DC traveler's guide

Age: 27

Occupation: HS physics teacher.

I've lived here for: about one year

I live here because: I got a job here. And Georgia was getting boring

My neighborhood: Just north of the district

My favorite restaurant: ooh, this is a tough one. Depends on what you're looking for. Maryland Crab House is good. So is Hollywood East Cafe. And so many others.

If you go to this restaurant, be sure to order: (Hollywood East Cafe) Honey Walnut Shrimp and the Crispy Beef. Or go during lunch for dim sum, and order pork rolls, custard buns, and just about anything else they're offering. It's all delicious.

My favorite museum: Currently, the National Gallery of Art or the Holocaust museum. That might change after I go to the spy museum or the crime and punishment museum

My favorite tourist destination: The Tidal Basin during the Cherryblossom Festival.

Best insider spot: The biking trails that lead from the suburbs down into Georgetown. You'd never know you're in a big city.

My favorite area: The monuments.

Best place to go shopping: Montgomery Mall or Georgetown

When you visit, don’t forget to pack: If you're traveling in the summer, a summer skirt and an umbrella. It rains in the evenings a LOT.

But leave room in your suitcase for: Fresh jam from one of the farmer's markets.

The one local cuisine you should try when you’re in town is: Crabs, from the Maryland Crab House in Bethesda

The best way to get around: The metro. Easy to use and just about everything is within walking distance. If somebody tells you that anything in the city is not metro accessible, don't listen to them. It just means they're lazy and don't want to walk a few blocks.

If I had to describe this city in one word, it would be: busy. There's always something going on, and always people running around.

I tell my friends to stay at: My house. Or a hotel in the suburbs. Staying in the city isn't worth the cost, and hotels have shuttle services to the metro, making it easy to get where you want to go.

The one thing most outsiders don’t know about this city is: The fall is beautiful and much less touristy. Almost every tourist attraction in the city is free.

What do you want to do that you haven't done in your city yet? The Spy Museum