Yesterday I explored a neighborhood I’d never been to before—NOMA. NOMA, north of Massachusetts Avenue, is actually about a mile north of Mass Ave. There’s a good reason I’d never visited there before, until about eight years ago it was an old industrial area filled with warehouses and parking lots. Then gentrification and development began, and the neighborhood is rapidly transforming. Most of what I saw didn’t exist the last time I was in DC.
I only found out about it because I booked a DC Mural tour #dcmuraltour. Four of us took the tour, meeting our guide, #JasonBowers, in front of the Citizen M hotel—a fun looking place to stay. Jason is a terrific guide, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about DC’s history, the artwork (he’s part of the team that brought the murals to the neighborhood) and just plain fun.
We walked from NOMA to the Union Market neighborhood, stopping frequently (and especially whenever there was a bench) to talk about what we were seeing.
After the tour I met up with my niece Abby and her family at the market. We sat outside, ate, and visited for a couple of hours. Then they returned home to Baltimore, and I explored Union Market. This neighborhood combines old and new. Union Terminal Market was built in 1931 and housed 700 food vendors, mainly wholesale. Some historic vendors, like a meat purveyor and tofu manufacturer still do business there. But most of the market has been taken over by trendy food stalls, restaurants, and shops. Luxury apartment buildings have been built surrounding the market (again within a very short time frame).
It’s a fun area to visit. If you’re in DC and want to take the tour, here’s the link: https://www.dcmuraltour.com/