Washington DC, an insiders' guide

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/nov/05/wasington-dc-insiders-travel-guide

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Culture

Washington – so the stereotype goes – is a town of institutions and long-held ideals. Accordingly, its arts industry has been criticised for playing it too safe. DC is the town where public servants don formal attire for openings at the Kennedy Center; where tourists line up for matinees at Ford's Theatre, the site of President Lincoln's assassination in 1865; where parents drag their fidgety offspring to take in a bit of forced learning at the Smithsonian museums. But beyond those entrenched bastions of culture, there are little wellsprings that make DC something much more interesting than a dormitory town for power brokers.

Studio galleries such as 87 Florida 87 Florida, Pleasant Plains Workshop, and (52 O Street Studios) are off-the-grid places to find lesser-known visual artists developing new ideas. Within a 30-minute walk from the Capitol dome, art parties and weird exhibits shake up Capitol Hill at The Fridge, a little mixed-use space in an alley near Eastern Market. Across town, walk along 14th Street NW in the U Street and Logan Circle neighbourhoods and you're sure to stumble upon something thought-provoking – or merely bizarre – at one of a smattering of galleries, including the Hamiltonian Gallery, Project 4, Gallery Plan B, Contemporary Wing, Transformer, Curator's Office, Hemphill, or the Adamson Gallery.

That neighbourhood is also a fine one for the performing arts, from the refreshing and in-progress plays at Studio Theatre, to the contemporary comedies and political works at Theater J, to the tiny shows and improv at Source.

When it comes to comedy, the District has a long and luminous track record – yet, it has recently emerged as a hotbed for storytelling and alternative comedy. The proof is in a handful of regular nights, such as 8x8 at Petworth's Looking Glass Lounge, where eight comedians get eight minutes apiece every other Monday evening. Story League and SpeakeasyDC put on engaging themed storytelling nights at venues around town. The Wonderland Ballroom, a former gay club on 11th Street NW, is home to the esteemed alt-comedy night Don't Block the Box.

Outside DC proper, Virginia's Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse has some of the best comedy open mics in the region, and they're free (but the disgusting nachos cost extra).

In a city better known for its pontificating congressmen, spoken-word artists and poets thrive here, too, particularly at Columbia Heights' BloomBars and the local cafe chain Busboys & Poets. Perhaps most surprising, though, might be that some of DC's most vehemently underground events happen in a church: St Stephen and the Incarnation in Mount Pleasant, specifically. In addition to presenting punk shows organised by activist group Positive Force, St Stephen's also plays host to the DC Square Dance Collective. If there's a single event guaranteed to dash those tired old bromides about DC's inescapable blandness, it's punk-rock square dancing. Ally Schweitzer, arts editor, Washington City Paper

Nightlife

In a high-energy and young city like Washington, the nightlife is well stocked with options for its twentysomethings when they emerge on Friday night for some weekend fun. But where do DC residents go to escape their suited up, political bosses? Well, let's start with a few favourites.

Like any city, each neighbourhood in DC has its own unique vibe and nightlife scene. A popular spot to hit is the U Street corridor. With a bar for just about everyone, you can't go wrong. Wine with your girlfriends? Head over to Vinoteca's outdoor patio and bocce ball court (it's like pétanque). In search of some good food, delicious margaritas and dancing? Try El Centro on for size. Want a drink while enjoying the fresh air and view? DC loves its rooftop bars and luckily U Street is filled with them. From DC9 to Marvin to Brixton to Lost Society, you can grab a drink and a prime spot with your crew.

Looking for something a little more low key? Then go no further than the always-chill Boundary Stone in the Bloomingdale area to feel like you just walked into your favourite neighbourhood watering hole. Grab a seat at the bar, try a DC Brau and strike up a conversation with the bartender. If you like beer, don't miss out on Birch & Barley, a brewski lover's dream in the Logan Circle neighbourhood – just a hop, skip and a jump from Dupont Circle. With over 500 beers available on any given night, it's a great location to grab a drink with friends upstairs or, if the occasion calls for it, hit the downstairs restaurant for date night.

Post-dinner and drinks, it's time to dance. Black Cat and the famous 9:30 Club (see Music, below) frequently host dance parties when they don't have a live show; DJs abound at Echostage and clubs around the city; but some of the best live-dance jams can be found at New Vegas Lounge and Madam's Organ. Morgan Gress, editor, FamousDC

Music

The capital's largest musical epicentre is the intersection of 14th and U Streets NW: The 9:30 Club, the hall routinely praised by musicians as one of the best live venues in the United States, is five blocks east, and the Black Cat, a storied punk club, is three blocks south. Several of DC's newer, edgier nightspots are centred in the same region, all a short walk from the U Street-Cardozo Metro stop.

