Washington is known for its monuments and its memorials, many of which are located around the Mall, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. For those who have been to Washington, but not recently, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial is a potent addition to the landscape. For first-time visitors, the Vietnam Memorial and the Holocaust Memorial inspire strong emotions.
The many Smithsonian museums, among others, line the Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capitol. The Freer Gallery has one of the finest collections of Asian art in the world. In June at the National Gallery of Art, in addition to the superb permanent collection, see “Photographic Discoveries: Recent Acquisitions,” which features 70 works by celebrated photographers, and “Master Drawings from the Woodner Collection,” one of the foremost private collections of old master and modern drawings in the United States. The brand new National Museum of the American Indian anchors the southeast corner of the Mall. See it after a busy day to appreciate its soothing space. And don't miss the multimedia Lelawi Theater presentation, Who We Are.
If you're a newcomer to the city, you may wish a trolley tour of the city, which the Washington Hilton will gladly arrange for you.
There are many excursions by foot in the vicinity of the APsaA hotel, which touches on four interesting neighborhoods: Kalorama, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and the recently revitalized “New U.” Start your day by heading one short block south on Connecticut Avenue to The Newsroom for coffee and the newspaper. Want to know what's happening in your hometown or in another country? The Newsroom carries magazines and newspapers from around the country and the world.
Then, begin to explore in any direction. If you continue walking south, you will be heading towards Dupont Circle, arguably Washington's liveliest neighborhood with bookstores and plenty of cafes, some catering to the area's large gay community, and a distinctive brown-stone/redbrick turret architectural style. June 10-11 is the Capital Pride Festival parade, a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender celebration. The Circle itself, with its grass and benches, has a small town feel. In the summer it is home to tables of chess players.
Head west on Massachusetts Avenue to enter Embassy Row, extending for about two miles. The flags of many nations wave above what formerly were opulent private mansions. The recently renovated and expanded Phillips Collection is just off Massachusetts Avenue at Q and 21st Street. It was the first museum of modern art in America, and is home to an exceedingly fine permanent collection and special exhibitions. Next to the Phillips is the railroad-financed, Gilded Age grandeur of the private Cosmos Club. An APsaA reception, sponsored by club members affiliated with our local psychoanalytic societies, will be held there.
If you cross Connecticut Avenue, heading west of the hotel, you will be entering Kalorama, a fine residential neighborhood. Close by is a presidential museum. The Woodrow Wilson House, also known as “the house on S Street,” is a wonderfully preserved upper-class home of the 1920s, where Wilson lived from the time he left office until his death. The Textile Museum is another treasure in this neighborhood, offering a world-class collection of textile arts throughout the ages.
Head east along Florida Avenue to 18th Street; turn left and walk north to enter Adams Morgan. Adams Morgan typifies the diversity of Washington, with traces of the city's Latino, Caribbean, and African residents in the restaurants, corner stores, and public spaces. On any given evening or weekend, 20-somethings from all corners of the city congregate here for nightlife. Back at 18th Street, where it intersects with Florida Avenue and U Street, take U and continue eastward, to 16th Street. Three unique structures reside in this neighborhood. Go left on 16th Street and in two blocks you come to Meridian Hill Park, a unique conglomeration of 13 graduated pools and cascading falls, massive retaining walls, walks and basins of aggregate concrete. The American Institute of Architects says there is nothing else like it in America. Across 16th Street from the park, on Crescent Street, sits Meridian House, recognized as one of the finest examples of French urban architecture in the country. It is open to the public Wednesday to Saturday afternoons. Then, on 15th Street, stands architect John Russell Pope's Temple of the Scottish Rite, one of the great surprises in the city. Sphinxes guard the great bronze doors, which in turn guard resplendent Greek and Egyptian decoration, chairs modeled after the throne at the Temple of Dionysus and more.
Tarpley M. Long, M.S.W., a graduate of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute, currently is a teaching analyst on the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute faculty and in the private practice of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. She is also a graduate of Washington's Theatre Acting Conservatory.
You can see the first two floors by just knocking on the door. One must call to reserve for the full three-hour tour.
Back on U Street, when you see the two-story mural of Duke Ellington, you will know that you have arrived in the historic black jazz district, revived in the past decade. If you are a jazz fan, this is the place to go. From 15th Street down to 10th, there are clubs featuring live jazz most weeknights. Interested in something a bit more edgy? If so, The Black Cat or the 9:30 Club, both in the U Street area, may be to your liking.
Or consider the National Symphony Orchestra, a short cab ride away at the Kennedy Center. They will be performing Mahler's Eighth Symphony, June 8-10, and Mozart's Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter), June 15-17.
Washington also has excellent theater. Love's Labour's Lost will be playing downtown at the nationally recognized Shakespeare Theatre. This production is scheduled to travel to the Royal Shakespeare Company's venue, Stratford-on-Avon, later in the summer. At the Studio Theatre complex, located between Dupont and Logan Circles, look for contemporary work. Charlie Victor Romeo, a techno thriller based upon black box transcripts of six real time airline emergencies will be playing in June.
Enjoy my city!
Correction
Susan Rosbrow-Reich should have been cited as first author, along with co-author John Frank, on the article, “When a Family Member Is Gay: The Third Generation,” which appeared on p. 29 of the Fall/Winter 2005 issue of TAP, Vol. 39. No. 4. We regret the oversight.