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Capitol Hill is surprisingly good territory for shopping. Eastern Market and the unique shops and boutiques clustered around the historic redbrick building are great for browsing. Inside Eastern Market are produce and meat counters, plus places to buy flowers and sweets. The flea market, held on weekends outdoors, presents nostalgia and local crafts by the crateful. There's also a farmers' market on Saturday. Along 7th Street, you can find a number of small shops selling such specialties as art books, handwoven rugs, and antiques. Cross Pennsylvania Avenue, and head south on 8th Street for historic Barracks Row, where shops, bars, and restaurants inhabit the charming row houses leading toward the Anacostia River. The other shopping lures near the Hill are Union Market and Union Station, D.C.'s gorgeous train station, these days actually a shopping mall that happens to also accommodate Amtrak and commuter trains.
Keep in mind that Union Station and Union Market are north of the Capitol, while Eastern Market is to the south. You can certainly walk between these sights, but be aware that, from Eastern Market, Union Station is roughly a mile away, and Union Market is another mile beyond that—trekking that might prove taxing after time already spent on your feet in the shops.
For 150-plus years, this has been the hub of the Capitol Hill community. Vibrantly colored produce and flowers, freshly caught fish, fragrant cheeses, and tempting sweets are sold at the market by independent vendors. On weekends year-round, local farmers sell fresh fruits and vegetables (Tuesdays, too), and artists and exhibitors sell handmade arts and crafts, jewelry, antiques, collectibles, and furniture from around the world. A flea market unfurls on Sundays. The city's oldest continuously operating public market continues to be a vibrant and lively gathering place, complete with entertainment, art showings, and a pottery studio for residents and visitors alike.
Pop into this three-story maze of used, new, and rare books, where the volumes are piled floor to ceiling, and no flat surface is left bare. (Even the bathroom is stacked high.) The knowledgeable staff will help you browse through a wonderful collection of out-of-print history titles, political and fiction writings, and mysteries.
If you're a cook or looking for a gift for someone who is, pop into this small shop across the street from the Eastern Market Metro. You'll find cookbooks, baking pans, aprons, towels and potholders, cookie cutters, barware, grilling tools, specialty foods, and much more. The shop is closed on Monday.
You won't find any video games in this gem; rather, you'll discover an outstanding selection of handmade wooden puzzles and mazes, collectible card and travel games, board games, and brainteasers. A bonus to stopping in are the dozens of activities and games for all ages you can play.
The name means "roots" in Italian, and this little shop has quickly settled its roots into the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The charming owners have created a warm and inviting gathering spot and store with its brick walls, Venetian glass light fixtures, terra-cotta tiles, beautiful food, and handmade Italian gift displays and tables both inside and out. This is a lovely spot for an afternoon pick-me-up of espresso and cannoli or an end-of-day glass of wine and cicchetti Veneziani (small bites). You'll also find everything you need for an Italian-themed picnic. Wine tastings are held on Thursday evening.
Arriving in 2012, massive Union Market is a feast for the senses that’s a favorite destination for locals and out-of-town visitors alike. The space offers a smorgasbord of food and drink options, from sushi and piping hot empanadas to Bloody Marys and fish-and-chips. There are butchers and bakers and candles (though not candlestick makers—yet), as well as cheese vendors, microbrewed coffee, and a shop selling spices you’ve never heard of. It’s all made the market enormously popular, particularly on weekends, when parents descend to sip espresso while the youngsters bound around a generous outdoor seating area that features a host of lawn games.
Union Market is part of the new, buzzing Union Market District, filled with restaurants; a pop-up movie theater, the Angelika, which shows new releases and classic favorites; and La Cosecha, a contemporary Latin market two blocks away.
Resplendent with marble floors and vaulted ceilings, Union Station is a shopping mall as well as a train terminal. It also has restaurants and a food court with everything from sushi and smoothies to poke bowls. The east hall is filled with vendors of expensive domestic and international wares who sell from open stalls. From April through October, an outdoor market is held Monday to Saturday with dozens of vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods and quick snacks, and arts and crafts. The Christmas season brings lights, a train display, and seasonal gift shops.
Landmarks in this bohemian neighborhood, these connected stores sell gorgeous, handmade treasures from tribal communities from every country along the Silk Road. You'll find everything from colorful weavings, pillows, and embroidered quilts to exotic jewelry and bags, musical instruments, clothing, and gift items as well as antique furniture. Woven History has carpets in all sizes, specializing in traditionally woven, vegetable-dyed carpets.
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