One Metro Stop at a Time: Brookland-CUA

Image Courtesy of The Catholic University of America

By Anthony Curioso

This is an independently submitted op-ed for our Quill section. Views and statements made in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of  The Tower.

In this “One Metro Stop at a Time” column, receive a brief overview of different Metro stops in each article, including information about nearby landmarks, entrances, brief historical information, and what Metro services are provided. I figured that the best way to start off this column is by featuring the stop that serves our campus: Brookland-CUA.

Stop Name: Brookland-CUA

Opening Date: February 3, 1978, as simply “Brookland” before the name was changed to “Brookland–CUA” in 1979 to reflect the proximity of the Catholic University campus.

Lines Served: This station is served by the Metrorail’s Red Line and Metrobus routes 80, G8, H2, H4, H6, H8, H9, and R4.

Entrances located at the intersection of Michigan Avenue NE and John McCormack Road NE (this entrance has no elevator); Intersection of Michigan Avenue NE and Bunker Hill Road NE (this entrance has an elevator)

Colleges/Schools Nearby (if any): You can find the Catholic University of America, Luke C. Moore Opportunity Academy, Dominican House of Studies, and Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School all within a 15-minute walk.

Nearby Landmarks you should check out: Monroe Street Market is a popular spot among CUA students and Brookland residents alike because it has restaurants serving almost every type of food you can imagine and also holds an open–air farmer’s market during the warmer months. 

Also, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Dominican House of Studies, and the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America draw large crowds of people to the area on a regular basis for Masses and other Catholic Church events, such as the festivities leading up to and on the day of Christmas Day, Easter Sunday, and the March for Life.

Best places to eat near this stop: Brookland Pint is a restaurant operating in a pub-and-grill format, closest to the Bunker Hill Road NE entrance. They serve primarily American comfort food as well as beer, cocktails, and other alcoholic beverages that are typically served in this type of establishment.

Additionally, Busboys and Poets is a cafe themed around poetry, which also serves primarily American comfort food.

Since it is the primary connection between the Catholic University campus and the rest of D.C. as well as parts of Maryland and Virginia, individuals and groups from CUA who want to go to the most places in the DMV region will come here to take the Metro to wherever they are going. Many of these groups will meet at what we colloquially refer to as the “Metro benches,” near the John McCormack Road NE entrance to the station, and then go in to take the Metro together to wherever they are going. 

Unfortunately, as before stated, the John McCormack Road NE entrance does not have an elevator, so what I have to do when I want to go on a trip with these student organizations is meet them on the station platform after going in through the entrance that does have an elevator. 

Overall, though, I am satisfied that the Brookland–CUA Metro station is always kept clean and I enjoy stopping by the various landmarks in the area surrounding Brookland-CUA.