Visit Washington

By: Samuel Bank Click author's name for more of his/her articles

With its wide boulevards and avenues, plethora of parks and open spaces, elegant colonial houses, marble monuments and impressive stately architecture, America’s capital is beautiful. It’s abundance of cultural hot spots and its cosmopolitan atmosphere make Washington DC one of America’s greatest cities; a fitting home for a President.

You will be spoilt for choice with sights and attractions in this city, but luckily for you they all gravitate to one area – the National Mall and Constitution Gardens. This pretty area of open space and beautiful marble water features is home to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial and Jefferson Memorial. Walking around this area is a great way to relax and it’s a picturesque picnic spot.

At the top of The Mall are Capitol Hill, The US Capitol Building and the White House and just behind it is the Supreme Court. This area oozes importance and power as well as grand beauty and design.

Within walking distance you will also find the Gallery of Art, Air and Space Museum, National Natural History Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the International Spy Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. All of these are worth visiting.

Although all of Washington’s major sights are congregated in one area, it will take you more than a day or two to see them all as many of the museums and galleries are so large that you need a day to see each one.

For grand, attractive colonial homes, boutiques and restaurants and some of the capital’s best nightlife head to Georgetown which the up-market area of the city.

To the north, there is the Adams-Morgan district. This cool and funky area has some cute ethnic stores, awesome live music venues and, thanks to its diverse cultural mix, fantastic restaurants that are more affordable than their Georgetown counterparts.

One of the best times to visit the capital is over Independence Day. The 4th of July sees Washington transformed into one big street party with parades and barbeques. To cap it all off, there is an impressive fireworks display over Potomac River and an orchestral concert on Capitol Hill.

Music wise, Jazz is big in this city. The best places are Shaws around U Street and 14th and Blues Alley in Georgetown. If you just want to party to beats from world-famous DJs, then the Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle areas are your best bet.