| General Information • Local Government |
Overview
When Washington journalists Harry Jaffe and Tom Sherwood titled their 1994 book on DC Dream City, they didn’t exactly mean it as a compliment. DC’s great potential keeps finding ways to trip over its own flaws. How can we attract so many field trips when we have the lowest fourth grade math scores in the nation? Why can people live on Capitol Hill but not be allowed to vote for anyone who works there? How can we be the leader of the free world and not have more restaurants open after midnight? DC’s absurdities go far beyond its traffic circles and one-way streets.
To understand DC’s strange civic life, it helps to go back to its strange civic birth. Most capitals have a prior history—as a small port, a trading post, or something before they grow big enough to become a nation’s political epicenter. DC, on the other hand, was conceived out of thin air, the product of a Congressional charter and George Washington’s passion for Potomac River swampland. Frenchman-turned-American-Revolutionary-War-soldier-turned-architect Pierre L’Enfant laid on the fantasy even thicker, outfitting the hypothetical city with a two-mile promenade, 27 traffic circles, and 100-foot wide streets named in glorious alphabetical progression. Never mind that most of the city would remain farmland for decades. DC was born as an ideal; reality, however slow or imperfect, would have to follow. Only now is DC’s streetscape finally starting to fill out. Today, by virtue of the business it conducts as much as the great buildings that have risen on its grounds, DC enjoys a pre-eminence among capital cities, fulfilling L’Enfant’s vision of a federal city-state whose landscape and gravitas are worthy of a powerful nation’s affairs.
But as a local government, DC has lagged behind its idealistic origins. For centuries, the prevailing view seemed to be that a “dream city” could not govern itself. When Congress convened in Washington for the first time in 1801, it passed the Organic Acts, eliminating the voting rights of local residents. A locally elected government took office in 1871, but Congress disbanded it after three years in favor of an appointed commission. Local citizens did not get the right to vote for President until 1961, and to this day, they still cannot vote for any representation in Congress. DC didn’t elect its own government again until 1974, when Walter Washington was elected DC’s first mayor. Four years later, Mayor Washington lost to Marion Barry in the Democratic primary (primaries matter more here than general elections, given the high percentage of Democrats). Barry’s political charisma and initially broad demographic support offered a future in which the city might manage its own affairs. But the Barry administration became enveloped in financial corruption and leadership failures, culminating in Barry’s drug arrest in 1990, an embarrassment that still haunts the city’s self image and serves as a convenient symbol for some that DC is incapable of self-governance. More recent scandals haven’t helped that image either. In January 2012, councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. resigned hours after federal prosecutors charged him with embezzlement for taking more than $350,000 in government funds and filing false tax returns. Thomas is now serving out a three-year prison sentence. A few months later, two former aids to Mayor Vincent Gray’s campaign pled guilty to charges they made or concealed illicit payments to another mayoral hopeful to criticize Gray’s opponent, former mayor Adrian Fenty. And in June, DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown resigned after he was charged with bank fraud for lying about his income on bank loan applications. It was not a good year for DC politics. But those who criticize DC’s foibles (of which there are many) often ignore the more complicated story. The DC government is over 100 years behind the institutional experience of other similarly sized cities, and it still must operate under unusual burdens, including the inability to tax most of its downtown property and the annual insult of begging the US Congress, and the President, to approve its funding. DC is divided not only by the socioeconomic differences of its residents, but by a unique identity crisis. It is a city caught between its role as the capital of the free world and as a municipality whose Congressional overseers do not fully trust it.
Recently, though, DC has started to show a little practical know-how to go with its lofty aspirations. The City Council has passed balanced budgets for nearly 14 years—the District has been required by law to present a balanced budget since 1998. The city was also recently given its first AA bond rating from Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s. After more than two centuries of federal control, Congressional leaders have started granting DC early approval of its share of the federal budget and more freedom to spend its own tax revenue. Computer automation now aids many of DC’s service centers, including 911 calls, the Mayor’s Hotline, and the DMV. DC’s Metropolitan Police Department is just over 4,300 members strong: approximately 3,800 sworn police officers and more than 500 civilian employees. The police force was also recently reorganized to align with local ward boundaries for better accountability. The results seem encouraging—in 2006, DC’s population increased for the first time since 1950, and homicides and other violent crime dropped to levels not seen since the early 1980s, well before the crack cocaine epidemic arrived in DC in the early 1990s. Thanks to DC police (and the black sunglass wearing Secret Service, too), even Obama’s inauguration went off without a hitch. Not a single inauguration related arrest was made that day. DC’s housing market remains strong, and city-sponsored projects are popping up across the city, even in places east of the Anacostia River. The city has even begun to attract residents back from the suburbs. In 2006, 2007, and again in 2009, Congress debated a proposal to grant DC a voting seat in the House of Representatives.
Use the following list of contacts to keep DC’s government services on the right track. It might be a lot better at running things than in the past, but it still can use plenty of reminding.
Emergency v. Non-emergency Calls
Call 911 only if it is a true emergency—for example, if you need immediate medical assistance, if a home in your neighborhood is on fire, or if you see a violent crime in progress. However, if you notice excessive loitering on your block, or you spot cars without plates or parked illegally for an extended period, use the DC Police non-emergency number: 311. Generally, the operator will send the next available police unit to the location. You will be asked to, but never have to, leave your own name or address. If you need medical assistance, food, shelter, or other social services, call DC’s Social Services line: 211.
Trash and Recycling
If your trash or recycling hasn’t been picked up, call the DC Department of Public Works at 202-673-6833. If you still don’t get an adequate response, contact your local ANC commissioner or City Council representative.
Parking and Speeding Tickets
You can file appeals on parking and speeding tickets by mail or in person. Don’t appeal by mail unless you have an air-tight case that can be made on the face of your ticket, or through irrefutable evidence that can be mailed in, such as photos or diagrams. For more complicated stories and stretches of the truth that may involve begging and eye-batting, you can appeal in person, which will involve one or more long waits at Adjudication Services k located at 301 C Street NW near the Archives metro.
Property Tax Increases
With DC’s booming housing market, homeowners are watching their investments grow but feeling the pinch of higher tax bills. Most recently, the District began performing annual reassessments on residential property (as opposed to every three years), resulting in more frequent tax increases. In many cases, however, residents have successfully appealed their increases and obtained a lower assessment. If you want to appeal, you have to file an application with the Office of Tax and Revenue by April 1 following each new tax bill notice, usually sent to residents in February.
Other Concerns
Don’t be shy! Call the Mayor’s citywide call center at 311 or 202-737-4404, 24 hours a day. Or better yet, send him a note at 311.dc.gov
DC Government Contacts
Mayor Vincent C. Gray, 202-727-6300
DC City Council
The DC Council has 13 elected members, one from each of the eight wards and five elected at-large.
Phil Mendelson, Chairman-At-Large, (202) 724-8064
Kenyan McDuffie, Chairman Pro-Tempore, Member-Ward 5, (202) 724-8028
David Catania, Member-At-Large, (202) 724-7772
Vincent Orange Sr., Member-At-Large, (202) 724-8174
David Grosso, Member-At-Large, (202) 724-8071
Anita Bonds, Member-At-Large, (202) 724-8099
Jim Graham, Member–Ward 1, (202) 724-8181
Jack Evans, Member-Ward 2, (202) 724-8058
Mary M. Cheh, Member–Ward 3, (202) 724-8062
Muriel Bowser, Member–Ward 4, (202) 724-8052
Tommy Wells, Member–Ward 6, (202) 724-8072
Yvette M. Alexander, Member–Ward 7, (202) 724-8068
Marion Barry, Member–Ward 8, (202) 724-8045
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
Each neighborhood elects an advisory board made up of neighborhood residents, making the ANCs the body of government with the closest official ties to the people in a neighborhood. The city’s 37 ANCs consider a range of issues affecting neighborhoods, including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police, and trash collection. To learn more about your particular ANC, contact the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC) at 202-727-9945.
