A visit
to the nation’s capital can be fun, exhilarating, and very frustrating. Take it from someone who lives nearby. This handout and presentation will guide you
through some of the key points to make your trip a bit more enjoyable and a lot
less frustrating. I have included tips
on getting around as well as some of the more unique places to explore.
The Grid and Neighborhoods
To
make sure you know your way around it is crucial to know the grid system. As a planned city once you understand the
layout you will always know where you are.
The key is understanding that the capitol building is the center point
to the grid.
Looking at a map from above put a pin in the capitol building. Now draw a straight north south line and an
east west line. These are the 4
quadrants of DC: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. There are numbered and lettered streets in
each quadrant with the numbers running north to south and the letters running
east to west. In addition, streets with
state names run diagonal across the city and other named roads take over after
the numbers and letters run out. Here is
a great article to read more on the grid system.
There
are dozens of neighborhoods and “districts” within DC. Most tourists stay in the Downtown areas, or
maybe adventure up into some of the quaint west side neighborhoods. Each one has its one flare and vibe and
historic homes to spare.
·
Downtown: Essentially this region is what
most people think of when they imagine DC in their heads. It contains the monuments, museums, White
House, Chinatown, Tidal Basin, and so much more.
·
North Central:
This is one of the livelier regions in DC. Home to Howard University and Dupont Circle
it has unique boutique shopping, restaurants, embassies, and hotels.
·
West: Home to historic Georgetown this
is region is home to historic houses, fine dining and a vibrant nightlife. More of Embassy row is located here in
addition to the National Cathedral, American University, and the National
Zoo. This is where the crème de-la crème
live and is home to many of the nation’s wealthiest individuals.
·
East: This region begins at the Capitol
and fans out from there past Union station and out toward Anacostia. It consist of unique and somewhat eccentric
neighborhoods, the National Arboretum, the National Shrine, and Gallaudet
University. This is the largest of the
regions, and one of the quietest too.
·
Anacostia: This is a skinny strip of land
that lies east of Anacostia River encompassing several different
neighborhoods. It holds the Frederick
Douglas House, the Congressional Cemetery, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum, Kenilworth
Aquatic Gardens, and Historic Uniontown to name a few.
Transportation
While
you can drive in the city, for those who are not familiar with the one-way
roads and layout it may be a bit daunting.
It is best to find a place to stay within walking or driving distance of
the Metro. Of course, you could always
take an Uber, Lyft, or Taxis. Even better, what about bicycling around town?
One
piece of advice though: Stand right,
walk left. Know it, live it! Stand right, walk left is the etiquette for
escalators (and moving sidewalks) in the region. Please, be kind and considerate to your
fellow travelers and follow this simple rule.
It is what marks you as a considerate person here.
Below
is a listing of the various forms of transportation available within The
District. Please check before your trip
to make sure of the fares, schedule maintenance, or if there are any other
reasons why transportation may be disrupted.
·
·
The
Metro (Metrorail and Metrobus):
You must purchase a SmartTrip® card to ride the metro system. It card is a permanent, rechargeable card and
can also get you discounts at museums, stores, and restaurants through their
Deals and Discounts program. Cards can
be purchased online, Metrorail station, Metro sales offices, or commuter
stores. http://www.wmata.com/
Be
aware that while in DC this fall “Safe Tracking” will still be in
operation. This program is a continuous
rollout of updates and much needed maintenance to the city metro. To know which lines are going to be effected
during your stay make sure to consult the safe track website https://www.wmata.com/service/SafeTrack.cfm and the Metrorail social media
feeds before leaving your hotel.
·
Amtrak: These trains serve much of the
surrounding area and make daytrips easy and affordable. Tickets can be ordered online or at the
station. http://www.amtrak.com/home
·
MARC
Commuter Train:
Maryland based commuter rail system and is only in operation on weekdays. The Penn Line is the only one that offers
weekend service. http://mta.maryland.gov/marc-train
·
VRE Commuter Train: Virginia
based commuter rail system and is only in operation on weekdays. http://www.vre.org/
·
Water Taxi: The Potomac Riverboat
company offers a water taxi service from the National Mall, Alexandria, and the
National Harbor. http://www.potomacriverboatco.com/
Unique DC Repositories:
·
Gallaudet
University Library Deaf Collections and Archives: In addition to the collection on
the deaf and mute community it has a genealogy collection which contains
information from various publications and a marriage index.
·
Moorland-Spingarn
Research Center, Howard University
One
of the world largest and comprehensive institutions for people of African
descent not only in America but the world. http://www.howard.edu/msrc/
·
The
George Washington University Libraries : Rare books, manuscripts, African Americana,
Washingtonia, and more. http://library.gwu.edu/
·
Naval
History and Heritage Command:
This is a collection of sites (both virtual and physical) that hold anything
associated with the U.S. Navy. The main
resources and research website (http://www.history.navy.mil/research_and_collections.html) is great reference, but listed
below are a few of the in-person area archives you can visit.
· The
Smithsonian Institution:
Depending on what you are researching, one of the Smithsonian’s may be able to
help you. In addition you can also
search the SIRIS Image Gallery (http://sirismm.si.edu/siris/sirisimagegallery.htm) which holds over half a million
images from a number of the Smithsonian’s collections. To see a full listing of archives the
Smithsonian Intuition has please go to the archives website at http://siarchives.si.edu/
Near DC, Unique VA Repositories:
·
Alexandria
Public Library, Local History Collection: http://www.alexandria.lib.va.us/client/home
·
Arlington
County Library, Center for Local History: http://library.arlingtonva.us/center-for-local-history/
·
City
of Fairfax Regional Library, Virginia Room: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/vr/
·
Jack
Klein Memorial Genealogy Library:
By appointment only. Address: Beth El Hebrew Congregation, 3830 Seminary Road,
Alexandria 22304. Phone: 703-370-9400. Email: office@bethelhebrew.org
·
The
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center:
A majority of the Air and Space Archive collection is held here. http://airandspace.si.edu/research/resources/archives/visit-the-archives.cfm
Near DC, Unique MD Repositories:
·
Jewish
Genealogy Society of Greater Washington Library: http://jgsgw.org/library.html
·
National
Archives for Black Women’s History:
This institution documents the life of Mary McLeod Bethune and spans her
lifetime (1875-1955). Documents include
information on the National Council of Negro Women as well as individuals and
organizations related to the council. http://www.nps.gov/mamc/historyculture/mamc_nabwh.htm
·
University
of Maryland, Maryland Reading Room, Hornbake Library North: http://www.lib.umd.edu/special
·
U.S.
National Library of Medicine :
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
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