Kicking Off Your Visit - Where to Start

Whenever I visit a city, I always like to know where to start. A good place to get information, ideally talk to knowledgeable locals, centrally located, and part of the fabric of the city I'm visiting. Without someone to show you the ropes, it's hard to know where to start. Recently, I fielded a question from a reader on that topic that might serve to help others. Afshan would like to know that if "there is a place from where he can get the map of all the attractions. Is there a place like "Welcome Center" that offers maps and guides?"

As in so many things in DC, this is a somewhat complicated question. The DC Chamber of Commerce used to operate at Visitor Information Center at the Reagan Building, but it's now closed. To be frank, I didn't think this was the greatest location and don't miss it to much, but it still confuses visitors as signs for it still exist and its website remains up. Additionally, the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) operates a Washington Welcome Center on the corner of 10th and E NW across from Ford's Theater, which isn't bad, but I just don't find it terribly useful either. It's a great place to go if you're looking for a FBI t-shirt or a kitchy souvenir, but the place is normally overrun with 8th graders and the staff is too harried to answer questions.

So where do I think you should start your visit? Here are a few options:

1. Old Post Office: I've mentioned this before and it's where I try to start tours with out of town guests. The Old Post Office's tower is one of the best views of Washington, DC at a fraction of the hassle of the Washington Monument. While there's no place inside I'd recommend, I'd say start off at the Barnes and Nobles a few blocks north on 12th and E NW, swing by the local section on the first floor, and pick up a guidebook and map. Armed with this new info, head over to the OPO on 12th and Penn, take them up the tower, and spend as long as you like scouting out the city from the high ground. Often, there will be a National Park Service ranger up there to answer questions, and if it's not busy, he's probably grateful for the company.

2. White House Visitors Center: While this is a must see if you are that tiny proportion of DC visitors who actually expect to get in the White House, the Visitor's Center is worth going into even if you didn't get lucky with WH tickets. The reason: one of the best help desks in all of Washington. Off the 8th grade circuit (more or less), the staff at the Visitor's Center is full of information and often without people to share it. They can give you the Park Service's Washington, DC map, which is every bit as good as the the commercial available ones, and the Visitor's Center can give you the single most document in Washington, DC: a comprehensive list of the openings and closings of the majority of DC attractions (pdf). Print it up now, bookmark it, or just swing by the Visitor's Center to get a fresh copy.

3. Union Station: Built to serve as a ceremonial gateway to the nation's capital, with a stunning vista of the Capitol Building, you end up looking at the ass end of Christopher Columbus as you exit Union Station. Which is a bit apropos. Union Station should be a one stop shop for people coming to see Washington, DC. It's accessible to intercity travelers via Amtrak and Bolt Bus, to regional visitors via Virginia and Maryland commuter lines (VRE and MARC), to local transit users via Metro Rail and Bus and the Circulator, to drivers with an on-site parking garage, to pedestrians, and even to bicyclists with a shiny new bike station. And it features access to various tour buses to take an intro tour of the city (more on that to come). But if you're looking to talk to people to pick up advice, be prepared: everyone at Union Station is either too busy catching their train, trying to sell you something, or simply tourists more befuddled than you (they didn't even know enough to check out this blog). So if your entry to DC is Union Station, great! Stroll through the building, swing by the Barnes and Nobles to get a guidebook, and go check out the rest of DC. Union Station is adequate as a visitors center, and has huge potential. But it's not there yet.

So, to recap, these are the top three best places to start your DC visit, in my humble opinion, and in roughly that order. If you've got places you like to send visitors as they arrive, throw them in the comments.

What is the tallest building in Washington, DC?

For a city with a Congressionally mandated height limit, you'd think this would be a softball question. After all, there's that big tall pointy thing you can see from all over, right?

It's not as simple an answer as you might expect. A lot depends on how you frame the question. Tallest building? Highest building? Tallest structure?

