It's my first Theme Day! This was really very challenging. How do you pick a favorite part of town in a city you love so much? I thought about including Chinatown, for it's hustle and bustle and cultural diversity, or Dupont, with its bars and restaurants and central fountain that makes the city feel like a neighborhood. For that matter, I could have included my own neighborhood, where I feel at home amongst colorful rowhouses and friendly people that know my name. Georgetown gets my vote for the prettiest part of the city for its traditional architecture and English high-street charm. But when it comes to my favorite part of Town--the place where I'm happiest--it's usually at the Reynolds Center in Chinatown.
The Reynolds Center is a Smithsonian Museum complex made up of the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. In the middle lies Kogod Courtyard, a large, covered area that joins the two museums together. One of the perks of being an academic is that this is frequently my office for the afternoon. My best days are spent there with friends, discussing books and ideas over delicious, albeit overpriced, museum cafe coffee and cupcakes.
