Having grown up in DC its so nostalgic to see you visit all of these monuments. As a kid I think I got to go on fieldtrips at almost all of these locations and I didn't realize how lucky I was to do that until much later in life. If you can get a chance to walk around Georgetown I highly recommend it, both the neighborhood and the university proper are awesome to explore.
@@RandomDudeOne i thought you were kidding when you said exorcist stairs! Looked it up and no you were right! Now I kinda wanna go check it out. (But I live like 5 hours away :/ )
*I’d say it’s more like Canberra but with a population. All of these landmarks are adjacent to businesses and homes at a level of density comparable to other US cities. Other than the National Mall, the park-like mature of much of DC’s corridors and sight lines was a 20th century development after the city was already built up, whereas in Canberra it was the foundational idea and actual urban development came after.
@@keeganharris186 l'enfant was actually kind of controversial at the time. he and jefferson had wildly different plans for what dc should look like. l'enfant wanted grand, like europe, and jefferson wanted pastoral, a simple setting for his ideal small government. washington actually fired l'enfant before he was finished and the plan was completed by a man named andrew ellicott
@@SamAronow I'd say the level of density is similar to old East Coast cities like NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, etc, but is quite a bit higher that the more Western, newer cities like Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, etc.
Super interesting to see an outsider’s perspective of the city! Not just that of a non-DMVer, but the conceptions of a non-American at that! Some of my personal favorite underrated places in the city would be the US National Botanical Gardens (Literally a stone’s throw from the Capitol), the National Arboretum, National Cathedral and Eastern Market. Even though it’s in VA, I think the Torpedo Factory arts center and all the stuff in Old Town Alexandria is super fun. Lincoln’s Summer Cottage is a super interesting place to tour that most people don’t know about. By far my favorite hidden gem though, would be Theodore Roosevelt Island, which is a small little nature island on the Potomac with a lot of tributes to Teddy Roosevelt that I felt almost no one knows about. Hopefully you’ll be in the city long enough to see the cherry blossoms!
Very true, Roosevelt Island is great for walking/hiking. And the Botanical Garden is awesome, but I really only go during Christmas time cuz of all the stuff they do.
The national botanical gardens are very awesome. I have always eneded up n visiting DC in the winter so the gardens are also a nice break from the cold
Also a big fan of Gravelly Point. For those who don't know, it's a park that is directly behind the runway at DCA. Great picnic spot where planes land right over your head. Also has a really nice path which runs along the Potomac
I was always a fan of the Korean War memorial. It’s a bunch of hyper detailed statues sneaking through foliage. When you go in the morning, just as the sun is coming up, it can get all foggy and dramatic. Such a cool vibe
It's in the middle of some construction now, getting an addition of a wall with the names of American and Korean soldiers that died, circling the pool. Should be done late summer.
Native Virginian here, went up to DC all the time. As an adult, I've found Embassy Row, and all of the random monuments/things surrounding it, to the most interesting part of the city to me.
@@patrickkirby6580 I can’t speak for Jacob, but usually people who say they’re native of a state mean that they were born there. Native Americans will often identify with the tribe or nation that they are part of. Examples would include Cherokee, Cree, Yakama…. I’ve never heard a Native American identify as being native to a state.
Agreed! The coolest thing is that every year there’s one day where like 60 embassies have an open day, where you can walk in and experience some of the cultural stuff from their home countries! It’s basically like an embassy crawl. They also often have some free drinks ;)
One lesser-known museum in DC that I would have heartily recommended had you visited a bit earlier is the Newseum, which unfortunately closed in 2019. I went on multiple field trips there growing up and it was really cool to see them present a portion of the long history of journalism in the United States. They had a sizeable section of the Berlin Wall on display with information on the role of the media in the wall’s history, an exhibit on the origins of American investigative journalism in the 19th century, a large hall with displayed newspapers reporting the biggest story of every year of US history, and a lot more cool stuff that I’m probably forgetting; it’s a shame that no one can see it anymore.
Damn shame the national air and space museum was closed, it's my favorite museum. After 9/11 none of the museums were closed but since the plane hit the pentagon no one really wanted to go out and do touristy stuff...so my mom took me and brother out (we were small children at the time) and we had basically free reign of all these really cool museums, it was her own personal stance against terrorism, that she wouldn't be intimidated out of enjoying her hometown.
When you see the early capsules used in Mercury and Apollo missions it's shocking. First, they look like something someone built in their garage, and second, your phone probably has more computing power. It definitely raises my esteem for the men that summoned the bravery to climb inside these things.
Thanks to covid a lot of the museums are on a super limited schedule and only open certain days of the week. I feel kinda bad for tourists right now. It's more difficult to get to without a car, but I think the Air and Space museum out by Dulles is better then the one on the mall, simply because it has more room to display the giant aircraft and a space shuttle.
The larger Udvar Hazy Air and Space museum is also quite nice. It has larger craft like the SR-71 and the space shuttle. It outside the city in London County. They’ve also been restoring an X-Wing!
JJ, one thing in DC you’d definitely like is “Embassy Row.” It’s a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest DC that is known for having lots of embassies all very close to each other. Pre-COVID, they made a thing of it and would throw open houses and even hosted trick or treaters. A really cool way for the embassies to become a part of the city’s culture, and also an interesting study in how countries jockey for prized locations for their embassy in foreign capitals. Plus, very fun to see all the flags in a row.
@@TheTroyc1982 difference is the cherry blossoms in DC are around all the major monuments. It's not like just seeing a normal blossom around a city. It really adds to the grandness of DCs attractions. Definitely something you gotta see in person.
@@LiamYessayian It's meant to be a nationwide opportunity for all graduating 8th graders. Or at least all graduating 8th graders from families with the money to send them.
George Washington's home Mt Vernon is about 15 miles outside of DC on the bank of the Potomac river. A very nice tour with insight to 18th century America.
I'm living here in the DC area, and when I first moved here it was wild how you'd just happen to stumble across so many monuments and important organizations, both famous and obscure. Eventually you kinda get used to going "yeah my grocery store is a couple blocks from the Pentagon" but even now and then the awe of it all bubbles up again for a second.
Since the air and space museum in the city is closed, I'd recommend Steven F. Udvar-Hazy air and space museum in Dulles, VA. It's just south of Dulles Airport and quite a bit bigger, plus it's a personal favorite as a nova local.
Agreed 💯, as a local the annex is fairly easy to get to especially with it's proximity to the airport/metro, and it's a great way to kill a day even if it's cold outside. You can really get your steps in, the place is huge!
The African American museum in DC is one of the best museums I’ve ever been to. It starts on the lower floors with slavery & as you go up the floors there are exhibits on the civil war and civil rights. Then at the top of the museum there’s a load of stuff celebrating black culture with sports displays (Muhammad Ali & Michael Jordan) and music etc. Chuck Berry’s car is really cool.
@@sarasamaletdin4574 Mainly the layout. You can't get to the cultural exhibits without going through the heavy exhibits on slavery & civil rights. Makes you appreciate it so much more.
@@sarasamaletdin4574 it's such a comprehensive look at the history of African Americans. I tried reading everything but I couldn't even get through in one day
Oh man- all of the random public statues that are hidden throughout DC are fascinating. You can find everyone from Dante Alighieri to Winston Churchill, and just about every Greek god/figure in American history. Would highly recommend doing some sleuthing!
I know Athens is the "birthplace of democracy", and Greco-Roman idealism is what the designers was trying to perfect, but the shear amount of statues dedicated to the gods is just ridiculous .
I'm Canadian as well and I've been to DC about ten years ago, I really enjoyed my visit there. I liked that most of the museums were free, it was very accessible. The city is jammed packed with important monuments and the planning of the city is very different than most other North American cities as the city center is rather small compared to its suburb due to the small size of the district and the high-rise ban. The Canadian embassy is a very big and central building, just a stone throw away from the Capitol building, I guess it shows the strong ties between our two nations.
