I LIVE IN WASHINGTON NOW, but I came first as a tourist—and later as a sort of Tennessean in exile.
I must have been about six the first time I laid eyes on the Washington Monument. My parents and older brother were equally delighted—we are a sentimental clan—but they were rather more sensible: I begged to be allowed to walk up all those 897 steps; my mother quite intelligently brokered a deal whereby we took the elevator up and walked down. Still, I can recall quite clearly that seemingly endless, mesmerizing downward-spiraling trek; the vision a few hours later of that floodlit spire—it was reflected in the river—from a restaurant along the Southwest Waterfront; the towering gravity of Lincoln’s great visage; and the gleaming width of the Mall itself.
When later I moved here to work, I made myself into a sort of professional tourist: I took two months off between jobs to learn my way around, to find my place in the neighborhood (Capitol Hill was my immediate first love), and to luxuriate in the myriad riches of the Smithsonian museums. I was also determined to discover the secrets to negotiating traffic—a process that is much easier now thanks to the increased reach of the Metrorail subway but which at the time forced me to become an intimate of the city’s unique and sometimes mysterious layout.
I never really expected to become a Washingtonian, but I eventually succumbed to the strange, almost hybrid spell: a city with Southern charm and manners but New Yorkian attractions, and a life rhythm somewhere in between. I was stubborn, though: It was at least five years before I realized I had shifted allegiance. I was flying in down the Potomac River and past the Mall when I suddenly became aware that I was feeling the “coming home” sensation, not the “back to work” one. I began to feel proud, almost possessive of the city’s beauty, of the friezes and the statuary and the gardens (and the flower plantings in every leftover bit of ground, a permanent tribute to the graciousness of Lady Bird Johnson) and the cemeteries and cathedrals and historic homes. I walked, and have continued to walk, its broad avenues and winding paths; I sit at sidewalk cafés and watch the passersby just as if I were in Paris—and frankly, the celebrity spotting’s better here.
Sure, Washington can be hot, but isn’t that the point of most of the beach vacations people take? It can be cold, too, which might be more of a surprise: the first week I lived here, it was too cold to re-caulk the replacement windows for two that had been taken out. (I spent most of the time with my feet in the fireplace.) The traffic’s extraordinary, but so is the scenery. Washington is a living multicultural festival, with infinite chances to make new friends and experience new customs.
Even more astoundingly, Washington has blossomed in the 21st century, the 9/11 chill more than offset by the boom in first-rate restaurants, theater and performing arts, and museum exhibits. And unlike the ones in New York, nearly all the museums here are free!
Sure, Washingtonians make jokes about the tourists, but rarely are they serious. In fact, most Washingtonians came from somewhere else, just as I did, and chose to stay. We’re actually pretty friendly: you’ll find us smiling at the people on the sidewalk, turning the confused around toward the White House, explaining the intricacies of the Metro fare-card machines, and recommending favorite watering holes.
So welcome to Washington. Whether you think of it as the nation’s capital, Hollywood on the Potomac, Power Central, the center of the free world, or just a beautiful city, it’s well worth the time. This time, and the next.
MOST “OFFICIAL” GUIDES TO WASHINGTON, D.C., tout the well-known sights, promote local restaurants and accommodations indiscriminately, and leave out a lot of good stuff. This one is different.
We’ll steer you toward the best restaurants, not just the most expensive; we’ll dissect the trends so you can tailor your visit to your personal interests; and we’ll guide you away from the crowds and lines for a break now and then. We send in a team of evaluators who tour each site, eat in the restaurants, perform critical evaluations of the city’s hotels, and visit Washington’s hottest nightlife neighborhoods. If a museum is boring, or standing in line for two hours to view a famous attraction is a waste of time, we say so—and, in the process, we hope to make your visit more fun, efficient, and economical.
WE GOT INTO THE GUIDEBOOK BUSINESS because we were unhappy with the way travel guides force the reader to work to get any usable information. Wouldn’t it be nice, we thought, if we were to make guides that are easy to use?
Most guidebooks are compilations of names. This is true regardless of whether the information is presented in list form or artfully distributed through pages of prose. There is insufficient detail in a list, and prose can present tedious helpings of nonessential or marginally useful information. Not enough wheat, so to speak, for nourishment in one instance, and too much chaff in the other. Either way, these types of guides provide little more than departure points from which readers initiate their own quests—and are not much more useful than a quick trip to the Internet and its self-serving sites.
Many guides are readable and well researched, but they tend to be difficult to use. To select a hotel, for example, a reader must study several pages of descriptions, with only the boldface hotel names breaking up large blocks of text. Because each description essentially deals with the same variables, it is difficult to recall what was said concerning a particular hotel. Readers generally must work through all the write-ups before beginning to narrow their choices. The presentation of restaurants, nightclubs, and attractions is similar, except that even more reading is usually required. Recommendations, if any, lack depth and conviction. These guides compound rather than solve problems by failing to narrow down travelers’ choices to a thoughtfully considered, well-distilled, and manageable few.
READERS CARE ABOUT THE AUTHORS’ OPINIONS. The authors, after all, are supposed to know what they are talking about. This, coupled with the fact that the traveler wants quick answers (as opposed to endless alternatives), dictates that authors should be explicit, prescriptive, and, above all, direct. The authors of the Unofficial Guides try to be just that. They spell out alternatives and recommend specific courses of action. They simplify complicated destinations and attractions and allow the traveler to feel in control in the most unfamiliar environments. The objective of the Unofficial Guide authors is not to give the most information or all of the information, but to offer the most accessible, useful information.
