Washington DC

If civic politics is the American religion, then Washington DC is the nation's holy city. The White House, Pentagon and Supreme Court - these monumental shrines are symbols of real power. A patriotic combination of history and histrionics: BYO wiretap.

To some, Washington means white marble, verdant lawns and the colorful, ritualistic pageantry of American politics. The Capitol dome gleaming against a blue sky, limousine processions on Inauguration Day, and the mournful, somber, stately changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

Yet Washington is no mere political ornament. It is a city where ordinary and extraordinary people live, work and play. A city of vibrant and beautiful neighborhoods where the Federal Government and its machinery are merely backdrops to life -- not the main-stage drama. After visitors have explored the wonders of the Smithsonian Institution's 14 museums (always free!), strolled through the halls of power, and played spot-the-senator in famous eateries, delightful districts like Dupont Circle, Adams-Morgan and Georgetown offer opportunities to meet ordinary folks, tour lovely historic buildings, and dive into fabulous world cuisine.

Area: 170 sq km
Population: 570,000
Country: USA
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -5 (Eastern Time)
Telephone Area Code: 202

Orientation

Washington DC, located in the District of Columbia, a little enclave chopped from the state of Maryland, is bounded on one side by the Potomac River, on another side by Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, and on the other sides by the state of Maryland. The city covers 170sq km (65sq mi).

Washington is ringed by a freeway bypass called the Beltway, which divides the urban insiders from the suburbanites. The Capitol isn't just the symbolic center of Washington -- from here the city is divided into four compass-point quadrants along axes following North Capitol Street, East Capitol Street, South Capitol Street, and the Mall. Identical addresses appear in all four quadrants, so you need to know the directional component of the address you want.

Streets are arranged on a grid of north-south numbered streets and east-west lettered streets. This grid is overlaid by broad diagonal avenues. The geometric pattern is further interrupted by traffic circles that add to the city's appeal but for outsiders it can make DC a challenging place to navigate by car.

Most tourist sights are located around the Capitol, along the Mall and in the Northwest quadrant. Downtown includes the monuments dotting the Mall but is otherwise strictly business. Dupont Circle is an upscale business and residential address with a groovy fringe; Adams-Morgan is bohemian, funky and international; Shaw has historically elite residential areas and ghettos; and Georgetown has pristine historic houses, a university and lively bars. With Northwest quadrant real estate spiraling out of control, Brookland and the Northeast quadrant are showing promising development.

Attractions

Capitol

Political center of the U.S. government and geographic center of DC itself, the U.S. Capitol sits atop a hill overlooking the National Mall. The building is accessible by guided tours, which visit the dramatic Rotunda, Statuary Hall and the old Supreme Court chamber. The tour ends downstairs in the Crypt, which has exhibits on the Capitol's history.

Three years after Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton decided that Washington should house the nation's capital in 1790, construction began on the grand Capitol that was to grace the hill east of the Potomac. By the turn of the century, the movers, shakers and lawmakers began to move in. The British nearly burned it to the ground in 1814, which demoralized the Americans almost enough to provoke the abandonment of the whole DC experiment. However, some last-minute resolve saw the Capitol rebuilt from 1817 to 1819. The House and Senate wings were added in 1857, the nine-million-pound iron dome in 1863 and the east face in the 1950s, making the current icon over twice as large as the original building. The Capitol is the epicenter of the city, as well as being its most prominent landmark.k Washington's major avenues intersect at an imaginary point under the dome. If you want to watch Congress in session, you'll have to get a pass for the visitors' gallery from your Congressional Representative (if you have one) or the Sergeant-at-Arms (if you don't).

The dramatic Capitol Rotunda is decorated with a fresco painted by Italian immigrant, Constantino Brumidi titled The Apotheosis of Washington. The painting depicts George Washington being welcomed into heaven by 13 angels representing the original 13 states. The hallways are decorated with more murals, showing the nation's heroes and their deeds. The most recent is a portrait of those who lost their lives in the Challenger disaster. Statuary Hall is filled with stone men - theoretically two distinguished citizens from each state, but in principal a few less than that, as the floor wasn't strong enough to bear the weight of so much marble.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Nobody votes for its agents, but there's no doubt the Federal Bureau of Investigation wields serious power. Officially named the J Edgar Hoover FBI Building (after the notorious director who made the FBI the crime-fighting bureaucracy it is today), the Bureau's headquarters are at 10th and Pennsylvania NW.

