A FOUR-LEGGED guitar case, strewn with music magazines, doubled as a coffee table. Old office chairs, bolted to huge blocks of wood, formed an eye-catching bench. Along an exposed-brick wall, headphones hung at digital listening stations blasting the latest indie releases — rocking almost as hard as the espresso in my hands.
This could have been Portland or Bushwick. But Songbyrd, the hyper-cool café where I whiled away a warm afternoon, was in Washington, D.C.
This is not your forefathers’ Washington. An influx of young people, many drawn by Obama administration jobs, has reshaped neighborhoods here, sparking transformations of once-derelict districts.
They’re also inspiring local chefs and bar owners to break out of the box in a way that would have been unthinkable just 10 years ago, when our nation’s capital felt like the kind of place only a bureaucrat could love. There’s palpable energy here, and lively scenes on streets whose sidewalks used to roll up at sunset.
Even if you arrive feeling as been-there-done-that as I did, Washington’s now a very appealing place to spend a long weekend. Classic attractions like the White House still inspire awe, but you can find a whole new D.C. in quirky, low-slung neighborhoods within minutes of monuments and museums.
After a civilized train trip from New York City — thanks to the quiet car on Amtrak’s high-speed Acela Express — and an easy $2.75 Metro ride from D.C.’s Union Station, I ascended a long escalator to the heart of bustling Dupont Circle. I dropped my bags at The Embassy Row Hotel, about two minutes from the subway.
Once a boring box, this spiffy little property reopened this past spring after a $15 million facelift. Smart design touches, pops of color, and a clued-in staff keep the mood fresh. The lobby’s oversized armchairs made perfect perches to relax with strong coffee from local roaster Compass. Evenings, The Embassy Row’s grab-and-go bar becomes Station Kitchen & Cocktails, a highly regarded eatery with small plates like swordfish “fish and chips” and yummy tuna casserole with panko.
D.C. is small enough that you can cover much of it on foot. I wandered up to the once-notorious Adams Morgan neighborhood, which borders Dupont Circle. It’s gentrifying fast, but still retains much realness, with a jumble of ethnic eateries and even tatty-looking massage parlors.
Old-timers like all-vinyl shop Crooked Beat (2116 18th St. NW, crookedbeat.com) and punk/indie purveyors Smash! (2314 18th St. NW, smashrecords.com) share the 18th St. strip with pastel-painted cupcake creators Cakeroom Bakery (2006 18th St. NW, cakeroombakery.com) and the Duplex Diner (2004 18th St. NW, duplexdiner.com), a reboot of a classic D.C. noshery that doubles as an A-list-gay hangout.
This is also where music-industry vet Alisha Edmonson opened Songbyrd (2477 18th St. NW, songbyrddc.com), the “record store café” with the guitar-case coffee table and fabulous seating. There are serious sandwiches, like the Kraftwerk — chicken schnitzel, raspberry sauce, and brie on sourdough. The main event here: A gorgeously restored 1940s Voice-o-Graph machine — one of very few in the world — where you can record your own vinyl single to take home.
It’s an easy saunter from Songbyrd to one of D.C.’s most underappreciated art spaces. Self-described as “America’s first modern art museum,” The Phillips Collection (1600 21st St. NW, phillipscollection.org) converted two palatial residential buildings into intimate galleries where Renoirs and Van Goghs share the walls with modern masters like Diebenkorn and Rothko. I loved “Intersections @ 5,” an ongoing exhibit where artists create work inspired by the Phillips itself; Allen DeSouza’s destroyed-looking “Don’t Walk” traffic sign was a highlight. Because the Phillips gets much less mobbed than better-known galleries, there’s usually room to actually contemplate art here.
Hungry from all the walking, I headed to happening 14th St. to seek out an early dinner. The once-gritty street has evolved into a buzzing retail and restaurant hub with a refreshingly indie vibe — think adorable vintage home furnishings at Miss Pixie’s (1626 14th St. NW, misspixies.com), kick-ass coffee at Peregrine (1718 14th St. NW, peregrineespresso.com) and a branch of clothing-consignment giant Crossroads Trading (2015 14th St. NW, crossroadstrading.com) a few blocks up.
