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About Washington DC
Think BIG in Washington - as soon as you arrive in DC you'll be knocked over by the scale of the place. America's capital wants you to know where you are and the city goes all out to impress in terms of grandeur and size. Drama and scandal bubble under the surface while the streets are abuzz - hip and happening events, museums, restaurants and clubs around every corner. The principles of Equality, Justice, Life and Liberty are still upheld but DC is, above all, a trendy and international town. Welcome to Washington!
Washington is a city of contrasts. While it might be best recognized in its political role, DC wants the world to know that it has much more to offer than governmental gossip and diplomatic deals. Divided into districts, each neighborhood represents another distinct feature that adds to the diverse characteristics breathing life into the city. While isolated Georgetown is bustling with new, trendy boutiques and restaurants, Shaw, once the site of racial tensions and riots, is undergoing a revitalization program to make it a hot destination for African-American heritage tours. Downtown might offer theatres, galleries and the best Chinese food in the Chinatown restaurants, while the New U district, where Duke Ellington once played, is the in vogue neighborhood for hearing live music. And amid all this let's not forget the political and military monuments and memorials along the National Mall. It is in this area that you'll also find the wonderful Smithsonian complex of museums. The city is a melting pot of cultures and communities, which has had a fantastic influence on restaurants in particular. Whatever your culinary preferences, DC can cater to them, be it French, American or Ethiopian. Spread out across the city all the choices are on offer. And this is Washington's key - despite being crammed with different tastes, smells, sights and sounds, it is not claustrophobic. DC's neighborhoods are spread out over an expanse that is broken up by generous oases of green space, giving that sense of liberation and harmony which the city strives to promote.
George Washington himself chose the location for the city that bears his name, and which serves as the seat of government for the United States of America. Over the course of 200 years, Washington, D.C. has grown with the nation, and it now represents the very best of America. From its monuments to its incomparable museums, from the Mall to the steps of the Capitol, Washington offers visitors one-of-a-kind attractions.
The majestic Capitol building stands at the center of the city, allowing unobstructed views of the best known attractions and centers of government. The giant open space of the Mall is marked off by the various museums of the Smithsonian Institution, the largest cluster of museums in the world. The National Museum of the American Indian pays tribute to the original American settlers. The National Air and Space Museum celebrates the nation's achievements in flight and space exploration, from the Wright brothers first biplane to the Apollo moon mission and beyond. Visitors line up daily for the Natural History, American History, and Science Museums to explore the wonders of history, science, and technology, and to view the famous Hope Diamond. The Smithsonian Institution also includes the world-famous Sackler, Freer and Hirshhorn galleries. Art lovers appreciate the nearby National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of American Art.
Looking past the mall, the Washington monument stands 505 feet above the city. It was the tallest man made structure in America from its completion until the early 1900's. Behind this monument is the reflecting pool and the memorials dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln and to those whose lives were lost in World War II, the Vietnam War , and the Korean conflict. New to the area of the tidal basin, and facing the Jefferson Memorial, a memorial to Franklin Roosevelt lies on the Potomac River. Not far from there, the National Holocaust Museum hosts millions of visitors each year.
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