Brookland

Bordered by Michigan Avenue NE, South Dakota Avenue NE, Rhode Island Avenue NE, and 9th Street NE, Brookland has gone from well-kept secret to bustling Northeast DC neighborhood.

Homes here range from the classic to the ultra-modern. There are low-rise condo and apartment buildings scattered around local businesses. Impressive Victorian and Queen Anne marvels with wide, welcoming front lawns. Comfortable bungalows tucked away on idyllic side streets. Redesigned and repurposed shipping containers for out-of-the-box living (pun intended).

Many of the older homes in Brookland strike the perfect balance between a respect for tradition and the comforts of modern life. If you want a life among original hardwood floors and cathedral ceilings, you’ll find it. And if you want a life accompanied by gleaming bathroom fixtures and solar-paneled roofs, you’ll find that, too.

CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS

Brookland’s roots go back to the early 19th century, when Colonel Jehiel Brooks (originally of Vermont) built Brooks Mansion: a Greek Revival house on Newton Street from which the neighborhood eventually got its name.

Farmland eventually gave way defensive forts during the Civil War and, afterwards, to post-war housing tracts. Both the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and DC’s growing streetcar system helped Brookland complete its transformation from farmland to suburban enclave.

In 1887, the Catholic University of America was established. With it came a host of other Catholic institutions that are still considered symbols of the neighborhood, including the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Thus the neighborhood’s popular nickname: “Little Rome.”

NOT SO LITTLE ANYMORE

But DC’s “Little Rome” isn’t so little anymore.

Recent years have seen a development boom in and around the neighborhood, especially along Monroe Street NE and 12th Street NE. Both the Arts Walk and Monroe Street Market have become popular shopping and dining destinations, and are also where you’ll find the neighborhood’s ever-popular farmer’s market in the spring, summer, and fall.

Take a casual stroll along these and other streets and you’re likely to encounter everyone from new families and young professionals to college students and neighbors whose Brookland roots go back decades. Now, small local businesses live in harmony with popular bars and restaurants, art studios, and food laboratories.

There’s no more fitting symbol for Brookland’s growing prominence than the name of the neighborhood itself, painted in giant white letters on the exterior of the Brookland Works building. It’s an impressive sight to see as you ride along the Metro or the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Move

Pick up the Red Line at the Brookland-CUA station and zoom downtown. Have easy access to major roads like North Capitol Street and Rhode Island Avenue. Enjoy leisurely bike rides along the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Dine

Share a beer with neighbors at the ever-popular Brookland’s Finest. Treat yourself to French cuisine at Primrose or fast-casual Indian at Masala Story. Sample delicious culinary experiments at the Tastemakers food hall.

Live

Tour the Franciscan Monastery’s gorgeous gardens. Go for a run or swim at the Turkey Thicket Aquatic Facility. Join your neighbors at the annual Brookland Community Picnic and Brookland House and Garden Tour.

Shop

Browse hand-crafted wares by local artists along the Arts Walk. Pick up everyday items at Yes! Organic Market and Annie’s Ace Hardware. Buy fresh flowers at Petals, Ribbons & Beyond or fine spirits at Wardman Wines.