Library of Congress

A block east of the Capitol, the Library of Congress has about 100 million items, including 26 million books, 36 million manuscripts and maps, photographs, sheet music and musical instruments. It's the largest library in the world. Books from the library were used to light the 1814 Capitol fire, after which President Jefferson sold his collection to the library to get the numbers back up. The best part of the library is the 1897 Jefferson Building, with its vaulted ceilings and ornate decoration. Two modern annexes are nearby. The library screens free classic films and, occasionally, concerts are given using the library's five Stradivarius violins.

Lincoln Memorial

The inspirational Lincoln Memorial embodies the American ideal of freedom, tolerance and charity. It is a powerful symbol and the giant seated Abraham Lincoln statue confers a powerful resonating ambience.

The memorial is much more than a monument to the 16th U.S. president. Completed in 1922, it quickly became a symbol of America's commitment to civil rights. From its steps in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. preached, 'I have a dream...' Designed to resemble a Greek temple, the monument's 36 columns represent the 36 states in Lincoln's union. The hands of the 19-foot statue read A and L in American Sign Language to honor Lincoln's support for the Gallaudet College for the Deaf.

The Memorial closes the west end of the picture postcard view down the Mall from the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. It is a temple to the man who saved the nation that he called 'the last best hope on Earth'. This is best expressed through his elegant words that run along the north and south wall of the chamber, including his masterpiece, the famous Gettysburg Address.

Smithsonian Institution

More than 150 years old, the massive, 16-museum Smithsonian is DC's premier attraction. Far more than a complex of museums, the Smithsonian is also a vast research and educational institution that cares for approximately 140 million artworks, scientific specimens, artifacts, and other objects.

Its 14 DC museums and the Smithsonian-run National Zoological Park together draw millions of visitors each year. In addition, they offer year-round calendars of films, lectures, kids' activities, and other programs -- most of which are free.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Dedicated in 1982, this somber arrow of black stone has become an American pilgrimage site. A testament to the sacrifice of soldiers during America's least popular war, the memorial's two walls of polished Indian granite meet in a 10-foot apex and are inscribed with the names of the 58,209 soldiers killed in the war, arranged chronologically by date of death.

The most moving remembrances are the notes, medals and mementos left by survivors, family and friends since the memorial was completed in 1982. Opponents to the design insisted that a more traditional sculpture be added. A memorial to the women who served in the war was another later addition.

Washington Monument

For a top-notch view of the Potomac Basin, make your way up the 555-foot (166m) Washington Monument. This white obelisk rising from the center of the Mall began in 1848, but was not completed for 37 years. The project was first derailed by anti-papists who opposed Pope Pius IX's contributions, then by the Civil War. There is an elevator ride to the top and you can walk back down a staircase lined with plaques from all of the states, plus one from the Cherokee Nation. While the monument itself is accessible, the grounds are currently closed for security enhancements.

White House

Every U.S. president since John Adams has lived in this 132-room mansion at America's most famous address. Its stature has grown through the years -- no longer a mere residence, it is now the central icon of the American presidency.

The Presidential Palace – as it was once known – has changed a great deal over history (and with its changing residents). It was not originally white, for example. After the British burnt the building in the War of 1812 it was restored and painted. It was Teddy Roosevelt who later gave official sanction to the executive mansion's popular name.

Presidents have customized the property over time. Grant put in a personal zoo; FDR added a pool; Truman a balcony; Bush Senior a horseshoe-throwing lane; and Clinton a jogging track. Some residents never leave. It is said that Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman both sighted Lincoln's ghost in Abe's old study.

Back before Herbert Hoover's era, presidents used to open the doors at noon each day to shake visitors' hands. Alas, no longer. Daily tours of the White House have been suspended since 9-11 (although Laura Bush conducts a video tour at the White House Visitor Center).

History

The US Congress met in a variety of cities - Philadelphia, New York and Princeton among them - before the fledgling republic was ready to commit to a permanent seat of government. Congress chose the Potomac as a natural midpoint that would satisfy both northern and southern states (whose cultural and political differences were apparent well before the Civil War of 1861-1865). This spot had the added benefit of being across the river from George Washington's home in Mount Vernon.

