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How to Spend a Day in Congress Heights

Published Nov 11, 2024

In Partnership With 

City Cast DC

Written by 

Only In Your State Staff

City Cast DC is the easiest way to stay updated on what's happening in DC. Their daily podcast and newsletter covers local news, gives the best life hacks, and curates recommended events. For more DC insider information visit dc.citycast.fm.

Colorful playground equipment in front of a building with a mural reading "Congress Heights Recreation Center."
Congress Heights playground. (Austin Graff/City Cast DC Contributor)

Congress Heights is a mostly residential neighborhood east of the river that has emerged as a hub for Black culture and arts. It’s also home to the Entertainment and Sports Arena which holds many concerts and basketball games. So if you’re heading there for an event, make a day of it!

First, Coffee:

Start with an Ethiopian coffee from Buna Talk Cafe in Sycamore & Oak, a small retail village with over a dozen Black-owned local businesses. For something more untraditional, grab an Oreo milkshake from Corner Cafe, which also serves perfectly greasy breakfast sandwiches.

What to Eat:

Do yourself a favor and splurge on the crab cake sandwich at MLK Deli, a small deli in the basement of a rowhouse. Triceys D.C., an Afro-Caribbean food stand inside Sycamore & Oak, has unreal mac & cheese, jerk chicken, and fried white fish. And of course, you have to try the mumbo sauce at Hong Kong Delite, a carryout made famous by Keith Lee.

A mural of a woman with curly hair and a mask, painted on a utility box in an urban setting.
Call box mural in Congress Heights. (Austin Graff/City Cast DC Contributor)

What To Do:

Shop for Black art, decor, and clothes from the woman-owned Anacostia Art Gallery & Boutique. Walk around and see murals, like the Go-Go music one on the side of Liff’s Market, or paintings of Black heroes along the wall outside Eagle Academy.

For the sports-inclined, watch the Washington Mystics play a game at the Entertainment & Sports Arena. And if you’re there on a Saturday, grab some fresh produce at the Ward 8 Farmers Market.

After Hours:

Grab cocktails from the bar inside Sycamore & Oak, then learn to line dance (only on Tuesdays). If you’re looking for something a little more intense, Ace Lounge has sugary cocktails and strobe lights to match for a weekend night you’ll probably regret.

Check out more DC insider information with City Cast DC. Their daily newsletter and podcast are the easiest way to stay up-to-date on DC. For life hacks, daily event recommendations, and local news visit dc.citycast.fm.

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