For the Suburbanites
The above information on DC’s government should not be taken as an affront to the municipal and county governments of suburban Virginia and Maryland, which, for decades, have been running their own affairs with a skill and creativity that DC’s government could only envy. Residents of such competent jurisdictions as Alexandria, Arlington County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County should check their respective local government’s websites for further information.
| Area | Website | Phone |
Alexandria |
703-838-4000 |
|
Arlington |
703-228-3000 |
|
Bethesda |
301-215-6660 |
|
Chevy Chase |
301-654-7144 |
|
Fairfax County |
703-324-4636 |
|
Falls Church |
703-248-5001 |
|
Greenbelt |
301-474-8000 |
|
Montgomery County |
240-777-1000 |
|
New Carrolton |
301-459-6100 |
|
Prince George’s County |
301-350-9700 |
|
Takoma Park |
301-891-7100 |
Contacting Congress
If you really can’t get satisfaction, one thing you can do is call or write Congress. Residents of the District don’t have a true elected representative, but they can call US Congressional Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, who can’t vote but has a reputation for getting things done. Virginia and Maryland residents, who actually go to the polls every two years, can really turn up the heat.
US House of Representatives
District of Columbia:
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) (Congresswoman)
2136 Rayburn House Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-8050
Other offices:
National Press Building
529 14th St NW, Ste 900
Washington, DC 20045
Phone: 202-783-5065
2041 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Ste 238
Washington, DC 20020
Phone: 202-678-8900
US Senate
Maryland:
Mikulski, Barbara (D)
503 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-4654
Cardin, Benjamin (D)
509 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-4524
Virginia:
Kaine, Tim (D)
388 Russell Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-4024
Warner, Mark R. (D)
475 Russell Senate Office Bldg
Washington DC 20510
202-224-2023
| General Information • Media |
Television
| Call letters | Station | Website |
4-WRC |
NBC |
|
5-WTTG |
Fox |
|
7-WJLA |
ABC |
|
9-WUSA |
CBS |
|
20-WDCA |
FOX |
|
26-WETA |
PBS |
|
28-W28BY |
Government/NASA |
|
30-WFDC-DT |
Univision |
|
32-WHUT |
PBS/Howard University |
|
50-WDCW |
CW |
|
64 WZDC |
Telemundo |
|
66-WPXW |
ION |
| Print Media | Website | Description |
American Free Press |
“Uncensored” national weekly newspaper. |
|
CQ-Roll Call |
Congressional news publication, published Mon–Thurs. |
|
Current Newspapers |
Group of community weeklies in Foggy Bottom, Dupont, Georgetown, Chevy Chase. |
|
The Diamondback |
University of Maryland College Park student newspaper. |
|
The Eagle |
American University student newspaper. |
|
Express |
Washington Post’s Free Tabloid on the Metro. |
|
Georgetown Hoya |
Twice-weekly college newspaper. |
|
Georgetown Voice |
Weekly college newsmagazine. |
|
GW Hatchet |
Twice-weekly, independent student newspaper. |
|
The Hill |
Weekly, non-partisan Congressional newspaper. |
|
The Hilltop |
Howard University’s student paper. |
|
Hill Rag |
Community monthly in Capitol Hill |
|
Metro Weekly |
DC’s “other” gay paper. |
|
National Journal |
Weekly magazine on politics and policy. |
|
On Tap |
Local entertainment guide, with reviews and event |
|
Politico |
The go-to website and daily paper for Hill wonks. |
|
The Stars and Stripes |
Independent paper covering US Military. |
|
USA TODAY |
Second largest daily paper in US. |
|
Washington Business Journal |
Weekly, DC business journal. |
|
Washington City Paper |
Free weekly newspaper, focused on local DC news |
|
Washington Examiner |
Conservative daily, covering DC and its immediate suburbs. |
|
Washingtonian |
Monthly, glossy magazine about DC life. |
|
Washington Post |
Daily paper, one of the world’s most prestigious. |
|
Washington Times |
Daily, politics and general interest with conservative bent. |
| General Information • Practical Information |
Essential Phone Numbers
Emergencies: |
911 |
Police Non-emergencies: |
311 |
Social Services Information: |
211 |
City Website: |
|
Pepco: |
202-833-7500 |
Verizon: |
800-256-4646 |
Washington Gas: |
703-750-1000 |
Comcast: |
800-COMCAST |
Public Works, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Human Services, & the Mayor’s Office: |
202-727-1000 |
Fire & Emergency Medical Services Information: |
202-673-3331 |
Essential DC Songs
“The Star-Spangled Banner”—Francis Scott Key
“Yankee Doodle”—Dr. Richard Shuckburgh
“Hail Columbia”—Joseph Hopkinson
“Washington, DC”—Stephen Merritt
“I’m Just a Bill”—School House Rock
“Hail to the Redskins”—Redskins Fight Song
“The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”—The Postal Service
“Arlington: The Rap”—Remy Munasifi
“Don’t go Back to Rockville”—R.E.M.
Websites
www.embassy.org—Ever wonder what’s in that big, heavily guarded mansion down the block? Check out this online resource of Washington’s foreign embassies.
www.borderstan.com—All happenings in Dupont, Logan, U-Street reported here.
www.bitcheswhobrunch.com—Best places to do lunch in the city. You don’t have to be a bitch either.
www.dcblogs.com—a practical who’s who for the DC-based blogosphere that features noteworthy posts daily.
www.dcmud.blogspot.com—Real estate/neighborhood info.
www.dcfoodies.com—the go-to place for DC foodies, the site provides event listings, restaurant reviews and recipes for the politically and gastronomically minded.
www.dchappyhours.com—listings for DC’s favorite pastime: happy hour!
www.dcist.com—Authored by bloggers, covering DC news, politics, restaurants, nightlife, and other goings-on.
www.dcpages.com—Another top-notch local DC website directory.
www.dcregistry.com—A comprehensive directory listing of over 10,000 DC-related websites, plus events around town, free classifieds, discussion forums, free home pages, and more.
www.brightestyoungthings.com—DC D-bags created site for nightlife. Sadly, it’s very popular.
www.famousdc.com—Humor, politics, sports, and gossip.
www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc—All the latest gossip on the district’s media.
www.metrocurean.com—a blog devoted to the Washington restaurant scene, and famous for their “Five Bites” series.
www.princeofpetworth.com—Best site for all things real estate in DC. Scarily in the know about what restaurants are opening/closing.
unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com—Lodge any unofficial complaint about how bad the DC Metro is, and the Unsuck folks will respond via every form of social media. Metro authorities closely follow the blog.
www.washcycle.typepad.com—If you have a bike, this is a great resource.
www.washingtoncitypaper.com—Offers a weekly overview/skewering of the local political and cultural scene, as well as reviews of restaurants.
www.washingtonian.com—the online home of The Washingtonian, the leading lifestyle magazine for the Washington area.
