Washington DC General Information Nickname: None State bird: Wood Thrush State flower: American Beauty Rose Capital: N/A Senate approval date of the federal city: July 1 1790 Population: 572,059 (2000) Population density: 3231.6/sq km 2000 total overseas arrivals: 1,481,000 Time: Eastern (GMT - 5). Daylight Saving Time is observed. The District: ‘DC’ stands for ‘District of Columbia’, not a State but an administrative district created specifically to avoid having the capital city in any one State. Washington, DC is a city of green parks, wide tree-lined streets, white marble buildings and, surprising for a US city, no skyscrapers, which gives it a more European air. It is the centre for visiting diplomats and has the fourth-largest concentration of hotel and motel rooms in the country. Tourism is the leading private industry and business interests are increasingly attracted by the many light-industrial, high-tech and research companies now moving into the region. The ‘Metro area’ (population: 5.4 million) refers to the District of Columbia and surrounding counties and cities in Maryland and Virginia. Note: Following the terrorist attack on the Pentagon of 11 September 2001 and subsequent anthrax alerts, security throughout the capital is on heightened alert. Travellers may experience extensive waits or cancellations of tours around sensitive public buildings. General information can be obtained from the nearest US embassy or from the Foreign Commonwealth Office (website: www.fco.gov.uk); the Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation (website: www.washington.org) and online from the District of Columbia’s (website: www.dc.gov) which highlights specific closure of federal buildings and the status of different tours. Travel - International AIR: International airports: Washington-Dulles International (IAD) (website: www.metwashairports.com) is 43km (27 miles) from the city (in Virginia); travel time – 50 minutes. The Washington Flyer Express Bus operates every 30 minutes (0530-midnight weekdays and 0800-midnight at the weekend) between the airport and the West Falls Church Metrorail (subway) station. Tickets may be purchased from machines located at the railway station. A public bus service is available at the station to areas not served by Metrorail. Taxis are also available. Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) (website: www.bwiairport.com) is located 48km (30 miles) from Washington, DC (travel time – 38 minutes). A frequent shuttle train service is provided by MARC and Amtrak between the airport terminal and the airport’s own rail station. A SuperShuttle bus departs every hour from the lower level; tickets can be bought from the Ground Transportation Desk. Metrobus express route B30 runs to Green Belt Metrorail station for US$2. Taxi services are available on the lower level near each exit; average fares are US$45 (to Washington, DC) and US$80 (to Washington-Dulles International Airport). Domestic airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) (website: www.metwashairports.com) receives transfer connections from other US gateways. It is 5km (3 miles) southwest of the city. Coaches run every 30 minutes 0700-2200. Metrorail, the region’s rapid transit system, operates frequent subway trains from its National Airport station (opposite the main terminal) 0530-midnight weekdays and 0530-0200 at the weekend to a variety of stops in both the city and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Taxi services are also available. There is a frequent airport bus service between Washington National and Dulles International airports. Approximate flight times: From Washington, DC to Anchorage is 10 hours 25 minutes, to Atlanta is 1 hour 40 minutes, to Chicago is 2 hours 10 minutes, to Frankfurt/M is 7 hours 40 minutes, to Honolulu is 13 hours 40 minutes, to London is 6 hours 50 minutes, to Los Angeles is 5 hours 40 minutes, to Miami is 2 hours 30 minutes, to Montréal is 2 hours 5 minutes, to New York is 1 hour, to Orlando is 2 hours 10 minutes, to Paris is 8 hours 20 minutes, to San Francisco is 7 hours 10 minutes, to Singapore is 25 hours 45 minutes, and to Toronto is 2 hours 20 minutes. RAIL: Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245 (toll free); website: www.amtrak.com) operates long-distance services through Washington, DC. The principal corridor is the New York–Philadelphia–Baltimore–Washington, DC route, with frequent fast trains. There are also routes to Chicago via Pittsburgh or Cincinnati; New Orleans via Charlotte and Atlanta; and Miami via Raleigh or Charleston. There are also local trains to the Philadelphia area. The travel time to New York is 3 hours by Metroliner or 2 hours 30 minutes on the ACELA Express. ROAD: Approximate driving times: From Washington, DC to Baltimore is 1 hour, to Richmond is 2 hours, to Norfolk is 4 hours, to New York is 5 hours, to Pittsburgh is 5 hours, to Charleston (West Virginia) is 7 hours, to Charlotte is 8 hours, to Cincinnati is 10 hours, to Chicago is 14 hours, to Miami is 22 hours, to Dallas is 28 hours, to Los Angeles is 55 hours, and to Seattle is 58 hours. