-new Vietnamese Restaurant (owners operated out of the space next door for years) that gets good reviews for food and service.
1123 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Sort-of-new Vietnamese Restaurant (owners operated out of the space next door for years) that gets good reviews for food and service.
Indian restaurant with a few alternative menu items and a bar. Buffet lunch on weekdays.
7 locals recommend
Capitol Hill Tandoor & Grill
419 8th St SEIndian restaurant with a few alternative menu items and a bar. Buffet lunch on weekdays.
Nana Thai
406 8th Street SoutheastThai place with good vegetarian options and sushi.
matchbox
521 8th St SEEat-in pizza.
One of several Salvadorian/Mexican restaurants owned by this family. Popular with young professionals for margaritas but family friendly too.
9 locals recommend
Las Placitas
1100 8th St SEOne of several Salvadorian/Mexican restaurants owned by this family. Popular with young professionals for margaritas but family friendly too.
Everything Else
GUTTED BY MAJOR FIRE - SUMMER OF 2013 - Paint store just reopened on same block. Garden stuff at Eastern Market [Do you need it? They've probably got it. Seriously, we always check Frager's first.]
17 locals recommend
Frager's Hardware
1115 Pennsylvania Ave. SEGUTTED BY MAJOR FIRE - SUMMER OF 2013 - Paint store just reopened on same block. Garden stuff at Eastern Market [Do you need it? They've probably got it. Seriously, we always check Frager's first.]
CVS
1418 P St NWClosest stand-alone pharmacy. Reasonable hours.
William H Rumsey Aquatic Center
635 North Carolina Ave SEPublic pool. Free for DC residents, small fee for visitors.
Results Gym
315 G Street SoutheastGreat gym - with babysitting - that sells day passes.
Closest yoga studio. See www.capitolhillyoga.com for classes (your host teaches the sunrise class on Tuesday mornings).
Capitol Hill Yoga
641 Pennsylvania Avenue SoutheastClosest yoga studio. See www.capitolhillyoga.com for classes (your host teaches the sunrise class on Tuesday mornings).
Tons of restaurants along this strip: diner, burgers, pizza, seafood, frozen yogurt, cupcake shops, bakeries Thai, Mexican, Indian, Belgian, even. Easy walk or 5 min bus or metro.
133 locals recommend
Barracks Row Main Street
731 8th St SETons of restaurants along this strip: diner, burgers, pizza, seafood, frozen yogurt, cupcake shops, bakeries Thai, Mexican, Indian, Belgian, even. Easy walk or 5 min bus or metro.
Natural foods store caries *local* organic milk and eggs, fresh sushi, supplements . . .
85 locals recommend
Yes! Organic Market Capitol Hill
410 8th St SENatural foods store caries *local* organic milk and eggs, fresh sushi, supplements . . .
One of 3 Metro stations with overnight parking. Great option if you are coming from the north. Transit: Green line to L'Enfant Plaza then Orange or Blue lines toward New Carrollton or Largo.
15 locals recommend
Greenbelt Station
5600 Greenbelt Metro DrOne of 3 Metro stations with overnight parking. Great option if you are coming from the north. Transit: Green line to L'Enfant Plaza then Orange or Blue lines toward New Carrollton or Largo.
For off-hours transit to Dullas or BWI (800) BLUE-VAN (800-258-3826) http://www.supershuttle.com/ (~$29/$10 for first/additional passengers to Dullas).
SuperShuttle
For off-hours transit to Dullas or BWI (800) BLUE-VAN (800-258-3826) http://www.supershuttle.com/ (~$29/$10 for first/additional passengers to Dullas).
Shopping
FedEx Office Print & Ship Center
1512 14th St NWClosest copy shop.
What to do after museums and attractions all close? Play board games, of course. Labyrinth is the place to go for that. Test out their samples in the back and pick up a few to take home.
33 locals recommend
Labyrinth Games & Puzzles
645 Pennsylvania Ave. SEWhat to do after museums and attractions all close? Play board games, of course. Labyrinth is the place to go for that. Test out their samples in the back and pick up a few to take home.
Local toy store that's a go-to resource for neighborhood birthday parties.
Fairy Godmother-Childrens Books & Toys
319 7th St SELocal toy store that's a go-to resource for neighborhood birthday parties.