Anacostia

About a mile away from Cedar Hill you’ll find the recently renovated Smithsonian  Anacostia Community Museum, which is committed to the study of challenges facing contemporary urban communities. Exhibits highlight life as a local for many black residents, as well as immigrants like the permanent Bridging the Americas exhibit, highlighting Zonians and Panamanians.

Once known as Uniontown, Anacostia was one of Washington, DC’s earliest suburbs. Many employees of the Navy Yard, located just across the 11th Street Bridge in today’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, bought homes in the area during this time.

For as well documented as its history is, Anacostia also provides a serene natural retreat for walkers, hikers and bikers. Hop on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail (it connects the east and west sides of the river at the 11th Street Bridge and South Capitol Bridge) and explore it from Poplar Point, part of National Capital Parks-East, northeast to the nearby Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens. Volunteers looking to contribute and positively impact the local ecosystem can link up with the Anacostia Watershed Society.

For more fun in Anacostia, see what performances are going on at the Anacostia Playhouse, cruise around on some old-fashioned skates for free at the Anacostia Roller Skating Pavilion or enjoy art located inside the Anacostia Arts Center. Another neighborhood claim to fame is the Big Chair, a 19-and-a-half-foot tall sculpture and relic from a 1950s-era furniture company, once said to be the “World’s Largest Chair.”