Essential Washington DC Books
All the President’s Men, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
The Armies of the Night: History as a Novel/The Novel as History, Norman Mailer
The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814, Anthony S. Pitch
Burr, Gore Vidal
Cadillac Jack, Larry McMurtry
Cane, Jean Toomer
Chilly Scenes of Winter, Ann Beattie
Coming into the End Zone: A Memoir, Doris Grumbach
The Confederate Blockade of Washington, DC 1861–1862, Mary Alice Wills
The Congressman Who Loved Flaubert: 21 Stories and Novellas, Ward Just
Dream City: Race, Power, and the Decline of Washington, D.C., Harry S. Jaffe, Tom Sherwood
Jack Gance, Ward Just
Man of the House: The Life and Political Memoirs of Speaker Tip O’Neill, Tip O’Neill
One Last Shot: The Story of Michael Jordan’s Comeback, Mitchell Krugel
Personal History, Katharine Graham
Primary Colors, Joe Klein
Right as Rain, George Pelecanos
Washington, DC: A Novel, Gore Vidal
Essential DC Movies
Gabriel Over the White House (1933)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Washington Story (1952)
Advise & Consent (1962)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
The President’s Analyst (1967)
The Candidate (1972)
The Exorcist (1973)
All the President’s Men (1976)
D.C. Cab (1983)
Protocol (1984)
The Man with One Red Shoe (1985)
St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)
Broadcast News (1987)
No Way Out (1987)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Gardens of Stone (1987)
Chances Are (1989)
Dave (1993)
In the Line of Fire (1993)
The Pelican Brief (1993)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
The American President (1995)
Nixon (1995)
Get on the Bus (1996)
Contact (1997)
Wag the Dog (1997)
Murder at 1600 (1997)
Enemy of the State (1998)
Arlington Road (1999)
Minority Report (2002)
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
State of Play (2009)
Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter (2012)
Washington DC Timeline
| 1608: | Captain John Smith sails from Jamestown up the Potomac. Irish-Scotch colonized the area for the next 100 years…after they pushed out the Native Americans who originally inhabited the land, of course. |
| 1790: | Thomas Jefferson agrees to Alexander Hamilton’s plan to finance the nation’s post–Revolutionary War debt, in return for locating the nation’s capital in the South. Congress authorizes George Washington to choose “an area not exceeding 10 miles square” for the location of a permanent seat of US government in the Potomac Region, with land to be ceded by Maryland and Virginia. |
| 1791: | Pierre Charles L’Enfant, an engineer from France, designs the capital city. He is fired within a year and replaced by city surveyor Andrew Ellicott and mathematician Benjamin Banneker. |
| 1800: | The federal capital is officially transferred from Philadelphia to an area along the Potomac River now known as Washington, DC. |
| 1800: | Library of Congress is established. |
| 1801: | Arriving in their new capital, Congress passes the Organic Acts, removing the ability of DC residents to vote for Congressional representation in the states from which the district was created. |
| 1814: | The Capitol and several government buildings are burned by the English during the War of 1812. |
| 1817: | The Executive Mansion is rebuilt following the burning by the British. Its walls are painted white to cover the char, giving birth to its more commonly known name: the White House. |
| 1846: | The Smithsonian Institution is established. |
| 1846: | DC gives back land originally ceded by Virginia, including Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. |
| 1862: | Congress abolishes slavery in the district, predating the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. |
| 1865: | Lee surrenders to Grant on April 8th. |
| 1865: | Lincoln assassinated at Ford’s Theatre on April 14th. |
| 1871: | DC elects its first territorial government. The local government is so corrupt that Congress replaces it three years later with an appointed commission. |
| 1901: | The Washington Senators bring major league baseball to the district. |
| 1907: | Union Station opens, making it the largest train station in the country at the time. |
| 1912: | Japan sends 3,000 cherry blossom trees to DC as a gift of friendship. The Cherry Blossom Festival begins. |
| 1922: | The Lincoln Memorial is finished. |
| 1937: | Washington Redskins arrive in the city. |
| 1943: | The Pentagon and the Jefferson Memorial are completed. |
| 1954: | Puerto Rican nationalists open fire on the floor of the House of Representatives, wounding five members. |
| 1960: | DC’s baseball team moves to Minnesota and becomes the Twins. The city immediately wins a new Senators franchise… |
| 1961: | 23rd Amendment is ratified, giving DC residents the right to vote for President and Vice President. |
| 1963: | Civil rights march of over 200,000 unites the city. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. |
| 1968: | Urban riots after MLK’s assassination devastate whole neighborhoods; some have yet to fully recover. |
| 1970: | The city gets its own non-voting representative to Congress. Thanks so much. |
| 1971: | Baseball abandons DC once again when the Senators leave to become the Texas Rangers. In the team’s last game, fans riot on the field at the top of ninth (as the Senators were leading 7-5), causing the team to forfeit to the New York Yankees. |
| 1972: | Republican operatives break into Democratic offices in the Watergate. |
| 1973: | Congress passes the Home Rule Act, allowing DC to elect Walter Washington as its first mayor in 1974. |
| 1974: | President Nixon resigns under threat of impeachment. |
| 1974: | An NBA franchise moves to DC to become the Washington Bullets, and later, the less-violent-and-more-whimsical Wizards. |
| 1976: | The Metrorail opens to the public. |
| 1978: | Marion Barry is elected as DC’s second mayor. |
| 1981: | John Hinkley Jr. fires six shots at President Ronald Reagan as the president left the Hilton Hotel, north of Dupont Circle. A ricocheting bullet hits Reagan in the chest and he’s rushed to George Washington University Hospital. Reagan recovers, but press secretary James Brady, who was also shot, is paralyzed for life. Hinkley is later found not guilty by reason of insanity. |
| 1982: | The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is erected. |
| 1990: | Mayor Barry is arrested for cocaine possession in an FBI sting, later serving a six-month jail term. |
| 1991: | DC crime rate peaks; 482 murders in a single year. |
| 1992: | Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly takes office. She is the first woman ever elected as the city’s mayor. |
| 1992: | House of Representatives vote to make Washington DC a state. The Senate does not. |
| 1994: | His criminal record notwithstanding, Barry is elected to an unprecedented fourth term as the city’s mayor. |
| 1995: | The Korean War Veterans Memorial opens to the public. |
| 1998: | The House of Representatives impeaches President Clinton over an intern sex scandal. |
| 1998: | Gunman opens fire in Capitol, kills two policemen. |
| 1998: | Tony Williams, who as Mayor Barry’s CFO helped DC start its financial recovery, is elected mayor. |
| 2001: | Terrorist attack destroys part of the Pentagon. |
| 2001: | Anthrax mailed to Senate offices causes short-term panic and massive mail disruptions. |
| 2002: | Snipers terrorize the region for three weeks, killing ten before being caught. |
| 2004: | World War II Memorial opens on the National Mall. |
| 2004: | DC crime rate drops to mid-80s levels. Wall Street upgrades DC to A-level bond rating. Forbes ranks DC as 4th best US city to start business or career. |
| 2004: | An out of service train rolls backwards into the Woodley Park station hitting a train with passengers and injuring 20. Metro adds protection against rollbacks for 300 rail cars. |
| 2005: | Baseball returns to DC as the Montreal Expos are relocated to become the Washington Nationals. |
| 2006: | The City wins an appeal of its 2005 count by the U.S. Census, which agrees to recognize an increase of more than 31,000 in DC’s city’s population, the biggest increase since 1950, when it began declining. |
| 2008 | Nationals Park opens to the delight of true baseball fans. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama becomes the first African American elected President. Nearly 93 percent of the District voted for Obama, and thousands poured to the streets for an impromptu election night celebration. |
| 2009: | Two red line train collide at near the Fort Totten station killing nine people and injuring 70. The subsequent investigation finds a faulty track circuit was to blame. Metro responds with dozens of safety improvements. |
| 2010: | “Snowmageddon” buries the District and many other northeast cities with record-level snowfall in two blizzards. Federal government shuts down for more than a week. |
| 2010: | DC’s same-sex marriage law enacted after the Supreme Court refuses to stop its enforcement. |
| 2011: | A 5.8-magnitude rocks the entire east coast in August, with the epicenter in Mineral, Virginia (90 miles south of the District). The quake was the strongest to hit DC since the late 1800s, causing major damage to the National Cathedral and cracks in the Washington Monument |
| 2011: | Martin Luther King is honored in 30 feet of granite when his memorial opened on the National Mall in October. The statue of King, carved by a master sculptor in China, features the civil rights leader as the “Stone of Hope” emerging from a “Mountain of Despair”. |
| General Information • Volunteering in DC |
In a city with more than 20,000 charities, foundations, (and plenty of tax-exempt shadow groups) there are lots of places and opportunities to help your fellow man. And many Washingtonians do. According to the Volunteering in America survey, DC residents gave 19.3 million hours of community service from 2008-2010, which is about 40 hours of volunteering per resident, making the District 14th among all states.
A big volunteer day in the city is Martin Luther King Day, where thousands give their time for the MLK Day of Service—doing everything from sweeping up schoolyards to writing letters to the troops. But if you want to help out on the other 364 days of the year, look online for the charity that is the best fit for your services or your local government’s volunteering website. Many of are in need of professional volunteers who can help in grant writing, fundraising, and organizing their finances.
