Just what the staph needs tonight, random calls and drop bys inquiring about who is playing this evening...perhaps they'll all come to Chuck Brown instead..
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/25/travel/escapes/25hours.html 36 Hours
Washington, D.C.
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: August 25, 2006
WASHINGTON, in many ways, is an unsurprising place to visit ?? an expanse of monuments, symbols and sites familiar to any American who watches the evening news (or, at least, ??West Wing?). Which is not to say that Washington can??t be, with a little effort, a city of surprises and unfamiliar delights. So, yes, any 36 hours in Washington should include trips to all those famous buildings and memorials, but it should also include excursions to places that perhaps if less famous, are all the more interesting.
Friday
6 p.m.
THE BIG PICTURE
It??s your first night, so head for Hotel Washington (515 15th Street NW, 202-638-5900;
www.hotelwashington.com), take the elevator to the top floor for drinks on the roof and walk out to a sweeping view. Be sure to check out the aerial view of the White House: it??s a new perspective on the country??s most familiar home and ?? we??re not giving away any national secrets here, Mr. Vice President ?? a peek at some of the security apparatus that goes into guarding a president.
8 p.m.
2) CLAP YOUR HANDS, AND EAT
Here are two options on how to spend your first night here. Before you arrive, find out who is playing at the 9:30 Club (815 V Street NW, 202-265-0930;
www.930.com). This is an out-of-the-way music club in a dicey neighborhood. It has great sound and heaps of personality and is arguably one of the best places in the country to see a show. The club attracts an eclectic roster of bands ?? think Wilco and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. These shows sell out fast, and it??s standing only for a good two hours ?? be warned, Baby Boomers. Shows generally start around 9:30 or 10, so that gives you time for an early dinner. Try out Al Crostino (1324 U Street NW, 202-797-0523), an unpretentious postage stamp of a restaurant that serves some of the better Italian food in the city. Ask for a table upstairs, tell the waiter you have a 9:30 to catch and try the vitello tonnato (chilled veal in a tuna sauce) or the linguine with shrimp and cherry tomatoes.If the 9:30 Club isn??t your thing, make a night of dinner.
