Before moving to New York City, I worked for a month in the fastest-growing neighborhood in the nation's capital. NoMa (North of Massachusetts) is like a rapidly rising city-within-a-city. There are gleaming new office buildings under construction, stylish residential units, hotels, restaurants and grocery stores popping up seemingly out of nowhere. It is amazing to see the progress being made.
NoMa is located north of Union Station and Capitol Hill along First Street NE between Massachusetts and New York Avenues. There are several historical buildings in the area such as the Woodward & Lothrop Service Warehouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was constructed in the Streamline Moderne style, a type of Art Deco design that emerged in the 1930s. The building features an iconic water tower on the roof with the words "One NoMa Station" that has become the unofficial symbol of the NoMa neighborhood since it is visible from many vantage points across the city.
Other historic structures include the Uline Arena, St. Alysius Church, Gonzaga College High School and the Government Printing Office. The 1939-built Uline Arena is famous for being the site of The Beatles' first U.S. concert in 1964. Then known as Washington Coliseum, the arena also was the home of the Red Auerbach-coached Washington Capitols of the Basketball Association of America and the professional ice hockey team the Washington Lions. Right now Uline Arena is a parking garage, but there are plans to redevelop the famous structure at some point.
NoMa is a major transportation hub. There are multiple Capital Bikeshare station, bike lanes, the Metropolitan Branch Trail, the Greyhound Bus Depot, a Red Line Metro station recently renamed NoMa-Gallaudet University to reflect the rebranding of the area. And of course Union Station is the second busiest Amtrak rail station in the United States after NYC's Penn Station. Union Station is home to bike rentals, the Bikestation bike service facility, the Circulator bus, city-to-city commuter buses, Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express and MARC commuter train service. And Amtrak has ambitious plans to turn Union Station into a 21st century high-speed rail hub that will continue the amazing transformation of NoMa.
The NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) organizes lunchtime music concerts, evening movie screenings and other events. If you haven't had the chance to visit NoMa, you should. You will be amazed at the new infrastructure and the many towering construction cranes getting things done in the shadow of the United States Capitol. The symbolism could not be more striking.
Here are more photos from NoMa -- a neighborhood in transition.
And here is video of Jimi Smooth & HitTime Motown cover band performing during Rhythm in NoMa lunchtime music series at Au Bon Pain Plaza next to the NoMa Metro Station.
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