Clearly, my liberal arts major background was unable to deal with these technical differences, so I checked out the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat site, where among other useful details I learned that the formula for calculating the height of a residential building is H(residential) = 3.1s + 7.75 +1.55(s/30) where s is the number of stories. That's right, they came up with a formula to calculate the height of residential buildings (a separate one exist for offices, of course), where you know the number of stories but are unable to determine the height of the building. I'm hard pressed to envision a scenario where you couldn't find it online or, worse case, call up the property manager, but there you go. What type of dork could possibly find this useful?

But I digress, clearly these guys, who are the established authorities on determining what is the highest building, can help formulate the question. Not surprisingly there is a great deal of contention for the title of "World's Tallest Building" and the CTBUH actually has four categories to compete in: Height to Architectural Top, Highest Occupied Floor, Height to Top of Roof, and Height to Tip. No word yet if they plan to have a cage match to decide among the four categories, which I think shows a lack of innovative thinking at CTBUH and an elegant solution to a thorny problem.

So how does that apply to DC? Very little, but I was having fun with it. Let's take a look at the candidates for "DC's Tallest Building":

1. Hughes Memorial Tower: What the hell? What am I even talking about here? Well I'm sorry, but the tallest thing in Washington, DC is the Hughes Memorial Tower in the Brightwood (not Brentwood, as initially reported) neighborhood off Georgia Ave. in Northwest DC. Its 761 feet is hard to beat, but radio towers are dull and boring, so let's all do what the CTBUH does, and pretend they don't exist.

2. Washington Monument: Good strong showing and everyone's first choice. Its 555 feet 5 1/8 inches height is clearly taller than any building in DC. But, sadly, the CTBUH definition of building must "include at least 50% of it's height as usable floor area". So, let's leave the Monument with it's consolation prize of "DC's Tallest Structure" and move on. It can put it on its mantle, right between the "World's Tallest Structure : 1884-1889" and "World's Tallest Stone Structure".

3. Washington National Cathedral: This must be it, right? I mean, from the observation deck of the Washington Monument it dominates the skyline to the northwest. Its central tower, the Gloria in Excelsis Tower, reaches a healthy 676 feet above sea level, higher even than the monument. But no, those cheaters at the Episcopal Church built the Cathedral on 375 ft tall Mt. St. Alban's, meaning that although it is the highest point in DC, it's not the highest building.

4. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Let's turn our attention to the northeast, to the tall tower we see that way. That would be the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Catholic Church's answer to the National Cathedral, although not the local Catholic Cathedral. At 329 feet, its Knights of Columbus Tower should be a shoo-in, and it probably is. Wikipedia, which knows everything, lists it as the Tallest Building. So why am I skeptical, besides of course from an undiagnosed psychiatric condition that makes me perpetually so? Because I'm not sure, and have been unable to find, anything that shows me that the Tower has 50% of it's height (164 1/2 feet) as habitable floors. So, assuming I'm right and Wikipedia is wrong, let's take a metaphorical leap of faith and see what's next.

5. Old Post Office: With office space well up to through the ninth floor, this clearly and incontestably counts as a building. It's 319 feet make it the third tallest structure, and if we can get a judges ruling on the Shrine, it just might squeak out a title win. Personally, I think it's the best view in Washington (best defined as what you see/hassle to get there), and it's certainly near most of the places you'll visit in DC. So, I'm pulling for you, OPO, even if you are 10 feet short.

As we wrap up a surprisingly complicated answer to what I thought was a simple question, we're still left with a bit of uncertainty. I suggest we ignore the titles, and enjoy each of these sites for what they are individually, fascinating cultural and architectural resources well worth your visit while in Washington. Except for that radio tower; it's just too boring.

Getting your bearings, an intro

Coming to Washington, DC, or any other city for that matter, can be quite daunting. You know all of these famous landmarks from TV, movies, books, the back of your money, etc. You've heard about 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and Capitol Hill from grade school on. You know you "should" see the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian, and so on, and so on. Where do you start?

