Visit D.C.'s Eastern Market

When in Washington, do as the locals do. Spend a leisurely weekend morning shopping.

Every first-time visitor to Washington, D.C., must see the monuments, the White House, and the Capitol building. That's a given. But where do you go when you want a true taste of life in the district?

Easy! You head to Eastern Market, right in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Open since 1873, it's the city's oldest continuously operating fresh food market. The red brick, Italianate-style building, with its exposed cast-iron and steel trusses, is itself a D.C. landmark. Inside, you'll find everything from a florist to a fishmonger. More than 100 vendors set up outside on weekends, selling items ranging from jars of honey to original art.

Customers come mostly from the surrounding neighborhood during the week. On the weekends, however, a wonderfully eclectic mix of people descends on Eastern Market for shopping, dining, and plain-old people-watching.

"It's just an interesting taste of D.C.," says jewelry designer Jennifer Eubank, who sells wares from her company, J. dell Designs, at the market. "I love to sit here and watch all of the people go by. I always tell people that if they have out-of-town guests, this is one of the best places to go. Yes, it's historic, but it's artsy too."

On Saturday, you'll want to make sure you arrive early enough to have breakfast. Washingtonians are crazy about the blueberry pancakes, made famous by the folks at Market Lunch restaurant, a no-frills food counter located in the market's South Hall across from a seafood seller.

"You wait in line more than 30 minutes for breakfast thinking to yourself, 'This can't possibly be worth it,'" says Capitol Hill resident Charles Allen. "Then you have your first bite of the blueberry pancakes, and you instantly remember why you line up every Saturday morning."

If you sleep in and miss the flapjacks, don't fret. Market Lunch serves up a mean crab cake, too, plus there are a number of cafes and pubs lining the neighborhood streets.

While Eastern Market is popular with stroller-pushing couples and hip, young professionals, there's still something deliciously old-fashioned about this D.C. tradition.

"People like the intimacy the vendors have with their clients," says market manager Stuart Smith. "It's a throwback to another time. You go to the chicken stand, and the guy selling chicken knows your name. You go to the fishmonger. The fishmonger knows your name. People really like that."

CASSANDRA M. VANHOOSER

Eastern Market: 225 Seventh Street SE., Washington, DC 20003; (202) 544-0083. Metro Stop: Eastern Market rail stop, Orange and Blue Lines. Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Market Lunch restaurant: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3:30p.m. Sunday.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Nov 2003
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