Look No Further: Dupont Circle



Kramerbooks, Connecticut Ave, Dupont Circle, Washington, DC

The media’s full of reports about the imminent demise of independent bookstores, but when you join us this September, you can leave your Kindle at home and look no further than one short metro stop from the hotel! One of the oldest (and best) bookstores in the District is Kramerbooks & Afterwords on Connecticut Avenue (take the Red line on Metro to Dupont Circle). It’s also a restaurant, bar, entertainment space and, with its supersized selection of political thrillers and local travel guides—uniquely DC!

The bookstore and restaurant remain open well after midnight 7 days a week. It’s usually packed with in-the-know locals enjoying the atmosphere and live entertainment (every Wed-Sun night). The restaurant’s sidewalk cafe is especially well suited to people-watching, and DC politicians tend to frequent it, so be sure to take your camera just in case.

While last week’s post had us visiting one local food celebrity and Top Chef alumnus; another newly-opened iconic restaurant is just a short walk from Kramerbooks down Connecticut Avenue. The first East Coast outpost of New York’s Shake Shack opened in Dupont Circle there last month. Billed as a “modern day roadside burger stand,” the only thing different about the DC location so far is the lack of the famously long lines to get in the door!

If you go, be sure to take some time to admire the double-tiered white marble fountain on the way, which has graced the center of Dupont Circle since 1921. It’s a great place to settle in for an afternoon with a new book, whether from Kramerbooks or NICU Ink!

Shake Shack, Connecticut Avenue, Dupont Circle

Fountain, Center of Dupont Circle