This past Saturday, my dad, who was in town from New Mexico, and my brother, who lives in the suburbs of Virginia, came to visit me. Like many tourists, they were convinced that going to the Smithsonian was all that DC had to offer. But I had another idea – take them to the
14th corridor, which is one of my favorite spots of DC!
Unlike other parts of DC, where all the buildings are in the Neo-classical style, and men and women are running around in suits, I think 14th street has more flavor. With unique design, pre-World War II buildings, locally owned restaurants, bars, stores, art galleries, and an up and coming music scene, it has a life and personality of its own. And the best part, to me, is that each person who walks down the street whether a local or tourists adds to the flavor. There is a real sense of openness to various expressions and uniqueness of an individual which you can't find in other parts of the city.
We met first at
Busboys and Poets for lunch. Inside, there was a young crowd getting the day started. People were laughing and dressed casually. Seems to me that they were just friends sharing their stories of the week.
After lunch, we left and started to walk down 14th Street. We stepped into a few stores along the way –
Vastu,
Go Mama Go, and
Garden District to name a few. My brother couldn't believe how much stuff a small store could pack in, and how each store had an original look with products not found in Target (he is used to shopping at a mall).
We finally said our goodbyes. I got an email a few days later from my dad asking when we were going back to 14th street to try
Love Café, a store that sells cupcakes where you choose the cake, the frosting, and the toppings. I guess the 14th street charm rubbed off on him.
