An Anacostia Ode in List Form

It's the Anacostia's Time Now

 By Adam Ortiz

The Anacostia is the best river in the region. There, I said it. If your eyebrows are raised, or if you are scoffing audibly…just hang with me for a minute. Don’t get me wrong—we all know and have great love for the Potomac. But it’s the Anacostia’s time now.

1. The river and its tributaries are accessible by EVERY Metro line

2. Dozens of miles of waterfront running and cycling trails from the new Anacostia River Trail (ART)

3. The U.S. Arboretum

4. The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

5. Frederick Douglass’ house

6. Bald Eagles…lots of them

7. Turtles…lots of them

8. A bird that can swim (the Cormorant!)

9. Fishing (and yes, you can eat most of them)

10. The Wharf

11. A bunch of restaurants and breweries on the trail network

12. Approximately 4,000 picnic areas

13. Lake Artemesia

14. Stadiums (Caps, Nats, DC United, Mystics & Wizards!)

15. Kayak, canoe, and standup paddleboard rentals (Bladensburg, Wharf, Nationals Park, and more)

16. The 11th Street Bridge Park (coming soon)

17. Kingman Island

18. Golfing (13 locations!)

19. The Kingman Island Folk and Bluegrass Festival (A.K.A., Utopia)

20. The best kite flying location anywhere (Colmar Manor Ballfields)

21. A battlefield site (Bladensburg)

22. Major League Baseball All-Star Game (July 17!)

23. An outdoor roller rink (really!), and

24. Most of the river and its trails are flanked by parks and forests, not highways!

It’s the Anacostia’s Time Now by Adam Ortiz is an excerpt from the MWCOG Region Forward Blog. Adam is the Director of the Prince George’s County Dept. of Environment, Chair of the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership, and an unapologetic Anacostia River partisan.