An Unofficial Guide is a critical reference work; it focuses on a travel destination that appears to be especially complex. Our experienced authors and research team are completely independent from the attractions, restaurants, and hotels we describe. The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C. is designed for individuals and families traveling for the fun of it, as well as for business travelers and conventioneers, especially those visiting D.C. for the first time. The guide is directed at value-conscious, consumer-oriented travelers who seek a cost-effective, though not spartan, travel style.
THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE OFFERS THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL FEATURES:
What you won’t get:
WHILE A LOT OF GUIDEBOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN about Washington, D.C., very few have been evaluative. Some guides come close to regurgitating the hotels’ and tourist offices’ own promotional material. In preparing this work, nothing was taken for granted. Each museum, monument, federal building, hotel, restaurant, shop, and attraction was visited by trained observers who conducted detailed evaluations and rated each according to formal criteria.
While our observers may have some particular expertise, they are independent and impartial. Like you, they visited Washington as tourists or business travelers, noting their satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
The primary difference between the average tourist and the trained evaluator is the evaluator’s skills in organization, preparation, and observation. The trained evaluator is responsible for much more than simply observing and cataloging. While the average tourist is gazing in awe at stacks of $20 bills at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, for instance, the professional is rating the tour in terms of the information provided, how quickly the line moves, the location of restrooms, and how well children can see the exhibits. He or she also checks out things like other attractions close by, alternate places to go if the line at a main attraction is too long, and the best local lunch options. Observer teams use detailed checklists to analyze hotel rooms, restaurants, nightclubs, and attractions. Finally, evaluator ratings and observations are integrated with tourist reactions and the opinions of patrons for a comprehensive quality profile of each feature and service.
In compiling this guide, we recognize that a tourist’s age, background, and interests will strongly influence his or her taste in Washington’s wide array of attractions and will account for a preference for one sight or museum over another. Our sole objective is to provide the reader with sufficient description, critical evaluation, and pertinent data to make knowledgeable decisions according to individual tastes.
WE EXPECT TO LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES, as well as from the input of our readers, and to improve with each new book and edition. Many of those who use the Unofficial Guides write to us asking questions, making comments, or sharing their own discoveries and lessons learned in Washington. We appreciate all such input, both positive and critical, and encourage our readers to continue writing. Readers’ comments and observations will frequently be incorporated into revised editions of the Unofficial Guides and will contribute immeasurably to its improvement.
Eve Zibart
The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C.
PO Box 43673
Birmingham, AL 35243
unofficialguides@menasharidge.com
When e-mailing us, please tell us where you’re from. If you snail-mail us, put your address on both your letter and envelope; the two sometimes get separated. It’s also a good idea to include your phone number. Because we’re travel writers, we’re often out of the office for long periods of time, so forgive us if our response is slow. Unofficial Guide e-mail isn’t forwarded to us when we’re traveling, but we’ll respond as soon as possible after we return.
At the back of the guide, you will find a short questionnaire that you can use to express opinions about your Washington visit. Clip out the questionnaire along the dotted line and mail it to the address.
Visit theunofficialguides.com for in-depth information on all Unofficial Guides in print.
TO GIVE YOU FAST ACCESS TO INFORMATION about the best of Washington, we’ve organized material in several formats:
ACCOMMODATIONS Because most people visiting Washington stay in one hotel for the duration of their trip, we have summarized our coverage of hotels in charts, maps, ratings, and rankings that allow you to quickly focus your decision-making process. We do not go on, page after page, describing lobbies and rooms which, in the final analysis, sound much the same. Instead, we concentrate on the specific variables that differentiate one hotel from another: location, size, room quality, services, amenities, and cost. The accommodations are compared by rankings in a concise table, and the vital information for all accommodations is provided in an extensive chart.
ATTRACTIONS Attractions—historic buildings, museums, art galleries—draw visitors to Washington, but it’s practically impossible to see them all in a single trip. We list them by type as well as map their locations and then evaluate each one, including its appeal to various age groups. These descriptions are the heart of this guidebook and help you determine what to see and when.
RESTAURANTS We provide a lot of detail when it comes to restaurants. Because you will probably eat a dozen or more restaurant meals during your stay, and not even you can predict what you might be in the mood for on Saturday night, we provide detailed profiles of the best restaurants in and around Washington. We also recognize that convenience and budget are important, so we have supplied more Metro-friendly restaurants and dependable local family chains. Restaurants are also listed by cuisine and their locations mapped.
ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE Visitors may want to try out several different clubs or nightspots during their stay, but again, where you go depends on your particular interests. We profile some of the best nightspots and lounges in Washington, as well as the hottest nightlife strips (see profiles starting), and list some top destinations for beer-lovers, cocktail loungers, and dancers.
NEIGHBORHOODS Once you’ve decided where you’re going, getting there becomes the issue. To help you do that, we have divided the city into neighborhoods:
All hotel charts, as well as profiles of restaurants and nightspots, include the neighborhood. If you are staying at the Carlyle Suites, for example, and are interested in Japanese restaurants within walking distance, scanning the restaurant profiles for restaurants in Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan will provide you with the best choices.