WASHINGTON
AT TIMES, WASHINGTON can feel like a tale of two cities: Politicians and temporary dwellers versus multi-generational residents fighting to hold on to their piece of the district. Washington has seen its demographics shift dramatically in recent decades, bringing both positive and negative effects of gentrification. The second phase of a $3.6 billion development of the Wharf district has contributed a new Pendry luxury hotel and splashy dining destinations, all against the backdrop of increased crime and ongoing questions of cultural identity. But Washington is still a hub of art, history and social-justice leadership, and is home to many of the best free museums and monuments in the world.
SHAYLA MARTIN
Friday 4:30 P.M.: CRUISE THE MONUMENTS
Some may write it off as a cheesy tourist activity, but more Washingtonians could benefit from a relaxing sunset cruise of the Potomac River. Departing from the revitalized Wharf district, City Experiences’s bright yellow water taxis head out five times a day for the Monuments Tour From the Wharf. The 1.5-hour round-trip tour, with audio narration, covers sites too difficult to see on foot in one weekend: the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the behemoth John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the notorious Watergate complex and the Georgetown waterfront.
6:30 P.M.: SHOP LOCAL
Back at the Wharf, drop into Shop Made in DC, which spotlights Washington-based artisans. You’ll find “202” (the city’s area code) and “The District vs Congress” T-shirts by Bailiwick Clothing, and tiny onesies covered in cherry blossoms by Mirasa Design. Then stroll to Ilili, a Lebanese restaurant on the waterfront with colorful fixtures made in Lebanon, such as dining chairs with hand-sewn floral designs. You’ll see local twists on the cuisine, like the hummus that can be topped with Maryland blue crab falafel. Don’t miss the fried brussels sprouts with grapes and mint yogurt, and a plate of riz (Lebanese rice, toasted vermicelli, Marcona almonds and cashews) to accompany the heaping mixed grill for two. Book a week ahead.
10 P.M.: SIP SAKE ON A ROOFTOP
At Moonraker, the rooftop bar at the Pendry Washington D.C. hotel, the drinking starts on the way up. On weekend evenings, a host leads guests to the dedicated Moonraker elevator, where an elegant beverage cart with self-serve, complimentary sake samples, mixed sake beverages and ochokos (ceramic sake cups) await. At the penthouse level, a stately circular bar serves bites like a spicy tuna roll topped with gold-leaf flecks and karaage-style fried chicken alongside more sake and signature cocktails with Japanese spirits.
Saturday 9 A.M.: EXPLORE A MUSEUM
The Potomac River, which separates Washington from Virginia, may be more famous, but the banks of the Anacostia River is where many local residents go for peaceful waterside views without the National Mall crowds. From Nationals Park, the major league baseball stadium, stroll across the pedestrian-friendly Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge that connects the paved Anacostia Riverwalk Trail to Anacostia Park. From there, take a short ride-share to the recently renovated Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum (free), which shares the stories of everyday people making changes in their communities.
11:30 A.M.: TOUR A HISTORIC SITE
When Turning Natural opened its first location in 2015, it was one of the few health-centric food places to open in Ward 8, a historically underfunded, majority Black area known to be a food desert. The business is now a community staple with six locations.
Grab a smoothie or a cold-pressed juice then walk 10 minutes to Cedar Hill, more formally known as the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, a historic house and estate atop a hill overlooking the city. The abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass lived here from 1877 until his death in 1895. Join a guided tour led by National Park rangers to see inside, where many of Douglass’s original possessions remain, like his collection of fine china and the family piano.
2 P.M.: HIT A JAPANESE FOOD HALL
Japan and Washington have long had a connection, as the famed cherry trees along the National Mall, a gift from the country in 1912, remind us when they blossom each year. Love, Makoto adds to that relationship. The 20,000-square-foot Japanese food hall (a quick ride from Anacostia) from the chef Makoto Okuwa offers three full-service concepts in Dear Sushi, an omakase experience; Beloved Barbecue, a high-end steakhouse; and Hiya Izakaya, a sleek bar serving whiskey highballs and grilled skewers. There’s also a fourth fast-casual option: a light-filled dining hall called Love on the Run, with touch-screen menus for ordering grab-and-go salads, sushi rolls, ramen bowls and sandwiches. Try the salmon-and-avocado roll with yuzu mayo, or the fried-chicken sandwich, dripping with shiso coleslaw and teriyaki sauce, and served with fries.
4:30 P.M.: GO FOR A MIND-BENDER
With so many free museums in Washington, the notion of paying for one might not immediately appeal. But the Museum of Illusions Washington is a fun, interactive option for all ages amid the history and science-focused institutions. Though the concept exists in more than 40 locations, including Paris, New York and Madrid, this iteration’s 50 mind-bending optical illusions, games and brain teasers feature Washington-specific displays, including a mural of George Washington, whose eyes follow you wherever you walk, and the Instagram-friendly Reversed Room, where you appear to stroll on the ceiling of a metro car. In the Tilted Room, you can lean almost as far as Michael Jackson in the “Smooth Criminal” video, and in the Vortex Tunnel, swirling lights trick you into thinking the floor is moving.
7 P.M.: DINE WITH A SON OF SPAIN
Since starting his first restaurant, Jaleo, in Washington 30 years ago, the chef José Andrés has opened another three dozen establishments, and created the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, which has served millions of meals to the needy. Mr. Andrés is from Spain, but Washington is his adopted hometown. Last February he deepened those roots with the Bazaar by José Andrés, a new Spanish restaurant within the glamorous, Romanesque-style Old Post Office building (now the Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C.). The menu has more than 45 dishes, so if decision-making is hard, opt for the 13-course Bazaar Experience tasting menu. The trippy Ferran Adrià “liquid olives” (a gellike sphere of olive juice that pops in your mouth), from Mr. Andrés’s days at the legendary, now-closed restaurant El Bulli, are a highlight. Reservations recommended.
Sunday 9 A.M.: BREAKFAST OF CRAB CAKES
There are few things more peak Washington on a Sunday morning than a trip to Eastern Market in Capitol Hill. This national landmark is one of the few historic public market buildings left in Washington and the only one still operating. In its outdoor section, peruse fresh produce from area farmers like Agora Farms and Gardeners Gourmet, sold alongside vibrant artwork from the local painter Cherif Mamadou and handcrafted cutting boards from Blue Ridge Cutting Board Company. Inside the market hall, get in line for the crab cakes Benedict at the Market Lunch food counter. It’ll be worth the wait. There’s a long, communal bar table for dining.
11 A.M.: CHAMPION WOMEN IN ARTS
The first major U.S. museum dedicated to female artists, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in downtown Washington, reopened after a two-year renovation. The museum, in a former Masonic temple built in 1908, now offers expanded gallery space for more than 6,000 works by women and nonbinary artists that span five centuries and six continents. Themed collections like “Heavyweight,” intended to dispel assumptions that female artists use more delicate materials than men, feature large sculptures like Chakaia Booker’s “Acid Rain,” a textured work of shredded rubber tires and wood. The “In Focus” theme showcases women at the forefront of photography; there you’ll find the stop-in-your-tracks “Bullets Revisited #3,” a large-scale photo triptych by the Moroccan-American photographer Lalla Essaydi, whose henna-covered model poses among thousands of golden bullet casings.