The US Congress met in a variety of cities - Philadelphia, New York and Princeton among them - before the fledgling republic was ready to commit to a permanent seat of government. Congress chose the Potomac as a natural midpoint that would satisfy both northern and southern states (whose cultural and political differences were apparent well before the Civil War of 1861-1865). This spot had the added benefit of being across the river from George Washington's home in Mount Vernon. Folks started referring to it as 'the city of Washington' around 1791 and the name stuck. Maryland and Virginia agreed to cede land to create the District of Columbia (named for Christopher Columbus), and an area 'ten miles square' (26 sq km) was laid out by African-American mathematician Benjamin Banneker and surveyor Andrew Ellicott. French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired to design the city and though his elegant plan was widely admired, he quickly ran afoul of local politics. After L'Enfant was fired, Banneker continued to carry out L'Enfant's plans. Work started on the ornate Capitol in 1793, but it was barely complete when British troops torched it in the War of 1812. Though the Capitol was eventually rebuilt, the city entered a slump from which it wouldn't recover for decades. A dispirited vote to abandon the capital lost by only nine votes. Charles Dickens visited and dismissed DC as 'the City of Magnificent Distances', complaining about 'spacious avenues that begin in nothing and lead nowhere; streets, milelong, that only want houses, roads, and inhabitants; public buildings that need but a public'. The Civil War focused attention on Washington, bringing bivouacs, temporary hospitals and armies to its outskirts. The war's chaos and expense led Washingtonians to wonder whether construction of the elaborate Capitol dome might not be suspended. President Lincoln responded, 'If people see the Capitol going on, it is a sign we intend the Union shall go on.' In the war's aftermath, the Great Emancipator was assassinated in Ford's Theater (a memorial flag remains draped over the theatre box shrine today) and the role of the US capital changed from state-led administration to centralised leadership. The town's ailing infrastructure was overhauled in the 1870s by territorial governor Alexander 'Boss' Shepherd, whose extravagant use of federal funds and penchant for steamrolling anything in his way led to a crackdown by Congress that robbed DC of self-government for another 100 years. For the citizenry, it was a high price to pay for a city beginning to look like it might fulfil L'Enfant's original vision of a world-class capital.

A beautification plan at the start of the 20th century added most of the landscaping, parks, and monuments for which Washington is now well known. Nevertheless, until recently Washington suffered from its image as a Southern backwater. The Kennedy Center, established as a 'living memorial' to JFK, did much to bring cosmopolitan culture to the place. The city's intense and divisive political climate is downright romantic to political activists. Spectacular free art is visible at every turn. DC has evolved into a national pilgrimage centre for many citizens (as was intended). Yet Washington is notorious too for the many severe problems that trouble its residents. Poverty, crime and racial segregation in the shadow of glorious monuments proclaiming 'equality for all' embarrass those who would hope to hold the nation's capital up as a model. Washington, DC, is no paragon, but it is a microcosm - of the grand ideals and grim realities of the nation.

The nineties saw Washington fall into a disarray from which recovery has been slow. Mayor Marion Barry was videotaped smoking crack and the city was nicknamed the 'Murder Capital' as gang warfare became common on the streets. However, under the more low-key Mayor Williams, elected in 1999, Washington began to pull out of its decline and return to stability, assisted by nationwide boom times. On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked Washington, flying a hijacked United Airlines aircraft into the Pentagon, causing significant damage and killing all aboard the plane. A further plane crash-landed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania; it too was intended to hit a Washington target. On the same day two hijacked planes destroyed New York's twin towers, killing thousands of people. The terrorist attacks were the worst ever on US soil. Despite security remaining high around Washington's key monuments, it is clear that the city has gone a long way towards repairing both the Pentagon and its damaged psyche, with visitors returning and hotels refilling. And, while crime remains a problem and District finances still need help, Washington's city is once more a place to live, not just to visit.

Washington may not be the murder capital of the country any longer, but it does require more vigilance than a lot of large American cities. Be aware that neighbourhoods can change from gracious to dangerous within a block; don't carry huge amounts of cash, and lock up what you don't need if your hotel has a safe or safety deposit boxes. Don't carry your wallet in your backpack or back pocket. Stay out of empty streets after dark.The main visitors areas around the Mall, Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Adams-Morgan are very safe during the day and quite safe at night if you stick to the main streets (use 18th St to walk between Adams-Morgan and Dupont Circle, M St or Pennsylvania Ave to walk to Georgetown).Capitol Hill gets dicy east of 7th St, as do many of the Southeast and Southwest quadrants below 1-395. Take care visiting these areas during the day, and take taxis after dark, even if there's a Metro station nearby. The same applies to the borderlands between Northwest and Northeast DC - again, stick to the brightly lit cross streets like P St or U St. Stay east of 13th St NW if you're visiting the Shaw area after dark, unless you're travelling with locals.

Following their president, Washingtonians don't exert themselves far beyond jogging and golfing. But residents do make ample use of the city's official 'recreation zones', woodsy nature strips that shadow meandering brooks between suburbs.

Despite the mixed crowd of young students and older professionals, ain't nobody getting dressed up here. The decor is Day of the Dead meets Night of the Living Dead: blinking lights, monster comics laminated onto the tables and voodoo critters on the walls. Dance on weekends and drink all week. Two additional clubs are upstairs: punk Chaos (not to be confused with Club Chaos) and hip-hop Cosmo Lounge.

