All Reviews by El J.

I've lived in Washington for 8 years and am on my third landlord. It may simply be because I'm living in a nicer building now than when I first moved here, but so far, Daro has been an excellent landlord. The building is clean and well cared for, they regularly schedule visits from pest control rather than waiting for complaints, and if you put in a maintenance request (whether small or large) the request is usually filled within 24 hours. I might just have good staff working in my building, but I'm assuming it comes from the top.

I'm used to shopping for wines in either a liquor store or a grocery store, where you walk past shelves packed with bottles, with little distinguishing one from another. So I was delighted to find Best Cellars, north of Dupont Circle on Connecticut. They probably have less the 50 wines for sale at any given time, but they have them displayed artfully, with excellent descriptions that allow you to compare a wine to the wine next to it. The staff is knowledgeable / helpful, the atmosphere is great, and the selection more than covers your needs. And all at an amazingly affordable price.

When I first moved to Dupont Circle 8 years ago, there were 3 music shops within one block in Dupont Circle. Now two of the three have been replaced by retail clothing stores, but fortunately one still stands. And probably for good reason: it was always a notch above the others in terms of quality and variety. The store has music from around the world and tends to cater toward that random record that you wouldn't necessarily be able to find at Best Buy, or wherever it is that people shop for music nowadays.

It's tough to tell the taxi companies apart in DC, but if you're heading to Dulles and need a cab, Washington Flyer is a reliable way to go. Their cars are clean, and they specialize in going back and forth from Dulles...considering they have a monopoly on taxi services leaving Dulles. A trip from the District to Dulles will likely run you approximately $50. You can call ahead and arrange a time for one of the cars to come to your home.

If you have out-of-town guests visiting you in DC, be sure to have them take the Old Town Trolley tour. The trolleys have pickup spots all over DC, and you can hop on and hop off at every place. The trolley takes you through great areas of the city - the Mall, Embassy Row, the National Cathedral, the zoo. Plus, you can send your guests out for the day and know they'll be taken care of in case you can't check out the sights with them.

I was really excited about the opening of the Spy Museum downtown, but I was somewhat disappointed after I visited. The price of admission was really high (I want to say $15), and there was way too much reading. While the reading was no doubt informative, you want a spy museum to be like a Bond movie: more entertainment than substance. Unfortunately the museum has chosen to focus on the more mundane aspects of spying. Try for yourself, but I'm not sure I'd recommend taking out of town guests or kids there.

Considering almost every museum in DC is free, you might not think to check out the Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle, but it shouldn't be missed. The museum is in a mansion, similar to the Barnes Collection outside of Philadelphia except the building is not quite as extravagant, and the art is all approachable and intimate. There is usually a visiting exhibit, almost all of reknowned artists, but be careful, the place can get packed on weekends.

Coming from Philadelphia, the home of the jazz haus, I was elated when I discovered H.R. 57 on 14th Street, a bring your own drink established that had live jazz two nights a week. Well I've been there twice, and I'm sad to report that I was disappointed on both occasions. I'm still not willing to give up on the place, but I felt like I was watching high school performances rather than real jazz musicians.

Ginza on Connecticut Avenue in Dupont has a great selection of Asian (mainly Japanese) gifts, clothes and things for the home. The atmosphere makes you feel like you're in Japan...including the fact that it's almost always crowded. You can get everything there, from robes / slippers, to bonzai trees, to dinnerware, books, candy, as well as some small furniture.