Enjoy the great outdoors in the middle of DC. With the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park, this neighborhood houses everything from giant pandas to breathtaking waterways
North of Dupont Circle – and across Rock Creek Park from funky Adams Morgan – genteel Woodley Park was one of several uptown neighborhoods where 19th- and early 20th-century Washingtonians escaped the summer heat. It still boasts historic architecture, including grand hotels, plus the modern buzz of good restaurants with sidewalk cafes.
The neighborhood features a few iconic sights, including a Marilyn Monroe mural and two spectacular bridges, the Taft and the Duke Ellington. Its biggest attraction, the Smithsonian National Zoo, which backs up to Rock Creek Park, is home to the city’s famed giant pandas. Getting there is a cinch: Just take Metro’s Red Line to the Woodley Park stop.