Washington, DC NE & SE

Out and About in Washington, DC NE & SE.

Parks: The U.S. National Arboretum functions as a major center of botanical research. It conducts wide-ranging basic and developmental research on trees, shrubs, turf, and floral plants. It has a library with 10,000 volumes and approximately 90 publications concentrating in botanical literature. The United States Botanic Garden was established by Congress in 1820, making it the oldest botanic garden in North America. It informs visitors about the importance, and often irreplaceable value, of plants to the well-being of humankind and to earth’s fragile ecosystems. The Metro Branch Trail is an 8-mile trail that runs from Union Station in the District of Columbia to Silver Spring in Maryland. Other DC area parks to check out: Lincoln Park and the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located 3 miles south of the central business district of DC, in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the closest commercial airport to the Washington, DC area. Washington Dulles International Airport is located in Chantilly, VA on 12,000 acres of land 26 miles from downtown Washington, DC. Baltimore Washington International Airport serves residents and travelers in the Baltimore and Washington DC area. Getting around the DC area is easy with the Stadium Armory Metro Station nearby for all your commuting by train.

Elementary Schools: J.O. Wilson Elementary School is named after James Ormond Wilson, "the patron saint of the District Public School System". KIPP Academy, or the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 99 KIPP public schools in 20 states and DC enrolling more than 27,000 students. Other NE & SE DC area schools to consider for your child include: Payne Elementary School, Friendship Public Charter School - Chamberlain Elementary, Nannie Helen Burroughs School, Aiton Elementary School, Burrville Elementary School, Drew Elementary School, and Smothers Elementary School.

Middle Schools: Stuart Hobson Middle School is a Capitol Hill Cluster School that offers a curriculum that provides opportunities for discovery and interpretation, using the latest technology and the creative methods of museum-influenced and arts-infused materials. Kelly Miller Middle School aims to be the “Flagship School” in the DC area with a focus on the arts and technology. The Walker Jones Education Campus, Maya Angelou PCS: Evans Middle School and Sousa Middle School are other great middle schools in the area.

High Schools: Eastern Senior High School earns its name from its location in the eastern section of the DC. The César Chávez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy - Capitol Hill Campus provides a high quality public school option for young people residing in DC’s under-served communities. The Chávez schools prepare DC students to succeed in competitive colleges so that they can use their lives to make a positive difference in the world. Gonzaga College High School is a Catholic boys school and the oldest educational institution in the old Federal City of Washington. Our other favorites in the area include: Anacostia Senior High School, Spingarn Senior High School, and Woodson H.D. Senior High School.

Colleges/Universities: Gallaudet University is the world leader in liberal education and career development for deaf and hard of hearing students. The University enjoys an international reputation for its outstanding programs and for the quality of the research it conducts on the history, language, culture, and other topics related to deaf people. The University of the District of Columbia was chartered in 1974 and is the only public higher education institution in Washington, DC.

Restaurants: H Street Country Club offers a delicious dinner & cocktail menu; you can enjoy classic dishes from Mexico, award-winning margaritas & the only indoor miniature golf course in DC. Sticky Rice serves up an unusual mix of American and Pan-Asian entrees in a friendly, inexpensive and inviting atmosphere. They specialize in a fresh sushi bar and also have several options for vegetarians and vegans. The Capital City Diner was built in 1947 and now serves breakfast all day, stays open all night on the weekends and an unlimited mimosa brunch. Also be sure to try: Matchbox Restaurant, Rock N Roll Hotel LLC and Granville Moore's Brickyard.

Sports Venues: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is the iconic home of DC United. FedEx Field is where you can catch a Redskins game. See the MLB Washington Nationals play at Nationals Park. The Verizon Center and ESPN Zone are also nearby.

Shopping: Whether you need to go shopping for housewares, back-to-school clothes for the kids, or you and pampering yourself, NE & SE DC is not far from several world-class shopping destinations including: Macy's Downtown-Metro Center, Gallery Place, Union Station Shops, and The Shops at Georgetown Park - just to name a few.

Museums: The National Museum-American Indian is located on the National Mall between the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol Building and is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life and languages of the American Indian. The Smithsonian National Postal Museum is located in the old Post Office building next to Union Station in DC. The Museum was created by an agreement between the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Postal Service in 1990 and was opened to the public in 1993. Newseum is a 250,000 square-foot museum of news on Pennsylvania Ave. Other places to spend your day and learn something while you’re at it: the U.S. Capitol, Folger Shakespeare Library, Museum of American History, Freer Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, and the Sculpture Garden.

Entertainment: Warner Theatre is a performing arts venue in Washington DC, that was originally built as a 1920’s movie palace and is now host to plays, musicals, dance and live music performances. Ford's Theatre produces musicals and plays reflecting family values and American life in the historic theater in which Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Shakespeare Theatre Company: Sidney Harman Hall presents classic theatre in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights’ language and intentions while viewing their work through a 21st-century lens.

Recreation: The Joy of Motion Dance Center offers dance classes in several genres such as: jazz, modern, ballet, tap, flamenco, belly dance, broadway jazz, street jam, afro jazz, yoga, stretch and align, and swing dancing. Also enjoy a day at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center or the Langston Golf Course & Driving Range.