Georgetown— A piece of Italy in America?

GeorgetownPhoto by Author

A pinch of classic Europe

I was my impression when visiting Georgetown in Washington DC.

In the spring of 2022, I had the great pleasure of visiting the city of Washington DC. The truth is that after reading the book “The Lost Symbol”, I became obsessed with knowing the capital of the United States and walking as close as possible to the different buildings and historical monuments described by Dan Brown in the novel.

Willard InterContinental WashingtonPhoto by Author

National Portrait GalleryPhoto by Author

However, although it was majestic to see the White House, the Capitol, the Abraham Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument, among others, it was lovely to get to know a neighborhood known by many, but ignored by thousands of tourists: Georgetown.

In downtown Washington, we took a bus, which, free of charge, took us to this charming place, which we toured and enjoyed walking for a few hours.

Shops, restaurants, beautiful victorian houses, and, above all, gorgeous landscapes were some experiences we enjoyed without spending much money. I would describe it as a walk through a magical neighborhood just minutes from reality.

A bit of history and geography

According to Capture The Atlas Website:

Georgetown is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in the city, north of the Lincoln Memorial on the banks of the Potomac River. It gained tremendous popularity in the 1960s, as the Kennedy family gave it a tremendous boost."

President John Kennedy and Jacqueline met here, and she returned to the neighborhood after becoming a widow.Its main street, the M, has a lot of local food specialties; you can find pastry shops, cupcakes shops, eco cafes, cheese shops, steak houses, greengrocers, sandwich bars, and more, plus a lot of small clothing boutiques."

Personally, just walking and enjoying its beautiful architecture was special for me, but if you are more demanding, in this space of only 1,172 square miles you can do many interesting things.

The Official Washington DC Website suggests a list of places and things we can do, like for example:

• Shopping: no trip to Georgetown is complete without some retail therapy. Fashionistas know to look for designer clothes at Alice & Olivia, Billy Reid, and Rag & Bone along with department store branches and local boutiques.
• Enjoy the sea view: Georgetown's waterfront is home to tons of great restaurants, many including Sequoia, Tony and Joe's Seafood Place, Farmers Fishermen Bakers, and Fiola Mare, which offer patio seating in good weather and plenty of outdoor activities.

Chesapeake–Ohio CanalPhoto by Author

• Stroll through the C&O channel: visitors can also see this area of Georgetown from a unique vantage point thanks to a new Canal Boat offering hour-long guided tours.

I would add enjoying delicious food in some of its many restaurants, and trying a dessert in some of its bakeries, although I warn you that you will have to wait in line to enjoy it.

Photo by Author

As a tourist, I was delighted to see such a charming and romantic place, and I invite both other tourists and Americans who have not visited the neighborhood, to pay a visit, you will not regret it!