Washington, D.C. is the seat of our government, the home of our president, and the stomping grounds of countless members of Congress. The main business here is politics, so there's no shortage of politicians, lobbyists, lawyers, and public relations firms in town. The city isn't known for its fashionably dressed inhabitants, its hip arts scene, or its innovative dining establishments. But it's much more than an uptight political town. If you know where to look, D.C. has plenty to interest you -- from nightlife and the arts to museums and fine dining.
There is entertainment practically every night of the year. If you like your performing arts classy, check the listings for the Kennedy Center, National Theater, and Warner Theater. If you want a little more kick, see who is on tap at Blues Alley and the 9:30 Club. Or if you're searching for a rendition of your favorite playwright's work, investigate Arena Stage, Ford's Theatre, and the Shakespeare Theatre. None of these venues are cheap, but they all tend to draw the cream of the crop, so you really get what you pay for.
As the nation's capital, Washington hosts an international array of visitors and new residents. This infusion of cultures means that the D.C. restaurant scene is getting better and more diverse. (And sometimes cheaper: More of the top dining rooms now offer reasonably priced fare and fixed-price specials.) You can find almost any type of food here, from Burmese to Ethiopian, health-conscious new American to appetizer-size Spanish tapas.
The city offers so much in the way of history, culture, and scenery that your visit almost certainly will be exhilarating and educational. The city's primary tourist area---the meticulously maintained National Mall, monuments, museums, Tidal Basin, and the grounds and gardens that surround these attractions---is lush and green in spring and summer and exudes a more subtle beauty in the colder months. Another plus: Admission to the national monuments, and many of the museums and parks, is free.
D.C. was selected as the permanent site for the U.S. capital by Congress in 1790, and George Washington was given the authority to choose a precise spot for the original capital city---a 10-square-mile area on the Potomac on land that was donated by Maryland and Virginia. In 1791 French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired to survey the land and design the city, and although his plans were ultimately implemented, he was fired in 1792 as a result of conflicts with politicians and investors. In 1793 the cornerstone for the Capitol was laid on the hill that L'Enfant had chosen.
In 1800, the Capitol was "inhabitable" (although far from completed) and President John Adams and the seat of federal government was moved to an "unfinished" city of Washington. There were no proper sidewalks, streetlights, or sanitation systems, and large areas of the city were still occupied by swamp and farmland. Constitution Avenue was a canal, and early presidents took oar boats when traveling from the White House to the Capitol.
Development was slow and interrupted by the War of 1812. In 1814 the British arrived in Chesapeake Bay, made their way to the Capitol, and burned it, along with the Library of Congress and many ships and stores. President James Madison and First Lady Dolley were forced to move to Octagon House and then "The Seven Buildings" until the Capitol was rebuilt in 1817. By 1822 the city had been largely reconstructed and boasted a population of close to 15,000, but it was far from cosmopolitan, and progress was again interrupted by war---this time the Civil War.
It wasn't until after the Civil War, in 1870, and the term of city administrator Alexander ("Boss") Shepherd that sidewalks and sewer systems were laid and streetlights installed. During Shepherd's term, L'Enfant's plans were finally realized---300 miles of half-laid streets were improved, oft-used thoroughfares were paved, Old Tiber Creek was filled in, and some 6,000 trees were planted. In 1901 a committee was appointed---including landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and architects Daniel Burnham and Charles McKim---to continue laying out the city. Their main focus was development of the Mall, but they also laid the plans for a complete parks system, selected sites for government buildings, and designed the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington Memorial Bridge. In 1912 the famous cherry trees were planted in the Tidal Basin.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought an influx of wealthy immigrants and the benefits of their talents and economic resources. The Library of Congress and Union Station were built, and the Mall was laid out; its present-day form closely resembles the original. The latter half of the 20th century brought still more politicians and bureaucrats to town as government got "bigger" and world politics more complex. During his short time in office in the early 1960s, John F. Kennedy passed bills to preserve historic houses, approved a plan for the Metro, and championed better housing conditions in deteriorating D.C neighborhoods.
In the last 30 years, D.C. has weathered destructive riots, the resignation of a president, and the arrest and conviction of a mayor on drug charges. And there are still neighborhoods that need attention. But the city has rebounded from these and other challenges, and, although there's still work to be done, it is today a city that Americans can be proud of.
L'Enfant gave Washington a couple of other idiosyncrasies. First, there's the series of traffic circles---Dupont, Thomas, Scott, Washington, Sheridan, Chevy Chase, Logan, and more---spread throughout the city. These were intended to slow up any invading armies attempting to conquer D.C. by rushing up the town's broad avenues; their modern-day effect is to confound drivers who are not familiar with traffic circle etiquette. In the absence of other signs or traffic lights, the rule is to yield to traffic already in the circle. Inch out, look for your break, and go for it when you have the chance.
Second, L'Enfant divided D.C. into quadrants, placing the Capitol in the center. North Capitol Street, East Capitol Street, and South Capitol Street run from the Capitol into very distinct areas and neighborhoods, few of which hold any interest for you, although each boulevard serves up stirring views of the dome. To the Capitol's west lies the Mall, thus the absence of a West Capitol Street.
Third, L'Enfant named one avenue after every state in the Union, and most avenues criss-cross town without adherence to D.C.'s otherwise well-organized grid system. Each state avenue has a distinct character. The planners of the stretch of Connecticut Avenue from Maryland to Woodley Park (which also includes the National Zoo) intentionally alternated business and residential zones so that the boulevard would not get buried by commerce. Massachusetts Avenue wends a stately path from upper Northwest D.C. past the naval observatory (where the U.S. vice president resides), ceding to an embassy-lined corridor around Dupont Circle and eventually skirting the run-down district just south of Shaw, one of the city's more crime-ridden neighborhoods. Independence and Constitution avenues frame the Mall and split duty between hosting federal agencies and Smithsonian museums. And many more, such as Utah and Colorado Avenues, are stashed in residential neighborhoods.