Folks started referring to it as 'the city of Washington' around 1791 and the name stuck. Maryland and Virginia agreed to cede land to create the District of Columbia (named for Christopher Columbus), and an area 'ten miles square' (26 sq km) was laid out by African American mathematician Benjamin Banneker and surveyor Andrew Ellicott. French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired to design the city and though his elegant plan was widely admired, he quickly ran afoul of local politics. After L'Enfant was fired, Banneker continued to carry out L'Enfant's plans.

Work started on the ornate Capitol in 1793, but it was barely complete when British troops torched it in the War of 1812. Though the Capitol was eventually rebuilt, the city entered a slump from which it wouldn't recover for decades. A dispirited vote to abandon the capital lost by only nine votes. Charles Dickens visited and dismissed DC as 'the City of Magnificent Distances', complaining about 'spacious avenues that begin in nothing and lead nowhere; mile-long streets that only want houses, roads and inhabitants; and public buildings that need a public'.

The Civil War focused attention on Washington, bringing bivouacs, temporary hospitals and armies to its outskirts. The war's chaos and expense led Washingtonians to wonder whether construction of the elaborate Capitol dome might not be suspended. President Lincoln responded, 'If people see the Capitol going on, it is a sign we intend the Union shall go on.' In the war's aftermath, the Great Emancipator was assassinated in Ford's Theater (a memorial flag remains draped over the theatre box shrine today) and the role of the U.S. capital changed from state-led administration to centralized leadership.

The town's ailing infrastructure was overhauled in the 1870s by territorial governor Alexander 'Boss' Shepherd, whose extravagant use of federal funds and penchant for steamrolling anything in his way led to a crackdown by Congress that robbed DC of self-government for another 100 years. For the citizenry, it was a high price to pay for a city beginning to look like it might fulfil L'Enfant's original vision of a world-class capital.

A beautification plan at the start of the 20th century added most of the landscaping, parks, and monuments for which Washington is now well known. Nevertheless, until recently Washington suffered from its image as a Southern backwater. The Kennedy Center, established as a living memorial to JFK, did much to bring cosmopolitan culture to the area.

The city's intense and divisive political climate is downright romantic to political activists. Spectacular free art is visible at every turn. DC has evolved into a national pilgrimage center for many citizens. Yet Washington is notorious, too, for the many severe problems that trouble its residents. Poverty, crime and racial segregation in the shadow of glorious monuments proclaiming 'equality for all' embarrass those who would hope to hold the nation's capital up as a model. Washington, DC, is no paragon, but it is a microcosm - of the grand ideals and grim realities of the nation.

The 90s saw Washington fall into a disarray from which recovery has been slow. Mayor Marion Barry was videotaped smoking crack and the city was nicknamed the 'Murder Capital' as gang warfare became common on the streets. However, under the more low-key Mayor Williams, elected in 1999, Washington began to pull out of its decline and return to stability, assisted by nationwide boom times.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked Washington, flying a hijacked United Airlines plane into the Pentagon causing significant damage, killing and injuring many inside the Pentagon, and killing all aboard that flight. A second plane was also hijacked by terrorists and crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Tt, too, was intended to hit a Washington target. On the same day two more hijacked planes destroyed New York's twin towers, killing thousands of people. The terrorist attacks were the worst ever on U.S. soil.

Despite security remaining high around Washington's key monuments, it is clear that the city has come a long way towards repairing both the Pentagon and its damaged psyche, with visitors returning and hotels refilling. And, while crime remains a problem and District finances still need help, Washington's city is once more a place to live, not just to visit.

Getting There & Away

The US Congress met in a variety of cities - Philadelphia, New York and Princeton among them - before the fledgling republic was ready to commit to a permanent seat of government. Congress chose the Potomac as a natural midpoint that would satisfy both northern and southern states (whose cultural and political differences were apparent well before the Civil War of 1861-1865). This spot had the added benefit of being across the river from George Washington's home in Mount Vernon.

Folks started referring to it as 'the city of Washington' around 1791 and the name stuck. Maryland and Virginia agreed to cede land to create the District of Columbia (named for Christopher Columbus), and an area 'ten miles square' (26 sq km) was laid out by African American mathematician Benjamin Banneker and surveyor Andrew Ellicott. French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired to design the city and though his elegant plan was widely admired, he quickly ran afoul of local politics. After L'Enfant was fired, Banneker continued to carry out L'Enfant's plans.