On an unusually hot day, the cool white walls inside Doi Moi (1800 14th St. NW, doimoidc.com) beckoned. I’m glad I succumbed. Thai food here is a blast — literally — with no-holds-barred spices that ignite very fresh meat, fish, and vegetables. I loved my translucent raw scallops in bracing chili/lime/lemongrass, and a massive platter of thick kee mao — think drunken noodles — that sang of basil. Check out the basement here, aka Two Birds One Stone (2birds1stonedc.com), a bright little bar with hand-drawn menus and killer pina coladas.
I felt fortified enough for the 15-minute walk to Right Proper Brewing Company (624 T St. NW, rightproperbrewery.com), revered by locals for hearty ales with names like Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine, and Ornette. A serious menu here culminates in a superb selection of cheeses overseen by two(!) full-time cheesemongers. And a friend of mine swears they serve Washington’s best hummus.
D.C. lacks for 24-hour spots, so the always-open spot called The Diner (2453 18th St NW, dinerdc.com) made a welcome sight early the next morning. A vegetable omelette with rich gruyere paired perfectly with potent joe. I left just as the place filled up with strollers and toddlers.
The museum open earliest on a Sunday morning was the 250,000-square-foot Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Ave., newseum.org), so I cabbed the three miles. You could spend hours examining the museum’s facade alone, which showcases more than 50 front pages from newspapers nationwide, all neatly framed every morning.
They’re a fascinating window into local and regional perspectives, which is part of the museum’s point — the role media plays in our lives, and how we can shape it. There’s a heart-stopping exhibition on 9/11, and gripping exhibits like “1965: Civil Rights at 50,” with original front pages, images, and stories around civil-rights turmoil of the ’60s. Don’t miss the postcard view of Pennsylvania Ave. from the seventh-floor terrace.
Pennsylvania Ave. also means the White House, so I walked another two miles west to the world’s most famous manse. Instead of fighting crowds, I enjoyed an unobstructed view of the President’s home from the outdoor terrace at Pinea (515 15th St. NW, wwashingtondc.com), the Italian restaurant at the eye-popping W Washington hotel across the street. Its spring pea risotto makes a tasty light lunch. If you decide you want a tour of the White House, keep in mind you need to submit a request through your congressperson. See whitehouse.gov for tips.
Because the heatwave continued, I decided to take in another (air-conditioned) museum. I’d heard the National Building Museum (401 F St. NW, nbm.org) was an under-the-radar gem; it turned out one of the weekend’s highlights. The museum, dedicated to “advancing the quality of the built environment,” is housed in a pretty spectacular one itself — the magnificent former Pension Building, a soaring 1887 structure inspired by Roman palazzos.
It’s an apt stage for long-term exhibits like “House & Home” — a beautifully curated look at the American concept of home — and rotating shows like “Designing for Disaster,” a fascinating survey at how design can help protect us in times of destruction. With the Nepal quake and Texas floods still fresh, the exhibition seemed especially relevant.
Back in New York, I told a few friends about the museum. They’d never heard of it, which made me realize how much Washington is a city of hidden gems. And no matter how well you think you know it, you’ll make fresh discoveries.
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If You Go…
Getting there: Amtrak operates daily to Washington, D.C.’s Union Station from Penn Station, starting at about $190 roundtrip.
Eat:
– At clubby Estadio (1520 14th St. NW, estadio-dc.com), executive chef Haidur Karoum cranks out superb tapas like boquerones (anchovies) and fava bean/almond spread.
– Meat is cause for rejoicing at The Partisan (709 D St. NW, thepartisandc.com), a white-hot spot with a notorious $120 Pig Feast: head, sausage, marrow, and pig ear salad.
Stay:
– The hip Embassy Row Hotel (2015 Massachusetts Ave. NW, embassyrowhotel.com) drops you in the heart of happening Dupont Circle. From about $200 a night.
– The W (515 15th St. NW, wwashingtondc.com) offers brilliantly over-the-top décor inside a stately Beaux-Arts building across from the White House. From about $300.
More info: dccool.com