I honestly love how you as a channel definitely distinguish the unique differences between American and Canadian cultures, but you also treat them as they are both a part of the singular history of the entire english speaking continent. Lovely
For sure, the US and Canada are lucky to be so close to each other. They have their differences at times but play very nicely off each other's differences
@@brremsilverte.9022 I specified English Speaking part of the continent because mexico is a part of the continent and their national language is Spanish. its not that hard to grasp, buddy lmao
As someone who grew up in the suburbs of Washington the city's important landmarks always seemed banal to me. So I always love to see visitors so enthralled with our landmarks. I also remember being told by my parents that this region of the nation has much more political discussion due to the proximity to the capital. I'm glad you enjoyed the city! Try to come when the Metro doesn't suck as much and when the cherry blossoms bloom! Also, next time try to see the Pentagon! I find most visitors (including me) are surprised by its scale.
If you do go to the Pentagon, be sure to check out the Pentagon Memorial on the outside, which commemorates the victims of the 9/11 attacks. That is another of the solemn memorials, with each person having a stone bench with some information about them.
I feel like that with Route 66. I literally live two minutes, walking, from it. As a little kid I was a bit confused why people wrote songs about the street with the Walmart. Lol. You always look at that stuff differently when you live by it
Lived in the DC area for two years while completing my Master’s at the Catholic University of America. If you ask me, Ethiopian food has become a quintessential part of DC culture. Tons of great restaurants, especially in Maryland in the Silver Springs area.
I’ve lived in the suburbs DC my whole life and trips into the city to see the monuments have been an important part of my life since i was little. A very common conversation in my family is ranking our favorite monuments (mine is the FDR memorial). This video brought back so many memories!
As someone who lives in Silver Spring, it might not be my absolute favorite but the TR memorial is pretty cool, without the loud planes into national every 5 minutes it would be my favorite.
The House of Sweden is one of the only embassies that is open to the public every weekend! It is in Georgetown and accessible by bus and Circulator (only $1 per trip) They are open from 12-5 every weekend, have some rotating exhibitions, and an amazing rooftop with views of the Kennedy Center, Watergate, and Roosevelt Island. Also, you can see a clone of the tree that dropped an apple on Isaac Newton's head near the Van Ness metro stop. A quick google search will get you more specific directions. Also there are two secret Kilroys engraved near the Delaware and Pennsylvania pillars of the WWII monument.
You should go to downtown Annapolis while you’re in the area. All the buildings are the same ones that existed during the colonial era, also the naval academy is a phenomenal visit
DC is the only place I ever visiting where I actually acted like a tourist! All of these iconic structures and locations that were engrained in me, had now come to life! What impressed me most was the fact that all federal museums and monuments were free. Even the national zoo! The down size had been the high security making it feel not quite as free as the country makes itself out to be. Only real downside I can say is the fact that the city itself is rather depressed and dangerous in many areas close to the federal attractions. It means keeps yourself very aware of your surroundings and to be aware that situations can change fast. All in all I would go again. top pick is the Smithsonian. just amazing!!
As a native Baltimorean I’d recommend coming up to Baltimore for a day trip if possible. It’s a fun city with lots of historical stuff. There are also a lot of cultural elements unique to Baltimore, including Cafe Hon, American Visionary Art Museum, and the obsession with crabs. Also Ft McHenry is pretty cool to see given its importance to the Star Spangled Banner and therefore American culture broadly. There is a good story to that fort and Francis Scott Key.
The cherry blossoms are the most magical, beautiful part of dc, I wish everyone could get a chance to see them!!☹️ There’s a yearly ~2 week festival when the trees blossom and it’s just amazing. Also connected to so many great memories for me 🥺☺️ thx for this video, just wanna echo the other DMV natives comments about how interesting it is to see someone’s first visit!
I won't lie initially I wasn't too thrilled at a "J.J. walks around a place" video because of the restrictive nature of them, and while this is still simple and restricted in nature, the editing and script has made it one of my favorite jj videos even though it's really subtle compared to the recent stuff
@@matthewlawton9241 I don't know if I would say at all, certain things are moreso than others (white house, pentagon, and capitol building especially due to recent events) but it's not as much as people anticipate.
I like JJ’s sentiments at the end. Contrast to a lot of American things, our capitol is mostly accessible and free, which is cool! I remember visiting DC IN 8th grade and seeing the majority of things that were in this video. One interesting detail that does go along with the image of security is that there aren’t really any public trash cans in recreational areas.
I visited DC as a 14 year old tourist from India. It fascinated me even more than Disneyland with the incredible museums and the Mall. It really felt like the capital of the richest and most powerful country in the world.
The architecture is facinating, showing how much the founding fathers of the United States sought to associate with ancient Greece, as a birthplace of democracy and philosopy, and the old Roman Republic. Washington DC can be viewed as an attempt to create a new Rome, but not one centered around Imperial Emperors, like Constantinople or Moscow, but on Republican ideals. Even ancient Roman and Greek gods were not safe from being used in symbolism with the American republic
They vary depending on country with more important countries having bigger ones closer to downtown. Canada actually has one of the biggest, only a few blocks away from the Capitol. Lots of them host various cultural events, I think in spring there's a day where they're all open to the public.
id rather he went and explored actual dc not just "washington" he literally just explored arlington cemetary and the national mall, theres so much more to see in dc but i get thats all most outsiders see
As someone from this area and can quite easily do a day trip to D.C via the MARC. I really hope you can visit Baltimore to see the Aquarium, Fort. McHenry, Camden Yards and Homewood field and if you are visiting on a Wednesdays Afternoon or Saturday come up to Classic Car shop near the I-83 expressway and ask the old man in the front as I am a huge fan of you.
The Udvar-Hazy Center, an extension of the Air and Space Museum, is located way out in the suburbs in Virginia, and it may not be open, but it is definitely a worthwhile trip. A lot more historical planes and a full space shuttle are there
Agree 1000% - I finally got there maybe 10 years ago and had my mind blown. The Shuttle and SR-71 grab attention, but I loved so much around those things like the airstream trailer of NASA’s, an F-4 phantom, or all the weird German WW2 experimental things. I love the classic DC “admission is free, $20 to park.”
Thanks for an interesting tour, J.J. I have two recommendations for you: 1. definitely try to go back when the Cherry blossoms are out. The views are magnificent, and I was there with Japanese students who were very appreciative. 2. If traffic and tourism are normal again, do NOT try to drive in, through or around the city during rush hour [which is several hours long] once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The traffic jam extents from Richmond to north of Baltimore. I hope you enjoy the Greco-Roman architecture! ☮☮☮
I will be honest when I went to city in 3rd grade years ago, my favorite place was the Washington Monument, unfortunately it had like 25 mph winds and was 10 degrees Fahrenheit, so that made it harder to enjoy
The National Museum of the American Indian is my favorite museum, they really lay out a complex history and current situation in as clear a way as possible.
So glad you took the opportunity to visit! I haven’t lived and worked in DC for very long, but I absolutely love the city and believe everyone who is able to should take the time to visit! So sorry you couldn’t see the air and space though, that’s my second favorite museum behind the national gallery…
I went to college in DC at GWU, I would also add to this list (in absolutely no particular order) checking out the DuPont Circle Fountain, Washington Circle Statue, The Exorcist Steps, U Street + (Ben’s Chili Bowl), Washington National Cathedral, Gravelly Point (where you can see the airplanes land), Get steak and eggs at Steak and Eggs, The National Arboretum, the view of DC from the Netherlands Carillon, and the Anacostia Community Museum.
