RUFFLE MY SWEATER WEATHER: THE OLD GIRL’S GUIDE TO THE NEW DC

It’s rare to meet a true DC native, but possibly just as rare to find a Washingtonian who moved here from somewhere else and stayed for > 4 years! If either of these conditions have been met, I consider you a DC native! Me? I’m approaching veteran status as I’ve lived in DC for over 12 years (minus a few years shuttling up and down the Northeast Corridor between NYC and DC)! I’ve been lucky enough to witness all the amazing changes in food, shopping, the arts and nightlife across this beautiful city over the last decade and am excited to share with you some of my favorite spots to hang outside of my own neighborhood, Logan Circle (which is worthy of its own blog post, soon to come!).

DC has long been misrepresented as a stuffy, boring town for fat cats on Capitol Hill and lobbyists trading trade secrets in fancy 5-star hotel bars where the only thing on peoples’ minds is politics. Sure, we do love a good chat about international affairs and foreign policy (it’s kind of hard to live here and not engage in political discourse at some point), but we also love to talk about film, arts, theatre, fashion, food culture and urban development! Like I said, I’ve been here for eons and I’m still in awe of the amazing revitalization taking place in every neighborhood east of 14th St. – an area where you couldn’t even walk around alone during the daytime when I first moved here! It’s hard to keep up with the plethora of cool coffeeshops and restaurants that are popping up in the most unexpected parts of town, so let’s take it one nabe at a time! Today, I’ll talk a little bit about my current fave neighorhood that is getting cooler by the day: NoMa. Some spots you must check out are linked below:

• Union Market: Like a more intimate, brighter Chelsea Market with lots of local fare, including my favorite home decor shop Salt & Sundry where you can find amazing hand-made items like aztec-print blankets and rugs, and artisan jewelry. My favorite DC drink spots have stalls here as well – be sure to grab a cortado or cappuccino from Peregrine Espresso and an organic, fresh-pressed juice from Goshen! 1309 5th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
• Nomad Yard: This vintage shop is impeccably curated and features hand-selected pieces from around the globe. It’s worth a stop just to scope out the beautiful interior design if nothing else – you’ll wish you could just move in already! I frequently find sequin/embellished tops and dresses that make me wish I lived in the heydays of 1970s discotheques! 411 New York Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
• Dolcezza Factory: Another amazing coffeeshop-slash-gelateria that is beyond insta-worthy! The space is just as beautiful as the coffee and gelato are melt-in-your-mouth delicious! 550 Penn St NE, Washington, DC 20002
• Angelika Pop-Up: Located next to the Dolcezza Factory, the NYC-based Angelika film center opened a microcinema pop-up in DC, a hub for their signature mix of specialty film programming and unique events. 550 Penn Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
• Near the NoMa Metro: Lots of amazing colorful street art and murals to take in all over this colorful neighborhood! For specific addresses of spots photographed above, feel free to reach out via the comments, Instagram or email!