Events
• Martin Luther King Day of Service
Corporation for National & Community Service
1201 New York Avenue, NW
(202) 606-5000
• Serve DC
Frank D Reeves Municipal Center
2000 14th St NW, 101
(202) 727-7925
• Montgomery County Volunteer Center
12900 Middlebrook Rd, Suite 1600, Germantown, MD
(240) 777-2600
• Volunteer Alexandria
123 N. Alfred St, Alexandria VA
(703) 836-2176
• Volunteer Arlington
(703) 228-1760
www.arlingtonva.us/departments/humanservices/volunteer/humanservicesvolunteervolunteeroffice.aspx
| General Information • Dog Parks |
Dog Parks
The DC area abounds with romping grounds for your favorite canine companion, many of them off-leash environments. And dog parks are people parks, too: singles mingle, moms commiserate, and bureaucrats share red-tape war stories. But be prepared for the occasional dogwalker, rescue-group affiliate, or canine resort recruiter to hit you with a pointed sales pitch. Some dog owners can be a tad overprotective, even when their dog is obviously digging, rolling, and roughhousing in the dust (usually, the dogs do a fine job of policing themselves). Other owners can get a bit peeved when their dogs are more interested in their fellow pooches than in playing fetch. But by and large, dog park visitors (canine and otherwise) are easygoing and personable. Larger parks, like Rock Creek or Meridian, offer dogs and owners some serious playing opportunities. It’s still a hassle to find animal-friendly apartments, but as long as renters are willing to cough up a bit more monthly, there are options.
| General Information • Libraries |
General Information
DC Public Library Website: |
|
Alexandria Library Website: |
|
Arlington Library Website: |
|
Montgomery County Library Website: |
Overview
The Washington, DC, Library system revolves around the massive main Martin Luther King (Map 1) branch downtown. Large in size, scope, and ugliness, this eyesore with gives new meaning to the cliché, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Once you’re able to overlook the homeless people taking naps outside (and often inside) the building, you’ll appreciate its division of rooms by subject matter and the efficient, knowledgeable staff that can find you a 1988 National Geographic faster than you can say “Micronesia.” Included in this mega-library are a room for the blind and handicapped, an adult literacy resource center, as well as meeting rooms (though an application for use is required). Additionally, the MLK houses the Washingtoniana Division, which is one of the largest collections of archived maps, clippings, and books about DC, and has a nifty guide on the 50 best books of local history—if you’re into that sort of thing. If you don’t have specific research needs, there are a handful of branches among the 25 across the city that are truly nice places to spend an afternoon, notably the Tenley-Friendship, Georgetown (Map 8), and Woodley Park branches. Then again, if you have time to spare and want both extensive research capabilities and luxurious quarters, forget the local stuff and head over to the US Library of Congress (Map 2).
If you hold a suburbanite’s library card, the public libraries offered by Montgomery County and Northern Virginia are reasonably attractive and stocked, although you may feel like you’re being cheated out of countless almanacs of information after seeing DC’s MLK branch. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can reserve a title and have it delivered to your local branch, they’ll even email you when it’s ready for pick up.
| General Information • Calendar of Events |
Overview
There’s always some mass gathering in Washington, DC; from inauguration demonstrations to flower festivals, DC has it all. The best events are free and easily accessible by mass transit.
| General Information • For the Kids |
Yes, DC’s a great city for lessons in history and civics, but sometimes the kids just aren’t in the mood for another tutorial on the system of checks and balances. If you check out some of the destinations on this list, you’ll discover there’s life beyond the Mall when it comes to entertaining your mini-yous.
The Best of the Best
Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant: Café Deluxe (3228 Wisconsin Ave NW, 202-686-2233; 400 First St SE, 202-546-6768; 4910 Elm St, Bethesda, 301-656-3131). Parents breathe a sigh of relief when they walk into a restaurant and see that the tablecloth is paper and the table is littered with crayons. At Café Deluxe, your kids can perfect their masterpieces while munching on entrees like buttered noodles, PB&J, or cheese quesadillas. The prices reflect that your companions are only half-size: Children’s menu prices are only $5.95 a pop.
Quaintest Activity: Canal Boat Rides (1057 Thomas Jefferson St NW, 202-653-5190). Take a boat ride along the historic C&O canal in a boat pulled by mules. Park rangers in period clothing describe what life was like for families who lived and worked on the canal during the 1870s. Tours (one hour long) are held Wednesday–Friday at 11 am and 3 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 11 am, 1:30 pm, 3 pm, and 4:30 pm. The boats fill up on a first-come-first-served basis. $5 for visitors aged four and above. Children three and under ride for free.
Funnest Park: Rock Creek Park (5200 Glover Rd NW, 202-895-6070). An area of Rock Creek Park located on Beach Drive goes by the name of Candy Cane City—‘nuf said. Leland Street is good for picnicking and has a playground, basketball courts, and tennis courts. Children’s park programs include planetarium shows, animal talks, arts & crafts projects, and exploratory hikes.
Best Rainy Day Activity: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (10th St & Constitution Ave NW, 202-633-1000). The new Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals is open! If the kids aren’t too freaked out by life-sized stuffed animals, check out the 274 new taxidermied mounts. The IMAX theater is always a hit with kids and parents alike on rainy afternoons. The timeless kid-appeal of dinosaur exhibits also keeps the little ones entertained (if they weren’t recently dragged here on a school trip). Admission is free, and tickets are not required for entry. The museum is open daily 10 am–5:30 pm (and until 7:30 pm during summertime), except on federal holidays.
Sunny Day Best Bet: National Zoo (3001 Connecticut Ave, 202-673-4800, nationalzoo.si.edu). This free and easily accessible zoo is guaranteed to be the best park stroll you’ve ever taken. Beyond the pandas and apes, there’s also a Kids’ Farm with cows, donkeys, goats, chickens, and ducks. Summer camps and classes are available to Friends of the National Zoo Family Members. A $60 membership also includes free parking while visiting the zoo, a 10% discount at National Zoo stores, opportunities to attend summer camps, classes and workshops as well as discounts on tickets to popular zoo events. The zoo is open daily (6 am–8 pm April 2 to October 28, 6 am–6 pm October 29 to March 10), and admission is always free. April–October buildings are open 10 am–6 pm, November–April 10 am–4:30 pm.
Neatest Store: Barston’s Child’s Play (5536 Connecticut Ave NW, 202-244-3602). The store’s long, narrow aisles are stocked with games, toys, puzzles, trains, costumes, art supplies, and books. It’s never too early to start grooming a true shopaholic.
Parks for Playing
• Cleveland Park (3409 Macomb St NW). Climb a spider web, climb a wall, or catch a train. The park has separate play areas for younger and older children, picnic tables, basketball courts, a baseball field, and a rec center.
• East Potomac Park (Ohio Drive SW). Always a good bet with its miniature golf course, public pool, picnic facilities, and playground at the southern tip. This is an absolute must during Cherry Blossom season.
• Turtle Park (4500 Van Ness St NW, 202-282-2198). Plenty of slides, tunnels, swings, and climbing structures, as well as basketball and tennis courts, softball/soccer fields, and a rec center. If you need a break, there’s plenty of shade and picnic tables. A.k.a. “Turtle Park.”
• Glen Echo Park (7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD) Unique Calder-esque playground, antique carousel, and two children’s theaters make this restored deco-era amusement park worth the short drive for families.
• Kalorama Park (19th St & Kalorama Rd NW). While the shade is limited here, this is a large playground with a fence dividing big-kid from little-kid playgrounds.
• Marie Reed Recreation Center (2200 Champlain St NW, 202-673-7768). Plenty of shady areas to rest your old bones while the kids are devouring the jungle gym, slides, tennis courts, and basketball courts.
• Montrose Park (R & 30th Sts NW, 202-426-6827). For you: lots of open space, a picnicking area, and tennis courts. For your kids: swings, monkey bars, a sandbox, and a maze.
• The Yards Park (10 Water St, www.yardspark.org). Gorgeous new waterfront park features wooden boardwalk, tons of open grassy areas, a waterfall you can walk behind, a bridge and light sculpture, and an elevated overlook. The park is a public/private partnership between the federal government, the city and the private developer, and maybe that’s why it’s so cool and well made.
• Rose Park (26th & O Sts NW, 202-333-4946). Home to Little League games and the Georgetown Farmers Market, this park has plenty of green and a massive, wonderful sandbox.
• Upton Hill Regional Park (6060 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 703-534-3437) Worth the short drive to Arlington for the newly renovated public pool with water slides, huge mini-golf course, batting cages, and small playground.
Rainy Day Activities
Rain ain’t no big thang in the city of free museums, many of which cater to the height- and attention-challenged.
Museums with Kid Appeal
• National Air and Space Museum (Independence Ave & 4th St SW, 202-633-1000). Can you go wrong in museum that sells astronauts’ freeze-dried ice cream? Kids can walk through airplanes and spaceships. Check out the Einstein Planetarium and the IMAX Theater. Open daily 10 am–5:30 pm, closed Christmas Day. Admission is free but does not include special events or activities.
• International Spy Museum (800 F St NW, 202-393-7798, www.spymuseum.org). The sleek exhibits filled with high-tech gadgets and fascinating real-life spy stories make the hefty admissions tag totally worth it. Special family programs include making and breaking secret codes and disguise-creation workshops. Twice a year, the museum even offers a top-secret overnight “Operation Secret Slumber,” which provides kids with a “behind the scenes” look at the life of spy. The museum is open daily, but hours vary according to season. Children under five enter free, adults pay $18, kids (5–11) pay $15, and seniors (65+) pay $17.
