Walking Tours of Interest

The crowd for last year's Walking Town DC Florida Market tour.

I'm skipping out on following/leading tours this time due to finals, but that doesn't mean you should miss out. I've compiled a list of tours that seem particularly of interest to me and residents of this neighborhood. Within the list I've highlighted [in blue] the onces that sound most tempting.

Explore Florida Market/Capital City Market
Saturday 9 - 11 am
Meet outside New York Avenue Metro station (Florida Avenue exit)
Ends at Litteri’s Italian Deli, 517 Morse Street, NE
The Florida Market is the city’s major wholesale food distribution center. The tour will stop at restaurants and vendors that sell to retail customers, including the DC Farmers Market building, and address development issues such as increased demand for urban living. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Citizens Planning Coalition, Frozen Tropics weblog, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space weblog.

Capitol Hill
Saturday 10 am - 12 noon
Meet outside Eastern Market Metro station
End at Eastern Market, Seventh Street and North Carolina Avenue, SE
Reservations required: 202-661-7581 or reply@CulturalTourismDC.org
Most people think of Capitol Hill as a place of business, law, and politics. But “the Hill” is much more. Dating to the 18th century, the neighborhood is home to the historic Marine Corps Barracks, an alley that once housed more than 100 people, a Gothic Revival church, and Eastern Market. Led by Dwane Starlin and presented by Cultural Tourism DC and Washington Walks.

Alley Living in Capitol Hill
Saturday 12 noon - 2:30 pm
Meet at the northeast corner of Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (next to the SunTrust Bank), three blocks from the Capitol South Metro station
End at Gessford Court, SE, near Eastern Market
Alleys were used for stabling horses, industry, and housing the poor in the 1800s and early 1900s. Housing reform, zoning regulations, and urban renewal made most of these uses illegal. Visit Capitol Hill alleys and one of the city’s only remaining hitching posts. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Alley Residents of Washington, Citizens Planning Coalition, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space weblog.

Capitol Hill

Saturday 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Meet outside Eastern Market Metro station
End at Eastern Market, Seventh Street and North Carolina Avenue, SE
Reservations required: 202-661-7581 or reply@CulturalTourismDC.org
Most people think of Capitol Hill as a place of business, law, and politics. But “the Hill” is much more. Dating to the 18th century, the neighborhood is home to the historic Marine Corps Barracks, an alley that once housed more than 100 people, a Gothic Revival church, and Eastern Market. Led by Dwane Starlin and presented by Cultural Tourism DC and Washington Walks.
Special Instructions: American Sign Language interpreter will participate in this walk.

Eckington - 100 Years of Capital Traction

Saturday 1 - 2:30 pm
Meet outside New York Avenue Metro station (Florida Avenue exit) in front of the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Headquarters, corner of N and Second Streets, NE
End at Rhode Island Avenue Metro station
Once a tranquil country estate, this neighborhood tells the story of Washington’s first electric streetcar and maps the expansion of the city along the well-worn tracks of the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad. Led by Brian Kraft and presented by the DC Preservation League and the Eckington Civic Association.

From the Beatles to XM Radio, the Evolution of NoMa (North of Massachusetts Avenue)
Saturday 2 - 3:30 pm
Meet and end at the New York Avenue Metro station (M Street exit)
This up-and-coming neighborhood just north of Union Station is home to landmarks such as the Washington Coliseum, site of the Beatles first US concert in 1967. The New York Avenue Metro station opened in 2004, igniting the pace of development in NoMa, and with lead anchors like XM Radio; US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms; and NPR, a new mixed-use neighborhood is taking shape. Led and presented by Elizabeth Price, president, NoMa Business Improvement District.

Capitol Hill and the Landmark Eastern Market
Sunday 10 - 11:30 am
Meet at Eastern Market Metro station plaza (east side toward Eighth Street)
End at Eastern Market, Seventh and C Streets, SE
Trace the evolution of the 135-year-old Eastern Market from the Navy Yard to its present location, a Victorian-style masterpiece designed by political radical and architect Adolph Cluss. Hear stories about market culture and how, despite a ravaging fire in 2007, local efforts have persisted in maintaining this vital neighborhood hub, where shoppers are greeted by the familiar faces of generations of vendors. Led by Carole Kolker and presented by Cultural Tourism DC. Special thanks to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, the Flea Market at Eastern Market, and the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.

H Street NE Alley Tour
Sunday 10 am - 12:30 pm
Meet outside New York Avenue Metro station (south exit at M Street, NE)
End at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1300 H Street, NE
This tour traces the development of the H Street neighborhood along the railroad, and discusses how alleys became locations for stables, industry storage, and housing. The tour includes a stop at two occupied alley dwellings. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space blog, Frozen Tropics blog, and the Citizens Planning Coalition.

Gallaudet University Campus Tour
Sunday 11 am - 12:30 pm
Meet and end at Gallaudet University, EMG Building lobby in the Visitors Center (Eighth Street and Florida Avenue, NE entrance)
The world’s only university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students is located right in DC. Given in American Sign Language, with voice interpreters, this tour will explain the origins of the nation’s first deaf school and university traditions, point out one of the nation’s first swimming pools, and visit the spot from which former President James Garfield made his final public speech. Led and presented by Gallaudet University Visitors Center staff.

Capitol Hill and the Landmark Eastern Market
Sunday 1:30 - 3 pm
Meet at Eastern Market Metro station plaza (on the east side toward Eighth Street)
End at Eastern Market, Seventh and C Streets, SE
Trace the evolution of the 135-year-old Eastern Market from the Navy Yard to its present location, a Victorian-style masterpiece designed by political radical and architect Adolph Cluss. Hear stories about market culture and how, despite a ravaging fire in 2007, local efforts have persisted in maintaining this vital neighborhood hub, where shoppers are greeted by the familiar faces of generations of vendors. Led by Carole Kolker and presented by Cultural Tourism DC. Special thanks to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, the Flea Market at Eastern Market, and the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.

Gallaudet University Campus Tour
3 - 4:30 pm
Meet and end at Gallaudet University, EMG Building lobby in the Visitors Center (Eighth Street and Florida Avenue, NE entrance)
The world’s only university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students is located right in DC. Given in American Sign Language, with voice interpreters, this tour will explain the origins of the nation’s first deaf school and university traditions, point out one of the nation’s first swimming pools, and visit the spot from which former President James Garfield made his final public speech. Led and presented by Gallaudet University Visitors Center staff.