Washington D.C. Things to Do Tips by gilabrand

Arch Support Chinatown Review

Lots of cities have arches. Paris has its Arc de Triomphe, Rome has its Arch of Titus, Barcelona has its Triumphal Arch, London has its Marble Arch, New York has its Washington Square Arch. So it is only fitting that the American capital, Washington D.C., should have one, too.

Washington’s arch, a Chinese arch on H Street in Chinatown, is not your ordinary marble paean to a military victory. It is a multicolored friendship arch, with lots of red and gold, as befitting an arch in the Chinese style. In the middle is a panel emblazoned with Chinese characters that says “Jungwa” – the Chinese word for “China.”

The arch marks the entrance to Washington’s Chinatown, which is probably one of the smaller Chinatowns around. It consists of a block or two dotted with Asian restaurants and a few buildings with pagoda-style roofs. Chinese immigrants moved into the neighborhood in the 1850s, when the German immigrants who originally lived there moved on to bigger and better things.

Nowadays, the Chinese population is dwindling. City planners hoped that a traditional Chinese arch would attract tourists and revive business. It was designed - aptly, I think - by a “local” architect named Alfred H. Liu, who clearly sounds like a man with feet in two worlds.

Since the arch went up in 1986, it has been a focal point for festivities marking the Chinese New Year. Because the Chinese calendar is lunar (like the Hebrew calendar), holiday dates are not fixed. If you are planning a trip to Washington D.C. in January-February, check the calendar to make sure you don’t miss the Chinese New Year Parade that passes under the arch.

In the few minutes I stood at the bus stop, I witnessed at least two collisions at this intersection. The sirens wailed, street entertainers were banging away on metal bowls – in short, it was a very noisy and chaotic place.

Address: H Street, Chinatown

Directions: “Gallery Place-Chinatown” is a major transit hub. The metro stops here, as do a whole range of buses. I caught the bus to Maryland on the corner, and this is the departure point for the buses that deliver you to Chinatowns in Philadelphia, NY and Boston.

Croc Magic

I took one look at the incredibly ugly, bright orange, hole-studded rubber “shoes” that my daughter-in-law walked in with about a month ago, and couldn’t believe my eyes. Would I ever be caught dead in such things? Not on your life.

But here I was about to leave for Washington DC and deliberating what shoes I could possibly take that would not leave me blistered and aching. I knew I would be walking all day long and it was going to be hot and steamy. I have great footwear for winter (amazingly feminine lace-up army boots and great Teva shoes with zips on the side for easy airport removal), but for summer?

So I went out and got me a pair of Crocs, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done (well, one of the best…). Yes, they are funny to look at, but I walked miles and miles in them, and never got a blister. They are big and roomy, to the point where your feet kind of swim in them. Your toes don’t really touch anything, and that must be the secret – no friction, no blisters.

As for that frequently asked question: Do you sweat in Crocs? Well, you do, but they are so easy to slip on and off, the sweat dries up quickly and your feet don’t smell.

So if you have a lot of walking to do, don’t be deterred by the crocodile-look. Get yourself a pair. Join the club (and it is a club...people's eyes seem to gravitate to your feet when you wear them, especially other Croc-wearers).