1725 Columbia Rd NW

Adams-Morgan

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.chiefikes.com

The city's pre-eminent jazz and blues club is tucked into a dark alley off Wisconsin Ave in the heart of Georgetown. Inside, this elegant candlelit supper club has attracted such artists as Ahmad Jamal and the late Dizzy Gillespie. Current performers include Mose Allison Trio, Ann Hampton Callaway and the Marcus Johnson Project. The Creole specialties are delicious. The crowd is largely professional.

Georgetown

up from cnr of Wisconsin & M

1073 Rear Wisconsin Ave

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.bluesalley.com

Decidedly retro decor and brightly colored martinis go hand-in-hand at this swanky, new cocktail lounge. The menu claims that 'To drink is human, to lounge is divine' and you will certainly believe it after spending an evening here sipping martinis and munching on gourmet finger-food.

201 Massachusetts Ave NE

Shaw

telephone or fax: 

To many folks, Adams-Morgan means just one thing: Ethiopian food. You can eat it at several restaurants, but the leading place is Meskerem, named for the first month of the Ethiopian calendar. This place goes for an exotic atmosphere, with traditional woven straw-basket tables and camel-leather hassocks. Use your hands to sample beef, poultry, lamb, seafood and vegetarian dishes, which are served on whole-wheat injera (pancake-like bread).

2434 18th St NW

Adams-Morgan

telephone or fax: 

Drooling locals have flocked to this Peruvian chicken joint for decades now in search of tender, juicy, flavor-packed birds served with succulent dipping sauces, crunchy fries and sloppy 'slaw - lines form outside the door come dinnertime. You can eat at rather unappealing plastic tables inside or do the recommended thing and take the precious stuff back to your hotel room to chow to the noise of HBO dramas and taste of icy mini-fridge beer.

2917 N Washington Blvd

Arlington

telephone or fax: 

open hours:11:00-22:00

Pop into this Italian bistro at night when the vibe is rowdy and crowds waiting for a table (try to score a coveted on the outdoor patio or by the big street-side windows) spill onto Wisconsin. Brick-oven baked pizzas, grilled meats and pastas complement the award-winning wine list and with the white table clothes and lots of ambient noise it makes an easy-going first date spot.

1303 Wisconsin Ave

Georgetown

telephone or fax: 

Here's a local secret: if you're ever stuck in a thunderstorm while wandering around the Mall, make a dash for the Lincoln Memorial. Thunder seems to rumble like clockwork nearly every 4th of July, and everyone in the know takes shelter under the marble dome, crouching near the foot of the enormous chair in which a gigantic Lincoln holds court.

Independence Ave SW, cnr 23rd St NW

National Mall

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.nps.gov/linc

It's definitely a toss-up when it comes to which is Washington's most iconic image, the Capitol or the White House. We're going to have to put on the Team Capitol jersey - there's just nothing quite like the sight of the towering 285ft cast-iron dome topped by the bronze Statue of Freedom, ornate fountains and marble Roman pillars set on sweeping lawns and flowering gardens that just screams this is DC.

Capitol Plaza

Capitol Hill

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.aoc.gov

open hours:09:00-16:30

The 612 acres and 245,000 graves of this national cemetery are a sombre counterpoint to the soaring monuments to US history just across the Potomac. It's the burial ground for military personnel and their families, the dead of every war the US has fought since the Revolution, and American leaders such as JFK, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Medgar Evers.

Memorial Dve

off George Washington Pkway

Arlington

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net

open hours:08:00-17:00

prices:

Each year, eight million people visit these cavernous halls filled with alighted airplanes and soaring spacecraft (including the Wright Brothers' Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis and the Apollo 11 command module). The museum's 23 galleries trace the history of aviation and space exploration through interactive displays and historic artefacts.

cnr 6th St & Independence Ave SW

National Mall

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.nasm.si.edu

The memorial is comprised of two walls of polished Indian granite that meet in a 10ft apex. They are inscribed with the names of the 58,209 soldiers killed in the war, arranged chronologically by date of death. It's an eloquent inversion of the Mall's other monuments: rather than a pale, ornate structure reaching skyward, it's dark, austere and burrows into the earth, symbolizing the war's wound to the national psyche.

off Henry Bacon Dr

National Mall

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.nps.gov/vive

Tidalgate is a lesser known Washington scandal. In 1974 police found powerful Democratic congressman Wilbur Mills drunk in his car. His companion, a stripper known as Fanne Foxe, attempted to escape by jumping into Tidal Basin.

DC is serviced by three major airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Amtrak trains will get you to DC - Union Station is Amtrak's 'flagship' station, and has some great travel resources to offer visitors. Bus-wise, Greyhound and Trailways will also get you there without fuss.

You'll be surprised to learn that DC hassome of the nation's worst traffic congestion so driving can be a teeth-gritting experience; cycling is one of the best ways to get around. Rental companies like Better Bikes Inc delivers and picks up bikes anywhere in the DC area. You can also take your bike on the Metrorail (except during rush hour) and Metrobuses are equipped with racks for transporting bicycles if you want to catch a ride.DC's Metrobus system efficiently services the city and surrounding suburbs, as does the sleek new Metrorail. It is well funded and well maintained. Parkingis available at certain outlying stations. In addition to Metro, two commuter train systemsserve downtown DC from the Marylandand Virginia suburbs, but these are mainly commuter lines designed around the working week.There is no shortage of cabs in DC, Diamond Yellow and Capitolbeing the two major companies.