Washington Dc City Guide

Washington DC is a political powerhouse city and the capital of the USA. This city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is landlocked by Maryland to the southeast, northeast, and northwest and Virginia to the southwest. Washington DC was founded on July 16, 1790.

Washington DC was chosen by George Washington to be the capital due to its strategic location between the north and south of the country. The city hosts all three branches of the U.S. federal government; along with 174 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of global institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and others.

Washington DC (District of Columbia) is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city that is equipped with diverse neighborhoods, verdant parks, stately buildings, famed, marbled monuments and world renowned museums that offer free public access. Most tourists believe that a visit to Washington DC should be included in every traveler enthusiast’s bucket list.

Washington, the seat of the US government, is a bustling city made up of character-filled neighborhoods that host a thriving cultural scene featuring scores of top-notch restaurants, shops and night time entertainment.

Washington hotels are not confined to any one area and can be found all over the city in areas like its downtown business district, which is close to all the world renowned monuments and attractions. Choosing which area to stay at depends more on what you want to do during your vacations to Washington than which location is better than the other.

Diverse hotel properties are also located within the city’s historic Georgetown district, which is known for its elegant colonial houses, boutiques, fancy restaurants, a lively nightlife and the famed Georgetown University.

More Washington hotels are situated in the city’s neighborhoods like the bohemian district of Adams-Morgan, which sports an assortment of funky shops and ethnic stores as well as within the suburb of Dupont Circle, an affluent business and residential area that offers excellent restaurants, art galleries and shops.

No matter where you choose to stay in Washington, Fare Buzz can assure you of cheap hotel rates for every type of hotel anywhere in Washington.

The tree lined, National Mall extends for over two miles from the US Capitol to the Potomac River. This verdant strip is the epicenter of activity in Washington for it contains some of the city’s most famous attractions like the tall Washington Monument; the Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson Memorials; the Capitol building; the White House; the Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art.

The mall also is the center for much social activity in Washington as it is the choice locale for celebrations and festivals as well as protests and rallies throughout the year.

The National Mall and its neighboring Tidal Basin beckon tourists to book a vacation to Washington every year in early spring for they offer the wondrous sight of numerous flowering cherry blossom trees. The cherry blossom trees located here were gifted to the city of Washington by the mayor of the city of Tokyo on March 27, 1912. They have enthralled and enchanted scores of visitors to the city ever since.

The US capitol is situated on Capitol Hill and is the city’s most well-known attraction. It is the actual US seat of government that contains the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, which is the largest library in the world. The interior of this capitol building is quite magnificent as its main Statuary hall is adorned with numerous statues that commemorate important figures in US history. Other decorative accents within this prominent domed building include several paintings and murals that depict scenes from history of the US.

The White House is the private residence and administrative headquarters of the President of the United States. Every American President has resided here since 1800. Each American President has altered the facilities available in the White House to suit his or his family’s needs. For instance a swimming pool was added during President Franklin D Roosevelt’s time as he had polio and needed to exercise in water, Jacqueline Kennedy added the Rose Garden while the Obamas, who are the current residents of the White House, have added a vegetable garden.

George Washington, who has been conferred the title of the 'Father of the Nation’, was the first president of the United States. The Washington Monument was built to commemorate this great leader who played a prominent role in the American War of Independence. The Washington monument is a 555-foot (169m) marble obelisk and is the tallest structure in the city and is located on the western end of the mall. An elevator transports visitors to the monuments viewing gallery that offers gorgeous vistas of Washington DC and the Potomac River.

The grand Lincoln Memorial pays tribute to Abraham Lincoln, who was the 16th President of the USA. The Lincoln Memorial serves as a Civil War memorial for it symbolizes the ideas of freedom and democracy, two of the premises on which the American Civil War that ended slavery was fought.

The memorial is an exponent of the Greek style of architecture and consists of 36 white columns that signify the 36 states that existed during Lincoln’s Union. The monument also includes a huge marble statue of Abraham Lincoln that looks out onto the Reflecting Pool. The Lincoln Memorial has been the site of numerous demonstrations over the years and is most famously associated with the Civil Rights March in 1963 when Martin Luther King delivered his classic 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Washington’s weather can be best described as ‘seasonal’ with wide variations between the seasons of summer and winter. Summers in Washington are typically hot and humid while winters are frigid and cold with much heavy snowfall. The best time plan a sight-seeing vacation to Washington is during early spring when the temperatures are cool but bearable and the city hosts its stunning annual cherry blossom festival. Flights and hotel rates at this time are typically higher than normal.

