Fellow creative DC residents: help me put together a list of things for visitors to do when they’re in town for the inauguration, beyond the usual sightseeing.
What’s the #1 thing you’d recommend people do while they’re in town to get a sense of the “real” DC…OR, to see a side of DC that might surprise them?
I’ll start us off with 3 ideas of my own, and I’ll update this list based on your answers (you can just submit the name of a place or event – no need for a detailed write-up, unless you feel like providing one!).
Amanda’s Top 3 Things To See in DC When You’re in Town for the Inauguration:
1. Busboys and Poets – Hub for artists and progressives – cafe, bookstore and performance space. Check out the gospel brunch on Sunday, January 18 and open mic poetry on the 19th and 20th.
2. Kramerbooks and Afterwords Cafe – Long-standing independent bookstore and adjoining cafe. If you go on Sunday, check out the year-round Dupont Circle farmer’s market just a block away – open til 1pm.
3. Sixth and I Historic Synagogue – In addition to preserving the heritage of Washington, Sixth and I is a cultural center (think 92nd St. Y in NYC) offering everything from indie film screenings to concerts and book readings. Check out their Songs for Presidents show on Saturday, January 17 at 8pm, featuring Jefferson Pitcher, These United States and other indie artists; they’ll be performing songs from the collaborative 2008 album, Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies. Details about the Saturday show here.
Submit your #1 pick using the comments feature below!
Your Picks So Far:
(Compiled from comments posted below, and responses via Facebook and Twitter)
(Note 1.15.09: I’ll add links to unlinked items asap, just ran out of time)
Neighborhoods and Markets
Walks and Rides
- A car ride up the length of Georgia Ave. from Howard University to the Maryland border
- Walk down 16th Street from U Street toward the White House. I am forever amazed that I can be shopping at boutiques and walking my dog past beautiful residential homes, and look up to see the White House in the distance.
- I always like the drive down Massachusetts Ave. (from Maryland, heading south) toward Dupont Circle with the mosque and all the embassies … plus the embassies in the Connecticut Avenue/Kalorama area. Seems like that’d make a good walking tour.
- Bike down 13th St. (NW) hill (editor’s note: start at around 13th St. and Harvard St. NW and ride south – if you cross Columbia Road, you’re going the wrong way)
- Bike through Rock Creek Park and find all those hidden old cemeteries
- The bus, not metro
- Biking the Capitol Crescent Trail
- Drive down T Street in Ladroit Park to see the old mansions
- One of the most breathtaking moments for me, no matter how many times I do it is to drive over the 14th Street bridge into D.C
Art & Culture
- HR 57 (jazz club)
- Dancing at DC-9
- Roaming the impressionist section of the National Gallery
- Dollhouse Museum in Friendship Heights
- Politics and Prose bookstore – Connecticut Ave. NW
- National Building Museum
- While I haven’t been able to make it there for too long, the Black Cat is a DC music institution worth sharing. I’m also a fan of seeing a blockbuster on the giant screen at the Uptown.
Restaurants and Bars
- Cork on 14th Street
- Quick Pita in Georgetown for a falafel sandwich
- Liberty Tavern in Arlington for the area’s bestest brunch
- The Reef (best bar in Adams Morgan)
- Bedrock Billiards (for a relaxed good time)
- Red Derby
- Sticky Fingers sticky buns and coffee
- Brunch at St. Ex
- Colonel Brooks Tavern in Brookland
- Ben’s Chili Bowl (U Street NW)
- The Raven (dive bar, Mt. Pleasant Street NW)
- 2 Amys Pizza (Cleveland Park)
- I’d add The Brickskeller (http://www.lovethebeer.com/brickskeller.html) and/or Pizzeria Paradiso (G’town location: http://www.eatyourpizza.com/) for many fun beers from around the world. Brickskeller has a nice en déshabillé feel to it.
Parks and Nature
- Dupont Circle fountain (for great people-watching)
- Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park
- National Arboretum
- C & O Canal
- Cedar Hill
- Fort Reno
- National Cathedral gardens
Misc.
- The National Cathedral’s stained glass tells the story of the country and is a fun surprise for guests, particularly those who have seen, say, the cathedrals of Europe. And the drive back to downtown down Mass Ave hits the embassies and (soon!) Uncle Joe’s new house at the Observatory.
- Tranquil Space Yoga
- If a tourist is macabre and irreverent, perhaps a stop by the Hinkley Hilton for a photo would be a suitable souvenir.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Definitely Eastern Market, but also The Reef (best bar in Adams Morgan), Bedrock Billiards (for a relaxed good time), and the Dupont Circle fountain (for great people-watching).
Walk down 16th Street from U street toward the White House. I am forever amazed that I can be shopping at boutiques and walking my dog past beautiful residential homes, and look up to see the White House in the distance. That’s distinctly DC!
I always like the drive down Mass Ave toward Dupont with the mosque and all the embassies … plus the embassies in the CT/Kalorama area. Seems like that’d make a good walking tour.
If a tourist is macabre and irreverent, perhaps a stop by the Hinkley Hilton for a photo would be a suitable souvenir.
Or heck, just ride the metro and bus for a day and soak in all the people. Let your ears feast on the languages and accents and let your imagination play, “who’s a spy?”
HR 57, bike down 13th st hill, bike through Rock Creek Park and find all those hidden old cemeteries, Red Derby, Sticky Fingers sticky buns and coffee, brunch at St. Ex, dancing at DC9, and roaming the impressionist section of the National Gallery.
After 6 years those are my favorite weekend and holiday activities anyway.
Renee
I’d add The Brickskeller (http://www.lovethebeer.com/brickskeller.html) and/or Pizzeria Paradiso (G’town location: http://www.eatyourpizza.com/) for many fun beers from around the world. Brickskeller has a nice en déshabillé feel to it.
The National Cathedral’s stained glass tells the story of the country and is a fun surprise for guests, particularly those who have seen, say, the cathedrals of Europe. And the drive back to downtown down Mass Ave hits the embassies and (soon!) Uncle Joe’s new house at the Observatory.
While I haven’t been able to make it there for too long, the Black Cat is a DC music institution worth sharing. I’m also a fan of seeing a blockbuster on the giant screen at the Uptown.
One of the most breathtaking moments for me, no matter how many times I do it is to drive over the 14th Street bridge into D.C. There is something awe-inspiring for me to be in the presence of great monuments…especially at night when the tourists are gone. Ooops! Did I say that out loud?
Exit the Smithsonian metro station on the mall. Look left to the Washington Monument and right to the Capitol.
Go to the Obama souvenir shops on
7th Street between Pennsylvania Ave. and the Verizon Ctr. Have fun being with people who are as happy as you are to be celebrating!
Check out the murals all over town!
Muralist