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Stormy weather over the US Capitol. DC lies in a humid area and experiences storms and a lot of rain in spring.
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DC was planned from scratch as a capital city. State buildings line up along wide avenues designed by French architect Charles L'Enfant. Its pompeous official architecture makes it different from other American cities
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Downtown DC has been laid on out on a grid plan with typical houses for government workers. DC is an artificial capital where nobody permanently lived in first few generations.
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DC is an artificial capital where nobody permanently lived in first few generations. At the beginning, it was concidered a penalty - to go and work in DC, far from burstling life of NYC or Chicago
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DC was founded as a compromise between the northern and southern states. Though the city's character is predominantly northern, the population, accent and cuisine are southern.
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The neoclassical architecture became popular in the US at the time when country was forming itself and comparing against the powerful monarchies of the time. Huge collonades and richly decorated domes convey a feeling of an empire, not a democracy
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Streets cross at right angles, whereas avenues break the grid scheme and run at 45-degree angles starting at the US Capitol. The Capitol building can be seen from almost anywhere in DC
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Lincoln Memorial was completed in 1920 - decades after the neoclassical style came out of fashion, but it perfectly complements other buildings around the National Mall.
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The Eternal Pool connects Washington Memorial to Lincoln Memorial. There are seven monuments dedicated to former US presidents in DC, all designed in neo-classical style
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Washington monument obelisk gets even larger the closer you get to it. It is symbolical 555 feet, equal to astounding 170 m, high. It is the largest obelisk on Earth.
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Home of the US President
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From this very place, standing on the steps of Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech "I have a dream". He enjoyed exactly the same vista as this young tourist.
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The end of the National Mall is flanked by Lincoln Memorial - another Greek-style temple-like structure. Inside a 6-meter tall sitting statue of Abraham Lincoln takes up the whole marble cube space.
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Gov't officials are out for a lunch break. You can arrange a meeting with the congressman from your voting district and ask your questions while on tour around the US Capitol
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Unusual for a city full of gov't officials, you can see many people doing sports in public places, especiall jogging is popular. DC is located on a river and is a very green city.
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Gov't workers account for 30% of jobs in DC. It's not a lot considering that the city was built exclusively for the gov't!
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Tourism is the second-largest industry in DC after government work. The city attracts 18 million tourists each year, mainly from inside the country. Even so, for many a trip to the capital is not affordable because of high hotel and entertainment prices.
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American English short phrases often sound weird to a foreign person
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Washington boast some of the best art collections in the world. State-owned museum offer free entrance for all. A lot of art is located in the streets, like this glossy steel tree decorating a park along the National Mall
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Art objects can be found inside the museums and around the city.
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The United States Archive stores historic documents from American and world history, like the Declration of Independence and a copy of Magna Carta
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Most of the official buildings look like Greek temples. Museums, on the other hand, are courageous and experiemnt with modern architecture. Like here, in the underground passage at the National Gallery of Art
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State museums in DC can be visited free of charge. Many of them were designed by world-famous architects. This hall at the National Gallery of Art was designed by Pei who also authored the Louvre Pyramid in Paris.
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Riksha from pre-Uber times takes tourists on a ride around DC. The city is vast. With its wide avenues, endless alleys and parks it is hard to visit it all in one day.
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Washington U Street Quarter was famous as home of the jazz. Among others, Duke Ellington and Eva Cassidy performed here.
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Best place to buy a "true" USA shirt!
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Most of the tourists in DC are either state officials or schoolchildren. A trip to DC is quite costly for Americans, and brings none of the fun compared to a trip to Disneyland
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Police making a break in the bushes behind the US Capitol. Even though DC is heavily guarded, all the surveillance taeks palce in the background, so that as a tourist you do not feel any discomfort
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Anybody notice anything suspicious?
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Security is an important concern in DC. In the moves, Washington is the city where explosions and destructions most often take place