As someone who lives in the area I can take a lot of these things for granted sometimes; it’s always nice being reminded that there are truly some amazing sights just outside my door! I’m bummed you couldn’t get into the air and space museum though, in the part of the museum where they work on the planes there’s an X-Wing prop from the new Star Wars movies being restored! And I’m not sure exactly where but I know it’s near 9th street; you’ll have to check out the exorcist stairs! They filmed the priest falling down this huge set of concrete stairs at the end of the movie in DC and I think it’s one of those hidden gems not everyone knows about. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip maybe I’ll see you around haha!
I grew up in the DMV and am so happy our schools made it a priority to have field trips to DC to see these types of things. I really feel that is was integral in my wanting to explore the world and learn more. Even more so, because my parents working just off the beltway, they never wanted to go up to DC outside of needing to for work. So I really appreciate the schools for making that happen for us. Teachers rock! Let them know you appreciate them, when you can.
I would love to see a part 2 of this as a DC native. I’ve seen most of the attractions on field trips and family outings. There’s a few I haven’t seen yet or I just don’t pay much attention to. It’s easy to take it for granted.
Man, good for you - I can attest that getting to all these places is a haul. I grew up in DC, attending school beside one missed landmark of the National Cathedral, but even I’ve never been to Cedar Hill. It’s completely beautiful.
I can’t believe this was his first time visiting DC!! He’s so into America & US politics, you’d have thought the nation’s capital would’ve been one of the first on his bucket list!
So glad to see that you visited my hometown! I love jogging by the FDR and Mason memorials since those are often the most empty (very impressed that you included it in this video). Growing up, I loved riding the metro, but the system has certainly seen better days (both due to Covid and a reduced fleet caused by an ongoing mechanical problem). My favorite “obscure” monuments are the titanic memorial (right next to the wharf), the “zero milestone” (near the White House), and the John Erickson Memorial (in between FDR and Lincoln Memorials). Also, I love the Awakening statue in National Harbor, MD, Union Station, and the “Transportation Walk” (outside of DOTs new headquarters by the ballpark). Lastly as a Canadian, I definitely recommend stopping by the Canadian Maple Grove! Trudeau planted it a couple years back to signify the bicentennial of peace between our nations. It’s right next to the FDR memorial.
All of the Smithsonian museums are wonderful to visit! As someone who lives here you take them for granted until you go to another city and have to pay for museums. As a modern art fan my favorites are the Hirshhorn and the East Building of the National Gallery (make sure to go to the roof to see the giant blue chicken). Also I think it's important for people to realize that DC is an actual city with real people living in it, not just a holding pen for politicians. It has a very distinct culture separate from politics! On that note I also highly recommend a visit to Howard University, which is in a fun part of the city. In that same neighborhood (U St./Cardozo) is also the famous 9:30 Club-- catch a show there! It's one of the best venues in the country!
Also! I'm sure it's probably near impossible now, but getting a tour of the Capitol building is really wonderful. It's breathtakingly grand and beautiful on the inside (which makes it even more jarring that anyone could walk in and think to smear feces on the walls, but hey).
I’m from DC, I have fond memories of going out with my mom to eat picnics on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. My favorite attractions are all the museums though!
Oval Office visit at the White House tour was interesting. It felt just like any other work place. In over all for an European visitor the whole place was just like visiting your grandmas childhood home. Cozy and low ceiling and narrow and warm. Very opposite to our palaces!
DC was awesome. I went to visit twice and have always enjoyed my time there. The funny thing about fords theater is how nondescript it is. One minute I was walking down the street and then suddenly was fords theater. It looks no different from any other shop on the street. If anyone is thinking about going themselves I’d recommend walking as much as you can. A lot of the important buildings are in walking distance of each other. (Also traffic is awful)
I'm so happy you finally get to visit my city! I'm sorry it's a bit of a pain getting around the city now with Metro's reduced service levels, but I would definitely try to get out and explore the outer neighborhoods of the city...you'll find a bunch of hidden monuments and sites just by walking around. I would also recommend doing an embassy self-walking tour (walk by the vacant Iranian Embassy), and venturing to Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon in Virginia, and Annapolis in Maryland, if you have the time. Some of the smaller embassies also do tours upon request (the Argentine embassy used to offer tango lessons, for example) but I am not sure if those are still going on because of COVID. The National Cathedral and the Basilica of the National Shrine are both pretty cool, too. If you want something outdoorsy, Rock Creek Park and Theodore Roosevelt Island are nice. Baltimore makes for a nice day trip, too, and is only a ~35 minute MARC train ride away.
I loved how informational this was and even though I never have been in Washington D.C. this video really immersed into the landscape of it almost as if I'm living in their right now and all these memorials look cool and seem to have a lot of history associated with it
Yeah dc is amazing, the arlington national cemetery is truly beautiful I was lucky enough to be able to lay the wreath on the tomb of the fallen soldier, what a beautiful and amazingly somber sight
Two times I went to Washington I was able to meet with my representative in their office buildings, and they had an aide take me on a tour of the capital building, which we got to via the (literal) underground railroad from the office building to the capital. Also it sucks that you missed out on the interiors of the capital and A&S museam, they're really quite stunning.
Being from the area I've never actually been inside, though my Dad went when it was open to the public in the 70's. He also got to go in the tunnels when contracting for the gov. The tunnels connect the capitol, Supreme Court and Library of Congress, as well as congressional offices.
Welcome to my hometown! So sad the weather wasn’t so nice and a lot was closed. I have to admit after all my years here I have never heard of the Japanese lantern!
Oh, and that massive church, National Basilica or something... I remember being in complete awe as a child tourist seeing all the artwork & history there. I remember something about the bell tower being the 2nd largest tower under the Washington Monument (I think), and just being fascinated by that place.
It's the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, on the Campus of the Catholic University of America. You can get there on the Metro, but the line and stop escape me at the moment.
@@Tokkemon Ah, that's it! I lived in Northern Virginia until I was 15, but have only been back to the state once in 20 years (and never to DC). Really that church is one of the few places I remember along with the sites JJ visited.
There's a general law restricting buildings in DC to less than 20 feet taller than the width of the surrounding streets or something like that, although a few later buildings have been given exemptions (like a Catholic cathedral)
[edit: this is false. See replies] No building can be taller than the capital dome. It's interesting because across the Potomac you immediately get much taller buildings. DC is deceptively low-rise for how populous the area is.
@@TheBabaloga That’s an urban legend. DC does have a law that limits the height of buildings, but it’s based mostly on the width of the adjacent street, not the height of the Capitol or the Washington Monument or anything else.
@@TheAlexSchmidt Everything in central DC is the same height, which can be creepy until someone points it out. Barcelona is similar; very "blocky" for miles. Height limit + popular land creates a flat-top cityscape. NYC's setback laws inspire the opposite extreme, with needle towers sprouting out of nowhere. Buy your neighbor's rights and stack them atop your own.
Living in DC, one thing I can recommend is Rock Creek Park. It’s not fantastically beautiful by any means, but it is very nice for being in the city and hikes can be very pleasant.
Was in Vancouver yesterday, wandering around the city, and was vaguely thinking it'd be really cool to randomly bump into you and say how much I enjoyed your content. Apparently you were on the other side of the continent the whole time! Glad you're enjoying D.C.