As Jean W. asks:

"what are your recommendations for an introductory type of tour just to get our bearings when we first arrive? I hate bus tours, so I hope there is some kind of alternative. We won't have a car, and although we will do lots of walking, I'm looking for a way that we can cover more territory in a few hours and just see where everything is."

Truth be told, some of those bus tours might not be a bad way to get your bearings, but they're not my cup of tea either. Their chief advantage is that they cover a lot of ground fast. Maybe in a another post, I'll go over the pros and cons of each of them, but for now, let's leave the realm of motorized transport behind and look at some more human scale approaches.

There's lots of ways to prepare before you arrive. You're reading my blog, so you're smarter than the average bear. Obviously, a guide book is a good start, but a guide book no more gives you the flavor of a city than a telephone book tells you what your new neighborhood will be like. I like to watch movies and TV shows set in DC to at least recognize some of the street scenes. I'll go into this topic more at a later date, but for right now, I like The West Wing if you are a politics nerd (hey, we're people too) and "National Treasure" (eitherof them) if you are not. The web is also an obvious place to find more info, but that would clearly be the subject of another post, or book. And, perhaps most importantly, I find it impossible to "get" a place if I haven't looked at least a half dozen maps. Google Maps is the biggest single innovation in travel for me in the last decade.

But lets say you, unlike our good friend Jean W. from above, haven't done your homework and you are stepping out from your hotel with your bright new copy in Fodors in one hand and a song in your heart. Where to start? Some suggestions:

1. Head to the Old Post Office at 11th and Pennsylvania, NW (Federal Triangle Metro stop). Take a map, your guide book, and a list of everything you'd like to do. The OPO should be your headquarters for exploring downtown and the Mall. It's centrally located to most of the high density sights, has food and bathrooms, and, like all good bases, controls the high ground. The tower, with an observation deck at 270 feet, is a great place to chart out a path, calibrate your eyes for distance between buildings, and generally get the lay of the land. Sure it's not as tall as the Washington Monument, but there's (almost always) no line, no tiny windows to peer from, and the Park Rangers, freed from the crush of tourists, can be great sources in information.

2. If the Tower is closed for weather, and it sometimes is, or you just don't like heights, the OPO has some other ways to check out the city without burning out your legs. Just outside, is Segs in the City, one of the various Segway tour operators that everyone mocks as they zip by. Then they sit and rub their legs because they've walked too far. I don't particularly have any bias for Segs in the City over their competitors, except for the location. And, of course, the clever name. They all seem to compete on price and I have yet to hear that one is much better (or worse) than the others.

3. Hey, I said I was going to leave motorized transport out of this, didn't I? Fair enough, bike tours are also an excellent way to see DC. Bike the Sights has the advantage of being at the Old Post Office as well and I see them throughout the city. Additionally, the National Park Service offers free tours every Saturday and Sunday at 1pm starting at the Jefferson Memorial (check for dates). You need to provide your own bike and helmet, but you can rent them at the Old Post Office.

4. And finally, there really is no better way to feel the texture of a city than walking. Options for these are, of course, quite varied but lets at least touch on a few.

a. Hire a guide: If you wish, you can always hire a tour guide for you or your family. This is, obviously, the most personalized option and any half way decent guide can develop a tour for whatever you are interested in. And a big added value to a personal guide is that they can recommend things to do, best ways to see things, restaurants, etc. You know, the stuff I'm trying to do here. There's usually a four hour minimum and rates start at around $35 an hour and go up from there. Getting hold of us is tricky though; most of my private jobs come from word of mouth. But here's a couple of guides I recommend; they often manage not to drool on themselves.

b. Pre-scheduled walking tours. Many organizations, both public and private, offer walking tours of Washington, DC. There are far too many to list here, but Cultural Tourism DC puts out a weekly listing that can be useful. And I strongly recommend Washington Walks, a company that, as the name implies, puts together walking tours of DC. I've taken several, and they're quite good.

c. Do it yourself. If you wish to do it at your own pace, this is a good option. The aforementioned Cultural Tourism DC has put together several walking tours of DC neighborhoods that are well marked with informative sign posts. Several neighborhoods are covered, to include Capitol Hill, Downtown, U Street and others. And for planning your own walking tour, I recommend the City Walks: Washington, D.C.cards, as well as the kids version. They're useful and easy to carry without screaming TOURIST.

