Adams Morgan is a vibrant and culturally diverse neighborhood, with a variety of bars, boutiques and ethnic shops and restaurants serving food from around the world. Located around the junction of 18th Street and Columbia Road, the neighborhood has good transport links (Bus number 42 runs to Metro Center via Dupont Circle and the Red line Woodley Park/Adams Morgan Metro stop is only a 10-15 minute walk away) and is near Rock Creek Park and the National Zoo for those who like to escape the city on foot. Adams Morgan is considered the heart of Washington’s Latino community. As early as 1910, Spanish-speaking diplomats and staff, working at Embassies on 16th Street, settled in the area, providing a base for further settlement over the years by Central and South Americans escaping political and economic hardships in their home countries. A walk around Adams Morgan tells you that the Latin community is still evident; at a street market on the corner of Columbia Road and Eulcid Street, which takes place on Saturdays and Sundays, stall-holders sell delicious Latino drinks and snacks to locals and passers-by and there are numerous Latin American restaurants, cafes and bakeries serving El Salvadorian, Brazilian, Mexican and Peruvian food to suit all budgets. Although gentrification over the past few years has seen an increasing number of upmarket trendy bars and restaurants sprout up, the area still retains its unpretentious vibe and ethnic diversity.
The name Adams Morgan was born in the 1950s and is derived from two schools in the area, the Thomas P. Morgan Elementary School (now closed) and the all-white John Quincy Adams Elementary School. At the time, white children received new school buildings when needed while black children inherited the old buildings from the white pupils. As a result black schools were in bad condition. Parents and teachers of both schools campaigned together for better facilities and in 1954, when desegregation in schools began in DC on the orders of President Eisenhower, the transition went smoothly thanks to the community bond that had already developed. In 1955 residents and school officials organized a meeting called “the Adams Morgan Better Neighborhood Conference”, giving the neighborhood its name. In the 1960s the colonial style and town houses built in the late 1800s and early 1900s and once occupied by wealthier residents were divided into apartments for rent thus attracting artists, musicians and a younger and more ethnically diverse crowd. However, the community spirit has endured; residents successfully fought against a proposed highway which would have separated Adams Morgan from central DC and the community stages the annual Adams Morgan Day Festival, now in its 30th year, which celebrates the cultural diversity of the area.
Adams Morgan’s history and ethnic roots makes it an interesting, gritty and real place compared with its more polished neighbor Dupont Circle. On a sunny day, people crowd the patios and terraces of the cafes and restaurants along 18th Street and Columbia Road, soaking up the sun over a bite to eat. Tryst Coffee shop throws open its doors to let in the light. Tryst has a funky interior and laid-back vibe, a nice place to sit for a while and read the Sunday papers, sip coffee and email your friends on the free wifi. Mixtec around the corner on Columbia Rd serves delicious and reasonably priced Mexican food, the Margaritas aren’t bad either! The chicken soup is particularly delicious and refreshingly limey and the breakfast is not to be missed if you’re hungry or if you want something hot and spicy to blow away the cobwebs. For something a bit more special, Perry’s is a good choice. While you may struggle to put a label on the kind of food they serve – their menu seems split between Japanese sushi and sashimi and modern hot dishes many with no obvious connection to Japanese – don’t let this put you off as the food is extremely good. They also have a roof terrace, an essential for the summer! If you fancy something American, Bardia’s New Orleans Cafe, run by long-time owner Bardia Ferdousi, a friendly and chatty man, is a nice place to be. The atmosphere is slow and laid-back and the beer is good, although the food isn’t anything to rave about. Eighteenth St. also has a few interesting shops that are worth a look. The second-hand book shop Idle Times is great to browse around, don’t expect any real bargains though as prices are fixed at half the retail price and no bargaining is allowed. Brass Knobs, is also fun to look around. They actually do have a vast array of door knobs, not all of them brass and they also stock other antique items such as lamps, fireplaces and other interesting things for your house.
Whatever you are into, Adams Morgan probably has something for you! Those who like it stay and eventually they become part of the community that defines the neighborhood and gives it its charm.
By Louise Assem
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