A Popular Neighborhood In Washington DC Hides A Forgotten District With Irish Charm And A Quirky Name

When you think of Washington, D.C., your mind might go to memorials, monuments, and politics. But just north of the Capitol's dome is the popular neighborhood known as NoMA. The name is a simple abbreviation for its location — "North of Massachusetts Avenue." This area, which is also made up of smaller districts like Eckington and Sursum Corda, is built on land that was once a 19th-century Irish settlement named Swampoodle (yes, you read that correctly). 

The district got its start in the mid-1800s by becoming a place of safety for Irish immigrants who left Ireland during the Great Famine. Its name came from combining "swamp" and "puddle," a term that was allegedly thought up by a newspaper reporter back in 1857. This was mainly from the area's geography, which is a marshy land where Tiber Creek would spill over, leaving the ground soaked. The community was cut short by the construction of Union Station when it opened in 1907. The project demolished and replaced many houses, pushing out a large part of the population.

You won't find the original Swampoodle today, as most of it was torn down. The district had a reputation for being unruly, and while the modern NoMA area has gone through quite a bit of redevelopment, safety can still be a concern. Unfortunately, other than its name, you will see very few physical signs of its Irish history. Some places that are left standing are the St. Aloysius Church and Gonzaga College High School. The name has been given a new life, though, as Swampoodle Park connects the neighborhood of today with its Irish past.

As Washington, D.C. is one of America's best cities from a tourism perspective, you'll find a good number of attractions and places to eat in NoMA. Swampoodle Park and Swampoodle Terrace directly reference the area's Celtic history. The park is family-friendly, with a playground and an area for dogs, while the terrace is a smaller spot with benches and a garden. NoMA also features the National Postal Museum and the National Guard Memorial Museum. The Uline Arena, where The Beatles played their first North American concert, is another local hotspot. If you want to see a show, the Atlas Performing Arts Center has many performances throughout the year, and you can watch a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The neighborhood also holds several events, like the Home Rule Music Festival in Alethia Tanner Park and an outdoor movie series.

When you get hungry, you'll find the dining scene has a plethora of options. If you're looking for some adult activities on your vacation, with a view of Washington D.C., Sly Rooftop Bar gives you a look at the city with your meal. For something a little more high-end, L'Ardente serves up Italian plates. You can also find more relaxed spots like The Pub & The People, which has American-style pub food. Red Bear Brewing is a brewery with board games and a relaxed patio, and Wunder Garten is a fairly large outdoor beer garden. For your coffee fix, you can stop by La Colombe Coffee Roasters or other local cafes like Ebenezers Coffeehouse and Simona Cafe. Additionally, the Union Market food hall has many other foodie hotspots like Old Blue BBQ and Handcraft Doughnuts.

You can get to NoMA in a few ways. The Metrorail system will take you right into the neighborhood, with two stops at NoMa-Gallaudet U and Union Station that connect to the rest of the city. Before exploring historic planes and spacecraft for free at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a remarkable museum in Washington, D.C., you can fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and take the Metro, where your trip is about 35 minutes. You'll need to use the Yellow or Blue Line and switch over to the Red Line. From Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), the trip is longer, at about an hour and a half, taking the Silver Line to the Red Line. There's also a bus, called The Virginia Breeze, that runs from Dulles to Union Station. If you're coming from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), the Maryland Transit Administration (MARC) or Amtrak train brings you right into Union Station.

When you're looking for a place to stay, the neighborhood has a nice variety of hotels. The Morrow Washington D.C., Curio Collection by Hilton, is an upscale hotel that's close to Union Market (this is also where the Sly Rooftop Bar is). For a different, and more modern kind of experience, you can check out citizenM Washington D.C. NoMA, which has compact, tech-savvy rooms and a large community-style living room instead of a traditional hotel lobby. In the Union Market area, the Hotel Nell is a boutique hotel with industrial decor and a touch of history. There are also other chain hotels in the area, like the Hyatt Place, Courtyard by Marriott, and Hilton Garden Inn.