Penn Quarter & Chinatown

By evening, theaters (both movie and live performance) fill up with throngs of people, including the classically minded Shakespeare Theatre Company and the avant-garde Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

If you’re a history buff, Ford’s Theatre, where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, is restored to look much as it did that night, and also holds an artifact-filled museum. Expand your Civil War-era knowledge further with a trip to Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum, where the legendary caretaker tended to wounded Civil War soldiers.

Restaurants from celeb chefs like José Andrés anchor a vibrant dining scene, with dozens of eateries, including high-style, high-end spots at CityCenterDC and down-home options just two blocks north in Chinatown (just look for the colorful Friendship Archway, which marks the latter and features 272 dragons). And when you've found the Archway, look for the nearby Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center, whose rooftop bar, Crimson View, offers the best bird's eye view of Chinatown. 

There’s also a buzzing bar scene at spots along Sixth and Seventh streets NW to tune into the Washington Capitals NHL hockey team or the Washington Wizards NBA team, just steps away from their home arena. The District’s Capital One Arena typically hosts everything from professional sports teams to American rock icons, plus intimate film and stage theaters, and it’s no surprise there’s action here from early til late.