• National Museum of American History (14th St and Constitution Ave NW, 202-357-2700, americanhistory.si.edu). While your kids will certainly love a glimpse of Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, the hands-on section of this museum is where they’ll really want to be. The Hands-On History Room allows kids to gin cotton, send a telegraph, or say “hello” in Cherokee. The Hands-On Science Room, for children over five, lets kids take intelligence tests, separate food dyes in beverages, or use lasers to see light. Museum admission is free, but tickets (which are also free) are required for the hands-on rooms during weekends and busy hours. The museum is open daily 10 am–5:30 pm (and until 6:30 pm during summertime), except for Christmas.
• National Museum of Natural History (10th and Constitution Ave, N.W. 202-633-1000) This is the original kids’ museum, starting with the huge stuffed mastodon in the lobby. After you take in the mandatory t-rex skeletons, head for the live Insect Zoo and Discovery Room, which have interactive, hands-on exhibits for your budding naturalist. Older kids also like the Hope Diamond and gemstone exhibits. There’s a great gift shop perfect for relieving kids of their allowance money, and an IMAX theater and public cafeteria, too. Free. Open every day but Christmas, from 10 am–5:30 pm (and until 7:30 during summertime).
• Freer Gallery (1050 Independence Ave SW, 202-633-4880, www.asia.si.edu). Give your kids a taste of Asia with the Freer Gallery’s Imaginasia program. Children from ages six to fourteen find their way through exhibitions on Japanese wood block prints or Islamic illuminated manuscripts (with the guiding hand of an activity book) then create an appropriate art project with their own two hands. No reservations required for groups smaller than eight, and Imaginasia will give your little ones a unique glimpse of the Far East on the Mall. The museum is open from 10 am to 5:30 pm, except for Christmas.
Other Indoor Distractions
• Adventure Theatre MTC (7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD, 301-320-5331, www.adventuretheatre.org) Actors and puppets stage fables, musicals, and classic fairytales on the DC area’s longest running children’s stage. You can hardly ask for a nicer setting than Glen Echo Park, also home to the kid-friendly Puppet Co. Playhouse.
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing (14th & C Sts, SW, 202-874-3019, www.moneyfactory.com). We’re all used to seeing money spent. At this museum, you can watch how money is made, although your kids will probably be most interested in watching the destruction of old money. Admission is free, but tickets are required March–August. General tours (the only way to see the museum) are given every 15 minutes from 10 am to 2 pm, Monday through Friday.
• Discovery Theater (1100 Jefferson Dr SW, 202-357-1500, www.discoverytheater.org). Puppet shows, dance performances, and storytelling all under one roof. Performances are given daily at 10 am and 11:30 am, Monday through Friday, and Saturday at 11:30 am and 1 pm. Shows cost $6 for adults and $5 for children, with special group rates available. Kids ages 4 to 13 can also join the Young Associates Program, where they can learn to animate clay figures or make their own puppets.
• Imagination Stage (4908 Auburn Ave, Bethesda, MD, 301-280-1660, www.imaginationstage.org). Help your kids enjoy the magic of theater by taking them to a show at the Imagination Stage. Your family might see anything from a hip-hop version of a favorite picture book to a fairytale musical. This non-profit organization has been putting on the hits for over twenty years now.
• Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA, 703-243-8855). Vast, spanking-new ice complex on the roof of Metro-accesible Ballston Mall is area’s largest, close-in ice arena. Built as a practice rink for the Washington Capitals hockey team, it offers public skate times, birthday parties, and classes.
• Now This! (Blair Mansion, 7111 Eastern Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 202-364-8292, www.nowthisimprov.com). The city’s only improvised children’s theater group entertains kids every Sunday afternoon with impromptu storytelling, songwriting, and comedy. This is a great place to take a birthday boy or girl on their special day, as the cast will write them their very own birthday tune. Lunch is served at 1 pm and the show begins at 1:30 pm.
• Puppet Co. Playhouse (7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen, MD, 301-320-6668, www.thepuppetco.org). Set in the most enchanting amusement park turned arts center, the Puppet Co. Playhouse is just one piece of magic in Glen Echo. Master puppeteers wield rod puppets in front of gorgeous sets, leaving kids and adults wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Outdoor and Educational
Just ‘cause you want to play outside doesn’t mean you have to act like a hooligan! Here’s a list of outdoor activities that mix culture with athleticism and offer up some surprisingly original forms of entertainment:
• Butler’s Orchard (22200 Davis Mill Rd, Germantown, MD, 301-972-3299, www.butlersorchard.com). Teach those city slickers that apples come from trees, not Safeway! And there are Golden Deliciouses and Macintoshes and Granny Smiths and Galas! Kids and adults can pick their own crops year round (nearly) at Butler’s Orchard. The berries taste sweeter when you’ve picked them yourself, and autumn events include hay rides and the annual pumpkin festival. Pay for what you pick by the pound.
• Living Classrooms (515 M St SE, Suite 222, 202-488-0627, www.livingclassroomsdc.org) Program offers hands-on educational programs on the Anacostia River and after merging with the Discovery Creek Children’s Museum a few years ago runs a summer camp, birthday parties, and programs for families, schools, and scouts.
• Fort Ward (4301 West Braddock Rd, Alexandria, 703-838-4848, www.fortward.org). The best preserved Union fort in DC. Picnic areas are available, and the on-site museum has a Civil War Kids’ Camp for ages 8 to 12 during the summer. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 9 am–5 pm and Sunday 12 pm–5 pm. Admission is free. The park is open daily from 9 am until sunset.
• Leesburg Animal Park (19270 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg, VA, 703-433-0002 www.leesburganimalpark.com). The trip across the river is worth it—particularly if you get the pleasure of riding the $4 White’s Ferry ride from Maryland to Virginia. Little ones can feed baby bear cubs by bottle or pet free-ranging emus; animals are both domestic and exotic. Kids 2 to 12 gain admission for $7.95 ($9.95 for a VIP pass that includes a souvenir cup of food and a pony ride), and adults pay $9.95.
• National Arboretum (3501 New York Ave NE, 202-245-2726, www.usna.usda.gov). Covering 466 acres, the National Arboretum is the ultimate backyard. Picnicking is encouraged in the National Grove of State Trees picnic area, and the original columns from the Capitol dome live here at the Arb on a picturesque, grassy knoll. A 40-minute open-air tram ride is available and advised if you want to see everything. The Arboretum is open daily 8 am–5 pm, except Christmas. Admission is free, but the tram will cost you $4 for adults and $2 for children 4–16.
• Sculpture Garden Ice-Skating Rink (7th St & Constitution Ave NW, 202-289-3360). The Sculpture Garden’s rink is specially designed to allow views of the garden’s contemporary sculptures while skating. It’s like subliminally feeding your kids culture while they think they’re just playing. Regular admission costs $7 for a two-hour session, and children, students, and seniors pay $6. Skate rental costs $3 and a locker rental costs 50¢.
Classes
• Ballet Nova Center for Dance (3443 Carlin Springs Rd, Falls Church, Va, www.balletnova.org) The school offers 20,800 square foot of space, including six dance studios, five of which have Harlequin Liberty panel sprung sub flooring and non-slip vinyl overlays, walls of mirrors, double barres, 16-foot ceilings, and complete sound systems.
• Ballet Petite (Several throughout DC area, 301-229-6882, www.balletpetite.com). Fundamental dance instruction mixed with costumes, story telling, props, acting, and music.
• Budding Yogis (3838 Northampton St NW,, 202-686-1104, www.buddingyogis.com). Yoga for kids, teens, and adults. Special summer programs available.
• Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St SE, 202-547-6839, www.chaw.org). Classes for children in art disciplines, tumbling, and Tae Kwon Do. If your kids are precociously cool, sign them up for the jazz/hip-hop class and watch them perform a Hip-Hop Nutcracker in December.
• Clay Café (101 N Maple Ave, Falls Church, VA 703 534-7600). Paint your own pottery and other hands-on crafts. Classes and summer camps for kids.
• Dance Place (3225 8th St NE, 202-269-1600, www.danceplace.org). Creative movement, hip-hop, and African dance instruction for kids.
• Imagination Stage (4908 Auburn Ave, Bethesda, MD, 301-961-6060, www.imaginationstage.org). Classes in music, dance, and theater for kids and teens. Three-week summer camps also available.
