Nice walkable area with great stores and restaurants just north of Metro Center. Only been here…read moreonce to go to Yardbird during a conference at the Grand Hyatt surprisingly.

When we're in this part of DC (typically at least once during our 1-2 trips a year), I love walking…read morethrough to window shop and/or stop in shops to browse or actually make a purchase. The area is an open-air concept with offices, apartments, cafes & restaurants, and shops. The stores are luxury brand shops like Dior, Gucci, Hermes, etc. Everything about this area is high-end from the apartments to the restaurants. There are outdoor areas to grab a seat and sip a coffee while doing my favorite thing, people watching. I just love seeing all of the folks passing through in decked out in impeccable clothing and jewelry.

This place should be on the map for tourists! Loved it so…read moremuch we came here 2x during our D.C. stay. The evenings here are great. The boats are ready! The music providing the Summer vibes! The Gelateria Dolce Vita place was full! And when we came back the next time it was closed. Check the times. They even have a Starbucks, Bangkok Joe's- A Thai restaurant. Nick's riverside grill,-traditional American, Sequoia-New American Cuisine. This harbor has wonderful restaurants!!! Loved, loved the Farmers Fishers Bakers Restaurant! Amazingly tasty dishes and great bar options! There is Guapo's, also fantastic Mexican foods! There is a small board walk, some eccentric Statues and an overlook on the Kennedy Performance Center that lights up in beautiful colors at night reflecting on the water. All chill and again we just loved the place!

The Washington Harbour is a popular spot for locals and tourists to ice skate in the winter, walk…read morealong the Potomac always, and eat at some subpar restaurants like Farmers Fishers Bakers.

Whew weeee!! This…read morelocation was something to talk about. I have been dying to get in this place for years but always on a tight schedule to get elsewhere. This was a Lion and Tigers and Bears OH MY situation! It's quite crowded in here. Not cluttered but crowded. They have soooo much stuff and it's all in order. This place could be 2-3 floors easy!! I saw all of my fav brands at great prices. They have a huge selection of high-end wear for a great price. They have a huge selection of summer, spring and winter wear. The cosmetics and body care... chef's kiss!! They have everything in every color/ scent/ size!! Cool accessories, luggage galore, etc. I did not take a gander at the shoes as I had a show nearby to attend. I bought 2 gorge blouses and a short sleeve loose fitting denim blue top. I will revisit very soon for some more shopping greatness.

Lots of great "stuff" and finds....if you have the patience to look around and dig for it…read more This Nordstrom Rack is loaded with brand name products, designer clothing, jewelry, household goods and all at decent prices. The only gripe I have specifically with this location.....is that it is waaayyy too cluttered-- overstocked with just stuff everywhere! And, let's talk about organization to make things easy to find....forget it. It sort of reminds me of Filene's Basement (on Connecticut Ave) from back in the day or a " sub high-end" Thrift store. If you park on the street nearby this store, you better load up your parking meter to the max.... Because you're going to need the time to roam around this place. Note: There is no parking lot or garage..... so you don't want your parking meter to expire because we all know parking tickets in DC is like paying rent or the amount of a one night hotel stay. lol Other than this, not a bad shopping experience here. There's something for everyone when it comes to looking for bargain clothing that's from designer labels and semi on trend. One plus I will say about this Nordstrom Rack location, is that they carry a large selection of men's business and casual clothing. This location carries tons of business suits, dress shirts, ties and business casual slacks-pants. I think the reason for this is because this location is centrally located in the downtown DC area and business district that is primarily surrounded by law offices, lobby firms, consulting firms and federal government agencies. You often don't find this at a lot of Nordstrom Rack and bargain clothing, places like Marshall's/TJMaxx around the DMV. There are also tons of men's athletic shoes, casual sneakers, great running shoes and dress shoes. In all, you can't go wrong shopping here. Although, the Pentagon City location is more my speed. This location is not all bad. Lots of good finds and decent customer service. Just have a little patience and time to roam around this treasure trove!

What's not to like at this lovely park by the Georgetown waterfront?…read more The benches are strategically placed throughout the park in such ways that you get shades from nearly every seats. That's great news because it gets unpleasantly hot and humid in DC this time of the year. I also appreciated how much shades are available in general at this park. This made it easy to walk dogs like cavalier spaniels who tends to do terribly in hot humid weather. Many of the good restaurants such as Fiola Mare is available right from the steps of the park. You can also hop on the DC tour boat and some allows for wining and dining on them. Perhaps the only gripes I have are finding parking and not being able to find dog waste stations easily. No big deal for the most part but mildly annoying nonetheless.

Georgetown Waterfront Park is one of the best urban parks in DC. It's on the Potomac overlooking…read moreRosslyn in Arlington, VA. There are plenty of walk ways and benches to enjoy the water and a sunny day. They also have informational signs throughout explaining the history and purpose of eco-friendly innovations found in the park. Just off the park is a bridge that reminds people of Seattle. Under the bridge, you can find a coffee shop, a theater, and a few restaurants. Pro-tip: Walk a few blocks to Baked and Wired for DC's best cupcakes.

Cue the tumbleweeds. This place is a Ghost town. Not even a shadow of what it used to be years ago…read more The only two stars go to the liquor store because it has a great selection

This is basically non existent. There is a wine and spirits shop that is pretty good, a deli, and a…read morecleaners, but not much else.