Work started on the ornate Capitol in 1793, but it was barely complete when British troops torched it in the War of 1812. Though the Capitol was eventually rebuilt, the city entered a slump from which it wouldn't recover for decades. A dispirited vote to abandon the capital lost by only nine votes. Charles Dickens visited and dismissed DC as 'the City of Magnificent Distances', complaining about 'spacious avenues that begin in nothing and lead nowhere; mile-long streets that only want houses, roads and inhabitants; and public buildings that need a public'.

The Civil War focused attention on Washington, bringing bivouacs, temporary hospitals and armies to its outskirts. The war's chaos and expense led Washingtonians to wonder whether construction of the elaborate Capitol dome might not be suspended. President Lincoln responded, 'If people see the Capitol going on, it is a sign we intend the Union shall go on.' In the war's aftermath, the Great Emancipator was assassinated in Ford's Theater (a memorial flag remains draped over the theatre box shrine today) and the role of the U.S. capital changed from state-led administration to centralized leadership.

The town's ailing infrastructure was overhauled in the 1870s by territorial governor Alexander 'Boss' Shepherd, whose extravagant use of federal funds and penchant for steamrolling anything in his way led to a crackdown by Congress that robbed DC of self-government for another 100 years. For the citizenry, it was a high price to pay for a city beginning to look like it might fulfil L'Enfant's original vision of a world-class capital.

A beautification plan at the start of the 20th century added most of the landscaping, parks, and monuments for which Washington is now well known. Nevertheless, until recently Washington suffered from its image as a Southern backwater. The Kennedy Center, established as a living memorial to JFK, did much to bring cosmopolitan culture to the area.

The city's intense and divisive political climate is downright romantic to political activists. Spectacular free art is visible at every turn. DC has evolved into a national pilgrimage center for many citizens. Yet Washington is notorious, too, for the many severe problems that trouble its residents. Poverty, crime and racial segregation in the shadow of glorious monuments proclaiming 'equality for all' embarrass those who would hope to hold the nation's capital up as a model. Washington, DC, is no paragon, but it is a microcosm - of the grand ideals and grim realities of the nation.

The 90s saw Washington fall into a disarray from which recovery has been slow. Mayor Marion Barry was videotaped smoking crack and the city was nicknamed the 'Murder Capital' as gang warfare became common on the streets. However, under the more low-key Mayor Williams, elected in 1999, Washington began to pull out of its decline and return to stability, assisted by nationwide boom times.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked Washington, flying a hijacked United Airlines plane into the Pentagon causing significant damage, killing and injuring many inside the Pentagon, and killing all aboard that flight. A second plane was also hijacked by terrorists and crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Tt, too, was intended to hit a Washington target. On the same day two more hijacked planes destroyed New York's twin towers, killing thousands of people. The terrorist attacks were the worst ever on U.S. soil.

Despite security remaining high around Washington's key monuments, it is clear that the city has come a long way towards repairing both the Pentagon and its damaged psyche, with visitors returning and hotels refilling. And, while crime remains a problem and District finances still need help, Washington's city is once more a place to live, not just to visit.

Getting Around

You'll be surprised to learn that DC has some of the nation's worst traffic congestion, so driving can be a real teeth-gritting experience. Cycling is one of the best ways to get around DC and rental companies like Better Bikes Inc. deliver and pick up bikes anywhere in the DC area.

DC's Metrobus system efficiently services the city and surrounding suburbs, as does the sleek new Metrorail. It is well funded and well maintained. Parking is available at certain outlying stations. In addition to Metro, two commuter train systems serve downtown DC from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, but these are mainly commuter lines designed around the working week.

There is no shortage of cabs in DC - Diamond Yellow and Capitol being the two major companies, while the municipal bus service fills in the gaps in the Metro routes, although it can be slow-going in Washington traffic.

If you want to drive, all of the usual car rental operators are located downtown or at the area airports, but driving is a fool's errand in DC traffic, especially when most sights are within a few blocks of public transportation. Walking is the best way to get around central Washington - most visitors do a lot more of it than they expect.