• Joy of Motion (1333 H St NE, Washington, 202-399-6763, Connecticut Ave, 202-387-0911, www.joyofmotion.org). Creative movement and fundamental dance instruction for children at locations throughout the District.
• Kettler Capitals Ice Complex. (627 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA, 703-243-8855). Year-round skating classes and even summer camps for kids trying to beat the heat.
• Kids Moving Company (7475 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD, 301-656-1543, www.kidsmovingco.com) Creative movement classes for children nine months to eight years in a studio with a full-sized trampoline.
• Kumon Math and Reading Program (6831 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD, 301-652-1234, www.kumon.com). An after-school learning program in math and reading.
• Levine School of Music (4 locations in NW, SE, VA, and MD, www.levineschool.org). One of the country’s largest community music schools offers fundamental music instruction to toddlers through pre-professionals. Private lessons, group classes, and summer camps available.
• Musikids (4900 Auburn Ave, Ste. 100, Bethesda, MD, 301-215-7946, www.musikids.com) Music and movement classes for newborns and toddlers.
• Pentagon Row Ice-Skating (1201 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA, 703-418-6666, www.pentagonrow.com). Skating lessons and birthday parties are available November–March.
• Rock Creek Horse Center (5100 Glover Rd NW, 202-362-0117, www.rockcreekhorsecenter.com). Riding lessons, trail rides, summer day camp, and equestrian team training. Weekly group lessons $50/hour, private lessons $90/hour, and one-week summer camp sessions cost $500.
• Rock Creek Tennis Center (16th & Kennedy Sts NW, 202-722-5949, www.rockcreektennis.com). Five-week weekend tennis courses available for children at beginner and intermediate levels.
• Round House Theatre (4545 East West Hwy, Bethesda, MD, 240-644-1099, www.roundhousetheatre.org). The theater has a year-round drama school and an arts-centered summer day camp program.
• Sportrock Climbing Center (5308 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA, 703-212-7625, www.sportrock.com). Kids learn to climb. 6- to 12-year-olds have the run of the place 6:30 pm–8 pm on Fridays. $18 for adults, $10 for children (12 and under). Hours: Tues–Fri: 12 pm–11 pm; Sat–Sun: 12 pm–8 pm.
• Sur La Table (1101 S Joyce St, Arlington, 703-414-3580, www.surlatable.com). At Sur La Table’s junior cooking classes, kids are encouraged to (gasp!) play with food. Classes are for children aged 6–12 and groups are small and well organized.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Washington (numerous branches, 202-232-6700, www.ymcadc.org). Youth and teen sports to spend all that hyperactive energy—particularly in the swimming pool!
• Young Playwrights’ Theatre (2437 15th St, NW, 202-387-9173, www.youngplaywrightstheatre.org). Programs for children from fourth grade and up that encourage literacy, playwriting, and community engagement.
Shopping Essentials
• Aladdin’s Lamp Bookstore • 2499 N Harrison St, Arlington, VA • 703-241-8281
• Barnes & Noble (books) • 3040 M St NW • 202-965-9880
• 555 12th St NW • 202-347-0176
• 3651 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Alexandria, VA • 703-299-9124
• 4801 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda, MD • 301-986-1761
• Barston’s Child’s Play (everything kids love) • 5536 Connecticut Ave NW • 202-244-3602
• Children’s Place (kids’ clothes) • Pentagon City, 1100 S Hayes St, Arlington, VA • 703-413-4875
• Discovery Channel Store (children’s gifts) • Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE • 202-842-3700
• Fairy Godmother (toys & books) • 319 7th St SE • 202-547-5474
• Filene’s Basement (kids’ clothes) • 5300 Wisconsin Ave NW • 202-966-0208
• Full of Beans (kids’ clothes) • 5502 Connecticut Ave NW • 202-362-8566
• Gap Kids and Baby Gap (kids’ clothes)
• 1267 Wisconsin Ave NW • 202-333-2411
•1100 S Hayes St, Arlington, VA • 703-418-4770
• 5430 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD • 301-907-7656
• Gymboree (kids’ clothes) • 1100 S Hayes St, Arlington, VA • 703-415-5009
• Kids Closet (kids’ clothes) • 1226 Connecticut Ave NW • 202-429-9247
• Kinderhaus Toys •
1220 N Filmore, Arlington, VA • 703-527-5929
• Patagonia (clothes) • 1048 Wisconsin Ave NW • 202-333-1776
• Piccolo Piggies (clothes, furniture, accessories) • 1533 Wisconsin Ave NW • 202-333-0123
• Plaza Artist Supplies (arts & crafts) • 1990 K St NW • 202-331-0126
• Ramer’s Shoes (children’s shoes) • 3810 Northampton St NW • 202-244-2288
• Riverby Books (used books) • 417 E Capitol St SE • 202-543-4342
• Sullivan’s Toys & Art Supplies • 3412 Wisconsin Ave NW • 202-362-1343
• Sur La Table (pint-sized cooking supplies) • 1101 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA • 703-414-3580
• Tree Top Kids (toys, books & clothes) • 3301 New Mexico Ave NW • 202-244-3500
Where to Go for More Information
| General Information • LGBT |
Dupont Circle is to DC’s gay life what Capitol Hill is to the nation’s politics. Just as politics seep into most aspects of city life, the gay scene reaches far beyond Dupont’s gay bars. There are gay and lesbian lifestyle newspapers, clubs, bars, and community groups scattered throughout the city. In short, Dupont Circle is a geographic reference as well as a state of mind, and the city is, for the most part, sexual-orientation-blind. While there are many LGBT residents in suburbs like Takoma Park, MD, and Arlington, VA, they enjoy precious little visibility compared to their District counterparts.
We take this moment to pay our respects to Lamda Rising, the Dupont shop that was once the world’s largest LGBT bookstore that closed in 2009 after 35 years of operation. We also mourn the loss of the numerous bars and clubs on O Street SE, which after a 30-year run, were shuttered forever in April 2006 to make room for the Washington Nationals’ new stadium. These popular (and generally “adult-oriented”) establishments were always jammed on the weekends, especially with locals taking out-of-towners to see fab-u-lous drag shows at Ziegfeld’s or to see the boys bare it all at Secrets or Heat.
Websites
Capital Pride • www.capitalpride.org
Educational website dedicated to DC’s LGBT community. The organization is also responsible for the planning and development of the annual Capital Pride Parade.
CAGLCC (Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce) • www.caglcc.org, Business group of 3,000 LGBT and allies.
Dykes on Bikes • www.meetup.com/Dykes-on-Bikes-Washington-DC-Chapter For the motorcycling-riding GLBTQ women of the District.
GayWdc • www.gayWdc.com
Gay and lesbian website for DC restaurant and bar listings, local news and events, classifieds, and personals.
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance • www.glaa.org
GLAA is the nation’s oldest continuously active gay and lesbian civil rights organization.
Publications
Metro Weekly • 1012 14th St NW • 202-638-6830 •
www.metroweekly.com
Free weekly gay and lesbian magazine—reliable coverage of community events, nightlife, and reviews of the District’s entertainment and art scene.
Bookstores
Politics and Prose • 5015 Connecticut Ave NW •
202-364-1919 • www.politics-prose.com
Popular bookstore and coffee shop with a small selection devoted to gay and lesbian literature.
Health Center and Support Organizations
Arlington Gay & Lesbian Alliance • 703-522-7660 •
www.agla.org
Monthly get-togethers for the Arlington LGBT community.
Beth Mishpachah • www.betmish.org
District of Columbia Jewish Center • 16th & Q Sts NW
DC’s egalitarian synagogue that embraces a diversity of sexual and gender identities.
The Center • 1111 14th St NW • 202-518-6100 •
www.thedccenter.org
A volunteer LGBT community organization in metro DC.
DC AIDS Hotline • 202-332-2437 or 800-322-7432
DC Black Pride • PO Box 77071, Washington, DC 20013 • 202-737-5767 • www.dcblackpride.org
African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community group. Proceeds from Black Pride events are distributed to HIV/AIDS and other health organizations serving the African-American community.
Dignity • www.dignitywashington.org
For the LGBT Catholic community.
Food & Friends • 219 Riggs Rd NE • 202-269-2277 •
www.foodandfriends.org
The organization cooks, packages, and delivers meals and groceries to over 1,000 people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses in the greater DC area. Hosts annual “Chef’s Best” fundraising dinner with notable volunteer chefs from around the region.