So thanks again to Jean W. for the question and good luck on your trip to DC. There is obviously more to talk about in planning a trip here but our time is limited today.

National Postal Museum - Not Just for Dorks!

One thing I always enjoy when giving a tour of DC is pointing out the number of "Old Post Offices" we have here. Thanks to grandiose design plans coupled with shifts in postal distribution systems, we are awash in grand old buildings that have been creatively adapted to modern usages. In downtown DC, we have the General Post Office building, built in 1839 by the same architect that designed the Washington Monument, now the excellently redone Hotel Monaco. A few blocks south, we have the iconic Old Post Office, built in 1899 and worthy of a post of it's own in due time. For now, let me say that it's tower is one of the best views in Washington and yes, the food court is in walking distance from the Mall.

Unfortunately for the Old Post Office, shortly after it's completion, the Postal Department took a look at how they distributed mail nationwide and discovered a glaring efficiency gap. Mail was increasingly arriving via train and then being hauled across the city to the main Post Office to be delivered locally. So, as newer, larger train stations were built, the Postal Department (then a Cabinet Department) located the respective city's main post office adjacent to it, removing the need for one more trip with the mail. Take a look at this when you visit a large city; generally there's a fancy post office next to the downtown train station.

So a scant decade after the Old Post Office opened for business, construction began on yet another Post Office, this one creatively named the City Post Office or the Postal Square Building, adjacent to Union Station. Completed in 1914, the building does continue with some postal functions to this day. Notably, come the Christmas shipping rush, those of us that live on Capitol Hill know it as an attractive alternative to the Worst Post Office of All Time. However, with the shift from rail to road, most postal distribution functions have moved to the Brentwood facility in NE DC. In the early '90s, the excess space was converted to two outstanding additions to the local scene: Capitol City Brewing Company and the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but they look boring so I won't talk about them.

As Cap City can do it's own marketing, let me chat a bit about the Postal Museum. Unless you are a die hard stamp collector, this museum probably doesn't catch your eye. Don't fall for that though. I made the acquaintance of the Postal Museum as a stay a home dad one winter when it was too cold to go to the park. As suicide seemed like a cop-out and sliding into insanity like too much work, I found kid-friendly and indoor spaces in DC to be at a premium. The Postal Museum became a regular in the rotation, although to be fair, it's close proximity to Cap City may have helped tilt the scale. It's combination of relative lack of crowds and kid-friendly big trucks and trains make it a great place for little kids to explore. It's Moving the Mail exhibit has a big rig truck kids can climb on and a rail car to explore, as well as some excellent mail planes hanging overhead. And as they get a bit older, Binding the Nation is very much a history of America connecting itself and growing as a nation; a far more interesting way to introduce American history to that bored teenager than another essay in second period. Don't worry, the exhibits go way beyond just stamps to include, I kid you not, a stuffed dog.

Among their permanent exhibits, and as you might expect, they have a first rate stamp collection (ok, ok, I'll call it by it's proper name: Philatelic Galleries) if that's your thing. Including the always amusing "Inverts", which even a stamp philistine like myself recognize. And, if you've already been once, be sure to check on-line before you go to see what the temporary exhibit is. Sometimes they're worth a special trip back if you're in town. While right now, the Museum is jumping on the Lincoln bandwagon, I fondly remember a first rate Titanic exhibition from a few years ago. You know, back when that was the big thing.