Tropicalia has been open for less than three months but has already built a following for its varied mix of live acts – everything from Chicago soul to samba to Afropop to the No! BS Brass Band – and DJs. This basement space is booked by Jim Thomson, a DJ and promoter who runs the Electric Cowbell record label and prides himself on the diversity of the performers he attracts. While most clubs emphasise either band-watching or dancing to records, Tropicalia excels at both. That, plus the unique signature cocktails served from a milk-coloured Plexiglass and steel bar backed by thousands of LED lights, makes it DC's hottest new place to play after dark.

Bohemian Caverns is a venerable jazz club and a visual landmark of the U Street corridor, and occupying the two floors above is Liv, which draws a younger crowd with its hip-hop and R&B shows and free dance parties.

The Dunes is a roomy, L-shaped third-floor gallery and performance space in Columbia Heights that on any given night may be transformed into a pop-up boutique, a gallery exhibiting the work of dissident North Korean painter Song Byeok, or simply be hosting a band. It's become one of DC's most reliable destinations for up-and-coming young acts such as post-punkers Southern Problems. It's a short walk north from the Columbia Heights metro stop.

Comet Ping Pong is a table tennis venue and sustainable gourmet thin-crust pizza parlour that frequently plays host to all-ages punk and indie-heavy bills with a cover charge of $10. To get there take the metro red line and then walk for nearly a mile from the Van Ness-UDC stop – or take a taxi. Ty Segall and the San Francisco garage act Sic Alps are typical of the kind of fuzzy, chaotic tunes you'll hear. The bathrooms are deliberately concealed, which will add intrigue and possibly panic to your evening.

Honorable Mentions include The Velvet Lounge, a venerable, cozy, low-lit spot for noise acts; U Street Music Hall, which is DJ-owned and operated, so it sounds better than comparable venues, and everyone looks good on its cork-cushioned dance floor; and Echostage (which recently took over DC Star) is a massive dance space featuring primarily hip-hop and electronic headliners such as Big Sean or DJ Tiësto – they run a free shuttle bus from the New York Avenue metro stop. Chris Klimek, writer, DCist.com

Food

The Washington neighbourhoods the world knows best – Georgetown, Capitol Hill – are among the least interesting for anyone who cares about eating well these days. For a taste of what's fresh in this worldly city, you want to venture beyond its well-known addresses and tourist zones and go where the flavours run hot and the fingers might serve as utensils. Take a French chef with a fondness for American food and what you get at Mintwood Place are … escargot hush puppies ($11). They sound strange until you bite in and discover the great affinity fried cornmeal has for meaty snails. Cedric Maupillier, who put the Adams Morgan neighbourhood back on the gourmet's map when he launched his first restaurant in January, has all sorts of other luscious tricks in his bag – such as Long Island duck sliced over a neat row of sauerkraut and dappled with green peppercorn sauce ($28), a dish I never tire of eating. Same for the chef's baked Alaska ($10), ignited at the table with Chartreuse. Leather booths, vintage ironwork and recycled wood make a sepia-toned design statement but the carefree service reminds you you're in a neighbourhood restaurant.

The bohemian Atlas district plays host to the best place to explore Ethiopian food – no small feat in a city with dozens of choices for picking up salads and stews with injera, the spongy, slightly sour pancake that doubles as a utensil for mopping up stews. Dressed with brick walls and buffed wood floors, Ethiopic (mains $15-$24) is where I go for kitfo – imagine steak tartare crossed with fire – and a vegetarian platter of zesty red lentils, garlicky collards and turmeric-tinted potatoes arranged into an edible kaleidoscope pattern. And remember that the sauce-stained injera, also a canvas for the food, is considered choice eating.

Little Serow starts with some challenges. The underground restaurant with fewer than 30 seats doesn't take reservations and it serves a set, no-substitutions menu ($45 this week). Even so, people line up in Dupont Circle an hour before the place opens for a chance to explore the hot, sour and spicy flavours of northeastern Thailand, courtesy of top chef Johnny Monis. Fingers crossed, his family-style spread will include "dancing" shrimp sparked with fresh lime juice and lemongrass, as well as smoky pork ribs marinated with fish sauce and Thai whiskey. The liquids, including wine cocktails, are as enticing as the solids and the background music sidesteps cliches. Expect some Dolly Parton with your feast. Tom Sietsema, food critic, the Washington Post

Alternative attractions and eateries

Washington is filled with iconic buildings and sights, but some of its highlights don't appear on the usual tourist pilgrimages through the Capitol, the Air and Space Museum, and the Lincoln Memorial.

My favourite monument is just a few steps off the Mall, behind the Vietnam Wall and in the shadow of Lincoln Memorial, yet mostly unknown even to locals: at 22nd and Constitution NW, hidden among trees, a 12-foot-tall, four-ton bronze likeness of a rumpled Albert Einstein sits on the lawn of the National Academy of Sciences. The monument incorporates some of Einstein's physics into its design – at his feet is an astronomical map of the stars; standing at its centre on the North Star and talking to Albert creates a perfect echo chamber.

