I'm going to tell you where to find some of the best less touristy Instagrams in Washington DC.
HELLO! Welcome to Trip Hacks DC. My name is Rob.
I'm a tour guide here in the nation's capital. If you're coming to Washington DC
and you're looking for the best tips, tricks, and hacks for exploring the city, make sure to subscribe to this channel and hit the bell
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And if you'd like to have me personally show you around when you come, head on over to TripHacksDC.com
afterwards, to see the tours that I offer. In this video
I'm going to tell you where to go if you want to find some of the best
off-the-beaten-path Instagram shots. Of course if you come on tour with me
I'm happy to tell you about the best angles you can get of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool,
but if you want to impress your friends with some cool lesser-known shots of DC,
I'm gonna give you seven of my favorites. And to help you find them when you arrive
I'll put a Google map in the description with all of their locations. If you live in or have been a DC before and have
any personal favorite Instagram shots, leave a comment on this video and let me know what they are, otherwise
let's get started... First up is CityCenterDC.
CityCenter is a development in downtown Washington that has been open for a few years now.
It's a mix of apartments, high-end shopping and high-end restaurants, with a fancy luxury hotel coming soon.
This is personally not an area of the city that I frequent, as the stores and restaurants don't really interest me. However,
I will say that when I do visit it feels like the entire place was designed specifically for Instagram.
There are big colorful
statues that you can pose with, there are cool water features that you can take a look at, but by far the most popular
Instagram are the lights that hang over the walkway, and they change seasonally. Right now since its fall
they're set up as colorful fall leaves. Over the summer
it was beach balls, and in the spring they'll change over to pink flowers for Washington DC's famous Cherry Blossom Festival.
Second up is the Kogod Courtyard. Tina
and I actually mentioned this one in our things to do in DC with kids video.
It is a beautiful courtyard covered in glass ceiling between two Smithsonian museums: the Portrait Gallery and the American Art
Museum. These are located about one mile north of the National Mall,
but both museums are
fantastic, especially if you're an art lover,
and worth a trip from the National Mall. And of course make sure to stop in the courtyard and get your great Instagram.
Next up on my list is
District Doughnut. If you're a foodie then taking pictures of food for your Instagram feed is a must. I have to admit
I'm actually terrible at taking pictures of food, which is why you almost never see it on the Trip Hacks DC
Instagram feed, with this one exception. I personally like Instagramming at District Doughnut because: 1) the donuts are delicious,
2) they encourage Instagramming the place, and even have their own hashtag. If your Instagram is particularly good
they might print it and post it on their social wall. And a bonus tip is to make sure you get a cup of Compass
Coffee while you're here - another great local brand. Next up is the mural at Ben's Chili Bowl.
There are a lot of really cool murals around Washington DC
and they usually make for really cool Instagrams. one of the best-known murals in the city is located in the alley next to Ben's Chili
Bowl, which is right on U Street. This mural has actually changed a few times over the years. The current version of the mural features prominent
African-Americans who have contributed to the history of the city and the neighborhood. A few faces that you might recognize include: Barack and Michelle Obama,
Dave Chappelle, and Muhammad Ali. And like I just said there are actually a lot of really cool murals located around the city,
but unlike in other places
they're not all concentrated in one neighborhood.
So it takes a little bit of planning and a little bit of work if you want to see them all. My next spot is
the Blind Whino Southwest Arts Club.
This is a community art space
located about 1 mile south of the Capitol in an area of the city where very few tourists tend to venture. If it looks like
a big church, it's because, yes, at one time it was a church. Nowadays
it's used as a community art and event space. The Blind Whino calls itself the "most hidden gem" in the city's art
community. If you do want to Instagram this spot
make sure to plan ahead because the gates are only open for a limited number of hours on the weekends. At the same time, those
limited hours make this even more of a gem if you can get there. The next spot on my list is the Watermelon House. The
story of this house goes something like this:
the owners hired a painting company and asked that the house be painted a bright fire engine red. When the owners got home
they realized that the painters had used a shade of red that made the house look more like a bottle of
Pepto-Bismol. But rather than have the painters come back and redo it,
the owners just grabbed a can of green paint and black paint and made it look like a watermelon. The Watermelon
House has existed in this form for much longer than Instagram has been around, but because it's become such a social media phenomenon,
they've added an official hashtag that you can use when you visit. And lastly, one of my personal favorite spots in the city is the
Yards Park bridge. The National Mall is obviously the best known park in Washington DC.
One of the best locals' parks is the Yards Park. It's located southeast of the Capitol near Nationals Ballpark,
so if you're coming in for a game you can swing over here beforehand.
There's a lot of really great places to eat and drink right on the park.
But what people really love to Instagram is the bridge that spans over the pool and I have to admit
it does look really cool. And a bonus tip is that it looks especially
impressive at night if you bring a tripod, and you can get a nice long exposure. And that's it!
Thank you for watching this video. If you found it helpful you can subscribe to this channel by clicking on the Trip Hacks DC
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And if you're planning a trip and want to take a tour with me you can click on the Capitol dome on the left side
of my head, that'll take you over to TripHacksDC.com where you can see the tours that I offer. Enjoy your trip!