DC Travel Tips

After living in DC for four years, I've been meaning to post some travel tips, but I have not been able to sit down and compile until now. Alas, here is a list (though not exhaustive) of places in DC that I have come to love:

BARS, COFFEE SHOPS, BEER GARDENS/BREWERIES

- La Colombe (best neighborhood coffee shop, in my opinion)
- Lost & Found (best neighborhood bar, in my opinion)
- Ivy & Coney (great dive bar)
- A&D Neighborhood Bar (good spot, never too crowded)
- Dacha (beer garden)
- Garden District (beer garden)
- Wunder Garten (beer garden)
- Right and Proper (brewery with awesome food, a few blocks away, but worth the walk)
- Compass Coffee (great ambiance w/WiFi)
- Dolci Gelato (good for gelato fix)
- Blue Jacket Brewery (awesome brewery on DC Waterfront)
- The Royal (awesome new spot)
- Boundary Stone (another favorite brew pub)

RESTAURANTS

- Seasonal Pantry ($$$$ best restaurant in DC I still haven't tried, chef Dan O'Brien is friend)

- Rogue 24 ($$$$ chef RJ Cooper is James Beard Foundation award winner)

- Blue Duck Tavern ($$$ highly rated, long time champ in the dining scene)

- Table ($$$ best all around, very seasonal)

- Corduroy ($$$ fancier dining, date spot, but not pretentious, well-priced and respected chef) 

- Le Diplomate ($$$ superb french)

- Sequoia ($$$ all around good spot)

- Oyamel ($$ fancy mexican, great tacos)

- Red Hen ($$ great seasonal, hip spot)

- Tabard Inn ($$ must-do brunch, but all meals good)

- Little Serow ($$$ superb Thai food)

- Provisions ($$ good small plates/meat selection)

- Tico ($$ awesome ceviche and fish entrees)

- Thai Crossing ($$ most authentic Thai)

- St. Arnolds, Granville Moores, and Brasserie Beck ($$$ Belgian spots, superb mussels/beer)

- Toki Underground ($ ramen, way out there though)

- El Camino ($ next door to Boundary Stone, great spot)

- Busboys and Poets ($ easy brunch, great environment, decent Bloodys

- El Rey ($ strictly for tacos and cheap beer)

NEIGHBORHOODS

- Shaw

- Bloomingdale

- Logan Circle

- DuPont Circle

- U Street NW

- Adams Morgan

- Yards Park (DC Waterfront)

- M Street, Georgetown

- H Street NE
- Capitol Hill
- Eastern Market
- Barracks Row

MUSEUMS

- Hirshhorn Museum (modern and contemporary art--my favorite museum in DC)

- National Gallery of Art (classic in West Building, modern in East Building, and amazing gift shop connecting both)

- American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery (one of the best stops for art and presidential history in DC)

- Air and Space Museum (fun if interested)

- National Museum of Natural History (great museum, superb artifacts/exhibits)

- American History Museum (great source of all things USA both historical and recent)

- National Mall: Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, MLK, and U.S. Capitol (self guided tours are best)

- War Memorials: Vietnam, Korean, WWII, Disabled American Veterans (newest)

- Ford's Theatre and Lincoln Museum (very new museum, all about Lincoln's assassination)

- National Building Museum (BEST GIFT SHOP IN DC)

- National Zoo (PANDA BABIES)