'''Anacostia''' is the huge swathe of the capital consisting of the many neighborhoods '''East of the River'''. Its heart is situated across the Frederick Douglass Bridge from the newly built Nationals Ballpark.

Understand

Most D.C. metro area residents reflexively ''recoil in fear'' at the sound of infamous ''"Anacostia,"'' known only for its extreme poverty, prowess in '''homicide''' statistics, and the ever lurking danger of accidentally crossing that river and falling into a panic attack, hopelessly lost among its labyrinthine streets.

This is all more than a little melodramatic, and there are a bunch of good reasons to add a day trip to D.C. East of the River on your itinerary. First and foremost, with its strange, rural character and extreme poverty, Anacostia is so different from the rest of the city, and really the vast majority of the U.S., that no serious traveler could be bored. The mere fact that such a place could exist so incongruously in the '''shadows of the nation's capital''' is reason enough to send a tingle up a curious traveler's spine when crossing the Anacostia River.

But perhaps the most important reason to visit is to better appreciate the area's '''rich history''', which served as home to notable residents from Frederick Douglass to Ezra Pound, Marvin Gaye, and the infamous former mayor of D.C., Marion Barry (who was jailed, literally, for smoking crack in office, and who remains Ward 8's councilman). Fortunately there are two excellent small '''museums''' here to help visitors do just that—the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum and the Frederick Douglass House.

History

Once covered by marshy swamplands, the region was first inhabited by a small settlement of Nacochtank Native Americans, from which the Anacostia River takes its name. (The marshes have since been drained, save the beautiful preserve at '''Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens'''.) The area began to see development as a part of the nation's capital in the 1850s, when '''Uniontown''' was developed as an affordable neighborhood for workers employed at Navy Yard across the river. The neighborhood soon after gained one very famous resident just to the southeast in the abolitionist, prominent black intellectual, and former vice presidential candidate, '''Frederick Douglass''', who at the time became known as the Sage of Anacostia. Prevented from living in Uniontown proper by official segregation laws, he built his house just outside at Cedar Hill.

Beginning with the Civil War, D.C. East of the River saw a military-fueled construction boom, as the North set to defend the capital against incursions from Confederate Virginia, and to protect Navy Yard from Confederate artillery, with a '''ring of forts''' in the region's hilly terrain. The forts have since been dismantled, but the sites of the two most notable forts, Fort Stanton and Fort Greble, have been turned into parks.

Most of the Anacostia's development took place in the early 20th century, particularly during '''The Great Migration''' of southern African-Americans to the North, and during World War I, when the U.S. government built the Anacostia Naval Station and Bolling Airforce Base.

Post World War II, Anacostia underwent rapid and dramatic demographic change—from a population that was nearly 90% white to one that was (and is) over 90% black. The first catalyst for such dramatic neighborhood change was the construction of I-295, the Anacostia Freeway, which cut off the entire population of Greater Anacostia from the waterfront. Second, during the 1950s there was a large influx of new African-American residents—not coincidentally at the same time as the federal government made the D.C. public school system the first fully integrated system in the country in 1950. By 1957, the city became the nation's '''first majority black city''', with a good deal of the city's African-American population living in the communities of Greater Anacostia which had been founded by free blacks as early as before the Civil War. The third catalyst was the creation of many massive public housing structures East of the River, which concentrated D.C.'s poorest residents in areas far away from the city center and its services and amenities.

The corresponding '''White Flight''' in the 1950s of white residents from old communities such as Uniontown (now known as Historic Anacostia) took with it most of the community infrastructure and wealth. Anacostia, always the poorest section of D.C., badly needed investment from the federal government (which administered the city), but investment was not forthcoming; as a result, D.C. East of the River suffered, and continues to suffer, from chronic neglect.

There are, however, reasons for an optimistic vision of Anacostia's future, as the crime rate has plummeted since the peak in the early 1990s, the city under home rule has renewed its efforts to help Anacostia grow, and a huge '''new stadium''' for D.C. United, the local soccer team, is planned for 2009 at now empty Poplar Point. That last point, in particular, has fueled speculation over whether downtown Anacostia will see a commercial and real estate boom, as the stadium proposal includes a hotel, office and retail space, and riverfront revitalization.

The biggest issues of the day in Anacostia remain '''drug crime''' and the '''disastrous public schools'''. A great read for visitors to the area is Pulitzer Prize winning author Ron Suskind's ''A Hope in the Unseen''. The biography chronicles the exceptionally rare journey of Cedric Jennings, a student at the abysmal Ballou High, who managed to escape the usual fate of Anacostia's high school students and go on to Brown University.

