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 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.
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