Not For Tourists Guide to Washington DC 2015, 11th Edition

Dear NFT User,

Ah, Washington. You know youre an insider when you start using the word insider and calling the nations capital Washington or The District and not D.C.; when you begin to refer to lobbyists as K Street, Congress as The Hill and get excited over the Senate vote on C-Span at happy hour. You find yourself ordering steak rare and snacking on crabcakes like potato chips. You always walk on the left but stand on the right, and huff with annoyance when a tourist does not. A celebrity sighting is seeing the Surgeon General in a restaurant. Your wardrobe starts to fill with pieces from Brooks Brothers, and you probably contemplated law school at one point. If you havent yet moved to Maryland or Virginia, you might even start the battle cry etched on Washington license plates: No Taxation Without Representation!

Washington may seem dominated by politics like Los Angeles is by Hollywood, but its really so much more. However, unlike Hollywood, Washington just never earned a cool vibe. But people dont come here to be cool. They come to change the world and perhaps to wear a bowtie or pearls. But thats okay, because Not For Tourists is designed to help change the world as well. Made with paper and ink and written for locals, by locals, NFT brings you the latest and greatest that Washington has to offer. Find everythingbowling alleys, museums, coffeeshops, bookstores, movie theaters and more. Discover parks to stroll with your dog, farmers markets to aid your farm-to-stomach efforts, local bars to cheer on the Nats or Redskins, or even one of those historic steak-and-mahogany institutions where President so-and-so once wrote a famous speech on a napkin. And believe it or not, Washington can be hip: once unlikely streets have become popular up-and-coming epicenters for bars, shops and edgy restaurants opened by Top Chef contestants. Even several burbs are flourishing as those residents grow up and move their over-educated families and organic tote bags into three-bedroom Craftsman bungalows. We got you covered.

The guidebook also works in tandem with the website and clever geo-targeted Smartphone App that keeps you up-to-date while on-the-go around the Beltwaywhether by foot, metro, bus, car or bike (and if youre really an insider, a Capital Bikeshare bike). Our constantly updated website also lets you create a profile, write reviews, upload photos, make maps and submit new listings. So please, feel free to join the NFT crowd and voice your opinion. After all, this is Washington.

Didnt we say we wanted to help change the world? Were starting by changing yours.

Happy navigating!

Jane, Scott, Pamela, et al.

Downtown

Greater District

Maryland

NoVA North

NoVA South

Parks & Places

Colleges & Universities

Sports

Transit

General Information

Arts & Entertainment

Here youll find pretty much every reason DC is a top tourist destination: The White House, the Washington Monument , the Declaration of Independence, etc. If you didnt see them on a school trip, try to check them out on the weekdays. The Mall , on weekends, especially in warm weather, is a mob scene. Tip: When youve had enough of the white marble, photocopy this map and let it substitute as the tour guide when relatives arrive.

Landmarks

The Back Door of The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Free speech has never been so entertaining.

The Carousel on the National Mall
900 Jefferson Dr SW
202-633-1000
Tacky, but quells crying children.

Clinton McDonalds 750 17th St NW
202-347-0047
Taste what Bill couldnt resist.

Decatur House 1610 H St NW
202-965-0920
Tour worth taking.

District Building 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
DCs city hall. You cant fight it.

Fords Theatre 511 10th St NW
202-347-4833
Lincolns finale.

Freedom Plaza 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Downtown open space. Protesters and skaters unite.

The Hay-Adams 800 NW 16th St
202-638-6600
The luxury lap where Monica told all.

International Spy Museum 800 F St NW
202-393-7798
For all the future Aldrich Ames out there.

J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building
935 Pennsylvania Ave NW
202-324-3000
Ask to see Hoovers cross-dressing dossier.

National Aquarium
Constitution Ave NW & 14th St NW
202-482-2825
Save money, visit pet shop.

National Mall 3rd St SW & Jefferson Dr SW
202-426-6841
Shopping or something.

National Press Club 529 14th St NW
202-662-7500
Join the ink-stained hacks for a drink.

Old Post Office Tower
1100 Pennsylvania Ave NW
202-606-8691
Best view of skyscraper-less Washington.

The Other FDR Memorial Pennsylvania Ave NW
All FDR wanted was a stone outside the National Archives.

The Second Division Memorial
17th St NW & Constitution Ave NW
Overlooked history.

Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle) 1000 Jefferson Dr SW
202-633-1000
Storm the castle for information.

St. Johns Church 16th St NW & H St NW
202-347-8766
Sit in the Presidents pew.

Washington Monument Independence Ave SW
The phallus itself.

The Willard 1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW
202-628-9100
Historic hotel where the term lobbyist was born. And free HBO!

World War I Memorial
Independence Ave SW & 15th St SW
Often overlooked monument.

Nightlife

Capitol City Brewing Company
1100 New York Ave NW
202-628-2222
Great IPA.

Gordon Biersch Brewery 900 F St NW
202-783-5454
Five great lagers.

Grand Slam Sports Bar 1000 H St NW
202-379-6646
Sports bar perfection.

Harrys 436 11th St NW
202-624-0053
Downtown DC dining with a hometown corner restaurant feel.

Le Bar 806 15th St NW
202-730-8700
An oasis in a sea of offices.

Old Ebbitt Grill 675 15th St NW
202-347-4800
Try to spot your local congressman at this super-touristy Washington institution.

Proof 775 G St NW
202-737-7663
Wine bar. Fancy. Expensive. Of the moment.

Round Robin & Scotch Bar
1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW
202-628-9100
Old style, old money DC. Herbal martinis.

Shellys Back Room 1331 F St NW
202-737-3003
Cigars, scotch, strip streaks and middle-aged white men in suits.

Society of Wine Educators 1319 F St NW
202-408-8777
Non-profit educational organization with wine academies for groups.

Ultrabar 911 F St NW
202-638-4663
Best DJs in the city on 4 different floors.

This neighborhood used to be seen as a place that catered mostly to tourists, with its many chain coffee shops and restaurants. But thanks to a booming food scene in Penn Quarter, things are changing and it seems that a new hyper-trendy spot opens daily, making this neighborhood a destination for White House staffers, K Street lobbyists and tourists alike. For a classic Washington experience, have a cocktail at The Willards rooftop bar and enjoy the view.