AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, THE

Secured Lender, The, Jul/Aug 2006 by Wubbe, Eileen

Washington, D.C. is filled with museums, art galleries and monuments and is also home to a variety of diverse neighborhoods, some just outside the Capitol. This year's CFA Convention will be held October 25-27, 2006, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, the city's largest hotel.

D.C. comprises about 500,000 residents and is divided into four quadrants: northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast, with the U.S. Capitol marking the center. Sweeping avenues cut through Washington, which are crossed by numbered letters and streets. At several of the city's key intersections lie circles, often adorned with monuments, statuary and fountains. Running northwest between the Capitol and the White House is the city's main artery, Pennsylvania Avenue, often the scene of parades and inaugurations. Massachusetts Avenue, running parallel to Pennsylvania Avenue, is home to Union Station and Dupont Circle, which is central to the area known as Embassy Row. Constitution Avenue runs east-west, flanking the Capitol and the National Mall, while Connecticut Avenue runs directly north and intersects the neighborhoods of Dupont Circle and eventually leads to the National Zoo.

Outside of the Capitol, you'll find an array of neighborhoods to suit your taste, whether it's a walk though the streets of Georgetown, where you can marvel at the quaint Victorian rowhouses and antique shops, or the funky ethnic restaurants in the city's Adams-Morgan neighborhood. Most of the city's attractions and neighborhoods are in the northwest quad, with a few in the southwest. Several of Washington's monument sites require tickets and have security requirements so, before setting out to tour in D.C., call in advance to make sure places are open and accept visitors and tours.

Capitol Hill

Most of Washington's neighborhoods are often best explored by foot. Aside from cabs, another convenient way to get around is Washington's ultra-clean Metrorail system. The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel's train stop is the Woodley Park Zoo-Adams Morgan on the Red Line, just three stops away from Metro Center, where all lines interconnect except Yellow and Green, which stop at Gallery Place and Chinatown. Once at Metro Center, you can remain on the Blue or Orange lines to the next two stops, which are Federal Triangle and the Smithsonian near the Mall.

"The Hill" is home to the Capitol building, the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Folger Shakespeare Library, Union Station and the U.S. Botanic Garden. Soak up some history with a tour of the Capitol while admiring the hundreds of paintings, sculptures and other artwork. Completed under Lincoln's direction while the Civil War was being fought, The Capitol's Rotunda is a 96-foot-wide circular hall capped by a 180-foot dome. Ten presidents have lain in state here, Ronald Reagan being the most recent. The walls contain eight oil paintings commemorating moments such as the presentation of the Declaration of Independence. The Capitol's National Sanctuary Hall was originally the chamber of the House of Representatives. Free guided tours of the Capitol last about 30 minutes and require a pass. (Tel: 202-225-6827)

A visit to the Supreme Court allows you to hear a case being argued when Court is in session (starting the first Monday in October, continuing through late April). The Court "sits" for two weeks of each month to hear arguments, Monday through Wednesday, two to four arguments each day, from 10 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. When the court is not in session, you can tour the building and attend a lecture in the courtroom about the building's architecture and the Court procedure. (One 1st St., between E. Capitol St. And Maryland Ave. NE; 202-479-3000)

The city is home to the world's largest library, the Library of Congress, with a collection of 128 million items-that's 532 miles of shelves throughout the library's three buildings. The buildings also boast impressive architecture, particularly the ornate Italian Renaissance-style Thomas Jefferson Building, with floor mosaics of Italian marble and more than 100 murals. (101 Independence Ave. SE at 1st St. SE; free admission; Madison Bldg., Mon-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.. Jefferson Bldg., Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; 202-707-8000)

For all things Shakespeare-related, head to The Folger Shakespeare Library, named after Amherst student Henry Clay Folger, who took a great interest in Shakespeare after hearing a lecture by Ralph Waldo Emerson about the bard. The Library houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's works with around 256,000 books, 116,000 of which are rare works from before 1801. It also has an Elizabethan garden with flowers and herbs from that time period. Walk-in tours are offered daily beginning at 11 a.m, and on Saturday at 1 p.m. (201 E. Capitol St., SE; Free admission, Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; 202-544-3600)

To get a dose of summertime again, head over to the United States Botanic Garden, located at the foot of the Capitol, next door to the Museum of the American Indian. The conservatory holds 4,000 living species and roughly 26,000 plants as well as "The Jungle" enclosure of palms, ferns and vines, an Orchid Room and a primeval garden. Slated to open on October 1, 2006, outside of the conservatory is the National Garden, home of the First Ladies Water Garden and a formal rose garden. (100 Maryland Ave. SW, between 1st and 3rd Sts. SW; free admission, open daily, 10 a.m-5 p.m.; 202-225-8333)