RELATED LINKS Return to Washington, D.C. City Guide

This Colonial-era port town on the Potomac was incorporated into the nation's capital in 1871, but to this day it retains an insular, village-like character quite distinct from the monumental side of Washington, D.C. Today Georgetown is one of the city's most exclusive neighborhoods to call home, and the lively commercial district along M Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW offers visitors a pleasing mix of early Americana, trendy boutiques and eclectic dining. Georgetown also has become a magnet for youth-oriented nightlife, especially on weekends when the pubs and music clubs are packed with after-hours revelers.

In addition to shady lanes lined with well-preserved Colonial row houses, Georgetown historical attractions include the Old Stone House (www.nps.gov), a humble pre-Revolutionary home that has been preserved as a museum of late-18^th-century life; Dumbarton House (www.dumbartonhouse.org), an elegant Federal-period mansion displaying artifacts from the early days of American independence; Oak Hill Cemetery, an atmospheric 19^th-century burial ground with striking Gothic Revival funerary architecture by James Renwick, designer of the Smithsonian's Castle building; and the southern terminus of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/choh), which preserves an important 19^th-century commercial waterway.

Georgetown is one top D.C. attraction that's not served by Metrorail, but frequent shuttles serve the Georgetown commercial district from the three nearest Metro stations, Rosslyn, Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle. See www.georgetowndc.com for fare and schedule information. The absence of a Metro station means there are usually lots of taxis cruising the streets of Georgetown, and if you're not in a hurry, it's a pleasant daytime walk (weather permitting, of course) from Foggy Bottom or Dupont Circle.