The first time I visited Washington, D.C. was about 15 years ago. It was to attend a conference for work. I stayed at a hotel in Georgetown and fell in love with the area. My coworkers and I did most of our sightseeing at the monuments and museums ( which is a must, if you visit D.C. for the first time!). 

But did you know there’s a colorful side to D.C. (aside from the white monuments)? If you have time or on your next visit, I highly recommend taking a walk around D.C.’s colorful neighborhoods! 

I travel to D.C. about twice a year for work now. During the past two visits, I flew in on a Sunday afternoon so I can do some sightseeing. About a year ago, my Instagram friend Benedicte (@wanderwonders) moved to D.C. from Paris and started sharing these pictures of D.C. that really showed this other side of the city that I’ve never seen – colorful facades. She mentioned in her posts that her friend David (@frenchieyankee) had been showing her around.  So I followed David on Instagram just to see more of D.C. through his eyes. This made me even more excited to go visit D.C. because I wanted to see all these colorful places myself.

So during my trip this past November, my coworker (and now really good friend, Hazel) picked me up at the airport and drove me around the H Street corridor to show me some colorful murals, including the ones at Union Street Market.  She knows the best places to eat as well.

On my most recent trip to D.C., (last week to be exact) I met up with David (@frenchieyankee) for coffee and a walk. Talk about meeting someone who knows where all the colorful homes in D.C. are at? Wow! David showed me all these residential streets with the most colorful facades. I was blown away and a bit overwhelmed! I wish I could remember where all these places were at but I was really taking in all the beauty and color around me. I’m not sure how it works but it seems like homeowners can paint their homes any color. So the more painted homes on a street, the more colorful the street can be.

I also met up with David and Benedicte for dinner the next day, where they showed me the street with the most colorful homes in the city! It was raining that night but I managed to snap a few photos before getting drenched in the rain.  I’m really glad I met up with David, a local, and Benedicte (who is moving back to Paris) to show me around or else I would’ve have never seen so many beautiful and unique homes in D.C.

Between my coworker Hazel, David, and Benedicte,  I think they have changed my mind about D.C. It’s not just about the monuments anymore, it’s about the diversity and color all around D.C. that makes this city to unique. I cannot wait to bring Charlie and Luke to D.C. for a family trip which will include the monuments and walking around a few neighborhoods.

And if you’re interested in some places for dinner, here are a few places I’ve been to or have been recommended to me:  Le Diplomate (French); The Red Hen (Italian); Estadio (Spanish); Kapnos (Greek, Mediterranean); Teaism (Asian); B Too (Belgian).

 I took all these pictures on my iPhone but will be back with a nicer camera next time.