Washington, DC:
Painting the District PINK!!

I had not been to Washington, DC, for quite some number of years (which is another way of saying, “I know exactly how long it’s been and you don’t need to.”). At that time, it was not unlike many American cities – facing suburban flight, and sorely in need of urban reinvestment and renewal. I will never forget learning just how much in need some of the D.C. neighborhoods were when my friends and I made a wrong turn. But that’s another story….

My most recent visit was an entirely different experience. Urban renewal has definitely been good to the District, and many of the long neglected in-town neighborhoods are either completely gentrified, or in the process of getting that way. This is not to say that you can travel freely through every neighborhood. You cannot and should not – especially at night. But that’s really no different than any other large City. Use common sense, be cautious, and don’t stray into unfamiliar areas, and you’ll be fine.

Circular Living, Dining and Playing.

Washington, DC, is a city of neighborhoods, and although gay people live throughout the D.C. Metro area, the regular gathering places fall, with few exceptions, into a couple of areas (or, in the case of the District, a couple of circles).

Dupont Circle and 17th Street.

Dupont Circle, and environs (i.e., 17th Street from P Street to Q Street), continues to be one of the most popular neighborhoods, both for living, and for eating, drinking and dining, despite its rising real estate prices, and its growing popularity among non-gay urban dwellers.

Local 17th Street favorites include JR’s (whose popular Happy Hour never fails to bring out the boys!), Jack’s, Annie’s Steak House, Club Chaos (which has some mighty fine drag shows!), DIK Bar, the Video Rack, Universal Gear, and a whole variety of other great restaurants, shops and hang outs (including Café Luna, located around the corner on P Street).

Just North of Dupont Circle, you’ll find another concentration of great restaurants (like the Afterwords Café), shops (including the Leather Rack and Capital Video Sales), bars (like the Fab Lounge), and, of course, the Lambda Rising Bookstore (where you can always pick up a copy of Destinations for Men Magazine!).

Fourteenth Street and Logan Circle.

The area around Fifteenth and P Street (just East of Logan Circle), and Fourteenth Street (from Thomas Circle up to P Street) is home to yet another popular grouping of bars and restaurants. On P Street is Halo (1435 P Street) - an ultra hip bar and lounge that’s popular with a diverse crowd of locals. There’s a great Happy Hour, no attitude, and lots of friendly faces. Even better, Halo is located right next door to Merkado (which ranked high on our list of favorite restaurants) and directly across from the local Whole Foods Market (in case you just want to grab something quick and easy on the way home).

Over on Fourteenth Street, there’s an entirely different world waiting in the form of Titan (which is right up there with the D.C. Eagle when it comes to hot leather daddies and muscle bears). Downstairs, in the space that used to be Hamburger Mary’s, is the Dakota Cowgirl, which is still serving up great burgers, sandwiches and drinks.

Want more? There is more.

There’s the new Sports Bar, Nellie’s, at 9th and U. There’s P Street, East of Dupont Circle, where you’ll discover neighborhood hang-outs like Apex, Omega and The Fireplace. (And by the way, although there’s construction going on in this area, don’t let it deter you from visiting. There are GREAT restaurants, including Mark and Orlando’s, Marrakesh, and Peche).

Museum (and Memorial) Madness.

No trip to Washington, D.C., would be complete without a visit to the Country’s National Monuments and Museums (almost all of which are FREE to the public).

The Lincoln Memorial, the Westernmost of the National Monuments East of the Potomac River, is a great starting point. From there, continue East, facing the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument.

The Vietnam War Memorial is to the left (North) of the Reflecting Pool, and the Memorials to the Korean War and World War One are to the Right.

At the Eastern end of the Reflecting Pool is the World War Two Memorial. Past that is the Washington Monument. See it during the day, but be sure to come back again to see it at night. The lighting at night is absolutely magical.

Directly North, beyond Constitution Avenue, is the White House, and directly East is the National Mall.

The National Mall is banked to the North and South by the Museums and Galleries of the Smithsonian Institution. All of them are free to the public, and all of them are amazing. At the Eastern end of the National Mall is the Grant Memorial, and beyond that is Capital Hill, with the United States Capital Building (housing both the House of Representatives and the Senate), the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress.

There are many other government buildings surrounding the National Mall, and more National Monuments located outside the center Corridor. Of note are the Jefferson Memorial and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial (both to the South of the Tidal Basin), and Theodore Roosevelt Island, which sits in the middle of the Potomac River and houses the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial.

Across the river is Virginia, where you’ll find the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, among others.

Want more?

You’ll have to extend your stay, and/or plan another visit. Washington, DC, has so many attractions, museums, points of interests, memorials, special events, and things to do in general, that it’s worth visiting over and over.

Visit during the holidays and see the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, come in the Spring for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, or see the city in the Autumn when the leaves turn it into a colorful patchwork of color.There’s never a bad time to visit the US Capital, and there’s always something new to see!