Get in

By Metro

The historic Downtown Anacostia neighborhood is easy enough to reach by Metro. Take the Green Line to the Anacostia Station, then walk out to Martin Luther King Jr Dr and turn left to walk north a half of a mile to the historic center. (To skip the walk, you can take the B2 Metrobus towards Mt Rainier.) On foot, you could easily see the Big Chair, historic center, grab some take out from Cole's, and then visit the Frederick Douglass House.

You could walk from the Anacostia Station to the Anacostia Museum up Morris Rd, but it's a hilly mile and a half walk, and Morris is a lonely road for visitors to be walking on. Take the bus instead.

The Kenilworth Gardens are further from downtown, but still easy to reach via Metro. Exit the Deanwood stop on the orange line. Take the pedestrian overpass across Kenilworth Avenue and go left on Douglas Street. Go right on Anacostia and enter any open gate on your left. It's about a half mile walk to the gate.

By bus

Anacostia is well served by bus. The B2 [http://www.wmata.com/bus/timetables/dc/b2.pdf] runs from the Anacostia Green Line Station up Martin Luther King Jr Dr, then Minnesota Ave, and then across the Pennsylvania Ave Bridge to the Blue/Orange Line Potomac Avenue Station, and on to RFK Stadium. The northbound route passes right in front of the Frederick Douglass House (southbound requires you walk a block from MLK Jr Dr).

For the Anacostia Museum, walk out to the W2/W3 bus [http://www.wmata.com/bus/timetables/dc/w2-3.pdf] stop on Howard Ave (in front of the Anacostia Metro stop). Either bus will take you right to the museum's doorstep. On the way back, for the heck of it, you could pick up the W2/W3 where you left off and take a meandering scenic route through Naylor Gardens, Garfield Heights, Shipley Terrace, and Douglass to the Congress Heights Green Line stop.

By car

A car is a very convenient way to visit Anacostia (since on-street parking is easy pretty much anywhere), and is the best way to really get to know D.C. East of the River. '''I-295''' (SW Fwy) and '''DC-295''' (Anacostia Fwy/Kenilworth Ave) are the main highways, which will quickly shuttle you east and west around this district. Other major thoroughfares relevant for visitors include '''Martin Luther King Dr''' especially, but also S Capitol St, Pennsylvania Ave, and Minnesota Ave.

From downtown D.C., the most attractive route across the river is the '''11th St Bridge''' (I-295), which provides spectacular views of Historic Anacostia going south, and even more amazing views of the Capitol heading north. It also dumps you off right at the intersection of MLK Jr Dr and Good Hope Rd, making it very convenient for visiting downtown Anacostia. The other two bridges heading south from downtown are at S Capitol St and Pennsylvania Ave. To drive to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens from downtown, it really doesn't matter which bridge you take—just get on DC-295 going ''east'' (Anacostia Fwy/Kenilworth Ave). It's tricky to get off at the right point, though—you must be on the southbound side of Kenilworth Ave, so make a U-turn at the city border, then get in the service lane to turn right on Douglas St, then right on Anacostia Ave, which will take you right to the park gates.

Coming from the Capital Region of Maryland, take the exit 22B off I-495/I-95 for MD-295 (Baltimore-Washington Pkwy), which will turn into DC-295 after you enter the city. The simplest way to get to downtown Anacostia is to take DC-295 to continue on I-295 southbound, to exit 3B and turn left on Howard Ave, then turn left on MLK Jr Dr.

From Northern Virginia, get on the Beltway (I-495/I-95) going east to exit 2A-B to get on I-295 northbound.

By canoe

OK, canoe is not a very practical way to visit Anacostia, but it is by far the most fun. The Anacostia River is easily navigable by canoe, and there are several places to launch: Anacostia Park, Bladensburg Park [http://www.pgparks.com/places/nature/bladensburg.html] (in Bladensburg, Maryland), and the public boat ramp at Langston Golf Course [http://www.golfdc.com/gc/lng/golfcourse.htm] in the east of Capitol Hill.

The main destinations for a canoer are the Anacostia Park, which covers much of Anacostia's waterfront, and of course the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, to which you can simply pull right up and disembark. It's important to watch the tides, though, since at low tide you won't get anywhere near the gardens. If you haven't canoed on the Anacostia before, pay the Anacostia Watershed Society's website [http://www.anacostiaws.org/index.html] a visit.

