Washington D.C.
City Information
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.
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.
