And I recommend going here! The museums are FREE! (with notable exceptions: The Spy Museum.) There are shops, plenty of international restaurants, clubs, music, politics, etc. And certain areas are just beautiful: Great Falls, Mount Vernon, for example. If you’re doing research, the Library of Congress and the National Archives are right here and are the ultimate resource. The DC school system has a long way to go, so that’s why I now live outside the beltway (but not too far away).