Hey JJ, great video. I grew up in the area, here's a few other things worth checking out if you get time: The air and space museum has a SECOND location called the Udvar-Hazy Center about 25 minutes past Arlington national cemetery. This location IS open and has "the big stuff" including the space shuttle Discovery and the Enola Gay - surreal to stand next to those. The american history museum is REALLY worth visiting too, tons of great artifacts from colonial times including the original "star spangled banner" as well as a "modern culture" exhibit with various famous movie and television props The natural history museum is also great and has huge collections of dinosaurs, minerals, gems, fossils, and all kinds of stuff. About 30 minutes south of DC is Mount Vernon, which was George Washington's home and where he is buried. The house and plantation is a museum now and they have reenactors doing tours. Also very surreal to see. They also have a GREAT restaurant on site that is amazing as well. About 45 minutes northeast of DC is Fort McHenry just outside Baltimore. This is the fort that Francis Scott Key saw being bombed when he wrote, "And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air" - it's also a museum and historical site, VERY surreal and moving. Have fun, hope it helps!
Me and my brothers went to visit DC in middle school, stayed at our aunt's place. She worked at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum at the time so we spent a lot of time there. Thinking about it is nostalgic even if I barely remember any of the exhibits lol My personal favorite thing to visit was the Japanese American Memorial To Patriotism During WWII (long name I know). It has this granite wall inscribed with the names of the Japanese-American Internment camps from ww2, as well as some other panels with the names of Japanese-Americans who died fighting in the war. There's a sculpture of two cranes entangled in barbed wire, and a little pool of water along with plenty of cherry blossom trees around. It felt very peaceful to me.
Welcome to the Capital City! If you go up towards NE, H street is a cool place to check out with all kinda of great bars and stores. It also has its own streetcar! Definitely worth a ride. There’s also the US Arboretum, which is more barren this time of year, but still a beautiful and peaceful place to enjoy. And if you dare venture down to SE, the navy yard and the Nationals stadium are both incredible places to spend time.
It’s not just get close, you can go inside a lot of places. We got a tour of the capital when my class went in 8th grade. Not sure if you went in the other places you showed like the Washington monument or holocaust museum but everywhere you went is worth going inside. You’ll have to come back sometime if they are closed now.
I came from Canada to DC on a school trip. I went and see the Lincoln memorial, Vietnam memorial and the wwII memorial. I was floored with how powerful these memorials were, able to instill such emotion
I remember on a school trip we went to the WWII memorial and met a WWII veteran. He told us stories about what it was like. It was a really cool experience. That was like 15 years ago. I wonder if that guy is still around.
Did you get a chance to see the Korean War Memorial? I find it more moving than the Vietnam Wall. The soldiers look a bit stylized and gaunt, like in a graphic novel.
I definitely recommend the Washington National Cathedral. It was damaged back in 2011 from an earthquake, but it’s a truly breathtaking building, even if you’re not religious. Worth a visit!
My wife and I went back in 2005, and my reaction to many things was exactly the same. Like "Oh.....it's really THAT place! It just looks smaller and more......actual than I imagined.".
Sometimes I forget how "grandiose" Washington DC tends to be for people outside of the metro area, because of its presence in pop culture and what not. For me watching this just seems like another boring old business trip with my dad, lol
As a DC area native I have to say - pro move doing DC tourism in the winter. Everyone comes from May to October, so if you go off season you feel like you have the whole place to yourself
It's cool to see DC with so much less security. Last time I was there was 2002 and it was not unusual to have bigger buffer zones in terms of where you were allowed to go.
Great new concept for a video. Please go to Boston Massacheusetts next, so much American history there (and the Samuel Adams brewery). Thanks JJ. Big love to you bro.
I went there on a school field trip a few years back and it was just so cool seeing and being so close to the most famous and important buildings in the country
One of my favourite things about DC is all the random embassies scattered thru town. I remember when I visited there were about 5 or 6 just on the way between my hotel and the closest subway stop. I would love a whole video about embassies!
You should see the Korean War memorial, it’s quite striking how unique each statue is. The first time I saw it was on a rainy, foggy day on a high school trip. As we approached the monument, it seemed like each statue was approaching us out of the fog. It is an incredibly moving tribute to an all too often overlooked war.
"I wonder why they put up this fence?" Hahahaha Thanks for giving a bit of a different perspective on some of the locations! I wasn't aware there's so much immediately surrounding The White House.
This took me back to when I visited DC with my eighth grade class in 2010! I got to visit most of the monuments you did. I only got to see the outside of Ford’s Theater. I hope you had a good trip JJ!
Having grown up in DC its so nostalgic to see you visit all of these monuments. As a kid I think I got to go on fieldtrips at almost all of these locations and I didn't realize how lucky I was to do that until much later in life. If you can get a chance to walk around Georgetown I highly recommend it, both the neighborhood and the university proper are awesome to explore.
Yes, you gotta check out the Exorcist stairs.
Georgetown looks very quaint. Wish we had more neighborhoods like that in other parts of the country
Same here
@@RandomDudeOne i thought you were kidding when you said exorcist stairs! Looked it up and no you were right! Now I kinda wanna go check it out. (But I live like 5 hours away :/ )
Same, but in Maryland.
As an Australian, everytime I see or read an outline of Washington like this, all I can think is "it's like Canberra, but bigger!"
*I’d say it’s more like Canberra but with a population. All of these landmarks are adjacent to businesses and homes at a level of density comparable to other US cities. Other than the National Mall, the park-like mature of much of DC’s corridors and sight lines was a 20th century development after the city was already built up, whereas in Canberra it was the foundational idea and actual urban development came after.
@@SamAronow yeah they kinda just had the French guy draw some wacky roads then people slaped down houses.
@@keeganharris186 l'enfant was actually kind of controversial at the time. he and jefferson had wildly different plans for what dc should look like. l'enfant wanted grand, like europe, and jefferson wanted pastoral, a simple setting for his ideal small government. washington actually fired l'enfant before he was finished and the plan was completed by a man named andrew ellicott
@@SamAronow I'd say the level of density is similar to old East Coast cities like NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, etc, but is quite a bit higher that the more Western, newer cities like Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, etc.
@@keeganharris186 Wow-not much knowledge about DC history, eh?
Super interesting to see an outsider’s perspective of the city! Not just that of a non-DMVer, but the conceptions of a non-American at that! Some of my personal favorite underrated places in the city would be the US National Botanical Gardens (Literally a stone’s throw from the Capitol), the National Arboretum, National Cathedral and Eastern Market. Even though it’s in VA, I think the Torpedo Factory arts center and all the stuff in Old Town Alexandria is super fun. Lincoln’s Summer Cottage is a super interesting place to tour that most people don’t know about. By far my favorite hidden gem though, would be Theodore Roosevelt Island, which is a small little nature island on the Potomac with a lot of tributes to Teddy Roosevelt that I felt almost no one knows about. Hopefully you’ll be in the city long enough to see the cherry blossoms!
Very true, Roosevelt Island is great for walking/hiking. And the Botanical Garden is awesome, but I really only go during Christmas time cuz of all the stuff they do.
The national botanical gardens are very awesome. I have always eneded up n visiting DC in the winter so the gardens are also a nice break from the cold
I love the cathedral too.
Also a big fan of Gravelly Point. For those who don't know, it's a park that is directly behind the runway at DCA. Great picnic spot where planes land right over your head. Also has a really nice path which runs along the Potomac
the Botanical Gardens and Eastern Market are great, so is just the entire Georgetown neighborhood
I was always a fan of the Korean War memorial. It’s a bunch of hyper detailed statues sneaking through foliage. When you go in the morning, just as the sun is coming up, it can get all foggy and dramatic. Such a cool vibe
It's in the middle of some construction now, getting an addition of a wall with the names of American and Korean soldiers that died, circling the pool. Should be done late summer.
Yeah... As stark as the Vietnam memorial is, the Korean War memorial is kind of haunting.
Native Virginian here, went up to DC all the time. As an adult, I've found Embassy Row, and all of the random monuments/things surrounding it, to the most interesting part of the city to me.
I agree with this! Do an embassy row video!!
