Introduction
As befits a capital city, the rectangular grid of streets is cut by long diagonals (named after States) radiating from important sites such as the Capitol and the White House. Aligned with the grid is a grand formal vista, the National Mall, which extends from Capitol Hill to Potomac Park on the river of the same name. A second rectangular garden runs northwards, at right angles to the Mall, as far as the White House, which has been the home of every US President since 1800 and is visited by more than one million people every year. The Tidal Basin, a beautiful lake famous for its Japanese cherry trees, lies just to the southwest. The National Mall contains many of Washington, DC’s most important monuments and institutions, including the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials; the Washington Monument (at 169m/555ft, the tallest masonry structure in the world); the Smithsonian Institution, including the old Museum of Natural History; the modern National Gallery of Art, with its stunning East Building designed by the world-famous architect I M Pei and its beautiful six acre sculpture garden; and, of course, the Capitol, where Senators and Representatives meet under a magnificent 55m (180ft) dome to shape US legislative policy.
Many recreational activities are available, including boat trips on the Potomac River (the jetty is to the south of the Lincoln Memorial). Arlington National Cemetery, on the other side of the river, contains the graves of 175,000 US soldiers who fought in wars from the American Revolution onwards.
Other sights include Chinatown, where many of the city’s Asian shops and restaurants are centred; Constitution Gardens, with more than 50 acres of trees and lawns; the J Edgar Hoover Building (the FBI’s headquarters) at Ninth Street; Pennsylvania Avenue and the nearby recently opened International Spy Museum; the Pentagon (at present tours have been cancelled indefinitely owing to the terrorist attacks of September 2001); and the US Supreme Court, the highest court in the country. Picturesque Georgetown, in the area of Wisconsin and M Streets, is one of DC’s liveliest spots, and the cobblestone streets, cafes and lovely riverside walk make this a pleasant area in which to wander.
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