There's a simple fact about the way streets are layed out and named in Washington, DC that can create not-so-simple problems for the unaware.  DC is divided into four quadrants:

• Northwest (NW)
• Northeast (NE)
• Southwest (SW)
• Southeast (SE)

The center point for this division, as shown on the map below, is the US Capitol.  The Capitol also acts as the hub for the letter and number streets that form DC's grid.  The alphabet counts up (A, B, C... though not all letters are represented) both north and south of the Capitol.  And, the numbered streets count up going both east and west.

Who cares, you ask?  You might, because it means that for any given intersection you might name, there could actually be FOUR of them!  Take the intersection of 2nd & C Street, for example.  Copies of this intersection exists in all 4 quadrants.  This means that without one of those directional suffixes attached (NW, SW, NE, SE), that address is meaningless.

True story: We recently encountered a family trying to meet their Congressman at the corner of "2nd & C St."  After some digging, we found that the intended location was in the SE quadrant (2nd & C St SE).  Unfortunately, they were wandering in vain at the crossroads of 2nd & C St NW!  Two simple letters that meant they were more than 45 minutes late for their meeting.

So, when in DC, pay attention to the details of any address you're trying to find, and be sure you're headed to the correct quadrant.

View Larger Map

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

The Eastern Market corridor features numerous locally-owned cafes, restaurants and boutiques.  The area gets its name from the historic Eastern Market that anchors this portion of 7th Street SE on Capitol Hill. 

The market itself is a long, brick structure filled with a variety of vendors.  Cheese, meats, poultry, vegetables, baked goods, flowers... just a few of the groceries and goodies offered up at the separate stands that line the market's main promenade. 

On weekends, the sidewalks outside the Market bustle with a farmers market, flea market, and more vendors offering everything from crepes to candy apples from their tents and carts.

Access:  Eastern Market metro station (orange & blue lines)

See the full gallery on posterous

Map:

View Larger Map

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

8th Street SE, the corridor known as Barracks Row, is a vibrant Capitol Hill destination street that includes a terrific variety of restaurants, bars, and shops.

Access: Eastern Market metro station (orange & blue lines)

Feature attraction: US Marine Corps' Marine Barracks Washington, home of the Silent Drill Platoon demonstrations.  It's this historic military installation that gives this corridor its proud name.

Map:

View Larger Map

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Union Station is both a transportation hub for getting to, from, and around DC, as well as a terrific destination in it's own right. Once slated for destruction, the beautiful building now houses a wide array of shops and food choices.  And, fulfilling its core transportation mission, the station is a hub of several transportation options:

• Amtrak
• Metro rail and metro bus lines
• MARC communter trains
• Virginia Railway Express
• cabs
• tour buses

See the full gallery on posterous

MAP:

View Larger Map

Permalink | Leave a comment  »