GLAAD DC • 1700 Kalorama Rd • 202-986-1360 •
www.glaad.org
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation DC chapter.
Human Rights Campaign • 1640 Rhode Island Ave NW • 800-777-4723 • www.hrc.org
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation DC chapter.
PFLAG DC • 1111 14th St NW • 202-638-3852 •
www.pflagdc.org
The headquarters of the national Human Rights Campaign opened in 2003 in the former home of B’nai B’rith, and houses the organization’s Equality Center event space and the HRC Media Center, a multimedia production facility.
Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) •
410 7th St SE • 202-546-5940 • www.smyal.org
Non-profit group for LGBT youth.
Whitman-Walker Clinic • 1407 S St NW • 202-797-3500 www.wwc.org
A non-profit organization that provides medical and social services to the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities of metropolitan DC. Home to one of the oldest substance abuse programs in the US. The Lesbian Health Center at Whitman Walker’s Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1810 14th St NW, offers top-quality health services (202-745-6131). There is also a Legal Aid Society for information on financial assistance possibilities (202-628-1161)
Sports and Clubs
Adventuring • PO Box 18118, Washington, DC 20036 •
202-462-0535 • www.adventuring.org
All-volunteer group organizes group hikes, bike rides, and more for DC’s LGBT community.
Capital Tennis Association • www.capital-tennis.org
Casual and organized tennis programs for the metropolitan gay and lesbian community.
Chesapeake and Potomac Softball (CAPS) •
PO Box 3092, Falls Church, VA 22043 • 202-543-0236 • www.eteamz.com/caps/
A friendly place for members of the LGBT community to play softball.
DC Aquatics Club • PO Box 12211, Washington, DC 20005 • www.swimdcac.org
Swimming team and social club for gays, lesbians, and friends of the gay and lesbian community.
DC’s Different Drummers •
PO Box 57099, Washington, DC 20037 • 202-269-4868 • www.dcdd.org
DC’s Lesbian and Gay Symphonic, Swing, Marching, and Pep Bands.
DC Front Runners • PO Box 65550, Washington, DC 20035
202-628-3223 • www.dcfrontrunners.org
Running is so gay!
DC Lambda Squares •
PO Box 77782, Washington, DC 20013 •
www.dclambdasquares.org
LGBT square-dance club.
DC Strokes • PO Box 3789, Washington, DC 20027 •
www.dcstrokes.org
The first rowing club for gays and lesbians. They row out of the Thompson Boat Center on the Potomac.
Federal Triangles • 202-986-5363 • www.federaltriangles.org
Soccer club for the LGBT community.
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC:
Federal City Performing Arts Association •
2801 M Street NW • (202) 293-1548 • www.gmcw.org
Lambda Links • www.lambdalinks.org
Gay golf.
Washington Wetskins Water Polo • www.wetskins.org
The first lesbian, gay, and bisexual polo team in the
United States.
Washington Renegades Rugby • www.dcrugby.com
A Division III club that actively recruits gays and men of color from the DC region.
Annual Events
Capital Pride Festival/Parade • 1407 S St NW •
202-797-3510 • www.capitalpride.org
Annual festival and parade honoring the history and heritage of the LGBT community in Washington, DC. Usually held throughout Dupont and downtown the second week in June.
DC Black Pride Festival/Parade • 202-737-5767 •
866-942-5473 • www.dcblackpride.org
The world’s largest Black Pride festival, drawing a crowd of about 30,000 annually. Usually held Memorial Day weekend.
Reel Affirmations • PO Box 73587, Washington, DC, 20056 • 202-986-1119 • www.reelaffirmations.org
Washington DC’s Annual Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Late October.
Youth Pride Day/Week • PO Box 33161, Washington, DC 20033 • 202-387-4141 • www.youthpridedc.org
Usually held in early April. The largest event for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youth in the mid-Atlantic region.
Venues
Gay
• The Blue Room • 2321 18th St NW • 202-332-0800
• Cobalt/30 Degrees • 17th & R Sts NW • 202-462-6569 (30 Degrees is non-smoking)
• DC Eagle (leather) • 639 New York Ave NW • 202-347-6025
• Fireplace • 2161 P St NW • 202-293-1293
• Halo • 1435 P St, NW • 202-797-9730 • (Non-smoking venue)
• Titan • 1337 14th St NW (upstairs) • 202-232-7010
• JR’s Bar & Grill • 1519 17th St NW • 202-328-0090
• Omega DC • 2123 Twining Ct NW • 202-223-4917
• Remington’s • 639 Pennsylvania Ave SE • 202-543-3113
• Windows/Dupont Italian Kitchen (DIK) Bar • 1635 17th St NW • 202-328-0100
Lesbian
• Phase One • 525 8th St SE • 202-544-6831
Both
• 1409 Playbill Cafe • 1409 14th St NW • 202-265-3055
• Apex • 1415 22nd St NW • 202-296-0505
• Banana Cafe • 500 8th St SE • 202-543-5906
• Chaos (Wednesday, Ladies’ night) • 17th & Q Sts NW • 202-232-4141
• Freddie’s Beach Bar • 555 S 23rd St S, Arlington, VA • 703-685-0555
• Larry’s Lounge • 1836 18th St NW • 202-483-1483
| General Information • Police |
Washington DC is divided into 44 Police Service Areas (PSAs). Each PSA is staffed with a minimum of 21 MPDC officers (with the exception of PSA 707, which essentially consists of Bolling Air Force Base). High-crime neighborhoods are assigned more than the minimum number of police. For example, PSA 105 has the minimum 21 officers, while 93 officers patrol the statistically more dangerous PSA 101.
Metropolitan Police DC
All Emergencies: |
911 |
Police Non-Emergencies: |
311 |
Citywide Call Center: |
202-727-1000 |
Crimesolvers Tip Line: |
888-919-CRIME |
Child Abuse Hotline: |
202-671-7233 |
Corruption Hotline: |
800-298-4006 |
Drug Abuse Hotline: |
888-294-3572 |
Hate Crimes Hotline: |
202-727-0500 |
Public Information Office: |
202-727-4383 |
Office of Police Complaints: |
202-727-3838 |
Website: |
http://mpdc.dc.gov |
Stations Within NFT Coverage Area
1st District Station • 101 M St. SW • 202-698-0555 • Map 6
1st District Substation • 500 E St SE • 202-698-0068 • Map 5
2nd District Station •
3320 Idaho Ave NW • 202-282-0070 • Map 18
Headquarters: 300 Indiana Ave NW • Map 2
District Stations:
Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit •
1369 Connecticut Ave NW • 202-727-5427 • Map 9
3rd District Station •
1620 V St. NW • 202-673-6815 • Map 9
5th District Station •
1805 Bladensburg Rd NE • 202-698-0150 • Map 12
3rd District Substation •
750 Park Rd NW • 202-576-8222 • Map 15
3rd District Latino Liaison Unit •
1800 Columbia Rd NW • 202-673-4445 • Map 16
Alexandria Police (VA)
All Emergencies: |
911 |
Non-Emergencies: |
703-838-4444 |
Community Support: |
703-838-4763 |
Crime Prevention: |
703-838-4520 |
Domestic Violence Unit: |
703-706-3974 |
Parking: |
703-838-3868 |
Property-Lost & Found: |
703-838-4709 |
Website: |
http://ci.alexandria.va.us/police |
Stations Within NFT Coverage Area
Alexandria Police Department •
2003 Mill Rd • 703-838-4896 • Map 44
Arlington County Police (VA)
All Emergencies: |
911 |
Non-Emergencies: |
703-228-3000 |
Rape Crisis, Victims of Violence |
703-228-4848 |
Child Abuse: |
703-228-1500 |
Domestic Violence Crisis Line |
703-358-4848 |
National Capital Poison Center: |
202-625-3333 |
Website: |
www.co.arlington.va.us/police |
Stations Within NFT Coverage Area
Arlington County Police Department •
1425 N Courthouse Rd • 703-228-4040 • Map 36
Montgomery County Police (MD)
All Emergencies: |
911 |
Montgomery Non-Emergencies: |
301-279-8000 |
24-Hour Bioterrorism Hotline: |
240-777-4200 |
Takoma Park Non-Emergencies: |
301-891-7102 |
Chevy Chase Village Police: |
301-654-7302 |
Animal Services: |
240-773-5925 |
Community Services: |
301-840-2585 |
Operation Runaway: |
301-251-4545 |
Party Buster Line: |
240-777-1986 |
Website: |
www.montgomerycountymd.gov |
Stations Within NFT Coverage Area
3rd District - Silver Spring •
801 Sligo Ave • 301-565-7740 • Map25
Takoma Park Police Dept •
7500 Maple Ave • 301-270-1100 • Map 26
MPDC 4th District Station •
6001 Georgia Ave NW • 202-715-7400 • Map 27
Chevy Chase Village Police •
5906 Connecticut Ave NW • 301-654-7300 • Map 28
2nd District - Bethesda •
7359 Wisconsin Ave • 301-652-9200 • Map 29
| General Information • Post Offices & Zip Codes |
| General Information • Hospitals |
Hospitals
As hyper-stressed, Type-A workaholics, most Washingtonians are ripe for coronary disease, so it’s a good thing there are many area hospitals to offer us recourse. Although district financing snarls have led to shutdowns, such as DC General Hospital in 2001, the District nevertheless remains equipped with state-of–the-art medical facilities ready to respond to emergencies of presidential magnitude.
