Georgetown: Washington's epicenter of society
Georgetown is the quintissential neighborhood used to envision pictures of Washington, D.C. living. Brick townhouses with colonial shutters and gas lamps on brick-paved sidewalks line the streets, and women in sweater sets and pearls enjoy leisurely lunch and tea while chatting private schools and politics. It's an exclusive part of the District, so exclusive you can't reach it by Metro. Yet so many locals and tourists manage to find their way into the neighborhood, trolling M Street's shops and brunch places by day, bar scene at night. If you're a Georgetown student, then you're already well-trained in the language of polo shirts and rowing crew.
Georgetown was founded in 1751 as a separate municipality and city. In 1871 it was incorporated into the city of Washington. It was originally the fashion and cultural center of the city when the District was first created, but then as wealthy families began moving towards the city center into Victorian homes, the neighborhood became more poor. Many old families still stayed on, however, and by the 1930s, many of FDR’s administration moved into Georgetown. Another wave of gentrification occurred after World War II, when a surge of the highly educated moved in. Its height of fashion was reclaimed after JFK was elected president in 1950, as he was a Georgetown resident prior to that.
Today, it is a shopping mecca now being rivaled by Friendship Heights six miles north on Wisconsin Avenue. M Street is home to many mall favorites, such as J Crew, Banana Republic and Anthropologie. There are also many pricier boutiques and specialty shops, from toy stores to stationary shops to handbag stores. If ever a famous shop located elsewhere in the country was to open a DC location, it would almost be guaranteed to open in Georgetown (i.e., New York's Dean and Deluca, and soon Los Angeles' Sprinkles Cupcakes).
It is also home to the overrated Georgetown Cupcake (DC's first cupcake shop), where lines wrap around the block for a bite of buttercream; and many dining options from French food and crepes to seafood, Italian and steak. Head down to K Street where a newer shopping and restaurant section allows for outdoor dining and a park where people watch crew boats row by. There's also a couple of very trendy bars to see-and-be-seen, as well as a multiplex cinema. There's a boathouse nearby if you are an interested sculler. You can also wander towards the canal locks where the C&O Canal begins and watch demonstrations of the locks as they once performend in the early 1900s.
Georgetown University is a pretty option to walk or bike around, and the school hosts a number of performances, lectures and art shows available to the public. Another quaint afternoon can be spent strolling the streets admiring the charming colonial houses which is some of the priciest real estate in all of Washington. The address is a popular one for many of Washington's elite. You can also enjoy a pre-theatre dinner if you're headed to the Kennedy Center that evening; just let your waiter know you've got tickets and leave plenty of time to arrive there.
HelloWashingtonDC Tip: Getting to Georgetown can be a challenge. The closest Metro stop is Foggy Bottom, about a 10-minute walk. There are some buses that drop off in key areas of Georgetown, which may be your best bet. Biking is very popular and efficient if you're not dressed up, as there are bike paths along the waterfront leading to the Capital Crescent Trail towards Bethesda or over the bridget into Rosslyn. If you drive, be prepared to be caught in M Street traffic and to pay for parking. Weekdays are actually more efficient, because those who drive along M Street are experienced commuters who know how to get through Georgetown quickly.
Posted by Rin-rin Yu
