Whatever you do stay in the Georgetown/monument areas.  DC is a very dangerous city in the 90s along with New Orleans was consistently ranked as the murder capital of the country per capita.  Pretty sad for our nations capitol for the majority of the city to be an armpit.

Great place to visit, there's so much to see and it's all right there. The Smithsonian museums are free and are some of the most amazing museums I've ever seen. You can just walk around the city and see one famous landmark after another. As a tourist attraction, it's definitely a five star.

As a place to live on the other hand, it is a 1 star. I lived in the Foggy Bottom area for a summer, and I wouldn't want to do it again.It's overcrowded during the day, but completely dead at night, the only real way to get around is the sometimes overcrowded and often unreliable Metro, and there are tons of people yet almost no grocery stores within walking distance.

Wouldn't want to live there but have cousins in nearby VA and love to visit. There is so much to see in DC. Crime is very high though and driving is a nightmare. There is a very dark side as well. A lot of the older parts of town were never rebuilt after the cival movement and there is a high low income population.

one of the cities i would move to in a heartbeat. for me personally, the perfect climate, meaning 4 distinct yet mild seasons. beautiful countryside. dynamic international population. good public transport. right near the heart of the new imperialistic america.

DC itself is a mixed bag. Northwest Washington is probably the only decent part of the city (forget NE, SW, and especially SE). Lots of history, monuments, museums, etc. Some pretty good (but expensive) restuarants. Too much traffic. I agree with others who prefer Georgetown - it's undoubtedly the best part of DC proper. The greater metropolitan area (basiclaly, Northern Virginia, including Old Town Alexandria, Fairfax County, Falls Church, etc.) have pleanty to offer sights-wise and culture-wise. The downsides of the DC area in general are overbuilding, overcrowding, and atrocious traffic.

After being in cities that appeared to base their road system on the trails of cross-eyed wildlife, I can appreciate a well planned city like DC. Beautiful vistas, buildings and parks. Of course, it also has a seedy side. Yet, it can't help but be intriguing given all the historical points of interest. I really enjoyed Georgetown.

ok. i dig the museums and monuments. the rest of the city is like one big Ghetto. i prefer Georgetown or the outlying areas to DC proper.

There's not much here you haven't seen on a postcard.Stay safe and just look at the postcards.It's not a friendly place: You are caught between the BigWigs and the Ghetto. (D.C. has one of the highest crime rates around.)

Washington is an up-and-coming city. Gentrification is changing the complexion of the city, for better or worse. It's a small city, but is packed with plenty of things to do whether you're a tourist, transcient or local. The Mall, museums and tourist hot spots are a requisite to visit. The downtown is being revitalized, Gerogetown is a trendy neighborhood to visit. You always get the feel that there's something important going on in the city. Yes some areas are bad and there are some really crazy, stupid crimes that happen in the city, but that should'nt distract you from visiting. The Metro transit system is excellent IMHO. A couple drawbacks? It gets HOT in the summer. Driving in the city is a bitch. This is still a must-visit city if you're from the USA.On top off all that, Baseball is back in DC !

You can never run out of things to do here. There really is a lot to do and see! I've only been there twice but I enjoyed it both times.

D.C. is excellent the food great and there is so much to do. Yes there are alot of ghetto parts and the crime is bad but it is a great city I am from there.

Great sites but the crime and slums bring this city way down low!

I've enjoyed every visit here, summer and winter, either with friends or by myself. Subtract a star for its rather weak cultural scene and the extraordinary crime rate, but it's a very exciting place to be.

Great place to die........ this place is ghetto

I had a lot of fun here. I tried to meet Clinton but the tour wouldn't go that far.

If the city itself wasn't such a violent place, I'd give it a 5. I will not, however, allow the actions of people keep me from rating this wonderful city a 4. There is so much for the visitor to do and see. Obviously, Washington is so steeped in history and is one city every American should visit at least once in their lifetime.