DC has a number of really fascinating markets. I figured y'all might like to see some of them, so here are five.
The most famous is
Eastern Market, which is in Capitol Hill. It has been in operation as a public market continuously since 1873, save for a two year period between 2007-2009 when it had to be renovated due to a fire. In addition to the main market building, on the weekends the surrounding streets are filled by over a hundred vendor booths, and since the whole complex is in the center of one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods, it's all surrounded by brick and mortar specialty shops and cafes. If you're there on a weekend, it's better than any mall.
Here's a map showing the market building (in green) and the surrounding flea market area (in red).
This is the main building, You can see a few vendors around, but most of them are further off to the right. The cones and yellow barrier are there to block cars, which are prohibited from a one-block stretch while the flea market is going on.
Parallel to the main building there's a permanent structure for vendors, but only a small minority actually fit under it.
The main entrance to the main building:
Inside:
Back out amidst the vendors:
The next market we'll visit is
Florida Market, so named because it's on Florida Avenue. More industrial than chic, Florida Market is different from Eastern Market in every way imaginable. It's a major wholesaling area where restaurant owners buy materials, and the attached flea market is geared towards a much more working class clientele.
These pictures are from 2006.
Here's a map of the location.
"Florida Market" is one of many names the area has been known by. Nobody much calls it "Union Market" anymore, but some vestiges of that remain.
This is what most of it looks like:
It may look like a distribution center, but many of the spaces are open for public shopping.
Florida Market is most well known for food and kitchen appliances, but that's not all that's available.
Yum.
Inside the rather hilariously named "DC Farmer's Market" you can find just about anything.
Dee-lish!
Mmmmmm!
Half smokes are like hot dogs but spicier and more sausagy. They're DC's street food of choice.
The attached flea market is as different from the one at Eastern Market as are the food stalls. At Eastern Market you're buying hand-made art and designer labels. At Florida Market you're buying garage sale leftovers.
Wasn't that fun. Now let's move on to another market, every bit as different. The
Maine Avenue Fish Market. Having opened in 1805, it is the oldest operating fish market in the US, and is one of the few surviving open-air fish markets in the country. All the historic buildings were razed during the urban renewal period, but the vendors had a 99 year right to the property, so in the 1960s provisions were made for new stalls.
The market is situated on two small parallel wharfs extending in to Washington Channel. The wharfs act as streets, while the the shop fronts are mostly on floating steel barges.
In this picture you can see the smaller southeast wharf. The building with the yellow sign at far right is on the larger northwest wharf.
This is the northwest wharf:
Storefronts:
This is not an experience that suburbia generally offers.
FYI: You buy your Maryland Blue Crabs live.
If you don't sell squid how can I take you seriously?
Like shrimp?
Let's get back to something a little easier, shall we?
Georgetown Market was built in 1865 on the site of an earlier market dating from the 18th Century. Today it is a gourmet grocery store called Dean & Deluca.
I don't have a picture of the building's outside, so this one is pulled from
thedctraveler.com. Unless otherwise noted, other photos in the thread is mine.
The inside:
Lastly,
O Street Market, which is interesting for entirely different reasons. O Street Market was built in 1881 and remained in use until 2003, although the latter half of the 20th Century was extremely unkind. In 2003 following a heavy snow, the roof caved in, and the building has been an empty shell ever since.
source: flickr user MV Jantzen
However, that is about to change. Construction is underway on
a project to restore the roof, reopen the market as a new Giant-brand grocery store, and redevelop the adjoining block.
The redevelopment will look like this:
Of course these aren't the only markets. There are many others. Just about every neighborhood has a once-per-week farmer's market, and there are a scattering of other flea market type areas around town. Plus, of course, lots and lots of grocers and other contemporary shopping destinations.
Linear Mode