@@patrickkirby6580 I can’t speak for Jacob, but usually people who say they’re native of a state mean that they were born there. Native Americans will often identify with the tribe or nation that they are part of. Examples would include Cherokee, Cree, Yakama…. I’ve never heard a Native American identify as being native to a state.
@@DeniseRenae1 Denise's response is correct in my case, I'm from Virginia, but not a Native american in descent
Agreed! The coolest thing is that every year there’s one day where like 60 embassies have an open day, where you can walk in and experience some of the cultural stuff from their home countries!
It’s basically like an embassy crawl. They also often have some free drinks ;)
@@DeniseRenae1 yeah born there or grew up there/spent formative years there
One lesser-known museum in DC that I would have heartily recommended had you visited a bit earlier is the Newseum, which unfortunately closed in 2019. I went on multiple field trips there growing up and it was really cool to see them present a portion of the long history of journalism in the United States.
They had a sizeable section of the Berlin Wall on display with information on the role of the media in the wall’s history, an exhibit on the origins of American investigative journalism in the 19th century, a large hall with displayed newspapers reporting the biggest story of every year of US history, and a lot more cool stuff that I’m probably forgetting; it’s a shame that no one can see it anymore.
the website says their trying to find a new building because the rent was to high where they were
Apparently JHU took the space
I miss the Newseum so much. One of the best museums I'd ever been to.
Why did they close?
@@keeganharris186 Also, the giant engraving of the First Amendment is being moved to the Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Damn shame the national air and space museum was closed, it's my favorite museum. After 9/11 none of the museums were closed but since the plane hit the pentagon no one really wanted to go out and do touristy stuff...so my mom took me and brother out (we were small children at the time) and we had basically free reign of all these really cool museums, it was her own personal stance against terrorism, that she wouldn't be intimidated out of enjoying her hometown.
When I visited in 2018, you could still tell which side of the Pentagon was hit
When you see the early capsules used in Mercury and Apollo missions it's shocking. First, they look like something someone built in their garage, and second, your phone probably has more computing power. It definitely raises my esteem for the men that summoned the bravery to climb inside these things.
Thanks to covid a lot of the museums are on a super limited schedule and only open certain days of the week. I feel kinda bad for tourists right now. It's more difficult to get to without a car, but I think the Air and Space museum out by Dulles is better then the one on the mall, simply because it has more room to display the giant aircraft and a space shuttle.
@@moonbunnychan yeah, the udvar hazy is great, I have many memories from there lol
The larger Udvar Hazy Air and Space museum is also quite nice. It has larger craft like the SR-71 and the space shuttle. It outside the city in London County. They’ve also been restoring an X-Wing!
JJ, one thing in DC you’d definitely like is “Embassy Row.” It’s a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest DC that is known for having lots of embassies all very close to each other. Pre-COVID, they made a thing of it and would throw open houses and even hosted trick or treaters. A really cool way for the embassies to become a part of the city’s culture, and also an interesting study in how countries jockey for prized locations for their embassy in foreign capitals. Plus, very fun to see all the flags in a row.
Welcome to the city! Highly recommend you come back in early spring for our cherry blossom season 🌸
The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race is awesome too! And the Japanese Festival too.
Vancouver has tons of Cherry blossoms as well so it wouldn't be interesting to j.j.
Breathtaking... especially if you have allergies
@@TheTroyc1982 difference is the cherry blossoms in DC are around all the major monuments. It's not like just seeing a normal blossom around a city. It really adds to the grandness of DCs attractions. Definitely something you gotta see in person.
Totally off topic but seeing you explore and be amazed by the same things on the same streets I was on my 8th grade D.C trip was really enjoyable!
sameeee
Did alot of states do this for an 8th grade trip? From Cali and did that.
@@LiamYessayian It's meant to be a nationwide opportunity for all graduating 8th graders. Or at least all graduating 8th graders from families with the money to send them.
@@LiamYessayian we also did one in 8th grade but going to a catholic school we went for the March for life thing
I was actually in DC for a 9th grade trip at the same time as JJ was.
I'm a Brit and love Washington so much. The monuments are so grand and majestic and the museums are just terrific.
George Washington's home Mt Vernon is about 15 miles outside of DC on the bank of the Potomac river. A very nice tour with insight to 18th century America.
I'm living here in the DC area, and when I first moved here it was wild how you'd just happen to stumble across so many monuments and important organizations, both famous and obscure. Eventually you kinda get used to going "yeah my grocery store is a couple blocks from the Pentagon" but even now and then the awe of it all bubbles up again for a second.
Since the air and space museum in the city is closed, I'd recommend Steven F. Udvar-Hazy air and space museum in Dulles, VA. It's just south of Dulles Airport and quite a bit bigger, plus it's a personal favorite as a nova local.
100% this
The Undvar-Hazy annex is awesome. While it is a little out of the way, it is large enough for one or more day trips.
Agreed 💯, as a local the annex is fairly easy to get to especially with it's proximity to the airport/metro, and it's a great way to kill a day even if it's cold outside. You can really get your steps in, the place is huge!
Yeah it's a great museum. I prefer it to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum personally.
@@pr0ntab the imaginary silver line?
The African American museum in DC is one of the best museums I’ve ever been to. It starts on the lower floors with slavery & as you go up the floors there are exhibits on the civil war and civil rights. Then at the top of the museum there’s a load of stuff celebrating black culture with sports displays (Muhammad Ali & Michael Jordan) and music etc. Chuck Berry’s car is really cool.
What made it good in your opinion?
@@sarasamaletdin4574 Mainly the layout. You can't get to the cultural exhibits without going through the heavy exhibits on slavery & civil rights. Makes you appreciate it so much more.
I was going to suggest this too. It is a very well curated museum. I especially liked seeing the George Clinton artifacts.
bro that place is great
@@sarasamaletdin4574 it's such a comprehensive look at the history of African Americans. I tried reading everything but I couldn't even get through in one day
Oh man- all of the random public statues that are hidden throughout DC are fascinating. You can find everyone from Dante Alighieri to Winston Churchill, and just about every Greek god/figure in American history. Would highly recommend doing some sleuthing!
I know Athens is the "birthplace of democracy", and Greco-Roman idealism is what the designers was trying to perfect, but the shear amount of statues dedicated to the gods is just ridiculous .
The Albert Einstein statue near the Lincoln Memorial is awesome!
Lol the Dante statue is ten feet from my front door. So if he shows up there I’ll say hi
@@patrickkirby6580 -- No, no Hitler. 😒👎
@@MrAsianPie it’s pretty cool actually. at the time it must have made you very cool to be up to date on greek mythology.
I'm Canadian as well and I've been to DC about ten years ago, I really enjoyed my visit there. I liked that most of the museums were free, it was very accessible. The city is jammed packed with important monuments and the planning of the city is very different than most other North American cities as the city center is rather small compared to its suburb due to the small size of the district and the high-rise ban. The Canadian embassy is a very big and central building, just a stone throw away from the Capitol building, I guess it shows the strong ties between our two nations.
The fact that he has never been here is all the more weird when you realize he works for the Washington Post
@crita Bonk
He's a contributor, not an employee
Maybe he works for the knockoff washington state post
I honestly love how you as a channel definitely distinguish the unique differences between American and Canadian cultures, but you also treat them as they are both a part of the singular history of the entire english speaking continent. Lovely
For sure, the US and Canada are lucky to be so close to each other. They have their differences at times but play very nicely off each other's differences
English speaking continent (except for Mexico)
@@brremsilverte.9022 I specified English Speaking part of the continent because mexico is a part of the continent and their national language is Spanish. its not that hard to grasp, buddy lmao
@@WeyounSix I wrote that comment really late at night. Idk why I didn’t understand what you said lol
@@brremsilverte.9022 Fair enough hahaha
As someone who grew up in the suburbs of Washington the city's important landmarks always seemed banal to me. So I always love to see visitors so enthralled with our landmarks. I also remember being told by my parents that this region of the nation has much more political discussion due to the proximity to the capital. I'm glad you enjoyed the city! Try to come when the Metro doesn't suck as much and when the cherry blossoms bloom!