While the government-run Smithsonian museums attract most tourists' attention, DC also has many great private museums. The Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle has one of the city's great art collections, mostly French impressionist (including Renoir's breathtaking Luncheon of the Boating Party) and American modernist masterpieces hand-selected over the 20th century by its founder Duncan Phillips, and now displayed in his former Georgian Revival home.

Stop by the nearby Teaism tea room before or after your visit for a salty oat cookie – you won't regret it. Downtown, the enormous Newseum offers a unique take on how journalists have covered major moments in history – it's a highlight reel of the world's greatest pictures, videos and important stories.

The sprawling Hillwood Museum and Gardens in Cleveland Park is the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, one of America's wealthiest women of the 20th century. It contains the largest collection of Russian imperial art outside Russia – including more than 70 pieces of Faberge and the diamond-encrusted nuptial crown Empress Alexandra wore on her wedding to Tsar Nicholas II in 1894 – as well as beautiful, sculpted Japanese-style and French-style gardens and a greenhouse packed with orchids.

Ben's Chili Bowl, in the midst of the burgeoning U Street NW neighbourhood, has been at the heart and soul of DC politics and its black community for a half-century, and a must-stop for every aspiring local leader – and was one of the first places in Washington that Barack Obama stopped in on after becoming president. Serving up half-smokes – a half-beef, half-pork hot dog that's DC's signature food – chilli dogs, and cheese fries, this diner isn't for the faint of heart but the joyously chaotic joint opens early and stays open late, so whenever the mood hits, it'll be there.

If you want something quieter – and with more alcohol – the tiny Columbia Room, DC's only Japanese-style cocktail bar set secretly in the back of the Passenger Bar, in the Mount Vernon neighbourhood serves up cutting-edge drinks and pre-Prohibition classics made by the king of DC's craft bartenders, Derek Brown. The reverent, reservation-only bar offers a custom $67 three-drink "cocktail tasting menu", each paired with a small bite. Garrett M Graff, editor, the Washingtonian

Escape the city

According to a magazine I don't edit (Forbes), DC is America's second coolest city. After 15 years of living here, I agree. But the current 24/7 political heavy breathing demands an escape. Assuming you can step beyond the home of the 44.52-caret Hope Diamond and the cherished spot where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, here are five places outside DC that I love:

Glen Echo Park, Maryland: Our kids (and their parents) love Glen Echo Park, a paean to art deco less than five miles from DC. This time-warp treasure opened in 1891 and boasts puppet shows, arts and crafts exhibits and workshops, the ruins of Crystal Pool, which once drew up to 3,000 swimmers at a time, and the Spanish Ballroom, where live bands set you to swing, salsa, waltz, or zydeco depending on the weekend. It's hard to tell whether the restored 1921 Dentzel Carousel, with its classic prancing ponies, appeals more to kids or parents, but it draws perennially big lines nonetheless.

Chesapeake ramble, Maryland: Novelist James Michener put the great Chesapeake on the map with his eponymous 1978 epic. Check out Easton's open-air market, a May-October cornucopia of dirt-under-the-nails farmers and artisans who produce tasty heirloom veggies, handmade soaps, robust flowers, homemade lemonade and tomato pie, folk art, often accompanied by live bluegrass. Up the road a bit is St Michael's, an old trading post now bristling with late Federal and Victorian homes. Must-dos: chow down on Bay blue crabs on picnic tables at the harbourside Crab Claw and take in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum – 30 minutes will give you a salty sense of inland-sea culture. If you have time, drive two hours south to Assateague Island National Seashore, home to shaggy, pint-size wild horses (immortalized in Marguerite Henry's classic book Misty of Chincoteague) that inhabit a 37-mile-long barrier island where you can sizzle on the sand and swim the Atlantic among the boogie board and surf obsessed.

Great Falls, Maryland: Kayakers and canoeists love the Potomac's wild-river persona – a less political adventure than standard DC fare that reaches white-water status about 15 miles from the capital in Maryland's Great Falls. Scramble among rocky outcrops to eyeball the misty, powering Potomac as it sluices through narrow Mather Gorge and down through snaggle-toothed rocks. Or take a bucolic, low-key amble along the Patowmack Canal.

Air & Space Museum, Virginia: There's a monster-sized sibling to DC's famous Smithsonian in Chantilly, 25 miles from the capital. Together with its elder it offers the world's largest collection of space and aviation artefacts. From ultralights and the world's fastest jet (the SR-71 Blackbird) to the infamous Enola Gay and the Space Shuttle Discovery – this is the Holy Grail for aviation devotees.

Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland: A 70-mile drive from the capital is Antietam, near Sharpsburg, an American killing field, where, on 17 September 1862, 23,000 men were killed, wounded or went missing. The 3,000-acre national battlefield – undulating farmland dotted with such landmark sites as Bloody Lane and Sunken Road – offers an introduction to one of the most violent wars ever fought. Sharpsburg is now smaller than it was in the 1860s, and you can drive (or walk or bike) the 8½-mile self-guided tour over the hallowed ground that shaped this nation's future. Keith Bellows, editor in chief, National Geographic Traveler