NoMa & Union Market

Cross-pollination and creativity thrive in NoMa – which takes its name from its location on the city grid north of Massachusetts Avenue NE – and Union Market. While there has been significant new construction, the region's industrial infrastructure of warehouses and historic storefronts has attracted an influx of contemporary businesses to complement its history.

Tens of thousands of people pass through Union Station every day. Innovators like Gallaudet University, the nation’s first college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and National Public Radio call this part of the city home. Union Market, which has existed in one form or another since 1871, caters to couples, kids and chefs alike with its mix of restaurants, kitchen supply retailers and gourmet shops selling spices, meat, bread and more. Take a quick look around and you'll realize that the spirit of the market extends far beyond a single-building infrastructure. Businesses have popped up all over the Union Market industrial zone, including an Angelika movie theater, Masseria (a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant from chef Nicholas Stefanelli) and La Cosecha (a contemporary Latin American marketplace). The urban proving ground that results is ripe for trend-setting explorers.