Also, next time try to see the Pentagon! I find most visitors (including me) are surprised by its scale.
Do you mean banal instead of benign? And yes, the Pentagon is huge!
@@TheKodaPup72 Yeah lol
If you do go to the Pentagon, be sure to check out the Pentagon Memorial on the outside, which commemorates the victims of the 9/11 attacks. That is another of the solemn memorials, with each person having a stone bench with some information about them.
I feel like that with Route 66. I literally live two minutes, walking, from it. As a little kid I was a bit confused why people wrote songs about the street with the Walmart. Lol. You always look at that stuff differently when you live by it
Lived in the DC area for two years while completing my Master’s at the Catholic University of America. If you ask me, Ethiopian food has become a quintessential part of DC culture. Tons of great restaurants, especially in Maryland in the Silver Springs area.
Went to college in DC and strongly agree!
I third this notion. Always wondered what the first restaurant could be - Zed’s in Georgetown or one of those places around U St.?
salvadoran as well
JJs hair alone is a monument
9:20 A very smooth entrance
I’ve lived in the suburbs DC my whole life and trips into the city to see the monuments have been an important part of my life since i was little. A very common conversation in my family is ranking our favorite monuments (mine is the FDR memorial). This video brought back so many memories!
As someone who lives in Silver Spring, it might not be my absolute favorite but the TR memorial is pretty cool, without the loud planes into national every 5 minutes it would be my favorite.
The House of Sweden is one of the only embassies that is open to the public every weekend! It is in Georgetown and accessible by bus and Circulator (only $1 per trip) They are open from 12-5 every weekend, have some rotating exhibitions, and an amazing rooftop with views of the Kennedy Center, Watergate, and Roosevelt Island. Also, you can see a clone of the tree that dropped an apple on Isaac Newton's head near the Van Ness metro stop. A quick google search will get you more specific directions. Also there are two secret Kilroys engraved near the Delaware and Pennsylvania pillars of the WWII monument.
You should go to downtown Annapolis while you’re in the area. All the buildings are the same ones that existed during the colonial era, also the naval academy is a phenomenal visit
DC is the only place I ever visiting where I actually acted like a tourist! All of these iconic structures and locations that were engrained in me, had now come to life! What impressed me most was the fact that all federal museums and monuments were free. Even the national zoo! The down size had been the high security making it feel not quite as free as the country makes itself out to be. Only real downside I can say is the fact that the city itself is rather depressed and dangerous in many areas close to the federal attractions. It means keeps yourself very aware of your surroundings and to be aware that situations can change fast. All in all I would go again. top pick is the Smithsonian. just amazing!!
As a native Baltimorean I’d recommend coming up to Baltimore for a day trip if possible. It’s a fun city with lots of historical stuff. There are also a lot of cultural elements unique to Baltimore, including Cafe Hon, American Visionary Art Museum, and the obsession with crabs. Also Ft McHenry is pretty cool to see given its importance to the Star Spangled Banner and therefore American culture broadly. There is a good story to that fort and Francis Scott Key.
The cherry blossoms are the most magical, beautiful part of dc, I wish everyone could get a chance to see them!!☹️ There’s a yearly ~2 week festival when the trees blossom and it’s just amazing. Also connected to so many great memories for me 🥺☺️ thx for this video, just wanna echo the other DMV natives comments about how interesting it is to see someone’s first visit!
I won't lie initially I wasn't too thrilled at a "J.J. walks around a place" video because of the restrictive nature of them, and while this is still simple and restricted in nature, the editing and script has made it one of my favorite jj videos even though it's really subtle compared to the recent stuff
@@matthewlawton9241 I don't know if I would say at all, certain things are moreso than others (white house, pentagon, and capitol building especially due to recent events) but it's not as much as people anticipate.
I like JJ’s sentiments at the end. Contrast to a lot of American things, our capitol is mostly accessible and free, which is cool! I remember visiting DC IN 8th grade and seeing the majority of things that were in this video. One interesting detail that does go along with the image of security is that there aren’t really any public trash cans in recreational areas.
0:36 more like "brown space" amirite?
I visited DC as a 14 year old tourist from India. It fascinated me even more than Disneyland with the incredible museums and the Mall. It really felt like the capital of the richest and most powerful country in the world.
The architecture is facinating, showing how much the founding fathers of the United States sought to associate with ancient Greece, as a birthplace of democracy and philosopy, and the old Roman Republic. Washington DC can be viewed as an attempt to create a new Rome, but not one centered around Imperial Emperors, like Constantinople or Moscow, but on Republican ideals. Even ancient Roman and Greek gods were not safe from being used in symbolism with the American republic
Like Rome, DC is ruled by Praetorian Guard.
Wonder if they would have done that if they knew the original Greek buildings were all colourful and stuff.
@@JK-gu3tl like rome DC will collapse
@@JK-gu3tl Praetorian guards didn't exist at the same time as roman democracy.
@@Embattled5211 American democracy doesn't really exist.
I have a feeling we’re going to get a speed run of all embassies in DC as our next video.
That would be sick
They're mostly on one street, Massachusetts Avenue, in an area known as Embassy Row, so it could be en even shorter video.
They vary depending on country with more important countries having bigger ones closer to downtown. Canada actually has one of the biggest, only a few blocks away from the Capitol. Lots of them host various cultural events, I think in spring there's a day where they're all open to the public.
id rather he went and explored actual dc not just "washington" he literally just explored arlington cemetary and the national mall, theres so much more to see in dc but i get thats all most outsiders see
@@johnappleseed8146 that’s all we wanna see tbh
As someone from this area and can quite easily do a day trip to D.C via the MARC. I really hope you can visit Baltimore to see the Aquarium, Fort. McHenry, Camden Yards and Homewood field and if you are visiting on a Wednesdays Afternoon or Saturday come up to Classic Car shop near the I-83 expressway and ask the old man in the front as I am a huge fan of you.
Honestly, Baltimore and DC are twin cities in denial
YES I second visiting Baltimore. For being so close to DC it has a completely different vibe
@@EnigmaticLucas I've always said Baltimore is Gotham to DCs Metropolis
The Udvar-Hazy Center, an extension of the Air and Space Museum, is located way out in the suburbs in Virginia, and it may not be open, but it is definitely a worthwhile trip. A lot more historical planes and a full space shuttle are there
Agree 1000% - I finally got there maybe 10 years ago and had my mind blown. The Shuttle and SR-71 grab attention, but I loved so much around those things like the airstream trailer of NASA’s, an F-4 phantom, or all the weird German WW2 experimental things. I love the classic DC “admission is free, $20 to park.”
Thanks for an interesting tour, J.J. I have two recommendations for you:
1. definitely try to go back when the Cherry blossoms are out. The views are magnificent, and I was there with Japanese students who were very appreciative.
2. If traffic and tourism are normal again, do NOT try to drive in, through or around the city during rush hour [which is several hours long] once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The traffic jam extents from Richmond to north of Baltimore.
I hope you enjoy the Greco-Roman architecture! ☮☮☮
I always found the Korean War Monument strikingly eerie - I remember a history teacher describing it as wandering spirits
I will be honest when I went to city in 3rd grade years ago, my favorite place was the Washington Monument, unfortunately it had like 25 mph winds and was 10 degrees Fahrenheit, so that made it harder to enjoy
The National Museum of the American Indian is my favorite museum, they really lay out a complex history and current situation in as clear a way as possible.