See

The principal sights—the ones you have to see in order to lay claim to having visited Anacostia—are the Smithsonian museum, the Frederick Douglass House, and, of course, the Big Chair. The two museums are small but excellent, and the latter attraction is a good photo op! The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are a destination in their own right, and merit a visit during the summer even if you are otherwise uninterested in visiting Anacostia.

  • Anacostia Museum. 901 Fort Place, SE. 1 202 633-4820. ttp://anacostia.si.edu/. 0AM-5PM daily. ree. The Smithsonian's least visited museum, far from the Mall, is a small but superbly exhibited tribute to Anacostia and D.C. "East of the River", and also to African-American history.
  • The Big Chair. 101 Martin Luther King Jr Ave, SE. The Big Chair is Anacostia's most recognized landmark, and it sits right in downtown Anacostia on MLK Jr Ave. It was erected in 1959 as an advertisement for the now closed Curtis Brothers Furniture Store across the street, and at the time of its creation, it was reputed to be the largest chair in the world. 19.5 feet high and 4,600 lbs, the Big Chair is looking quite nice today, as it was just restored in 2006.
  • Historic Uniontown. The heart of historic Uniontown is bounded by MLK Jr Ave, Good Hope Dr, 14th St, and W St SE. In this community of well preserved, wooden, Gothic houses, look especially for the colorful Rosie's Row of townhouses on the north side of U St just west of 13th, and for the 1879 St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church at 1244 V St, SE. The neighborhood is small enough where you could easily cover it on foot from the Frederick Douglass House and downtown Anacostia, and you would race through all there is to see in a car.
  • Fort Stanton Overlook. 600 Morris Rd SE. arking lot of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Fort Stanton was the first of dozens in the "Fort Circle" designed to protect the capital from Confederate attacks during the Civil War. All that remains is a historic marker, but the real attraction is the superb view of the capital from this high, grassy hill behind the church parking lot.
  • Frederick Douglass House. 411 W Street SE. 1 202 426-5961. ttp://www.nps.gov/frdo/. AM-5PM daily (16 April-15 October), 9AM-4PM daily (16 October-15 April). ree. Frederick Douglass' house in D.C. In addition to the small museum and gift shop, you may visit the house itself, but only on a tour. Tours are available by RSVP at 9AM, 12:15PM, 1:45PM, 3PM, and 3:30PM daily.
  • Honfleur Art Gallery. 241 Good Hope Rd, SE. 1 202 536-8994. ttp://www.honfleurgallery.com/. -F Noon-5PM; Sa 11AM-5PM. The Honfleur Gallery has one foot in the world of international contemporary art, and one foot in Anacostia. The world inside, with its large, beautiful space stocked with a surround sound system and flat screen TVs, looks like it would be more at home in Manhattan than, well, Anacostia. But it is run by a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts in the world just outside, and in bringing them together with its annual East of the River showcase of local artists' work.

  • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. 550 Anacostia Avenue, NE. 1 202 426-6905. 1 202 426-5991. ttp://www.nps.gov/keaq/. AM-4PM daily. ree. The only aquatic gardens managed by the National Park Service in the country is a marvelous off-the-beaten-path destination in D.C. The Kenilworth marsh is all that remains of the vast marshlands that once covered the riverbanks of the Anacostia (before being dredged for development), and is the only place where you can really imagine the District before it became America's capital. The prime attraction are the cultivated ponds, full of waterlilies, but it's also a worthy destination for the riverfront trail, greenhouses, and birdwatching. The best time to visit is without a doubt on an early summer morning, when the waterlilies are in full bloom. Free summer garden tours are available Sa-Su 9AM & 11AM (Memorial Day-Labor Day).
  • Saint Elizabeth's Hospital. 700 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE. ttp://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1812&ResourceType=District. Why visit a mental hospital? Because the historic grounds and buildings are beautiful (if run-down and really creepy). On top of that, you can see some great views from here of the D.C. skyline. The hospital was founded in 1852 as the first major government-run mental institution, and at its peak housed 7,000 patients, which at one point included both President Lincoln's and President Garfield's assassins. The hospital still operates, but on a much reduced scale. The Department of Homeland Security plans to relocate here in 2010 (and to destroy most of the architectural heritage in the process), so drive by to see the grounds while you still can.

