Washington, D.C., may be the most overanalyzed city in history. In the popular imagination, every monument contains a hidden Masonic symbol, every federal building is a little used annex where Deep Throat met Bob Woodward and every man in a suit is John Kerry. And, like many other locales that thrive on legend, if you come to the District looking for the legendary, you can find it.
At its core, D.C. is a vibrant, pulsing, sometimes rat-plagued place with an impressive mix of ethnicities, an accountant mayor and scores of tourists.
Main Tourist Attractions
The Mall runs alongside Constitution Avenue and plays home to the District's main tourist attractions. At one end sits the Capitol, where visitors can sit in on a Senate session for a live civics lesson. Along the South side are the array of Smithsonian Museums, including the new American Indian Museum, the ever-popular Air and Space Museum, the extensive collections of Asian art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries and African art in the underground African Art Museum. On the North side sit the two wings of the National Gallery of Art. The West Wing holds the best of classical pieces, and the I.M. Pei-designed East Wing displays contemporary masters along the lines of Lichtenstein and Miro.
There is quite a lot more to the city than The Mall and its environs, yet many feel satisfied after a stroll by the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue and Lafayette Park.
Continue to the Kennedy Center to catch a glimpse of arguably the best views of the Potomac or a show at the gleaming Kennedy Center that hosts concerts by everyone from Chilean blues singers to Saudi Arabian pop stars.
Shopping, Dining and Nightlife
Dupont Circle, a slice of residential brownstones, is home to much of the District's gay culture and some classy eateries.
Next up is the nightlife of Adams Morgan. Food from countries many have seen only on an atlas spans U Street, as well as a series of nightclubs catering the well-heeled society types to the grungier set.
Partake in boutique shopping alongside the glistening Potomac on M Street, the main stretch of commercial Georgetown. Georgetown is also the point of choice for local boat lovers, who can rent kayaks from Thompson Boat Center and roam the Potomac.
For the Advanced Tourists
In baseball season, the Washington Nationals play at RFK Stadium. By way of warning, Orioles gear is all but legislated against in the District.
Speaking of legislation, the Senate session has its own season followed just as eagerly by devoted fans (and critics), and the District is most exciting when the business of government is at its peak -- that is, from September to July.
Home to Howard University, the Shaw neighborhood forms the core of D.C.'s black community and is home to a series of respected Ethiopian restaurants and the popular 9:30 Club.
How to Get There
The District is democratically easy to access by highway. Be forewarned, however, that D.C. is comprised of a series of traffic circles and avenues running on angles that cut across rectangular streets.
This antiquated urban planning makes the District a pleasant stroll, but a bit of a nightmarish uninitiated drive.
You can easily take one of the half-hour MARC trains anytime except the weekend, and Amtrak is your best bet for getting there on Saturday or Sunday. Both trains deposit you at D.C.'s Union Station, which is a major hub for the Metro system and a 10-minute walk to the steps of the Capitol and beyond.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.