So glad you took the opportunity to visit! I haven’t lived and worked in DC for very long, but I absolutely love the city and believe everyone who is able to should take the time to visit! So sorry you couldn’t see the air and space though, that’s my second favorite museum behind the national gallery…
I went to college in DC at GWU, I would also add to this list (in absolutely no particular order) checking out the DuPont Circle Fountain, Washington Circle Statue, The Exorcist Steps, U Street + (Ben’s Chili Bowl), Washington National Cathedral, Gravelly Point (where you can see the airplanes land), Get steak and eggs at Steak and Eggs, The National Arboretum, the view of DC from the Netherlands Carillon, and the Anacostia Community Museum.
Amazing comment. I went to AU and this really brings me back 🥺🥰
Gotta go to TR Island if you go to Arlington cemetery.
As someone who lives in the area I can take a lot of these things for granted sometimes; it’s always nice being reminded that there are truly some amazing sights just outside my door! I’m bummed you couldn’t get into the air and space museum though, in the part of the museum where they work on the planes there’s an X-Wing prop from the new Star Wars movies being restored! And I’m not sure exactly where but I know it’s near 9th street; you’ll have to check out the exorcist stairs! They filmed the priest falling down this huge set of concrete stairs at the end of the movie in DC and I think it’s one of those hidden gems not everyone knows about. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip maybe I’ll see you around haha!
Just a correction: they work on the planes and have that xwing in the udvar-hazy outside Dulles.
I grew up in the DMV and am so happy our schools made it a priority to have field trips to DC to see these types of things. I really feel that is was integral in my wanting to explore the world and learn more.
Even more so, because my parents working just off the beltway, they never wanted to go up to DC outside of needing to for work. So I really appreciate the schools for making that happen for us.
Teachers rock! Let them know you appreciate them, when you can.
I had the honor of laying the memorial wreath for Missouri on Memorial Day 2012. Such a neat experience!
This dudes hair game (and his videos) are always on point.
A few years ago me and my school went and half the fun was seeing my sister who I never see.
My favorite trip, favorite city. Love the U.S. capital
I would love to see a part 2 of this as a DC native. I’ve seen most of the attractions on field trips and family outings. There’s a few I haven’t seen yet or I just don’t pay much attention to. It’s easy to take it for granted.
Man, good for you - I can attest that getting to all these places is a haul. I grew up in DC, attending school beside one missed landmark of the National Cathedral, but even I’ve never been to Cedar Hill. It’s completely beautiful.
I can’t believe this was his first time visiting DC!! He’s so into America & US politics, you’d have thought the nation’s capital would’ve been one of the first on his bucket list!
A 12 minute video has just made DC one of the top places I’d like to see in the world! Thanks JJ
You have to go during the cherry blossoms season. IT IS A MUST
So glad to see that you visited my hometown! I love jogging by the FDR and Mason memorials since those are often the most empty (very impressed that you included it in this video). Growing up, I loved riding the metro, but the system has certainly seen better days (both due to Covid and a reduced fleet caused by an ongoing mechanical problem).
My favorite “obscure” monuments are the titanic memorial (right next to the wharf), the “zero milestone” (near the White House), and the John Erickson Memorial (in between FDR and Lincoln Memorials). Also, I love the Awakening statue in National Harbor, MD, Union Station, and the “Transportation Walk” (outside of DOTs new headquarters by the ballpark).
Lastly as a Canadian, I definitely recommend stopping by the Canadian Maple Grove! Trudeau planted it a couple years back to signify the bicentennial of peace between our nations. It’s right next to the FDR memorial.
All of the Smithsonian museums are wonderful to visit! As someone who lives here you take them for granted until you go to another city and have to pay for museums. As a modern art fan my favorites are the Hirshhorn and the East Building of the National Gallery (make sure to go to the roof to see the giant blue chicken). Also I think it's important for people to realize that DC is an actual city with real people living in it, not just a holding pen for politicians. It has a very distinct culture separate from politics! On that note I also highly recommend a visit to Howard University, which is in a fun part of the city. In that same neighborhood (U St./Cardozo) is also the famous 9:30 Club-- catch a show there! It's one of the best venues in the country!
Also! I'm sure it's probably near impossible now, but getting a tour of the Capitol building is really wonderful. It's breathtakingly grand and beautiful on the inside (which makes it even more jarring that anyone could walk in and think to smear feces on the walls, but hey).
I’m from DC, I have fond memories of going out with my mom to eat picnics on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. My favorite attractions are all the museums though!
Oval Office visit at the White House tour was interesting. It felt just like any other work place. In over all for an European visitor the whole place was just like visiting your grandmas childhood home. Cozy and low ceiling and narrow and warm. Very opposite to our palaces!
DC was awesome. I went to visit twice and have always enjoyed my time there. The funny thing about fords theater is how nondescript it is. One minute I was walking down the street and then suddenly was fords theater. It looks no different from any other shop on the street. If anyone is thinking about going themselves I’d recommend walking as much as you can. A lot of the important buildings are in walking distance of each other. (Also traffic is awful)
It's crazy how like 90% of the most iconic things in American history ever happened within walking distance of each other
I live in Arlington right across the Potomac, it's literally a 10 minute drive. I'm so happy you enjoy it and have a great stay!
I'm so happy you finally get to visit my city! I'm sorry it's a bit of a pain getting around the city now with Metro's reduced service levels, but I would definitely try to get out and explore the outer neighborhoods of the city...you'll find a bunch of hidden monuments and sites just by walking around. I would also recommend doing an embassy self-walking tour (walk by the vacant Iranian Embassy), and venturing to Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon in Virginia, and Annapolis in Maryland, if you have the time. Some of the smaller embassies also do tours upon request (the Argentine embassy used to offer tango lessons, for example) but I am not sure if those are still going on because of COVID. The National Cathedral and the Basilica of the National Shrine are both pretty cool, too. If you want something outdoorsy, Rock Creek Park and Theodore Roosevelt Island are nice.
Baltimore makes for a nice day trip, too, and is only a ~35 minute MARC train ride away.
As someone who has lived close to dc all their life it’s interesting to see you travel around something I could drive to whenever I want
I loved how informational this was and even though I never have been in Washington D.C. this video really immersed into the landscape of it almost as if I'm living in their right now and all these memorials look cool and seem to have a lot of history associated with it
Yeah dc is amazing, the arlington national cemetery is truly beautiful I was lucky enough to be able to lay the wreath on the tomb of the fallen soldier, what a beautiful and amazingly somber sight
Two times I went to Washington I was able to meet with my representative in their office buildings, and they had an aide take me on a tour of the capital building, which we got to via the (literal) underground railroad from the office building to the capital.
Also it sucks that you missed out on the interiors of the capital and A&S museam, they're really quite stunning.
Being from the area I've never actually been inside, though my Dad went when it was open to the public in the 70's. He also got to go in the tunnels when contracting for the gov. The tunnels connect the capitol, Supreme Court and Library of Congress, as well as congressional offices.
Welcome to my hometown! So sad the weather wasn’t so nice and a lot was closed. I have to admit after all my years here I have never heard of the Japanese lantern!
Oh, and that massive church, National Basilica or something... I remember being in complete awe as a child tourist seeing all the artwork & history there. I remember something about the bell tower being the 2nd largest tower under the Washington Monument (I think), and just being fascinated by that place.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Extremely beautiful church.
It's the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, on the Campus of the Catholic University of America. You can get there on the Metro, but the line and stop escape me at the moment.
Red Line, Brookland-CUA station.
@@Tokkemon Ah, that's it! I lived in Northern Virginia until I was 15, but have only been back to the state once in 20 years (and never to DC). Really that church is one of the few places I remember along with the sites JJ visited.
