Capital U.S.A. – Washington D.C.

Written by Matt Furlane.

While teaching English in Gwangju, I was surprised to find that many of my students had visited Korea’s capital, Seoul, several times, yet I (despite being much older) hadn’t visited my own U.S. capital even once. And when Kim Jong-un threatened to destroy it a few years ago, it was kind of a backhanded shout-out to the importance of the city, so I decided I should eventually make the journey to see America’s center of government: Washington, D.C.

Like Italy’s capital, Rome, but unlike many other nations’ capitals, the U.S. capital is its own separate area from the other 50 U.S. states. It was founded in 1790 and named “Washington” after America’s first president, and the “District of Columbia” after the voyager Christopher Columbus. Its design by French architect Charles L’Enfant makes it arguably the most European of all American cities; it was inspired by places like Paris and Amsterdam, with long boulevards connecting major points of interest.

The city’s character has continued to evolve, and in recent years, it has become more unique and maybe even more intense. The 9/11 terror attacks brought heightened security and a sense of vulnerability. Additionally, continued tensions around the world make D.C.’s security a perennial concern. Very few people are actually born in D.C., and even fewer stay to settle down. The majority of people are tourists, bureaucrats, or commuters just passing through, giving D.C. a transient vibe. The city is also the seat of government and decision-making, so every major business is there to lobby Congress, every country wants to have its embassy located there, and it has become one of the spy capitals of the world. According to the newly opened International Spy Museum, it is estimated that there are 10,000 spies roaming the city at any given time.

Although it was nearly destroyed by the British in 1812, the city recovered and gradually took on its current state by the early 20th century. It now has a population of about 700,000 people and receives nearly 20 million tourists per year, with many coming in the spring to see the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin. Some of the more popular destinations include the White House, Capitol Hill, (which includes the domed Capitol building, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Supreme Court), the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.

D.C. has other facets worth mentioning as well. It was named Restaurant City of the Year by the website Bon Appétit in 2016. It has one of the largest repositories of neoclassical architecture in America. It is ranked as a top drinking city,^[1] the 6th best coffee city,^[2] and has some of the best museums in the word (most of which are free). These include the Smithsonian, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Air and Space Museum. Now that summer is over and fall weather has set in, Washington D.C. is far less crowded and somewhat relaxed, with outdoor festivals and farmers markets each weekend.

If you are visiting from Korea and want to travel as easily as possible, I recommend landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is just south of the city, and getting a hotel with a bus, bike share, or subway station nearby. Although America is primarily an automobile nation, Washington D.C. has good public transportation with hundreds of bike stations, bus stops, and a subway system that is one of the cleanest and most efficient in the U.S. And, despite rumors that the D.C. subway doubled as a Cold War fallout shelter (because of its reinforced concrete ceilings and depth underground) it is actually just a regular subway now that has a unique concrete style to it. But if Kim Jong-un gets angry again, it is not a bad place to take shelter. So, if you have already seen your own capital and want to visit a historical and unique place in the U.S., I would give D.C. a chance to show you the best that America can offer.

References

^[1] Stebbins, S. (2019, September 16). San Diego, Washington D.C. among the cities where people spend the most on alcohol. USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/09/16/how-much-people-spend-on-alcohol-in-22-major-american-cities/40114971/

^[2] Wainman, L. (2018, September 27). D.C. is the 6th best coffee city in America. DC Refined. Retrieved from http://dcrefined.com/eat-drink/dc-is-the-6th-best-coffee-city-in-america

The Author

Matt Furlane has been contributing to Gwangju News since 2008. He has a degree in political science and an associate degree in electronics. He enjoys writing about politics, technology, and urban design.