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits. Approximate bus travel times: From Washington, DC to Richmond is 2 hours, to Philadelphia is 3 hours 30 minutes, to New York is 4 hours 30 minutes, to Pittsburgh is 5 hours 30 minutes, and to Knoxville is 12 hours 30 minutes. The main service provider is Greyhound (tel: (800) 229 9424 (toll free); website: www.greyhound.com). URBAN: The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) (website: www.wmata.com) provides bus and rail transit service in Washington, DC and neighbouring communities. The Metro (subway) system offers quick and comfortable transport within the city centre; fares are zonal. Lines extend into the suburban areas of Maryland and northern Virginia. There are also suburban and central bus services. It is possible to transfer from Metro to bus without additional charge (except during rush hour), but not from bus to Metro. Taxis are available within the city area; fares are again zonal (and comparatively cheap by big-city standards). Most major car hire and motor camper rental agencies have offices in Washington, DC. Introduction As befits a capital city, the rectangular grid of streets is cut by long diagonals (named after States) radiating from important sites such as the Capitol and the White House. Aligned with the grid is a grand formal vista, the National Mall, which extends from Capitol Hill to Potomac Park on the river of the same name. A second rectangular garden runs northwards, at right angles to the Mall, as far as the White House, which has been the home of every US President since 1800 and is visited by more than one million people every year. The Tidal Basin, a beautiful lake famous for its Japanese cherry trees, lies just to the southwest. The National Mall contains many of Washington, DC’s most important monuments and institutions, including the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials; the Washington Monument (at 169m/555ft, the tallest masonry structure in the world); the Smithsonian Institution, including the old Museum of Natural History; the modern National Gallery of Art, with its stunning East Building designed by the world-famous architect I M Pei and its beautiful six-acre sculpture garden; and, of course, the Capitol, where Senators and Representatives meet under a magnificent 55m (180ft) dome to shape US legislative policy. Many recreational activities are available, including boat trips on the Potomac River (the jetty is to the south of the Lincoln Memorial). Arlington National Cemetery, on the other side of the river, contains the graves of 175,000 US soldiers who fought in wars from the American Revolution onwards. Other sights include Chinatown, where many of the city’s Asian shops and restaurants are centred; Constitution Gardens, with more than 50 acres of trees and lawns; the J Edgar Hoover Building (the FBI’s headquarters) at Ninth Street; Pennsylvania Avenue and the nearby recently opened International Spy Museum; the Pentagon (although at present tours have been cancelled indefinitely, owing to the terrorist attacks of September 2001); and the US Supreme Court, the highest court in the country. Picturesque Georgetown, in the area of Wisconsin and M Streets, is one of DC’s liveliest spots, and the cobblestone streets, cafes and lovely riverside walk make this a pleasant area in which to wander. Social Profile Food & Drink: Washington, DC has a renowned selection of excellent restaurants and almost any national cuisine can be found. Theatres & Concerts: Pennsylvania Avenue houses the National and Ford Theaters. The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts stands at the foot of New Hampshire Avenue, overlooking the Potomac River. Here there are four theatres for live performances of opera, concerts, musical plays, drama and festival occasions; free performances are held every day of the year from 6pm at the Millennium Stage. A fifth theatre houses the American Film Institute. Open-air concerts are held at the Jefferson Memorial in the summer, and the National Gallery of Art has Sunday evening concerts in the East Court Garden from September to June. The US military bands play free concerts at the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the Navy Memorial during the summer. Nightlife: Washington enjoys a growing number of nightclubs with live entertainment. There are, however, numerous bars and discotheques in central Washington, Adams-Morgan, Georgetown and the suburbs. Shopping: There are several shopping areas in Washington, DC. A collection of self-contained shops known as the ‘Shops at National Place’ can be found off F Street, between 11th and 15th Streets; Connecticut Avenue (between K Street and Dupont Circle) has many speciality shops; and Georgetown offers a wide range of boutiques, bookshops, antique dealers, arts and crafts shops, and pavement stalls as well as a very attractive mall on M Street. More traditional malls include the Pentagon City Mall, located in Arlington, VA (15 minutes by Metro from the downtown area), and the Mazza Gallerie, at the corner of Wisconsin and Western Avenues. Some of the government buildings offer unique souvenirs in giftshops open to the public. Special Events: The following is a selection of events taking place in 2003: February 13-17 42nd Annual Washington Boat Show. March 7-22 Americartes (Mexican and Andean music festival), John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. March 16 St Patrick’s Day Parade, Constitution Avenue. March 22-April 7 National Cherry Blossom Festival, Constitution Avenue. March 23 Washington Marathon. March 24 World Figure Skating Championships, MCI Center. April 21 White House Egg Roll, South Lawn, White House. April 23-May 4 Filmfest DC International Film Festival. June 1-8 Capital Pride (gay pride festival), Dupont Circle and Pennsylvania Avenue. June 22-30 DC Caribbean Festival.July 4 Independence Day Celebration, Constitution Avenue. For details and more events online (website: www.washington.org). Climate Summers are very warm, with highs in July of 75°-90°F (21°-32°C). Although generally mild, winter temperatures can be quite low, ranging from 24°-40°F (-4° to +4°C) in January. Rainfall is moderate throughout the year. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.