Columbia Heights is home to a plethora of independent bars, restaurants, shops, and arts and music venues as well as big box retail stores like Target and Best Buy, and a large, well stocked Giant grocery store. Residents have not one, but two metro lines that run through this neck of the woods as well as a Circulator line and several other city bus routes. There is a combination of old historic row homes interspersed with brand new high rise condos as well as boutique condo conversions, such as the one I just purchased. CoHi also has plenty of beautiful outdoor space, including a playground, a dog park, and one of my favorite places in the city, Meridian Hill Park.
The neighborhood known as Columbia Heights extends from 16th Street NW to Georgia Avenue NW (west to east) and Spring Road to Florida Avenue (north to south). It is surrounded by Mt. Pleasant and Adams Morgan to the west, Crestwood and Petworth to the north, Shaw to the south, and Howard University to the east.
You can check out this Wikipedia post to learn more about the history of this neighborhood. A couple of interesting highlights include the fact that Duke Ellington bought his first house on Sherman Avenue and Marvin Gaye attended Cardozo High School, both in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. I've only lived in DC for a relatively short time, but I do know that it wasn't long ago that CoHi had a less than stellar reputation for safety. It's revitalization and gentrification began with the opening of a Metro Station at 14th and Irving. Fun fact: Columbia Heights is DC's most economically and ethnically diverse neighborhood. Real estate options range from public housing to high end condominiums and fully refurbished row homes and racial and socioeconomic demographics have shifted considerably over the last decade.
Some of my favorite spots in CoHi include:
- Meridian Pint - My favorite bar/restaurant in DC. Great draft beer selection including plenty of DC Brau and tons of vegetarian and vegan meal options for those of us who are meat-free. Pool tables and shuffleboard in the basement and a really fun trivia night on Wednesdays.
- The Dunes - A mixed media venue, which according to its web site "morphs easily from art gallery to concert venue to retail pop-up shop to cocktail lounge to private event space." It's a great space in a fabulous location, situated just above The Getaway restaurant.
- Red Derby - Hipsters of the world unite. The Derby is the quintessential dive bar that only sells beer by the can. It's also well known and loved for its awesome roof deck and affordable brunch ($2 mimosas when you order food!)
- DC USA - For better of for worse, big box retailers are pretty useful and the DC USA shopping center combines so many into one space, including Target, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Best Buy, Payless, Marshall's, Staples, and more.
- Red Rocks - It's consistently crowded, but with good reason. Fantastic venue to grab one of the best slices in the city (definitely in another league than the Jumbo Slice variety). My band loves to convene here after Sunday afternoon practices. It's built in an old rowhome, which definitely adds to its charm.
- BloomBars - A non-profit arts venue on 11th Street where you can attend a poetry reading, participate in an open mic, take a dance class, take part in a drum circle, or engage in any other artistic pursuit you can imagine.
- The Wonderland Ballroom - Drink a beer out on the patio after work during the week at this Alice in Wonderland themed venue, participate in one of the most challenging trivia nights in the city on a Tuesday, or dance your ass off upstairs on a Saturday night.
I seriously could keep going... I really do love this neighborhood and am so happy to now call it home. I am looking forward to doing a little vintage shopping at It's Vintage Darling and taking a class at Quiet Mind Yoga. It's also almost time for the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace (a seasonal farmer's market) to start up again. Are you ready? I certainly am! Keep abreast on the latest goings on in CoHi on the New Columbia Heights blog and learn more about this diverse and ever-evolving neighborhood on UrbanTurf's neighborhood profile.