This is one of my "go to" metro stops. It is near the Portrait Gallery, restaurants and movies. I…read moretake minimal items with me. I use a cross body pack or purse. I like walking by the arch in China town. If there is a game or show at Capital One Arena, the area is crowded.

Gallery Place pandemic changes should be verified. Inside I…read moresaw Regal 14, Clyde's and AT&T open. Haagen-Dazs is open 12-10pm daily. Smoothie King is also open daily 7am-8pm. It is actually addressed Capital One Arena but access is via outside Gallery Place alley across from Clyde's. McDonald's is just a few steps away on 7th Street for the adventurous. Lucky Strike has been closed for a while. Bar Louie, Thai Chili and Arosto Pizza are also now closed. Broken escalators, neglected sanitation and nighttime urban grittiness continue. I note with sadness the closing of Gallery Place in Baltimore Inner Harbor. Tough economy everywhere.

So this office building complex is right above the Farragut West Metro at the 18th and I street…read moreexit. It also provides an excellent cut through if you're going past 18th and I, I used to cut through the building as my office used to be over around the 20th Street neighborhood. Just at the top of the metro exit there is a Pret-a-manger and a Starbucks. Inside the building you'll find office entrances with secure access meaning if you're a visitor you'll need to sign in or have an access badge to gain entry. On the lower level there is a food court but sadly when walking through recently it looks like the Five Guys is closed, which used to be quite popular when I worked down in the area a few years back. Also little known secret about the food court area there is a clean restroom available. Believe me when drinking too much coffee and your bladder is full, its nice to know that I can find an easily accessible restroom in the city as they can be hard to come by. Of note too if you're like me and cut through the building they close access right at 6PM, not 6:01 or 6:02 right on the dot. So if you're leaving work a little late and you get there at 6 you'll have to walk around the block to get to the metro escalators. Trust me the building people don't make exceptions, I've seen many try and fail. Also if you're an early to work person the building doesn't open up for public access until 7AM. Although this place has its fair share of traffic during the weekdays, its quite dead on the weekends.

Think of the mall food court without the mall. You enter from a street level escalator and descend…read moreinto a shopping mall like basement. Not Dark, not dank, but still a basement. This is a useful place for groups that have a hard time making up their mind on where to eat. Off the top of my head they have: Au Bon Pain Five Guys A Chinese place a Greek place a grilled chicken place that does a lot of salads. a Cuban place ...and probably some more that I can't remember. Everything is clearly fast fast food, and other than five guys nothing really stands out as being haute cuisine, but it is a very useful compromise. Seating can be a little difficult at times, especially for large groups, but I generally never fail to get a group of 8+ seated together by the time everyone has picked up their Five Guys.

My favorite holiday market in DC, I love coming here every year! This market has grown over the…read moreyears with 50+ artisan vendors and more hot food and boozy vendors! There are lots of hand-made craft and unique gift items (ramen stall, truffle stall, cat & dog stalls, as well as plenty of jewelry, chocolate, candle, toys, ornament, and crafts stalls). I bought a Ramen bowl from Japan for hubby, Truffle butter @ Truffist, and dark chocolate Oreos (the dark chocolate pretzels aren't that good) @Capital City Jar, kudos for being a long-time vendor! I also got an overpriced $40 onesie @SOL, the material was very soft and made in the U.S. In terms of the hot chocolate stalls, the Truffle stall and the S'mores N More are my favorite. The Marshmallows are gigantic and should have mixed them in! I got a pack of 6 marshmallows and picked out the flavors - Rainbow, Cookies and Cream, and Toffee Marshmallows. The Racklette sandwich was delicious - you must try it! It was so fascinating to watch the melty swiss cheese get scooped off the big truckle cheese wheel and sandwiches into a soft baguette roll. The Churros with Dulce Leche filling are a must - I always get the every year! Kudos for being a long-time vendor! The Dirty Habit Chalet boozy is a bit gimmicky. I paid $17 for Whiskey and Cider, I wish it was served warm and the service was lukewarm. The air-fried Gnocchi from Carmine's was a complete miss and a total disappointment. The Gnocchi lacked the crispy edges and pillowy soft juicy center. The texture was completely off from the air fryer. Excited to go back next year for some more gifts and delicious goodies and sweet treats!

Since I have moved to the area, each year I tell myself that I am going to stop at the Holiday…read moreMarket. And each year I always end up bypassing it because after a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is be jammed in with a bunch of other people going from booth to booth. I finally took the time to visit here and probably picked one of the worst times to visit, during a hockey game. With the influx of people coming into the area for the game and the arena right there, it made navigating to and through a nightmare. The downside here, and it is probably the only downside, are the amounts of other people. They will do one of two things. One, forget about their awareness to where they are. By this I mean that they will forget they are not the only person here at the holiday market. Two, the other people will either push you along, or walk at a glacial pace. Jamming up crosswalks and entrances to the main area. Two things you cannot control and you just have to go with the flow here. I will say it is lively and welcoming. Once you do make it into the stall area you will have to take your time to sift through what there is to offer. From gifts to food, you can find it all here. Live music is a usual draw as well which lends to the magical feel that you are in the middle of a DC street and don't have to worry about a thing. All of the vendors are local, so this is a big shop small venue. Offering you everything you can think of as a gift for a special somebody. Definitely worth a look around the holiday season.