By Debra Bruno

Roll Call Staff
May 18, 2010, 12 a.m.


Most of the world knows the federal city side of Washington, D.C. — the Capitol Dome, the Washington Monument, the National Mall, the Smithsonian. But the city is also a collection of vibrant neighborhoods, many of them having the feel of small-town Southern communities, with front porches and neighbors who take the time to chat.


A new edition of the book “Washington at Home: An Illustrated History of Neighborhoods in the Nation’s Capital,” edited by Kathryn Schneider Smith, proves this perfectly. At nearly 500 pages with hundreds of historical and contemporary photos, the book reveals a tapestry-like portrait of the city so many of us call home. It digs deeply into 26 very different neighborhoods, from Capitol Hill to Shepherd Park, from the Palisades to Barry Farm.