    Do

  • Anacostia River Tours. hrough Bladensburg Waterfront Park. 601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg, MD. 1 301 779-0371. nfo@anacostiaws.org. 1 301 699-3317. ttp://www.pgparks.com/places/nature/bladensburg.html. our: T-Th noon-12:45PM, Sa-Su 5PM-5:45PM. ree, rentals:$12-20/day. Bladensburg Waterfront Park is just outside the city boundaries to the east, and offers free river boat tours along the Anacostia River, accompanied by a park naturalist. They also rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, and rowboats Sa-Su 10AM-6PM.
  • Fort Dupont Ice Rink. 779 Ely Pl, SE. 1 202 584-5007. cox@fdia.org. 1 202 584-5008. ttp://www.fdia.org/. ublic skating: F noon-1:50PM, Sa-Su 3PM-4:20PM (most of the facility's time is used up for private lessons, ice hockey teams, and public school phys-ed programs). dmission: $4-5, Skate rentals: $3. A very nice non-profit-run public ice rink (the only indoor public ice rink in the city, actually), located in Fort Dupont Park. While it's probably not worth the effort to get way out here just for ice skating, if you're in the area, it's fun.
  • Fort Dupont Summer Concerts. ort Dupont Dr, SE. 1 202 690-5169. ttp://www.nps.gov/fodu/. PM Saturdays, July-August. ree. The National Park Service puts on well-attended weekly summer jazz concerts at the Fort Dupont Park Theatre. To get to the stage, turn right on Fort Dupont Dr off of Randle Circle (at the intersection of Massachussets & Minnesota Aves). Check the events calendar on the website for specifics.

    Buy

  • Anacostia Art Gallery & Boutique. 806 Bruce Pl, SE. 1 202 610-4188. ttp://www.bzbinternational.com/anacostiag.html. h noon-6PM, F noon-8PM, Sa-Su noon-6PM. Anacostia shopping is no longer a vaguely rural pawn shop crawl, courtesy of Ms. Juanita Britton's fascinating, eclectic gallery and boutiques. The first floor is filled with paintings and African crafts, the second with designer clothing and "unique products for the mind, body and soul." It's location is as good as it gets East of the River, being right on the beaten path next to the Anacostia Museum.

    Eat & Drink

    Sit-down establishments are near impossible to find East of the River. If you're looking for a place to go out and drink (legally), you have only one good option in the Player's Lounge, where you'll likely share the space with local politicians.

  • Cole's Cafe. nacostia Restaurant & Catering. 918 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE. 1 202 889-9588. -F 7AM-6:30PM, Sa 8AM-6:30PM. 2-6. Mama Cole has turned this place (despite the recent name change) into a neighborhood institution, with a combination of absolutely delicious soul food carry-out and charity in the form of reduced prices for seniors, free cheese steaks for kids who present good grades on their school report cards, and profits donated to buy gloves & scarves for neighborhood kids. All that philanthropy nearly cost Mama the store, when she couldn't pay her rent last year—diners and friends alike chipped in to get her through that. The food is all-around delicious, but especially focus on the desserts—the banana pudding was so popular that Mama decided to give away the recipe, since she couldn't make enough for everyone!
  • Fireside Restaurant. 028 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE. 1 202 678-7010. ttp://www.mainstreetanacostia.org/clientsites/fireside.html. 1AM-7PM, 11AM-6PM. 5-10. Probably D.C.'s most authentic Jamaican cuisine served up in spicy portions. It's a new place with a small cafe-like space to sit down and eat. The restaurant hasn't had tremendous success, and have adopted fewer, and less predictable operating hours as result (call ahead), but they do appear to be here for the long haul.
  • Miss Charlotte's Crab Cakes. 193 Minnesota Avenue, NE. 1 202 397-8517. -Th 11AM-8PM, F-Sa 11AM-9PM. 4-20. u. pen. Endless upscale restaurants serve "crab cakes" in D.C., but the cakes in question are more cake than crab and not really worth your time. The best lump-meat crab cakes belong to Miss Charlotte, hands down, who will likely serve you herself through the bullet-proof glass window. There's no seating save the stump outside, and this isn't one of the safest parts of town, but this is some of the best eating in the city. It's not too far from the Minnesota Ave metro stop. If driving, there's usually easy on-street parking, and the nearby Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens make for a ''wonderful'' place to eat crab cakes in the summer. You could go as cheap as the delicious fried whiting sandwich or a monster burger, but splurge instead for the $20 deluxe crab cake dinner (2 lumps, 2 sides). (And perhaps a perfect sweet potato pie.) You can call in your order in advance.
  • Morgan's Family Fish Fry. 323 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE. 1 202 678-6463. -Th 7AM-8PM, F 8AM-11PM, Sa 7AM-8PM, Su 8AM-6PM. 2.50-4. Soul food & very cheap fish fry, with the motto "food so great, you'll scrape your plate." Their catfish sandwiches are the main draw, and are the closest you'll get to the old fashioned fish sandwiches that Washingtonians once ate all up and down the Anacostia. Carry-out only, as you might expect.
  • Player's Lounge. eorgina's Restaurant and Catering. 737 Martin Luther King Jr Ave, SE. 1 202 574-1331. u-Th 11AM-12:30AM, F-Sa 11AM-2AM. One of Anacostia's only sit-down establishments is a rather nice place for some drinks and a meal. It's way out of the way, but it's a nice family-run establishment catering to a crowd in their thirties and older, local politicians, and the twenty-somethings when the DJ arrives on Friday and Saturday nights. For a fun time, brush up on your Bid Whist playing.
  • Secrets of Nature. 923 S Capitol St, SW. 1 202 562-0041. ttp://www.secretsofnaturehealth.com/. -F 8AM-6PM, Sa 8AM-5PM. 2-10. The name "Secrets" is right—this is one of the best vegetarian-health food restaurants in D.C. and it's tucked away in Bellevue at the extreme southern tip of the city. It's also one of those few, rare sit down restaurants in Anacostia, with a health food store to boot.

