Georgetown

Georgetown, now effectively a suburb of Washington DC, is one of the oldest towns in the USA, and has a rich history of association with the political elites. Many presidents once lived here as did most of the "important people". Many comment that the USA is a relatively young country - does not have the historical culture of Europe for example. What is evident, especially in places like Georgetown is, Americans love to celebrate whatever much they do have - and they have had a rich history of preservation of their heritage.

In my previous visits to Washington DC, I had never got round to visiting the area; particularly because it is one of the few suburbs without any direct Metro connections. Having exhausted most other tourist options, I decided to have a walk around Georgetown on Sunday evening. It is reputed as one of the trendy and vibrant parts of the city, and it does hold up this end. It is full of cafes, bookshops, restaurants, bars and in many respects resembles a part of an European city, rather than a typical US city.

I did not actually eat in Georgetown, but I did spend a respectable amount of time in the Barnes and Noble bookshop, where I picked up U2's coffee-table book for 10 US $ ... a real bargain price, although it was really an impulse purchase.