Dupont Circle

Fashionable, vibrant Dupont Circle has a cosmopolitan air owing partly to its many restaurants, shops, and specialty bookstores. It's also home to the most visible segment of Washington's gay community. This neighborhood is especially popular in the warmer months, when 17th Street becomes a scene—witnessed by drinkers and diners enjoying the strip's countless outdoor eating and drinking establishments—and the round green in the middle of Dupont teems with sunbathers, chessmasters, and musicians. The exclusive Kalorama neighborhood to the northwest is a peaceful, tree-lined enclave filled with embassies and luxurious homes. For a glimpse of that "beautiful view," look down over Rock Creek Park's 1,800 acres of green, where there's a planetarium, an 18-hole golf course, and equestrian and bicycle trails.