In Depth

Allow me to introduce you to Washington, D.C. You may well have made her earlier acquaintance -- so many people have. The city, after all, is the nation's capital, the seat of power for the world's most enlightened democracy, the home of the president of the United States, and to every embassy with whom our government maintains diplomatic relations.

So it's quite possible that you've been here before, and toured the Capitol, visited your representative in Congress, or watched the Supreme Court justices argue a momentous case. Perhaps you strolled the perimeter of the White House or even arranged a group tour of the interior. You might have peered at the original Declaration of Independence on view in the National Archives or taken a walking tour through Georgetown's historic streets.

No? History and politics leave you cold, you say? Well then, you must have visited Washington to bask in its beauty -- we are known for that, you know. No doubt you arrived in spring, to gaze at our famous blossoming cherry trees bordering the Tidal Basin. Or in autumn perhaps, when you probably rode a bike through the woodlands of Rock Creek Park, the National Park Service's oldest and largest urban park. In summer, I'm certain you would have found time to cruise the placid Potomac, the perfect, coolest vantage spot for admiring Washington's elegant cityscape. And in winter, surely, you went ice-skating on the rink in the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden, surrounded by remarkable sculptures close up, and famous landmarks in the landscape beyond.

And if you arrived in D.C. wanting none of that, or only some of that, you must have been here for arts and culture -- our museums, performing arts centers, and restaurants are world-renowned, as I'm sure you are well aware. I can imagine you would have attempted to tackle every one of D.C.'s 16 Smithsonian museums, from the Freer Gallery to the American History Museum, or made sure to take in a ballet at the Kennedy Center. You may have stopped to enjoy a champagne cocktail at Proof, in the Penn Quarter, and a juicy steak at the Palm, near Dupont Circle.

You may have done all of these things and been to Washington many times, but still, I am sorry -- or rather, overjoyed -- to have to tell you, that no, you really don't know Washington. You couldn't possibly. You are not here right now, in this particular moment.

For never has there been a more exciting time to visit the nation's capital. A charismatic new president is in the White House and a debonair young mayor is in charge of the city. The city's Penn Quarter, Dupont Circle, and Georgetown neighborhoods bustle with activity day and night. The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is open on the Hill and the blockbuster Newseum has debuted on Pennsylvania Avenue. Celebrity chefs Alain Ducasse, Wolfgang Puck, and Eric Ripert now have their own restaurants in Washington, dubbed "one of the most exciting restaurant cities on the East Coast," by Travel + Leisure.

Thrilling change and a renewed sense of purpose, both political and cultural, are in the air. Come, come to Washington, to re-visit places of old with fresh eyes, and to celebrate what's new.

Little-Known Facts

• Many, including Washington, District of Columbia, residents, wonder how the city wound up with such an unwieldy name. Here's how: President Washington referred to the newly created capital as "the Federal City." City commissioners then chose the names "Washington" to honor the president and "Territory of Columbia" to designate the federal nature of the area. Columbia was the feminine form of Columbus, synonymous in those days with "America" and all she stood for, namely liberty. The capital was incorporated in 1871, when it officially became known as Washington, District of Columbia.
• The distance between the Capitol, at one end of the National Mall, and the Lincoln Memorial at the other, is 2 miles. The circumference of the White House property, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue and 15th Street to 17th Street is about 1 1/2 miles.
• Seventy percent of Washington, D.C., is national parkland, which makes the capital one of the "greenest" cities in the country. The biggest chunk is the 2,000-acre Rock Creek Park, the National Park Service's oldest urban park, founded in 1890.
• Every country that maintains diplomatic relations with the United States has an embassy in the nation's capital. Currently, the number of embassies comes to 178, located along Massachusetts Avenue, known as Embassy Row, and other streets in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.