Washington DC

Washington D.C is the capital of the United States of America, named after President George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Originally a separate municipality within the Territory of Columbia, the City of Washington was merged with the Territory following an act of congress in 1871 and is consequently now known as The District of Columbia (abbreviated to D.C).

Washington D.C (not to be confused with Washington State!) is neither a state nor territory, but has a government that resembles both and is located on the north bank of the Potomac River, bordering the states of Virginia and Maryland.

Things to see in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C is home to an array of historical and cultural landmarks. One of the most famous is the White House, residence of the president of the United States – currently Barrack Obama. The 132 room building is the creation of architect James Hoban, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and dates back to 1800. Ironically, George Washington himself is the only president not to have lived in the White House, despite choosing the site in 1792 and supervising its construction.

Other famous landmarks include the magnificent Washington D.C Monument, build in memory of George Washington which stands at over 555 feet, the Capitol Building, the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Arlington National Cemetery as well as the National Mall, a 146 acre stretch of lawn that extends from the Potomac River to the Capitol Building, which hosts political rallies, festivals and other high profile events.

Arts and Music

Washington D.C is a national centre for the arts. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the venue for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera and the Washington Ballet. Every year an awards ceremony ‘The Kennedy Center Honors’ is held here and attended by the President and First Lady - the First Lady being an honorary chair of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees.

The ‘U Street Corridor’ situated in Northwest D.C is known as ‘Washington’s Black Broadway’ and is the location of the Lincoln Theatre and Bohemian Caverns – venues which have seen the likes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington play. Washington D.C also has a prominent Jazz and blues scene as well as its own native music genre known as ‘go-go’ made famous by Chuck Brown, an eclectic mixture of R&B, funk and dance.

In addition, Washington is a hub for local theatre. Institutions such as the Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Studio Theatre and the Arena Stage regularly showcase both classic and new American plays. If you are making last minute plans to attend the theatre, the Ticketplace booth (ticketplace.org) located in the downtown’s Penn Quarter arts district (7th Street between D&E Streets, NW) offers half priced, day of show or advance sale tickets.

Getting around Washington D.C

The Metro in Washington D.C is one of the quickest, cheapest and most efficient ways to travel around the City. Fares begin from around $1.65 per journey but can be higher during rush hours. A one day ticket is around $7.80 which allows you to travel as much as you like after 9.30am on weekdays and all day at weekends. Visit metroopensdoors.com for more information.

If you prefer to take the bus, the D.C. Circulator is the service that connects downtown to Georgetown and Union Station. Buses operate between 7am and 9pm daily and tickets cost in the region of $1.

Alternatively, if you wish to travel in style, you may wish to see all Washing D.C has to offer by Taxi. The base fare starts at around $3 and the maximum fare for trips within the district is approx. $19. If you are making a specific trip it may be worth pre-booking.

In terms of getting to Washington D.C, there are three area airports, Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). These airports have over sixty million passengers travelling in and out each year.