PLAY
Plan to wear your walking shoes to tour the National Mall. A fixture of the city’s cultural and artistic life, the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums—many of which border the Mall—and the National Zoo. Spend a day at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, whose expansive collection includes the works of such prolific artists as Charles Alston, Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, and Henry O. Tanner. (Nominated for a 2017 James Beard Award, the Museum’s accompanying Sweet Home Café boasts both refined and down-home cooking.) If you have time, other nearby Smithsonian museums to check out include the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of the American Indian.
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Like many cities, the District has lost its share of bookstores, but there are still several outstanding options. Politics & Prose is a Washington institution and hosts an extensive lineup, and be sure to check out Kramers in the Dupont Circle neighborhood and Solid State Books, easily accessible via the DC Streetcar, which offers free daily rides through the H Street NE/Benning Corridor. Book lovers will also enjoy self-guided tours and exhibitions through the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress (be sure to reserve a timed-entry pass, available Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.). Catch a show at the 9:30 Club, or see the National Symphony Orchestra (and Washington National Opera) at the Kennedy Center, the nation’s busiest performing arts center. Visit REACH, a recent extension of the Kennedy Center whose activities include club-style performances, a Learning Lab, and other events. Take a stroll through the nearby Georgetown neighborhood, where you’ll find contemporary art galleries, such as Calloway Fine Art & Consulting and boutique shops along M Street. And gather for an afternoon picnic at Meridian Hill Park (known to many as Malcolm X Park), where you’re likely to hear community drum circles that have played at the park weekly for more than 40 years.
EAT
It’s hard to go wrong when you’re looking for a bite to eat in the District. Like City Foundry STL in St. Louis, Union Market is the “epicenter of culinary creativity in D.C.,” with more than 40 local vendors and a rooftop green space that has featured a pop-up 700-seat tennis stadium in years past. Start your mornings with coffee from one of the many La Colombe locations or the Wydown Coffee Bar, a St. Louis–inspired shop at 14th and U Street that sells beans from Missouri roasters like Kaldi’s Coffee and Sump. For breakfast fare, try Le Diplomate, whose patrons have included the Obamas and President Joe Biden, or Call Your Mother, a nationally acclaimed deli with the best bagels in town. Look to the District Wharf for a range of casual cafés and fine dining restaurants on the Waterfront. St. Louis staple Pi Pizzeria also has a location in the nation’s capital, steps from the National Portrait Gallery. For exceptional Korean food, including a delicious Korean take on beef Wellington, book a table at Anju. Ditto Laos in Town and Crown Bakery, a notable Trinidadian eatery in the Brightwood Park neighborhood. And if you’re looking for something a little more upscale, the Michelin-distinguished Blue Duck Tavern, not far from Georgetown, is known for its artistically crafted New American cuisine.
STAY
Housed inside an early-20th century historic church in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, the LINE is perhaps Washington’s coolest hotel, featuring three excellent restaurants, two great bars, a superb coffee spot, and 220 beautiful guest rooms (where pets stay for free). If you plan to stay downtown, check out the Eton on K Street, the flagship boutique hotel of the Eton Workshop Brand, envisioned by Katharine Lo as “a community with a shared ethos of caring for today’s world.” The property includes a community work space, a wellness center, a radio station, a coffee house, and a full-service restaurant. Other art-forward hotels include Viceroy and the Kimpton Banneker Hotel, where you can enjoy incredible views of city landmarks from rooftop bar Lady Bird. And finally, a couple of approachable Airbnb listings include this quintessential D.C. townhouse apartment near Logan Circle and this cozy apartment in the Navy Yard neighborhood, just steps from the Washington Nationals stadium.