So, while I might not make a trip to DC just to see the Postal Museum, if you've got an extra hour and you're near Union Station, I'd recommend a drop in. As of today, it's hours are 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, seven days a week, closed Christmas. And, like just about the rest of the Smithsonian, admission is free.

So, where do we eat? - On the Mall

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The National Mall is a great place to spend a day to Washington, as long as you don't get hungry. Most of the museums have food options; they're just expensive and, often, not very good. And nearby? Ha! We have the neoclassical Federal Triangle area to the north and the brutalist Southwest DC to the south. Notice how I fail to call them "neighborhoods". Neighborhoods imply the presence of "neighbors" or at least humanity. These are barren wastelands of government office buildings with nary a Starbucks in sight. I've seen folks get lost for days in the wilds of Federal Triangle, only to emerge clutching half gnawed bits of Spanish tile and asking "Why? Why, dear Lord, do they make it so hard to find something to eat?" I'm not kidding, it's not pretty.

What to do? If you don't want to have to barter your youngest for food, here are some options. Or, at the very least, some help on getting a good return on that child.

My Recommendations:

1. Department of Agriculture - You know, that big white building on the Mall that's NOT a museum? Back when the Agriculture was a major part of our economy, they got a prime spot on Independence Avenue and 14th. Ag may be the appendix of Cabinet Departments, but they have a good cafeteria. It's not anything special, except the food is reasonably priced, there's plenty of seating, and it's only a two minute walk from the Mall. Oh wait, that makes it pretty darned special around here.

To get in, you need to walk south of 12th St and then west on C ST SW (a right). It will be the second door on your right. You have to go through security; just tell them you're going to the cafeteria.

Hours: Breakfast 6:30 - 10:00 (Hot 7-9) Lunch 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Coffee shop 2:00-3:30
Closed Weekends/Federal Holidays

2. National Museum of the American Indian - It's not cheap, but at least you get something for the experience. Far and away, the best museum food court in DC and, while I haven't visited all of them yet, I daresay the world. Each section represents a different region of Indians (Plains, Northwest, Mezo-American, etc.) and has food from that area. The buffalo chili on fry bread is a safe bet but this is a great place to get adventurous. It's going to cost you, but so would that Big Mac at Air and Space.

Hours: 10:00 AM - 5:15 PM

3. On the Fly Carts - Great local addition to the food cart scene. I've got nothing against the half-smoke vendors (except that their half-smokes are crap) but these guys prove that street vendor does not have to equal suck.

Hours: 11:00 AM -6:00 PM, weekends and holidays only

4. Natural History Museum - Fossil Cafe - Ok, it's no bargain and the food, while fine, is nothing special. I just like it as a quiet place to get a cup of coffee, until all of you tourists show up. It's back in the corner behind the dinosaurs, hence the name.

Hours 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

5. Bring your own - Bring a picnic lunch. Technically, no food or drink is allowed in the museum and I certainly wouldn't recommend eating inside them, but most museums have bag checks. Just bring it and check it when you go in. Personally, I like the Haupt Garden behind the Castle.

Places that are fun because of where they are, not what they serve:

1. Smithsonian Castle
2. Museum of Natural History - Atrium Cafe
3. National Gallery of Art - neat places, but expensive

Do Not Recommend:

1. National Air and Space Museum - It's just McDonalds for twice the price. And hot, damn hot in the summer.
2. National Museum of American History - I hear it's finally open, but they're selling off-the-shelf pb&j for five bucks. When I take a look at it, I'll tell you how it is. Until then, I stand by my assessment.

By all means, if you know any more, add them in the comments. Or, if you want to quibble with me, please do so, but not about the Air and Space food court. That place sucks. If I were the Wright family I'd put up signs saying it's not named for us, it's those other Wrights from, um, New Mexico. So, if you like the Air and Space one, keep it to yourself.