Downtown Washington DC is a neighbourhood and central region of the capital city of the United States, encompassing the Downtown Historic District and spanning out about six blocks in every direction from the White House. This commercial hotspot and combined residential area also feature many notable tourist attractions.
Downtown DC is the forefront of the capital’s nightlife, shopping, and dining scene with popular retail areas such as the City Centre DC and restaurants including Plume, Decanter, and Zentan. The White House is the reigning cultural attraction at the beating heart of downtown DC. There are many museums, theatres, and other places of public interest such as the famous Smithsonian Museum, Shakespeare Theatre, Penn Quarter Neighbourhood, and the Renwick Gallery.
The Metrorail and Metrobus are the most convenient forms of transit around the region. Visitors will find plentiful taxis and the DC Circulator bus offering exclusive public routes. Walking and cycling are also very popular means of transportation.
Height restrictions placed on buildings in the Downtown Washington DC area prevent the over development of overwhelming skyscrapers. The tallest commercial building is One Franklin Square at 64 metres high. The collective buildings boast a variety of architectural styles including the oldest style of the Federal School, Neoclassical, Second Empire-style, as well as postmodern.