The White House Area and Foggy Bottom

In a city full of immediately recognizable images, perhaps none is more familiar than the White House. But, no matter how magnificent, it doesn't completely overshadow the neighborhood's other wonders, some of the city's oldest houses and two important art galleries: the Renwick Gallery—the Smithsonian's museum of American decorative arts—and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, known for its collections of photography, European impressionist paintings, and post-World War II American art. To the west, Foggy Bottom—a name earned years ago when smoke from factories combined with swampy air to produce a permanent fog along the waterfront—has three main claims to fame: the State Department, the Kennedy Center, and George Washington University. Although the street life tapers off once you leave Pennsylvania Avenue, and many of the 19th-century architectural gems have been replaced by generic office buildings, there are pockets of Foggy Bottom that remain exquisitely charming.