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Blagden Alley

4.8 (12 reviews)

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Alise G.

I love exploring DC, I can't believe I just discovered this hidden gem this year. I have become a tourist in my city in 2020 due to the lack of travel this year. This alley is a creative's dream, with super inspiring, and relaxing vibes. There are a few restaurants and coffee shops to around to check out. This space is perfect for a photo shoot, I suggest visiting early before the foot traffic comes in.

Kimi S.

Like white vans, back alleys have gotten a bad rep over the past few years just because of a few bad apples. I hope this review restores their good name because Blagden Alley is truly a Washington, DC hidden gem. Hidden right among the hustle and bustle of the city, Blagden Alley is a mix of storied walls, street art, delicious eats, killer cocktails and mid-day coffee breaks. Photographer pros and amateurs alike can have a field day with the ivy covered bricks, secret gates, and art work proclaming everything from Black Girl Magic to Love. It truly is one of my favorite spots in the city and the sunlight always seems to hit every wall just right. I urge to to sip, stop and explore the city behind these walls. You won't regret it!

Entrance from 9th St
J E.

As many times as I've been in the City, I had never been to any of the places in Blagden Alley, so I recently visited... It's a hip place with a cool vibe. Lots of fun places to visit for food and drink. Only issue I have is the traffic driving through the alley with all the people walking around... perhaps the City should close vehicular traffic during peak business hours.

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8 months ago

Fun area to stop by while you are already out and about. The murals are beautiful and perfect for a quick photoshoot. Highly recommend!

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2 years ago

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7 years ago

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5 years ago

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9 years ago

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5 years ago

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

Love going to blagden alley. So many great spots to dine and drink and feels like a hidden secret alley

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8 years ago

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

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7 years ago

Great alleyway! Nestled with several restaurants and coffee shops. The street art is wonderful as well.

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Review Highlights - Blagden Alley

I love exploring DC, I can't believe I just discovered this hidden gem this year.

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Graffiti Cliffs of Georgetown

Graffiti Cliffs of Georgetown

3.9(7 reviews)
2.5 miGeorgetown

I like the graffiti cliffs for a multitude of reasons. My main reasoning is it allows me to get an…read moreescape from the hustle and bustle of the city while still being right in the middle of it. Additionally, it offers a great view of Rosslyn, Georgetown, and the Potomac. It is one of those experiences in the city that takes you away while still being present. A couple of downsides to this area is that it can be a bit sketchy and you're best to watch your back when you come up here. On the flip side, they're there for the same purpose that you are - to chill. You leave them alone and you will be left alone. It is easy to access for the most part. Just take the stairs up from the parking below by the kayaks and you'll find yourself on the C & O Trail. Wear good shoes. You will be better off than wearing sandals.

If you want to see some American Graffiti, this is where you come. Jimmy Cliff and Cliff Richard…read more(ew) like it here too, hence it's named the Graffiti Cliffs. I didn't even know the Graffiti Cliffs of Georgetown even existed (even) until my most recent visit, which is weird because I know everything, lol, and I used to live around here. But it's a must visit. I love it. The views are amazing and the graffiti on all of the cliffs and things around here is awesome. The sometimes strict local police let everything go here, so it's basically just a free artistic place. It's sort of like a tolerance zone for prostitution, but instead, it's art. Although Barbi and I consider some forms of prostitution to be art, too, especially when we do it. So Graffiti. Not as much fun as prostitution but it might be better to look at depending on who the client is. I mean artist. However, I learned that just a few weeks after I visited here, they closed it off. Not even for Coronavirus, but before Corona. Hopefully it'll be opened up again as soon as Coronavirus is over. It better be.

