Brookland earned its nickname “Little Rome” the old-fashioned way — in the early-to-mid 20th century, the presence of numerous Catholic organizations in the area, and the religious men and women who walked through the neighborhood in robes, led locals to call it “Little Rome.” That identity stuck. Today Brookland is home to Catholic University of America on its 193-acre campus, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception — the largest Roman Catholic church in North America — the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, and more churches, chapels, and monasteries than any other DC neighborhood. It’s also home to the Monroe Street Market arts district, Right Proper Brewing Company, Menomale Neapolitan pizza, and some of the most architecturally interesting housing stock in Northeast DC. Brookland is four miles from the Capitol on the Red Line and feels like a different city. That’s the point.
Brookland’s origin story: The neighborhood gets its name from Colonel Jehiel Brooks, a prominent lawyer and War of 1812 veteran who settled in the area and became a farmer and horticulturist. His home — the three-story Greek Revival Brooks Mansion at 901 Newton Street NE — still stands. After Brooks’ death in 1886, developers subdivided the estate. Catholic University was established on property just north of Brooks’ farm in the 1880s, and the neighborhood’s character has been shaped by its presence ever since.
Where Brookland Is
Brookland sits in Northeast Washington DC, Ward 5, centered on 12th Street NE and served by the Brookland-CUA Metro station on the Red Line — about 10-15 minutes to Union Station and Metro Center downtown. The neighborhood is bounded by Fort Totten to the north, Rhode Island Avenue NE to the south, South Dakota Avenue NE to the east, and the Red Line tracks to the west.
The Red Line access is one of Brookland’s most significant assets — residents can commute downtown without a car while living in a neighborhood that feels genuinely suburban in scale and character. It’s one of the few DC neighborhoods that delivers both.
The Basilica of the National Shrine
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America, and one of the largest churches in the world. The Byzantine-Romanesque structure at 400 Michigan Avenue NE dominates the Brookland skyline and is genuinely one of the most architecturally spectacular buildings in Washington DC — a fact that most non-Catholic Washingtonians discover only when they finally visit.
The Basilica is open to the public daily, free of charge. The interior has dozens of individual chapels — each representing a different Marian devotion, many with extraordinary mosaic work. The crypt level is a separate architectural experience from the great upper church. Worth a dedicated visit regardless of religious affiliation.
The Franciscan Monastery
Some of DC’s loveliest gardens are tucked away on the grounds of this circa-1898 site, where cloister walks, replicas of Holy Land shrines — the Grotto of Lourdes, the Virgin Mary’s tomb — and hundreds of seasonal flowers create a serene mood. Free, guided tours of the 42-acre site take place April through October. The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land at 1400 Quincy Street NE is one of DC’s most overlooked peaceful spaces — genuinely beautiful and almost entirely unknown outside the neighborhood.
Monroe Street Market and the Arts Walk
Monroe Street Market’s brick-paved, pedestrian-only collection of galleries and studios stars local talents such as Stitch & Rivet, with handmade cotton or leather bags, and Cedric Baker, for bright oil paintings. Most galleries are open on weekends. The Brookland Arts Walk along Monroe Street has 27 studios — one of DC’s most concentrated independent arts districts, anchored by the Monroe Street Market development that brought residential and retail density to the neighborhood without destroying its character.
The Restaurant Scene
Menomale serves wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and other Naples-inspired dishes — one of DC’s most authentic Neapolitan pizzerias and the restaurant most directly connected to the neighborhood’s “Little Rome” identity. The wood-fired oven produces the kind of pizza that makes the Red Line ride worthwhile on its own.
Brookland Pint has twenty-five beers on draft — most of them local — and a menu of comfort food that lures Catholic University students, Franciscan friars, and neighborhood dwellers to its bustling corner location. The visual of friars in robes sharing a corner bar with CUA students is pure Brookland.
Right Proper Brewing Company — Brookland’s beloved brewpub with a tasting room, weekend tours, and a patio that becomes one of Northeast DC’s best outdoor drinking spots in warm months. Fish tacos and Brussels sprouts are the fan favorites.
Busboys and Poets — the Brookland location of the beloved DC restaurant-bookstore-community space hybrid. Poetry nights, strong coffee, Southern fusion food, and the kind of third-space energy that makes a neighborhood feel like a community.
Smith Public Trust — craft beer and al fresco dining on the Monroe Street corridor, a strong addition to the neighborhood’s beer-focused restaurant scene.
The Architecture and Housing
The housing stock here is famous for its character — detached Queen Anne Victorians, charming bungalows, and spacious rowhouses. Brookland offers DC homeownership at price points significantly below comparable properties in upper Northwest DC — one of the genuine entry points into DC real estate for buyers who want architectural character, a yard, and Red Line Metro access without paying Georgetown or Cleveland Park prices.
The 12th Street NE corridor has a 1920s commercial strip feel — low-rise storefronts, independent businesses, and the kind of Main Street character that most DC neighborhoods traded away decades ago. Most residents can easily walk to grocery stores, restaurants, the Arts Walk, and the Metro.
Catholic University of America
Catholic University’s 193-acre campus anchors the neighborhood’s northern edge — Romanesque stone buildings and a grassy central lawn popular for sunbathing and frisbee. The university shapes Brookland’s demographic mix — faculty, graduate students, and university staff add intellectual energy to what is otherwise a very residential neighborhood. The campus is open to the public and worth a walk for the architecture alone.
🏨 Staying Near Brookland?
Brookland has limited hotel options — nearby Capitol Hill has the closest stays with Red Line Metro access to the neighborhood’s restaurants and the Basilica.
→ Find Hotels Near Brookland DC on Hotels.com
Quick Reference: Brookland DC
- Location: Northeast DC, Ward 5, 4 miles from the Capitol
- Nickname: “Little Rome” — Catholic University, Basilica, monasteries, churches
- Metro: Brookland-CUA (Red Line) — 10-15 min to downtown
- Named for: Colonel Jehiel Brooks — War of 1812 veteran, Brooks Mansion still stands
- Landmark: Basilica of the National Shrine — largest Catholic church in North America
- Hidden gem: Franciscan Monastery — 42 acres, free guided tours April–October
- Arts district: Monroe Street Market — 27 studios, brick-paved Arts Walk
- Best pizza: Menomale — wood-fired Neapolitan, authentic
- Best beer: Right Proper Brewing Company — tasting room, weekend tours
- Best pub: Brookland Pint — 25 local drafts, friars welcome
- Architecture: Queen Anne Victorians, bungalows, rowhouses — significant character
- Best for: Families, Red Line commuters, Catholic University community, arts scene
📘 Getting Around Northeast DC
The Red Line connects Brookland to downtown but knowing DC’s broader parking and transit rules helps when you’re moving between neighborhoods. The DC Parking & Towing Survival Guide covers every zone in the city.
→ Get the DC Parking & Towing Survival Guide — $17
Also on UnscriptedDC: Brookland sits in the Northeast DC corridor — read our Takoma DC guide for the neighboring community to the north. For the full DC neighborhood picture, our DC neighborhoods guide covers every corner of the city. And for free things to do near the Basilica and Franciscan Monastery, our free things to do in DC guide covers the full picture.