USA Guide
The Capital Region
Georgetown
Although it is, unfortunately, a good hike from the nearest subway stop (though taking the DC Circulator helps), Georgetown is the quintessential DC neighbourhood, enlivened by a main drag – M Street – where chic new restaurants and boutiques are housed in 200-year-old buildings, and the old C&O Canal (which you can tour on a historic boat ride) runs parallel to the south. There are few conventional attractions along M, though the Old Stone House, no. 3051 (Wed– Sun noon–5pm; www.nps.gov/olst; free), comes close, as the only surviving pre-Revolutionary home in the city. Built in 1765 by a Pennsylvania carpenter, it retains its rugged, rough-hewn appearance, the craggy rocks used for the three-feet-thick walls being quarried from blue fieldstone.
In the hillier part of the district, there are two spots that definitely merit a visit: Tudor Place and Dumbarton Oaks. Tudor Place, 1644 31st St NW (tours Tues– Fri 10am–2.30pm, Sat 10am–3pm, Sun noon-3pm; www.tudorplace.org; $6), was once the estate of Martha Washington's granddaughter and, with its Federal-style architecture and Classical domed portico, has remained virtually untouched since it was built in 1816. Dumbarton Oaks (gardens: mid-March– Oct Tues– Sun 2–6pm; Nov– early March Tues– Sun 2–5pm; www.doaks.org; $8) encompasses a marvelous red-brick, Georgian mansion surrounded by gardens and woods. In 1944 this was the site of a meeting that led to the founding of the United Nations the following year. Its Bliss Collection (closed for renovation until 2009) is excellent for its pre-Columbian gold, jade, and polychromatic carvings, sculpture, and pendants, as well as ceremonial axes, jewellery made from spondylus shells, stone masks of unknown significance, and sharp jade "celts" possibly used for human sacrifice.
Opening time: Daily
Price: Free