The area’s hospitals vary in terms of the level of service they offer. Stagger into some ERs, and unless your clothes have fresh blood stains, you won’t be seeing a doctor until you have memorized the theme song to Days of Our Lives. Other facilities treat patients like hotel guests. At the recently refurbished Virginia Hospital Center (Map 34), rooms are set up to offer remarkable Arlington views, and in-patients are delivered meals by workers who sport bow ties and studs. Sibley is your average Northwest hospital, with a relatively comfortable waiting room, usually tuned to CNN, and nurses who squawk to their patients about which congressman they shot up with saline the week prior.
Many medical people assert that the region’s top docs reside at Washington Hospital Center (Map 14), although Washington Hospital City is a more appropriate title. Practically every disease you can get has its own building devoted to it, and the relatively small Irving Street becomes somewhat of a highway off-ramp just to allow access to this behemoth of medical practitioners. Allow an extra hour just to park and figure out how to navigate its labyrinthine interior structure. The best bets for residents are George Washington University Hospital and Howard University Hospital, both are teaching hospitals, so in addition to cutting-edge practices, expect to be prodded a lot unnecessarily.
| General Information • Hotels |
One of the great things about Washington, DC, is that the Metro is safe, convenient, and affordable. That’s why you don’t have to be downtown to visit DC, and that’s good news for those on a tight budget.
Like all big cities, though, be sure to ask around, and check blogs and listservs to get “real people” ratings on the places you are considering before you tap your credit card number into the reservations system. Ask around. Housing—no matter the rate or neighborhood—can be a mixed bag.
If you have the cash, consider the Hotel Helix (Map 10) in Logan Circle, which features bright, comfy, pop-art furniture and ultra-modern décor. It’s trendy, has large, comfortable rooms (which are all non smoking, by the way), and is located near the US Capitol, not far from Union Station. That means public transportation is steps away. There are also some great pubs and restaurants very close by (both inside Union Station and on neighboring streets). One note of caution—this is a “pet friendly” hotel, so if you prefer only two-legged guests, this might not be for you. As far as location goes, the Washington Hilton (Map 9) is only a stone’s throw away from Dupont Circle and everything that area has to offer. Another trendy hotel—though not good for the budget-minded—is the Mandarin Oriental (Map 6). If you crave elegance with an Asian flourish, top amenities, and a possible celebrity sighting (think Bono, Beyonce and Jay-Z), this is a great choice.
If your budget is tight, there’s nothing wrong with checking out a youth hostel. There are plenty of good ones to be had with room rates starting at about $25 a night. But use caution—this type of lodging varies widely in DC, from clean and secure to downright scary (think the Bronx). As with hotels, ask a number of people before you commit. American Guest House (Map 9) offers safe, clean housing. One DC youth hostel in a fairly decent neighborhood (not far from the World Bank) is the Hilltop Hostel (Map 27). It is also clean, inexpensive, and near a Metro. Former guests report that the security is good, and they felt safe there. Check out hostel sites such as www.hostelworld.com and www.hostelz.com for information on hostels. Always try to book hostels in advance (they’re smaller than hotels and tend to book up faster) and read user reviews online, they’re often the most accurate guides out there.
As always, you should use the room rates and star ratings listed below as a guide only. You’ll probably want to call or visit the hotel in question to get the most accurate room rates for the days you wish to stay. If you’re booking in advance, we suggest checking out sites such as hotels.com, tripadvisor.com, and expedia.com.
| General Information • Landmarks |
Between renaming buildings, bridges, and fountains and constructing new monuments by the garden-full, DC is quickly running out of things to convert into memorials. You could spend a month visiting every official monument in DC, but you’ll have a better time checking out the unofficial local landmarks that get lost in the giant shadows of the White House and the Capitol Building. As for skyscrapers… sorry King Kong, you aren’t going to find them in this city. A long-standing law prohibits buildings in the District from being taller than the tip of the Capitol.
Politics, Politics, Politics
After you are done with the marble tributes to the Founding Fathers, why not tour the landmarks of other lesser politicians? Visit the Vista International Hotel (now the Westin Wyndham (Map 10)), where former DC Mayor Marion Barry was caught smoking crack cocaine, or The Mayflower Hotel (Map 9 – Farragut Nort) where Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer intimately counseled a elite prostitute, or the Washington Hilton (Map 9), where Ronald Reagan took a bullet from John Hinckley, Jr.
Hidden Treasures
If politics isn’t your thing (then why are you here?), the District has many a grand home to admire from the inside and out. The Heurich House (Map 9), also known as the Brewmaster’s Castle, invites you to tour a perfectly intact Victorian home, complete with a basement Bavarian beer drinking room. Or if you’re feeling more whimsical, there’s the Mushroom House (Map 30) in Bethesda, a private residence owned by people who got a little too excited with the Smurfs. Don’t forget to check out The Littlest House in Alexandria (Map 46), which allows for a narrow 7-foot wide life.
Beauties of Bronze
This town also has more than its fair share of statues. Take a moment at Union Station to admire the Columbus Memorial (Map 2) out front. The marble fountain opened in 1912, but most visitors and commuters come and go and never take notice of it at all. The circular fountain is 44 feet deep in the middle, and Columbus himself stands at the larger-than-life height of 15 feet. Or if you’re weary of oversized statues of dead white men, you can gaze up instead at the Gandhi Statue (Map 9) off Dupont Circle, the Joan of Arc (Map 9) statue at Malcolm X Park, or the beloved Grief (Map 14) memorial in Rock Creek Cemetery.
Those Are Landmarks?
Even more landmarks are those buildings you’ve seen again and again, and yet no one seems to be able to identify them. The Temple of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (Map 9) standing tall on 16th Street, the Second Division Memorial (Map 1) on the Mall, or The Other FDR Memorial (Map 1) that quietly sits outside the National Archives. Don’t forget, “landmark” is a loose term, so why not throw in the still functioning Uptown Theater (Map 17), DC’s premiere venue for Lord of the Rings-type films.
Hollywood in Washington
So you think it’s all happening in LA and New York? Think again, friend. If you ever find yourself on Prospect Street at night, gather up the cojones to visit the Exorcist Steps (Map 8), the steep and narrow 97-step stairwell used in William Blatty’s classic horror film, The Exorcist. The unassuming neighborhood of Mount Pleasant was also featured in State of Play starring Russell Crowe, whose character lives above local landmarks Heller’s Bakery and Pfeiffer’s Hardware. If that’s not enough Hollywood for you, grab a beer and sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (Map 7), like that scene in Wedding Crashers.
Hometown Heroes
Every neighborhood seems to have its local landmarks—whether it be colorful mural (see: Marilyn Monroe (Map 16) in Woodley Park) or a frequently patronized greasy spoon (see: Ben’s Chili Bowl (Map 10) on U Street). When in Dupont, hang out by the Dupont Fountain (Map 9)—the focal point of the eclectic crowd that makes up the neighborhood. In Silver Spring, head straight to the AFI Theater (Map 25), where you can catch an indie American or foreign film and watch it in the stadium seats usually associated with blockbuster releases. Feeling like catching a local band but don’t want to pack into a sweaty club? Hit up the family-friendly Fort Reno Park (Map 19) in the summer months. You can’t booze, but hey, it’s free.