Washington, D.C., or the District of Columbia (the city and the district are coterminous), is the capital of the United States of America. It is a planned city, designed specifically to house the federal government, and is not part of any state. Its history, beautiful architecture, and excellent cultural centres attract millions of visitors each year. Washington, D.C. is bordered by the states of Virginia and Maryland.
Virtually all of DC's tourists flock to the Mall—a long, beautiful stretch of parkland that comprises many of the city's monuments and museums—but the city itself is a vibrant metropolis that often has little to do with monuments, politics, or white, neoclassical buildings. The Smithsonian is a can't miss, but don't trick yourself—you haven't really been to DC until you've seen some of the neighbourhoods.
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Downtown (Penn Quarter, West End, Waterfront) - The centre of it all: The National Mall, D.C.'s main theatre district, Smithsonian and non-Smithsonian museums galore, fine dining, Chinatown, the Verizon Center, the Convention Center, the central business district, the White House, West Potomac Park, the Kennedy Center, George Washington University, the beautiful Tidal Basin, and the new Nationals Stadium.
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North Central (Dupont Circle, Shaw, Adams Morgan) - D.C.'s trendiest and most diverse neighbourhoods and destination for live music and clubbing, as well as many restaurants, Howard University, boutique shopping, beautiful embassies, Little Ethiopia, jazz on U Street, and fine hotels.
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West (Georgetown, Northwest) - The prestigious, wealthy side of town, home to the historic village of Georgetown with its energetic night life & fine dining, the National Zoo, the National Cathedral, Dumbarton Oaks, the bulk of D.C.'s high-end shopping, more of Embassy Row, American University, and plenty of good dining.
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East (Capitol Hill, Northeast, Anacostia) - Starting at the Capitol Building and Library of Congress, and fanning out past grandiose Union Station and the historic Capitol Hill neighbourhood, to the less often visited neighbourhoods by Gallaudet and Catholic Universities, historic black Anacostia, D.C.'s "Little Vatican" around the National Shrine, the huge National Arboretum, the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, bohemian night life in the Atlas District, and a handful of eccentric neighbourhoods.
Washington, D.C. is known to locals as simply DC and it is rare to hear it called anything else within the district. If you call it Washington, you may be misunderstood—this term is usually reserved for the Federal Government residing in the capital, as opposed to the city itself. The full title Washington, D.C., and the official name, District of Columbia, are rarely used unless the speaker is either trying to clearly distinguish the city from the state.
Washington, D.C. was established in 1791 by an act of the infant United States Congress. To avoid a dispute between the various states and regions about which city should be the capital of the new nation, Congress established a brand new city, outside any existing state. The District of Columbia was carved out of Virginia and Maryland, and the new city was built (the land ceded by Virginia was returned to that state in 1846 and now comprises Arlington County and much of the City of Alexandria). Designed by architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant according to Enlightenment-era rationalist philosophy, Washington (named after the country's first president) was envisioned as a kind of Socratic wildlife refuge for America's new philosopher-kings.
Two hundred years later, the Founding Fathers' vision has been partially fulfilled. Washington, D.C. is a very diverse city of native residents and recent arrivals from across the nation who come to serve as employees of the many federal government departments and government contractors. As home to federal decision-makers, the city's attention is sometimes on topics unique to the city such as advertisements for military technology from large defence contractors competing for the brains of the Pentagon employees. But perhaps most of the capital's time is taken up with lobbying and litigation; DC is a very "young" city, with a large percentage of the population under 30.
Relatively few residents have lived here all their lives. Most recent census figures report that about 50% of the population has relocated in the past 5 years. Virtually all cultures, languages and religions are present and accepted. Spanish-speaking Washingtonians are overwhelmingly Central American, mostly from El Salvador. Most of DC's African immigrants hail from West African origin, but there are also significant and visible Somali and Ethiopian communities. Significant and growing numbers of South Asian and Middle Eastern inhabitants are present. Most of the city's native born population is comprised of African-Americans, who are in turn a clear majority within the District. Just outside the city limits, DC's immigrant population is even more notable—according to the 2000 U.S. Census, 980,620 of the metropolitan area's 7,608,070 residents were born in another country. Few cities even in the American "melting pot" can match DC's international character.
Home to the occasionally dysfunctional US Federal government, DC is also a comically and occasionally dangerously dysfunctional city. DC is governed by the U.S. Congress, although in recent decades Congress has delegated many of its powers to a "DC Council" and "Mayor" of the District by enacting "home rule" laws. The "home rule" government has often enjoyed a bad reputation for corruption. To make things worse, the U.S. Congress often displaces "home rule" government by exercising its governmental powers directly, subordinating the quotidian concerns of District residents to national, partisan squabbles. It was not thought necessary by the Founders that the District have its own elected representatives to Congress, as many Congressmen, Senators, and the President and Vice President reside in DC full time. Hence, many of the District's license plates sport the amusing slogan "Taxation Without Representation." DC generally provides all the services that would normally be provided by cities of similar size, but does so without independent powers of taxation apart from those delegated to it by Congress. In addition to the problems caused by its political status, DC also suffers from some very serious cultural divides within its population. DC is simultaneously inhabited by some of the most hard-working and some of the most dependent U.S. citizens, and the concerns of the semi-transient professional population often conflict with those of the people who have chosen the District as their permanent home. Another hugely important cultural divide is the general rift between the city's poorer east side, which is largely African-American, and its wealthier west side, which has a higher proportion of whites. This divide has caused some tension as a citywide wave of rebuilding and improvement is riding in the wake of young professionals, whose tight budgets and distaste for long daily commutes have in recent years driven them to move into poorer DC districts in search of low rent and easy access to city amenities.
Text from Wikitravel District of Columbia where additional general information can be found. Please share your knowledge by editing the pages of Wikitravel.
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