A Guide to Georgetown, D.C.

GEORGETOWN, D.C.

Founded in 1751

View from the Georgetown Waterfront

I recently got back from a two week long trip to Washington, D.C. I went there for an entrepreneurship camp at Georgetown University and then a political conference with the Young America's Foundation. I spent the majority of my trip in Georgetown. Being from California, I have never been to a place quite like it. With a few cobblestone streets (those still exist?) and tons of historical brick buildings, walking through the town was like a dream. All I needed was a coach with a horse and maybe a long, poofy dress and I would have been in the colonial times. It was amazing to see some of the side streets even more than the main ones like M street and Wisconsin because the emptier ones have been left alone a bit more. Anyway, if you are visiting the D.C. area, Georgetown is a must not only for shopping and dining, but just to walk around. I'll break down my stay into a few categories for you.

Lodging

Adorable brick houses on a side street

Though I'm sure there are a couple of upscale hotels in Georgetown, the real way to get a feel of the area is to rent one of the brick houses for a few nights. I was lucky enough to have a friend from home living with her family in Georgetown for a month, so I stayed with her for four nights. Their house was close to the corner of N street and Wisconsin Ave. which made it right in the middle of everything. My friend and I could walk anywhere in no time. I'm sure renting a house like this is pretty pricey, but check out airbnb to see if it's something you can afford. If you need to stay in Washington, it's really easy to bob on over to Georgetown.

Transportation

Capital Bikeshare photocreds

In Georgetown specifically, it's probably easiest to walk everywhere. I would not advise renting a car during your vacation because there is so much traffic. To get to Washington, D.C., I would either Uber (which will cost anywhere between $8 and $15), take the metro from Foggy Bottom which is a little less than a mile from the heart of Georgetown, or if it was nice outside, I would rent a Capital Bikeshare bike for $2 for 30 minutes, and I would take the beautiful bike path along the Potomac River that pops you out close to the Lincoln Memorial. Once you get into Washington, there are bike stations everywhere where you can turn in your bike. Then once you're finished sight seeing or whatever took you to Washington, you can find another station and rent a new bike for $2 to take to Georgetown. Riding bikes was my favorite mode of transportation because it's cheap, pretty, and only takes about 15 minutes if you take the bike path from Georgetown's waterfront to the Lincoln Memorial. Taking an Uber can take longer depending on traffic, and it's way more expensive. The metro is definitely cheap, but it is a pretty long walk from M Street to Foggy Bottom, the nearest station to Georgetown.

Dining

French toast at Boulangerie Christophe

A little crepe store on M Street

Got my Laduree macaron <3

Milkshakes and burgers at The Tombs 

Salted Caramel Georgetown Cupcakes were to die for

The food in Georgetown is AMAZING. I ate my way through that town like nobody's business and I probably gained a few pounds, but it was worth it. Okay so I'm going to break my favorite places up by brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert. 

For brunch, my favorite places were Boulangerie Christophe on Wisconsin Ave. It was a French bakery with a restaurant upstairs and served such a good brunch. Also, there is a place in an alley off M Street called Kafe Leopold. They also had a delicious brunch menu. Both of these restaurants had beautiful desserts, too. 

For lunch, the European style market Dean and Deluca had a great deli where I got plenty of club sandwiches during my stay. Also, if you're looking for something way more affordable, try Falafel Inc. It's $4 for a delicious Falafel wrap. If you don't know what falafel is, ask the guy at the counter because he is the nicest guy ever. I think he might've been the owner...? Not really sure, but everyone in there is so friendly. Also, Martin's Tavern is a great place for lunch. It has a fun vibe to it and isn't very fancy like a lot of places can be. I never tried dinner at Martin's, but I'm sure it would also be great. Another place for lunch or dinner is the Tombs. Right next to Georgetown University, the Tombs is a really cool college hang out where you can get great shakes and burgers. The waiters are really nice and friendly there. 

For dinner, I usually ate at some of the places I listed for lunch, or I went to Washington to eat at other restaurants. In Washington, I went to places like the Hamilton, the Dubliner, and a Texas barbecue place where I ate enough food to feed an elephant.

Lastly, dessert. I had so many fun desserts while staying in Georgetown from cupcakes to tarts to crepes. Georgetown Cupcake is famously known, and though the line takes forever, it is worth a try. Plus, if you look on their website, every day they have a "cupcake of the day" which is free! Not a lot of tourists know about this, but it's definitely something to look for. Another cupcake place is called Baked and Wired. A lot of people claim that this bakery is superior to Georgetown Cupcakes, but I think that they're equally good. I got a strawberry cupcake at Baked and Wired and it was delicious. For ice cream, you could always head over to Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Dazs on M street, but the best ice cream in town has to be Thomas Sweet on Wisconsin Ave. I got a hot fudge brownie sundae there and it was so good! The line there can be pretty long, too, but they're open late into the night for those late night sugar cravings. My friend and I found a little crepe place on M street, and I don't remember what it was called, but they were so friendly, and the crepes were sooo good. I got a nutella and strawberry crepe with strawberry ice cream and whipped cream on top. It was like a full meal. The other desserts I had while staying in Georgetown were just little tarts and things from French bakeries like Boulangerie Christophe.

The food is pretty pricey in Georgetown, so if you're staying there for an extended amount of time, I would go to Safeway on Wisconsin and get some groceries to make a few of your own meals!

Shopping!

Lilly Pulitzer (obviously!)

The upstairs at Kate Spade

Vineyard Vines: A must when you're on the East Coast

Where do I even begin? The shopping in Georgetown is fantastic. All of my favorite stores that I don't see very often in California (Vineyard Vines, Lilly Pulitzer, etc) were all there. Also, since I was there around the 4th of July, everyone was having a sale! I didn't end up buying much (because I spent so much money on food oops), but I spent a lot of time looking around at J Crew, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and more. Most of the shops are on M street, and the ones that aren't on M are on Wisconsin. You can walk everywhere. They have a lot of preppy stores but they also throw in places like Free People so there's a pretty good mix. I planned on buying some Lilly Pulitzer things, but then I remembered that their annual sale is coming up soon so I decided to wait.

Other Things To Do

Georgetown University

Historic Houses

Gardens <3

You don't have to spend a ton of money to have a good time in Georgetown. Sure the shopping and dining are amazing, but just to walk around and see the buildings is fun! I stayed in the dorms at Georgetown University for a week for a summer camp, and if you are visiting the area, take a tour of campus! It's beautiful and has some cool places to take pictures (the steps from the Exorcist, anyone?). There are also some really historic buildings randomly scattered throughout the town. Take some time to look those up online and go see them! The waterfront is also a nice place to walk especially at sunset. Georgetown is a beautiful town, and I really recommend going there even if it's just for a day while you stay in D.C.