@@georgeadams1853 Oh man, I forgot about the metro! It's been so long since I've been there, I can't believe I actually miss my old metro trips lol
So glad you enjoyed your trip to DC! As a local, sometimes I forget just how much there is to see here. Thanks for the very comprehensive tour!
I think there’s like some sort of precedent where no building can be taller than the Washington monument
There's a general law restricting buildings in DC to less than 20 feet taller than the width of the surrounding streets or something like that, although a few later buildings have been given exemptions (like a Catholic cathedral)
[edit: this is false. See replies]
No building can be taller than the capital dome. It's interesting because across the Potomac you immediately get much taller buildings. DC is deceptively low-rise for how populous the area is.
@@TheBabaloga The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is taller.
@@TheBabaloga That’s an urban legend. DC does have a law that limits the height of buildings, but it’s based mostly on the width of the adjacent street, not the height of the Capitol or the Washington Monument or anything else.
@@TheAlexSchmidt Everything in central DC is the same height, which can be creepy until someone points it out. Barcelona is similar; very "blocky" for miles. Height limit + popular land creates a flat-top cityscape. NYC's setback laws inspire the opposite extreme, with needle towers sprouting out of nowhere. Buy your neighbor's rights and stack them atop your own.
I went to Washington DC in 2019 for a long weekend and loved it. Did all but four of these. Arlington was stunning.
Living in DC, one thing I can recommend is Rock Creek Park. It’s not fantastically beautiful by any means, but it is very nice for being in the city and hikes can be very pleasant.
I watch NCIS and people always end up dead in that park 😱
Was in Vancouver yesterday, wandering around the city, and was vaguely thinking it'd be really cool to randomly bump into you and say how much I enjoyed your content. Apparently you were on the other side of the continent the whole time! Glad you're enjoying D.C.
This was actually very informative
Hey JJ, great video. I grew up in the area, here's a few other things worth checking out if you get time:
The air and space museum has a SECOND location called the Udvar-Hazy Center about 25 minutes past Arlington national cemetery. This location IS open and has "the big stuff" including the space shuttle Discovery and the Enola Gay - surreal to stand next to those.
The american history museum is REALLY worth visiting too, tons of great artifacts from colonial times including the original "star spangled banner" as well as a "modern culture" exhibit with various famous movie and television props
The natural history museum is also great and has huge collections of dinosaurs, minerals, gems, fossils, and all kinds of stuff.
About 30 minutes south of DC is Mount Vernon, which was George Washington's home and where he is buried. The house and plantation is a museum now and they have reenactors doing tours. Also very surreal to see. They also have a GREAT restaurant on site that is amazing as well.
About 45 minutes northeast of DC is Fort McHenry just outside Baltimore. This is the fort that Francis Scott Key saw being bombed when he wrote, "And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air" - it's also a museum and historical site, VERY surreal and moving.
Have fun, hope it helps!
Ah this makes me miss living in DC. I should probably go visit my parents there more often 🤔
Me and my brothers went to visit DC in middle school, stayed at our aunt's place. She worked at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum at the time so we spent a lot of time there. Thinking about it is nostalgic even if I barely remember any of the exhibits lol
My personal favorite thing to visit was the Japanese American Memorial To Patriotism During WWII (long name I know). It has this granite wall inscribed with the names of the Japanese-American Internment camps from ww2, as well as some other panels with the names of Japanese-Americans who died fighting in the war. There's a sculpture of two cranes entangled in barbed wire, and a little pool of water along with plenty of cherry blossom trees around. It felt very peaceful to me.
I live in DC and I hope you had fun 🤩
Welcome to the Capital City! If you go up towards NE, H street is a cool place to check out with all kinda of great bars and stores. It also has its own streetcar! Definitely worth a ride. There’s also the US Arboretum, which is more barren this time of year, but still a beautiful and peaceful place to enjoy. And if you dare venture down to SE, the navy yard and the Nationals stadium are both incredible places to spend time.
It’s not just get close, you can go inside a lot of places. We got a tour of the capital when my class went in 8th grade. Not sure if you went in the other places you showed like the Washington monument or holocaust museum but everywhere you went is worth going inside. You’ll have to come back sometime if they are closed now.
I hadn't realized you could go up the Washington monument, I've always wanted to go to DC and see everything
I came from Canada to DC on a school trip. I went and see the Lincoln memorial, Vietnam memorial and the wwII memorial. I was floored with how powerful these memorials were, able to instill such emotion
I remember on a school trip we went to the WWII memorial and met a WWII veteran. He told us stories about what it was like. It was a really cool experience. That was like 15 years ago. I wonder if that guy is still around.
I grew up in DC and moved to Scotland and few years ago. I really miss home, seeing all these things
Great video. Enjoyed it very much. 😀
9:05 the chair he actually was shot in is ironically in the Henry Ford museum in Michigan.
Did you get a chance to see the Korean War Memorial? I find it more moving than the Vietnam Wall. The soldiers look a bit stylized and gaunt, like in a graphic novel.
I definitely recommend the Washington National Cathedral. It was damaged back in 2011 from an earthquake, but it’s a truly breathtaking building, even if you’re not religious. Worth a visit!
You forgot to mention the WW2 memorial has some hidden "Kilroy was here" engravings in some of the pillars -- I forget which ones
My wife and I went back in 2005, and my reaction to many things was exactly the same. Like "Oh.....it's really THAT place! It just looks smaller and more......actual than I imagined.".
Sometimes I forget how "grandiose" Washington DC tends to be for people outside of the metro area, because of its presence in pop culture and what not. For me watching this just seems like another boring old business trip with my dad, lol
As a DC area native I have to say - pro move doing DC tourism in the winter. Everyone comes from May to October, so if you go off season you feel like you have the whole place to yourself
It's cool to see DC with so much less security. Last time I was there was 2002 and it was not unusual to have bigger buffer zones in terms of where you were allowed to go.
It's usually like this, not sure when you were here, but it was probably a special event or something. Or just barely post 9/11.
@@kylasbitch they said in 2002, the scare from 9/11 was still around long after 01 and even 02
ah yes when we were scared of foreign enemies overrunning DC rather than domestic ones. 😀
Great new concept for a video. Please go to Boston Massacheusetts next, so much American history there (and the Samuel Adams brewery). Thanks JJ. Big love to you bro.
I know your target audience might not appreciate it, but it would have been cool to see the speedrun counter with splits on each attraction haha
"And now, I'm going to BLJ into National Air and Space Museum.... "
I went there on a school field trip a few years back and it was just so cool seeing and being so close to the most famous and important buildings in the country
One of my favourite things about DC is all the random embassies scattered thru town. I remember when I visited there were about 5 or 6 just on the way between my hotel and the closest subway stop. I would love a whole video about embassies!
You should see the Korean War memorial, it’s quite striking how unique each statue is. The first time I saw it was on a rainy, foggy day on a high school trip. As we approached the monument, it seemed like each statue was approaching us out of the fog. It is an incredibly moving tribute to an all too often overlooked war.
The best video titles In the game 🙌🙌
When I went to Washington it amazed me how much there was to see! I definitely need to take a trip back there at some point
"I wonder why they put up this fence?" Hahahaha
Thanks for giving a bit of a different perspective on some of the locations! I wasn't aware there's so much immediately surrounding The White House.
Helps hammer in how much 'the People' are supposed to be a part of everything
DC is awesome! I was visiting and on a run when I look to my right and see ford’s theater. Pretty cool experience
Unlike dream, J.J didn't cheat in this speedrun.
@Alina X HUB Keep Yourself Safe
This took me back to when I visited DC with my eighth grade class in 2010! I got to visit most of the monuments you did. I only got to see the outside of Ford’s Theater. I hope you had a good trip JJ!