* * *
Dear Sir or Madam:
my favorites:
Rock Creek Cemetery <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Grief-in-Rock-Creek-Cemetery?listingID=843499
> Webster St NW & Rock Creek Church Rd NW
Statue marking grave of Henry Adams’ wife, Clover. The statue is commonly known as “Grief.” The sculptor, Saint-Gaudens, referred to it as “The Peace of God.” Adams insisted that the statute not be named. Clover committed suicide.
Other graves in Rock Creek Cemetery: Upton Sinclair, plus the requisite number of Supreme Court justices, congressmen, senators, bank presidents, to form a conspiracy.
Ford's Theatre <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Ford-s-Theatre?listingID=843249
> 511 - 10th St NW, (CGE Inc. did a major rehab in the 60’s, since redone)
NB: “Sic Semper Tyrannis” is motto of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Lincoln Memorial at an hour before sunrise (CGE Inc. did the lighting rehab, and did the same on Washington Monument, since redone with last major rehab. CGE Inc. did Jefferson Memorial, too, including the borings in the dome for inset fixtures).
Einstein Statue <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Einstein-Statue?listingID=842925
> Constitution Ave NW & 22nd St NW. The boys liked to climb on it, and sit in his lap.
US Portrait Gallery, and next door, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery 8th and F Streets, N.W.
National Building Museum, 401 F St NW
People watch: US Congress. You won’t see any.
coffee house
Bourbon Coffee 2101 L Street NW (an acquaintance of mine is the US principal of the Rwandan company, promoting the coffees of Africa)
restaurant I want to visit:
Red Derby 3718 14th St. NW
Others: don’t know. The downwardly mobile have little disposable income.
bars and clubs:
Jazz clubs, Blues Alley in Georgetown, 1073 Rear (down the alley) Wisconsin Ave., Bohemian Caverns, 11th and U Street, and Twins Jazz, 1344 U St. NW, all three with eponymous websites. Only the street-wise on U Street, unless traveling by cab. Other jazz clubs, see www.dcjazz.com
Brewpub: Capitol City Brewing, 1100 New York Avenue, corner of 11th and H Streets NW.
Others: I’ll ask the boys. I know Sam has been to Madam’s Organ in Adam’s Morgan, 2461 18th St NW, and some others. Crow Bar, 1006 20th Street, and Black Cat, 1831 14th St NW, are well known and reliably rowdy. Patrick has played the Black Cat, the Velvet Lounge, and the 9:30 Club, later two on U Street.
bookstores
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Restaurants/Kramerbooks---Afterwords-Cafe?listingID=843978
> 1517 Connecticut Avenue
Politics and Prose and Modern Times Coffee House <http://www.moderntimescoffeehouse.com/> 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Busboys & Poets <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Bookstores/Busboys-and-Poets
> 2021 14th St NW (named for Langston Hughes’ big break, now more café than bookstore)
For bikers:
C&O Towpath/Canal Locks <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/C-O-Towpath-Canal-Locks?listingID=841752
> Canal Rd NW
bikedc.net and bikewashington.org
[I'd add City Bikes <http://citybikes.com/>, at three locations in town & owned by a former student of mine (ask for Charlie & say Carl sends his best) --CGE]
Alternative shopping, generally
U Street Corridor
Dupont Circle
notfortourists has a good website for the restaurants, night life, shopping and landmarks (organized by neighborhoods), although it is far from comprehensive for alternative sites or the city at large. For alternative sites, www.washingtoncitypaper.com/neighborhoods. For the city at large, Washingtonian magazine, http://www.dcpages.com/, http://www.citysbest.com/washington-dc/, and www.washingtoncitypaper.com/neighborhoods, www.washingtonian.com/, http://www.washingtonlife.com/, and www.washingtonpost.com/gog/
Washington Post on Thursdays and Sunday has the most comprehensive list in print. Any source should be checked with the establishment’s website.
I would cull the notfortourists list as follows:
Exorcist steps 3600 Prospect St. NW (Georgetown)
African-American Civil War Memorial <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/African-American-Civil-War-Memorial?listingID=841022
>
1000 U St NW
Australian Embassy <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Australian-Embassy?listingID=841244
>
1601 Massachusetts Ave NW (Christmas kangaroos)
Battleground National Military Cemetery <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Battleground-National-Military-Cemetery?listingID=841408
> 6625 Georgia Ave NW
Ben's Chili Bowl <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Ben-s-Chili-Bowl?listingID=841471
> 1213 U St NW
Chinatown Gate <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Chinatown-Gate?listingID=842201
> H St NW & 7th St NW
Shakespeare Theatre <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Shakespeare-Theatre?listingID=845409
> 450 7th St NW
Sonny Bono Memorial [sic! --CGE] <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Sonny-Bono-Memorial?listingID=845535
> 20th St NW & New Hampshire Ave NW
Temple of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Temple-of-the-Scottish-Rite-of-Freemasonry?listingID=845990
> 1733 16th St NW
The Kreeger Museum <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/The-Kreeger-Museum?listingID=846080
> 2401 Foxhall Rd NW
The Octagon <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/The-Octagon?listingID=846097
>
1799 New York Ave NW
US Botanic Garden <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/US-Botanic-Garden?listingID=846369
> 100 Maryland Ave SW
United States Botanic Garden <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/United-States-Botanic-Garden?listingID=857583
> 245 1st St SW
USS Sequoia <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/USS-Sequoia?listingID=846387
> Maine Ave SW & 6th St SW
Duke Ellington Mural <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Duke-Ellington-Mural?listingID=842845
> 1200 U St NW
Eastern Market <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Eastern-Market?listingID=842898
> 225 7th St SE
Folger Shakespeare Library <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Folger-Shakespeare-Library?listingID=843241
> 201 E Capitol St SE
Decatur House <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Decatur-House?listingID=842758
> 1610 H St NW • 202-965-0920
Lincoln Cottage, Soldiers Home <http://www.notfortourists.com/LD.aspx/Washington-DC/Landmarks/Lincoln-Cottage,-Soldiers-Home?listingID=844093
> 3700 N Capitol St NW
Gourmet food shops tend to be very small and specialized, or homogenous chains. Any speciality ?
Call me if you have a question or need anything, 703 407-0498. Identify yourself by asking for a cracker. Carl works on a need to know basis with little brothers and other underlings. He did not include your name or email when he forwarded your requests to me for immediate response. It's not your fault. He wanted to edit the response.
Mac
PS Carl wants to go to the Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW. Your call.
On Dec 18, 2011, at 5:43 PM, shag carpet bomb wrote:
> I'm spending xmas in DC. Planning on going to Kennedy Center for the
> Christmas Jazz program, the Smith, not sure which art museum yet,
> and mostly doing a lot of tooling around on the bike if it isn't too
> cold. I'd also like to do some shopping, and figured we'd be
> spending the day in Chinatown on xmas day.
>
> -- Any good suggestions for gourmet food shops (kitchenware, etc.)?
>
> -- Good indie book shops
>
> -- totally weird places to shop, people watch?
>
> -- offbeat things to see, do, places to eat?
>
>
>
> --
> http://cleandraws.com
> Wear Clean Draws
> ('coz there's 5 million ways to kill a CEO)
>
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