[25][26] Congress held its first session in Washington on November 17, 1800.

[7] As the seat of the United States federal government and several international organizations, Washington is an important world political capital. See all A Baked Joint reviews, “The best part is that you can keep going to the toppings bar and fill more toppings (albeit small serving cup).” [124] As of 2011[update], 85% of D.C. residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language. [94], By the early 1900s, L'Enfant's vision of a grand national capital had become marred by slums and randomly placed buildings, including a railroad station on the National Mall. Union Station is the city's main train station and services approximately 70,000 people each day.
It's located in the, "We go all the time - sometimes via Metro (it's a one block walk from the, "At the far end is the Grand Foyer, at the center of which you can see the iconic bust of President Kennedy, and at each end there is a, "We had the opportunity to attend The Cherry Blossom, "The Castle, site of the Smithsonian Museums’ Visitor Centre, is like a heavenly haven in the heat of a mid-summer visit to the, "We only made it to the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of, "Worth a visit, especially since Metro it is around the corner and the Circulator stop is right, "The first floor is certainly dedicated to the history of post and the postal system and you can see lots of stamps but, go downstairs and the museum expands to accommodate a, "The soldiers who do the tours are friendly, knowledgable and talented at, "The pier, the restaurants, the boats, the, "Of course there is a gift shop with the requisite, "To get tickets for the free tour you have to arrive to the, "Guide gave us a lot of information about the movie the Exorcist and the, "Great views of the Washington monument and, "Musical events and lectures are often held here and it is a center of active scholarship, an enclave of, "This is a very interesting museum with lots of, "I normally come to Washington D.C. during National, "Section 121 Row A Seat 13 First time in DC had to go see a, "The home is on the grounds of what, in the past, was referred to as the Old Soldier’s home and the grounds include a cemetery that predates Arlington Cemetery and where some soldiers in the, "There is also a film to watch that includes snippets from, Preferred Hotels & Resorts in Washington DC, Washington DC Hotels with Conference Rooms, Washington DC Hotels With Adjoining Rooms, Hotels near National Air and Space Museum, Hotels near Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Hotels near United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Hotels near National World War II Memorial, Hotels near (DCA) Ronald Reagan National Airport, Hotels near (BWI) Balt.-Wash. Intl Airport, Dolphin & Whale Watching in Washington DC, Literary, Art & Music Tours in Washington DC, Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks in Washington DC, Military Bases & Facilities in Washington DC, Observation Decks & Towers in Washington DC, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Washington DC, Observatories & Planetariums in Washington DC, Health/Fitness Clubs & Gyms in Washington DC, Other Outdoor Activities in Washington DC, Mass Transportation Systems in Washington DC, Game & Entertainment Centers in Washington DC, Boat Tours & Water Sports in Washington DC, Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Washington DC, Fishing Charters & Tours in Washington DC, Things to Do in Connecticut Ave/ K Street, Things to Do in Foggy Bottom - GWU - West End, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Tickets, National Museum of African American History and Culture Tickets, Things to do near (IAD) Dulles Intl Airport, Things to do near (DCA) Ronald Reagan National Airport, Things to do near (BWI) Balt.-Wash. Intl Airport, Things to do near National Air and Space Museum, Things to do near Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Things to do near Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Things to do near United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Things to do near National Gallery of Art, Things to do near George Washington University. Washington is home to many national monuments and museums, primarily situated on or around the National Mall. Monuments and memorials, eclectic neighborhoods, true local flavor – Washington, DC is a place unlike any other. In 1874, Congress replaced the territorial government with an appointed three-member Board of Commissioners. The mayor and council set local taxes and a budget, which must be approved by Congress. Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such as Medicaid and the operation of the local justice system; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance.[208][209]. [259], This article is about the capital of the United States. [59][60][61], The district has 7,464 acres (30.21 km2) of parkland, about 19% of the city's total area and the second-highest percentage among high-density U.S.