Seems like everyone wants to talk about D.C.’s economic growth and rising hipness—whatever that means—like the Great Recession never happened here. The New York Times Magazine recently devoted considerable space to our area’s nouveau riche status, while conservative commentators can’t help themselves from comparing the nation’s capital to the snobbish, corpulent Capitol of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy.
Never mind the fact that D.C. actually remains an interesting, economically diverse city, albeit one with rapidly changing demographics. Sometimes, you just have to soak in the lucre. Heck, we just had a big fancy inauguration, complete with its own official balls as well as a bazillion and one unofficial parties for which thousands of people shelled out considerable amounts of cash to live it up for a few hours in crowded ballrooms.
But there’s still another 49 weeks left in the year! Don’t worry. There are plenty of other high-falutin’ things to do.
Photo by NCinDC
EMBASSY PARTIES: D.C.’s got one thing that almost no other city in the U.S. can claim: embassies. (New York has a few, mostly of much smaller countries.) Every country that maintains diplomatic relations with the U.S. has a chancery in town; many of them also provide their ambassadors with tony residencies. (We’re thinking of vous, Monsieur l’ambassadeur François Delattre.) This not only gives D.C. an international flair, but also an entire scene of diplomatic gatherings, cocktail parties, cultural events, and national celebrations that are often fueled by booze and international cuisine. Plenty of these events are open to the public, others are limited to local power-brokers. Either way, pick your favorite country, check with their local embassy—hint: find out when they celebrate their independence; they’re bound to have a big party around then—don some professional attire, and brush up on your small talk, preferably on the international story of the day. Before you know it you might be knocking back drinks with ambassadors and delving into the world of international intrigue—all of which you can get to without much more than a Metro ride. —Martin Austermuhle
The Embassy of France is located at 4101 Reservoir Road NW; (202) 944-6000. The Embassy of Finland is located at 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW; (202) 298-5800. The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates is located at 3522 International Court NW; (202) 243-2400.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and the actress Mila Kunis discuss affairs of state at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner. (Getty Images/Martin H. Simon)
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER: If Washington really is “Hollywood for ugly people,” then “nerd prom” is the night when the first and fourth estates come together for a swanky evening roasts, toasts and general decadence. The president and vice president usually attend, but really the only thing normal people pay attention to are the comedian who gets to make fun of the commander-in-chief. That, and all the perfectly bronzed faces and sparkling gowns from the Left Coast that grace the red carpet leading into the Hinckley Hilton’s ballroom. A tradition that dates back to 1920, the annual event was started to ease the tension that often exists between the White House and the reporters who cover it, but it long ago devolved into an event to which no normal person could possibly relate. Ozzy Osbourne was once a guest. Kim Kardashian has made appearances. But one person you won’t see there is Tom Brokaw, who says the party that it might “steal your soul.” A perfect gathering for politicos and celebs, no? —Sriram Gopal
The 2013 White House Correspondents Dinner will take place April 27 at the Hilton Washington, 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW; (202) 266-7453.
Photo by Steve VanSickle
MUSEUM PARTIES: Lucky for us, D.C. does not lack for art museums. Series like Hirschhorn After Hours and Phillips After 5 are usually pretty cool. You can walk around drinking wine and appetizers while next to famous art. —Andrew Wiseman
Phillips After 5 takes place the first Thursday of every month at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW; (202) 387-2151. Free for members, $10-12 for everyone else.
Photo by Teddie N
GOLD CUP VIRGINIA: Look, we’re a long way from the Hamptons, but every once in a while it’s nice to pretend. And on the first Saturday in May, that’s exactly why many of the D.C. area’s fanciest, or aspiringly fancy, folks drive out to The Plains, Va. for the annual Gold Cup steeplechase race. Dressed like extras in a Whit Stillman movie—think garish pastels, oversize windowpane patterns, and everything made from linen (seriously, all of the linen)—people pay $85 or more per carload to sit in an open field and drink until they can’t notice they just dipped their $500 Alden monkstrap oxfords in piles of horse shit. There are bros, fashion bloggers and society photographers galore. Hell, your drunk ass might even show up the next Monday on Guest of a Guest. Oh, and somewhere in there, there’s a horse race, so make sure you buy a Daily Racing Form. —Benjamin R. Freed
Gold Cup Virginia is May 4 at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.; tickets begin at $85.
Photo by Kevin Harber
KENNEDY CENTER HONORS: Every year, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts fêtes five accomplished veterans of film, music, theater, dance or comedy. Usually, if you want to see it, you’ll have to wait for the broadcast a few weeks later on CBS. But, should you happen to be a member of Congress, Supreme Court Justice, or—better yet—someone who’s given boatloads of money to the Kennedy Center, you can join in the live festivities inside the opera house. Now, as for who is receiving these tributes? Well, historically speaking, it’s mostly a lot of white guys. For 35 years, the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees have tended to only include one or two females artists per year and maybe one artist of color. But be careful about pointing out the annual ceremony’s flaws, like say, the fact that in three-and-a-half decades only two Latino artists have been included. That’s what Felix Sanchez, head of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, did last year in a testy phone call with Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser. Kaiser’s eventual rebuttal? “Go fuck yourself.” —Benjamin R. Freed
The 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will take place in December at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW; (800) 444-1324.
