Washington, DC: College Tour Planning - 3

Day 3: Additional Neighborhood Scenes

On your last day in D.C., check out a few neighborhoods you skipped during your college hunt. Take Connecticut Avenue northwest of the Capitol to Dupont Circle, a cosmopolitan district smattered with boutiques, cafés, independent bookshops and several fine arts museums. The famous ‘circle’ is the neighborhood’s vibrant hub; you’ll see people everywhere: eating, walking their dogs, playing chess. Keep your eyes peeled for old police call boxes; it’s part of Cultural Tourism D.C.’s “Art on Call” project that aims to transform late 19th century police and fire call boxes into public art. The project, featuring local artists’ work, is citywide; Dupont Circle has 22 boxes.

Another must-see neighborhood, Adams Morgan, is a foodie’s heaven and a diverse, international community, centered on Columbia Road and 18th Street. Colorful murals decorate the buildings in this neighborhood; the slightly risqué redheaded Madam mural marks the spot for popular nightclub, Madam’s Organ, which hosts live bluegrass shows on Wednesdays.

Good Eats

Adams Morgan: Madam's Organ, 2461 18th Street. Soul food; The Grill From Ipanema, 1858 Columbia Road. Argentinian cuisine; Cashion’s Eat Place, 1819 Columbia Road. American fare.

Mark Your 2008 Calendar

May 18, The Post Hunt: An urban scavenger hunt around the Penn Quarter district where you have to solve challenging and wacky puzzles hosted by the Washington Post.  Bring your Sunday, May 18 copy of the paper for the hunt. Starts at the City Center, at the corner of H Street and 10th Street.

• American University’s School of Public Affairs celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2008.
• Chip Griffin

May 22-June 1, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s “Free For All”: A free Shakespeare production—this year, it’s Hamlet—will be performed in the Rock Creek Park. (Appropriate for ages 10 and up.) www.shakespearedc.org

July, Water Lily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens: A 14-acre park with 100,000 water lilies, ferns and lotuses; they bloom in July. www.nps.gov/keaq

July, D.C. Fringe Festival: Local arts and music extravaganza. Venues are interspersed throughout the downtown D.C. area.