Woodley Park is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, DC. It is bounded north by Woodley Road and Klingle Road, east by the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park, south by Calvert Street, southwest by Cleveland Avenue, and west by 34th Street. Adjoining neighborhoods are Cleveland Park to the north, Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan to the east, Kalorama to the south, Woodland-Normanstone Terrace to the southwest, and Massachusetts Heights to the west.
The intersection of Calvert Street and Connecticut Avenue in Woodley Park Straddling Connecticut Avenue south of the National Zoo is a neighborhood of fine early 20th-century row houses, a throwback to the days more than a century ago when developers hoped that this wide avenue that runs northward to the Maryland border would be a boulevard lined with elegant homes. Modern-day Connecticut Avenue north of the small Woodley Park historic district is now mostly filled with high-rent, high-rise apartment houses — although the city’s height limitation restricts them to no more than eight stories, they are considered high-rise by Washington standards.
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 Duke Ellington. The Smithsonian National Zoo’s biggest attraction, which backs up to Rock Creek Park, is home to the city’s famed giant pandas. Getting there is a cinch: Take Metro’s Red Line to the Woodley Park stop.
From Andean bears to white-faced gibbons, about 1,800 animals make their homes at the National Zoo. The show stars are the giant pandas, but you’ll also find other fascinating critters like komodo dragons and African elephants living in an outsized habitat. A colorful carousel with horses, rhinos, and ostriches to ride appeals to kids, as does a small train.
Locals and tourists flock to Rock Creek Park, a tree-filled ribbon defined by its namesake waterway, encompassing 2,100 acres designated by Congress in 1890. It stretches to the Maryland border, but the major entrance (down a steep hill) is here in Woodley. Expect biking, running trails, workout stations, and picnic spots by the creek. There’s also access to Pierce Mill, a working 19th-century grist mill, near the lower entrance to the zoo. EZ DC Junk Removal
Close to the Metro, Connecticut Avenue holds a busy strip of restaurants, many with sidewalk cafes. Choices include Lebanese Taverna for garlicky Mediterranean fare, brunch favorite Open City, and District Kitchen for Mid-Atlantic comfort dishes and artsy cocktails in a cozy space.
Check out different neighborhoods like Capitol Hill