In Washington it is impossible to be bored
The first essential visit to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the city is the neighborhood of adam morgan . This neighborhood has a youthful atmosphere, university life and all kinds of aesthetics are mixed. Hipsters, bros, rappers, nerds, some pijulis and tourists . We had the first one at Madame Morgan . It's a garita She is above everything on 18th Street. A mural with a jilted woman who wears the name of the place on her generous bust serves as a reference. As you pass by, a neon sign reads “Sorry, we are open”. The only bad thing is that you have to pay cover -entry without consumption for 5 dollars-. It's a bar - they serve food too - with live blues and soul acts. It is worth ordering the first beer of the night to immerse yourself in the traditional music of the city that gave birth to Duke Ellington or, more recently, was considered a focus of the indie and punk scene of the 90s.
In DC, precisely, the independent label was created Dischord Records , founded by Ian Mackaye -frontman of Fugazi-. Artist and band are also from the capital. Madame Morgan is dimly lit – like everything American, and more so at night – and cabaret-style with hints of the grotesque. Neon lights, garlands, stuffed animals and clown masks give it a tone between the basement of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the caravan of Circo Raluy in its heyday. Several corridors lead to a roof terrace for chatting or a balcony that overlooks the main street . On the second floor, there is a second musical option in which the DJ spins the best of the moment for a dance floor with the most contradictory atmosphere ever seen. Some dance at full blast and others occupy the dance floor to follow the game undaunted, which is broadcast on a screen. Seen from the outside, it's hilarious. More than one hugs spontaneous on the occasion of a triple, goal, homerun or touchdown.
good live music
Back on the street, it is worth taking a look at the facades that populate this neighborhood with a marked multicultural past. The houses date from the early 20th century and were built as a result of the wave of Latino immigration but, little by little, new communities have been added. The legacy is palpable in the variety of cuisines that are concentrated in the neighborhood. A small UN of restaurants allows you to satisfy your hunger with varieties from five continents.
Down the street, we came across a joint of questionable repute. Is he Dan's Cafe . Only one in the world. Here, the drink is served in empty ketchup and mustard jars. The clients, most of them university students, press the cans to get drunk or empty them in the face of the colleague according to the aim . The showers follow one another but it is not the chaos either. One can find a place at the bar and drink beer in traditional packaging without any problem. Special mention deserves the waiter who walks outside the bar. He sports two glasses, one on top of the other, in an attempt at unparalleled progressive vision. Incidentally, among the three shop assistants, they have fewer premolars than any sparring partner for Hurricane Carter. By the way, the PBR poster is props. They don't serve this brand. However, there is to choose from.
A nightclub to last until 3 in the morning
Another of the places where a lot of leisure is concentrated is on U street (in DC, the streets go by letters, from North to South, or numbers, from East to West) . The only ones that have a different name are the avenues that cross the city diagonally. There is little room to get lost. Like all American cities, the distances are very long. However, this section can be done on foot. Right in the thick of it, on Calle U and 14, we find the Den of Thieves . The place is more of a disco -according to American standards- and it closes at around 3 in the morning. We arrived late and the place is pretty empty. Some clients finish the last sip at the bar while the DJ spins the last beats of the night. It's already late.
The adjoining bar, the Marvin , offers a similar scene. We left and further down we ran into the Tropicalia. It is Spanish owned and a few weeks ago Kiko Veneno was in concert . Apart from live shows, electronic music is played. Here, yes, the night rushes a little more. The dance floor presents a decent quorum. The great moment is provided by a friend of the DJ who takes over the microphone and improvises a rap that says: “I want to have children with you. I like it". It has no rival for cockfighting. The joint closes but we cannot leave without putting the finishing touch to the night.
Perfect for the last bars of the night
It is a tradition in DC to head home with the company of a Jumbo Pizza. It is easy to find them, every 25-50 meters there is an open place that serves them until the wee hours of the morning. A pleasant company from the city recommends us a place just opposite that serves them with a crystal ball on the ceiling like an afterhours disco. Pizza in hand, enough to cover the hole in the ozone layer, we laughed our way home. As a plan B, a few meters beyond the Tropicalia, there is Ben's Chili Bowl. Spicy sausages elevated by a neat tail. The colored awnings, a burger drawn on the facade and the hand-drawn calligraphy deserve to pose at the entrance for a photo like a revelation hipster band. No one looking at the target.
The morning is brunch. With no room for manoeuvre, on 18th Street, is the Diner. They call it that even though it's open 24/7. Without rushing, we sat down at one of the tables to break our fast with _Egg's benedict_, an omelette stuffed with ham and vegetables, pancakes, chicken wings or something veggie. Anything goes to fill your stomach before saying goodbye to the city. We are running out of hours and we cannot leave the capital without approaching the White House. Down 16th Street we bump into her.
A modern restaurant
Here we are in the middle of the National Mall, a kilometric park that is below the White House and leads to the banks of the Potomac. On the left side, it is the monumental part with tributes to those who fell in the Korean War -very overwhelming-, Vietnam, World War II or former presidents Roosevelt, Washington or Lincoln. The stairs leading to the latter were from which Martin Luther King delivered the historic speech of “I have a dream”. On the other side of the National Mall, there are museums on each side of the enclosure. And, in the end, is the Capitol. Already put in the political plot, one can treat yourself to a Freddy's BBQ Joint-style ribs -which House of Cards- in the Hill Country located in the center. On the same corner is Jaleo, one of several restaurants scattered around the city owned by chef José Andrés. Both places provide the necessary energy to return to the airport and continue the route through the United States.
Well, that, DC well deserves a scale.
Adams Morgan, the epicenter of the march on Washington