    Sleep

    Accommodations are extremely scarce in Anacostia. You will almost certainly have better luck looking elsewhere for a hotel. There are accommodations on the military base, but those are only available to those who have official business there (i.e., people actually allowed on the base). If you are intent on staying East of the River, the closest you'll get are the hotels in Suitland, MD, 15 minutes away, by the junction of I-495/I-95 and Branch Ave.

  • Country Inn & Suites By Carlson. 950 Mercedes Blvd, Camp Springs, MD. 1 888 201-1746. x_camd@countryinns.com. 1 240 492-1089. ttp://www.countryinns.com/hotels/mdcamp. 100-120. A run of the mill three star hotel with a nice gym.
  • Holiday Inn Express. 001 Mercedes Blvd, Camp Springs, MD. 1 301 423-2323. 1 301 702-9420. ttp://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hotel/wasmd;jsessionid=4Q3SXRNZ45HGGCTGWA2SIIQKM0YBCIY4?_requestid=579919. 115-135. Three star chain hotel with virtually no distinguishing features.

    Stay safe

    In the time honored words of former Mayor Marion Barry, "Outside the killings, D.C. has one of the lowest crime rates in the country." This was considered in poor taste at the time, and rather inaccurate, but it contains a nugget of truth in Anacostia. Not including homicides, D.C. East of the River actually sees a good deal '''''less'' violent crime''' than the trendy north central neighborhoods—you are ''less'' likely to be assaulted, mugged, etc. here than in Adams Morgan! Big deal, you say—you'd rather get mugged than shot to death. The difference, though, is that violent street crime like robberies hits random targets, and often ''targets'' visitors unfamiliar with their surroundings. Anacostia's homicide problem is drug gang-related. Tragic numbers of innocent bystanders get killed every year in these gang wars, but you can at least rest assured that they're not aiming for you. The ''type'' of violence here is far less likely to affect visitors than residents. Moreover, their simply are fewer total homicides than robberies in the city by a ''wide'' margin. Walking down main streets in Anacostia during the day, you will not likely experience anything dangerous.

    Which are those main streets? When visiting the central Anacostia neighborhood, stick to MLK Jr Ave and Good Hope Rd, and the side streets in Historic Anacostia around Frederick Douglass' House. Walking from the Deanwood Metro station to the Kenilworth Marshes at night would be a bad idea, but there isn't much reason to be there after dark anyway.

    Get out

  • Prince George's County surrounds Anacostia on all sides not bounded by the river, and serves an interesting contrast to the city's poorest district. Though a suburb, PG County is in places more densely populated, has far more commerce, and is indeed the wealthiest majority-black county in the United States. NASA's visitor center is just up DC/MD-295 by the beltway, and when combined with the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, makes a great itinerary (especially if you are traveling with kids).
  • For more of D.C.'s African-American history, the mecca is Shaw, which served as home to D.C.'s '''Black Broadway''' in the early 20th century.