Before the tourists arrive

The outdoor cafe at the Hirschorn Museum early on a Sunday morning. The Hirschorn is the Smithsonian’s museum of modern and contemporary art.

Let’s party!

Many of Washington, D.C.’s row houses have been converted into apartments. For summer parties, an apartment with a balcony, however small, is a definite plus.

The staff of life

At the neighborhood market whose flower stall you saw yesterday, you can also buy a wide variety of homemade breads, cakes, scones, and pastries.

Buying flowers

One of the popular stalls at this neighborhood market sells a variety of flowers all summer long.

Cooling off

The fire engine from the local firehouse is a popular feature with the children attending this annual neighborhood celebration in Arlington, Va.

Water dance

These children dance happily through one of the fountains in Market Commons, which I described on Thursday. These past few days, I’d happily have joined them. The temperature in Washington, D.C. has been as high as 100 F/38 C, and when you add in the humidity to arrive at the heat index (what it feels like) it’s been as high as 110 F/43 C.

Welcome to new Washington, DC city daily photo blogger John.

Plus ça change …

Once upon a time, there were town centers with high streets full of shops and restaurants and people living in the flats above them, sometimes the shopkeepers and resturant owners, and sometimes not. Then there were strip malls and sprawling suburban shopping malls, and now there are town centers again. They are artifically created and known as “mixed-use development” in town planning parlance. This one, Market Common, in the Clarendon area of Arlington, Va., is very pleasant and a huge improvement on the dreary expanse of parking lots that used to occupy the area.

Capitol Living

Capitol Hill is one of the oldest of Washington, D.C.’s residential neighborhoods. It begins behind the U.S. Capitol building and covers 150 square miles. This quiet street is typical of the area. Capitol Hill is also the home of a number of places of interest, including the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Capitol Hill Flea Market

Every weekend you can pop across the street from Eastern Market to the Capitol Hill Flea Market, not so much a flea market in the true sense but more of an arts, crafts, retro and antiques market. The banner says “Every Saturday,” but it’s outdated as it has been operating on Sundays, too, for quite some time.

Photograph and post by Marie McC of Alexandria Daily Photo.

Eastern Market

Today’s theme is a typical supermarket in your town. As there are several other bloggers who have shown you modern American supermarkets today, I have spotlighted Eastern Market, a historical Capital Hill neighborhood food market. Constructed in 1873, the market was once on the verge of permanent closure in 1929 due to the rise in popularity of modern supermarkets. Today it is thriving. The north hall houses meat, poultry and seafood stands plus a deli, bakery and hot foods. On the weekend, Eastern Market features outdoor produce and flower sales plus arts & crafts from around the world. Throw in the occasional street musician and you not only can do some food shopping, but you also have a lively, colorful place to pass some time on the weekend.

Photograph and post by Marie McC of Alexandria Daily Photo.

25 City Daily Photo bloggers are participating in today’s theme. Select a number to find the next one.

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