Washington DC City Guide
Date: January 16, 2009 | Category: Events, Featured, Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure
Your insider’s guide to the smartest things our capital has to offer!
In honor of the inauguration and our new administration’s stated commitment to rethink our country’s approach to resources, we have scoured DC and enlisted the advice of an internationally acclaimed native DC chef and sustainability expert.
Our Tastemaker: Top chef (not the reality show, people!) Barton Seaver has lived throughout Africa and Europe but couldn’t stay away from his home. Where better to advocate for sustainability as a humanitarian issue? “Sustainability begins with people and ultimately is about our relationship with our resources”. Learn more about Barton and his projects at www.bartonseaver.org.
Best Eats
Eat your way to a sustainable future at Hank’s Oyster Bar and Old Ebbitt Grill. Farmed oysters actually create positive change. Every oyster eaten has spent a minimum of two years filtering our national waterways, creating economic development for fishing communities, and creating a net gain of sustainable, delicious protein. So in a way, it is our patriotic duty to eat more oysters. These are my favorite places to get a great glass of wine, delicious meal and as much patriotism as I can stomach.
Best Recycled Reads
There might be no better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon than by browsing around an old bookstore. Second Story Books - support your community, save a tree, and keep literary freedom alive.
Best Fresh Air
An expansive tract of woodlands in a seemingly incongruous part of town, the National Arboretum and Rock Creek Park are great places to go get lost and spend a few reflective hours. Go at different times of the year to see the dogwoods in bloom or the azaleas in full splendor.
Best Fresh Finds
Dupont Farmers Market is the premier farm to table market in the city and probably the most exciting. Held every Sunday throughout the year, it offers a great variety of products from the bounteous countryside, great people watching, and a wonderful community atmosphere. The market draws celebrity chefs like Nora Pouillon and Jose Andres, Ambassadors, and the colorful arts community. Many stands offer foods prepared on premise so it is a great place to eat breakfast and wander around.
Best Culture Hunting
One of DC’s most spectacular buildings, the old Pension building was originally designed to meet the needs of Civil War veterans but is now one of DC’s coolest museums. Currently on exhibition at the National Building Museum is Green Community, a study of what it takes to make our space part of our sustainable future.
Best Scavenging
The downtown design hot-spot, Good Wood specializes in furniture made from reclaimed barn wood from local farms. Owners Dan and Anna Kahoe also scour antique markets, so you’ll always find something wonderful.
Best Carbon-Free Transport
What better way to get around DC than by bike. The winters are relatively mild and the majority of attractions are in close proximity to each other. Rent a bike from Bike and Roll, and you can explore without emitting any emissions. In lieu of biking, use an eco-friendly hybrid car service like Zero Emissions Limo for a climate-conscious chauffeur experience.
More to adore in DC from ecofabulous…
Best Shopping
Carmel - carefully selected affordable to moderate eco-conscious lines like Toggery and Sameunderneath.
TranquiliT - the odd combination of sustainable yoga and eco-luxe bridal wear actually make sense.
Eco-Green Living - from bedding to paint to water heaters and hemp clothing, this is THE spot to outfit your home in any shade of green.
Best Vintage
Annie Creamcheese’s “vintage for the future” is a funny name for an absolutely fabulous resource. Should you be attending one of the inauguration balls or just want to buy a piece of history that won’t go out of style, Creamcheese has you covered.
Tangysweet is DC’s preeminent spot for tart frozen yogurt. Enjoy green tea and pomegranate in the LED-lit “yogurt lounge.”
Sticky Fingers Bakery - known for their vegan sticky cinnamon buns. Sweet!
Java Green Cafe - because you’ll need some caffeine to hit all of these awesome destinations!
Best Feet
Nusta Spa’s - customized spa services for men and women with a sustainable twist.
Best Pets
The Big Bad Woof - organic cuisine and sustainable spa treatments. Makes you wonder why Fido can find this all under one roof, while you have to run around town satisfying your creature comforts?
Best Kids
Yiro - everything from nursery decor to trendy threads for an conscious child with some serious style.
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