Washington is extremely easy to get to as it served by three main area airports; namely the Reagan National Airport, the Dulles International Airport and the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. All these airports offer a wide array of domestic and international air transport links, which make planning a trip to Washington relatively simple. With Fare Buzz, you can enjoy more convenience with our exhaustive inventory of cheap air tickets and attractive car rental deal for Washington.

Washington DC is well laid out city and has an excellent transport system, which consists of the Metro bus and the Metrorail subway network. This system provides services throughout the city (including linking of the main tourist attractions) and beyond to the Virginia and Maryland suburbs.

Washington’s public transport system is accessed by a computerized fare card and if you are traveling in a group, it is easier to buy individual cards for each user since you are not allowed multiple swipes on one single card. Additionally, the city is also well served by a fleet of taxis, which are quite a lot cheaper to use in Washington than in other US cities for they operate on a zonal basis with a flat rate system of fares.

If at all you need to rent a car in Washington, you needn’t worry as Fare Buzz has you covered for car rentals as well. Fare Buzz offers a plethora of affordable car rentals for Washington that can be booked via its usual travel booking platforms.

The capital city of America offers many shopping opportunities within its various neighborhoods. Shopping in Washington, unlike other cities in the US is quite decentralized with each neighborhood offering up its own inimitable retail therapy attractions.

Georgetown is one such DC neighborhood that is immensely popular as a shopping and dining locale. The neighborhood hosts several antique stores and boutiques along with an upscale open-air mall, Georgetown Park home to stores like J.Crew, H&M, Dean and DeLuca amongst others.

Penn Quarter located in the heart of downtown DC, is another lively neighborhood of the city which features several trendy restaurants and stores like H&M, Ann Taylor Loft, Bed Bath and Beyond, Pottery Barn and so forth. Located here is the Gallery Place mall which offers various shopping, dining and entertainment options along with office and residential accommodations. The Shops at National Place, is another downtown DC shopping complex that offers a plethora of retail options at its more than 75 stores spread over three floors.

Yet another DC neighborhood equipped with plentiful shopping options is Dupont Circle. The eclectic neighborhood features several trendy art galleries, cafes and gift shops, while Connecticut avenue located close by offers additional opportunities for shopping at stores like Talbots, Brooks Brother, Burberry’s and the Gap.

The famed Capitol Hill section of the city in the meanwhile, plays host to two favored bastions of retail in DC. Eastern Markets is an immensely popular farmer’s market that in addition to fresh produce, baked and deli fare, also hosts an arts and crafts market on Saturdays and a flea market on Sundays. Yet another major retail hub located here is the historic Union Station, the city’s main train station which also hosts a mall featuring more than a hundred stores and several restaurants along with a 9-screen movie theater.

Washington DC restaurants play a central role in the dynamics of the city. Deals, negotiations and various other interactions are often thrashed out over a scrumptious meal served up at one the city’s many top-notch restaurants. The dining scene in DC in recent years has in fact evolved and developed greatly so that it now features eateries offering a smorgasbord of exquisitely prepared local and international cuisines.

The ‘best’ DC area restaurants according to recent surveys include dining hotspots like Komi (Greek/Mediterranean), Little Serow (Thai), Blue Duck Tavern (Modern American), Fiola (Italian), Proof (New American), Adour (French), City Zen (Modern American), Marcel’s (French) and Zaytinya (Mediterranean).

The US capital has in recent years shed its stodgy image and now abounds with cocktail lounges, sports bars, jazz clubs, breweries, dance clubs, all of which offer ample opportunities for much nocturnal entertainment. Popular nightlife haunts in the city include Rocket Bar, the Passenger, Hill Country, Iron Horse Tap Room (all bars), Bourbon Steak, P.O.V. Roof Terrace and Lounge(Cocktail Lounges), Blues Alley, Bossa(both Jazz bars), Grapeseed, Cork Wine Bar and Bistrot Lepic (all wine bars).