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Graffiti Cliffs of Georgetown
Graffiti Cliffs of Georgetown
Graffiti Cliffs of Georgetown

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DC Alley Museum - DC Alley Museum in Blagden Alley

DC Alley Museum

4.8(10 reviews)
0.0 miShaw, Downtown

"I love these murals, but when do we enter the museum?" Me. "These are the museum," my friend. And…read morethis is how I've come to enjoy the DC Alley Museum as the best outdoor-only free museum experience that I've ever had! For the past 10 years, Shaw's Blagden Alley has partnered with the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities to transform its building walls into canvases for local artists to showcase their work. The result is an alleyway filled with a cavalcade of murals big and small, that blend in well with the local businesses within said alleyway. While walking through this vast alleyway I saw so many incredible works of art that I lost track, and the photos that I took barely do justice It's an absolute street art lover's dream! The best part is that you can either walk through it in a quick dose, or you can do so while grabbing coffee at La Colombe, a cocktail at Calico or Death & Co, or even a workout at DC Strength and Nutrition. Checking out the website is a must to learn more about the core mural artists and to find out about events like their Alley-Oop Music and Arts Festival.

Murals galore! They are all different and unique and range in size. How fun to just explore various…read morestreets and find unique art at every turn. Sometimes you can't even tell if it's part of the outdoor museum or part of the storefront of a creative restaurant. Definitely worth checking out. There is a coffee shop, bar, restaurants, and other business nestled within this space. We need more art, less arguing!

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DC Alley Museum
DC Alley Museum - Public art work: Let Go by Rose Jaffe

Public art work: Let Go by Rose Jaffe

DC Alley Museum

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Georgetown Glow Outdoor Light Exhibition - 2018- Run Beyond

Georgetown Glow Outdoor Light Exhibition

4.0(12 reviews)
2.0 miGeorgetown

Georgetown Glow is free public art with elements to captivate all ages & demographics. It can be…read morepaired with some history or can be enjoyed to captivate your Instagram followers. It is currently in it's fifth year, running from early December to early January. It looks like the installations change every year so there is something new to explore and enjoy. I won't go through every installation that I saw for this reason. There are some really instagramable moments, my favorite in 2018 was definitely Prismatic, but I have a big soft spot for Run Beyond as well. You should definitely plan to get out and explore a lot of the installations, just walking or driving by won't give you the full effect of some of them. Some of them also can't be seen from your vehicle, bundle up and explore! There are also a few that incorporate motion & sound. Here is the biggest "well duh" moment- see these installations after dark. Not during sunset, not at dusk- make sure it is really dark for the full effect. I mean- they are light installations, so maybe that shouldn't even be mentioned. I opted to see Georgetown Glow as part of a tour group (Free Tours by Foot DC) and our tour started almost an hour before sunset so I made a point to revisit the installations we saw early on during the tour- it was definitely worth the trip back to see the earlier installations. I thought taking the walking tour was a great way to see some of the installations and learn more about the history of Georgetown. Our tour guide was excellent, but was definitely a better Georgetown guide vs a Glow guide. She had great historical stories to connect to the themes of the art installations as we walked through Georgetown. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see all of the artwork during this foot tour, but we had plenty of time to explore the ones we did encounter on our tour. I would recommend doing Georgetown Glow both ways, take a tour if that's your thing, but really for the art itself I think you can easily enjoy every installation without the tour aspect and just read the information provided on the website to learn more. It is an outdoor, free, public display so expect that a few of the installations may have technical difficulties. I visited on the second night of the displays and noticed some light vandalism, most likely caused by careless spectators. It didn't take away from the overall effect though. One thing I appreciated is even though this is a December outdoor light exhibit, it wasn't Christmas themed. There is definitely plenty of holiday cheer to enjoy as you explore the city between installations. The art itself focuses on different themes giving you a brief mental break from the holidays.

I've been going to GLOW since the first edition and I just love it! I like some installations…read morebetter than others but it's a great idea and it's nice seeing people walking around at night in the Winter! It would be nice to have shuttle tours for people who can't walk as much. Maybe the Circulator used to do free rides? I can't remember. DC has so many free events and exhibits and GLOW is one of the best.

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Georgetown Glow Outdoor Light Exhibition - 2018 - artistic lighting

2018 - artistic lighting

Georgetown Glow Outdoor Light Exhibition - Lightbattle 2019

Lightbattle 2019

Georgetown Glow Outdoor Light Exhibition - 2018 - artistic lighting

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2018 - artistic lighting

Blagden Alley - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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