Washington, D.C./Upper Northwest

Glover Park is the section of the Upper Northwest closest to downtown—just north of Georgetown, and has the bulk of the area's nightlife, which serves as a slightly older and less raucous complement to its collegiate neighbor to the south.
Woodley Park has a strip with restaurants and bars and is also home to the National Zoo and the National Cathedral.
Cleveland Park most notably, but also Van Ness and Tenleytown to the north along Wisconsin and Connecticut Ave., have popular commercial strips with restaurants, bars, and small stores. And in the west of Tenleytown, you'll find American University.
Further north is Friendship Heights, technically part of Chevy Chase, nationally famous for its wealthy and powerful residents, and locally famous for its high-end retailers on Wisconsin Ave, which spill north across the city border into Maryland.
Little known to travelers, and even most area residents, are the Palisades in the extreme west of the city, where you'll find some of the city's most expensive homes, the C&O Canal trail along the Potomac River, and a handful of fantastic, upscale restaurants.

By Metrorail

The Metrorail Red Line runs through this part of the city, and it is pretty self explanatory, given that the stations are all named after the neighborhoods and their major attractions. Woodley Park-Zoo for Woodley Park and the National Zoo, Tenleytown-American University for Tenleytown and AU, etc. The National Cathedral, Glover Park, and the Palisades, like Georgetown, are not served by Metro, and will require either a car, taxi, rideshare or bus ride.

By car

Driving is another option, though competition for parking spots can be fierce. You can usually find parking on side streets off of Connecticut and Wisconsin Ave, although you might have to walk a good ways from your car, and parking is usually limited to two hours in neighborhoods closer to downtown. The Palisades, along the extreme west of the city, are best visited by car, and it's quite easy to park there.
If driving in this part of the city, be aware that during weekday rush hours Canal Rd in the west becomes one-way and reverses directions during weekday rush hours (M-F 6:15AM-10AM inbound, 2:45PM-7:15PM outbound). Similarly, Connecticut's left lanes are reversible, so pay attention—you don't want to find yourself charging into oncoming traffic!
Taxis are generally not hard to catch along the main avenues (Wisconsin and Connecticut), but will be impossible to find elsewhere.

By bus

Metrobus operates service on the major thoroughfares in these neighborhoods, but frequent stops and slow traffic make rideshare a better option.
Routes #31, #32, and #36 all run between Georgetown and the Friendship Heights Metro station along Wisconsin Ave. On the weekends after midnight, the buses run once every hour until 2AM.
#L1, L2, and L4 run the length of Connecticut Ave 5:30AM-midnight daily. The L2 continues into Adams Morgan, while L1 and L4 head further south along Connecticut to Dupont Circle and then on to the West End.
Routes #N2-N6 all run along Massachusetts Ave from Dupont Circle to American University.
#D6 is the only reasonable way to reach the Kreeger Museum via public transport, which runs through Georgetown along Reservoir Rd, coming from Capitol Hill and Dupont Circle.

By foot

The Woodley Park/Zoo Metro stop is the closest stop to Adams Morgan. It's a half-mile (800-m) walk over the Calvert St Bridge from the station to the heart of Adams Morgan.

By bicycle

The upper northwest is a hilly region, which can pose challenges for cyclists, especially those traveling northwest (which is generally uphill). Capital Bikeshare stations and dockless bicycles and scooters are few and far between in the more suburban residential neighborhoods, although they can more often be found along Connecticut Ave. and some parts of Massachusetts Ave. Neither of those avenues have bicycle lanes, though, so either take to the sidewalk and risk terrorizing pedestrians or brave the high-speed car traffic and try not to get run over.
The Rock Creek Trail through Rock Creek Park makes for an excellent ride.

The Zoo and the National Cathedral dwarf any other attractions here in both size and number of visitors, but if you have a little extra time, the Hillwood Estate and Kreeger Museum are two of the city's greatest hidden gems.

• Kreeger Museum

  phone: +1 202 338-3552
  address: 2401 Foxhall Rd NW
  Little known even to locals is this private house-museum with an impressive collection of paintings by the impressionist and early modern masters. The house itself is a work of art, designed by modernist architects Philip Johnson and Richard Foster.

• Hillwood Estate

  phone: +1 202 686-5807
  address: 4155 Linnean Avenue NW
  A hidden gem of magnificent proportions. Marjorie Merriweather Post, prominent businesswoman and heiress to the Post Cereal fortune, fashioned her estate next to Rock Creek Park to be an extraordinarily stately and luxurious site for entertaining guests, housing her impressive art collections, and with the intention of leaving it behind for the world to enjoy. The mansion is a treasure trove of French and Russian decorative arts, much of which she obtained from the USSR, whose government under Stalin was then auctioning off a good portion of its cultural heritage to finance its war efforts. Second in grandeur only to the art collection itself are the French and Japanese-style gardens—great places to linger long after the tour.

• National Cathedral

  phone: +1 202 537-6200
  address: 3001 Wisconsin Ave NW
  The impression of walking up to the world's 6th-largest cathedral, a hulking mass cut over a period of 83 years of 150,000 tons of stone, is alone worth the trip. Tours are a must if you really want to see the cathedral, and the towers and the crypt are off limits without a guide during the busy season. The organ demonstrations are spectacular and loud. Check the website for events, as there is often children's programming as well as major concerts.

• National Zoo

  phone: +1 202 633-4800
  address: 3001 Connecticut Ave NW
  A collection of 400 species, including 2,000 animals. Get a map at the entrance, take your time, and be prepared to walk a great deal. Bring water—the concessions here are insultingly expensive. The most crowded exhibits are nearly always the Pandas and the Ape House. The pandas are perhaps the zoo's shyest residents. The Ape House is fun no matter the crowds. Other hits include the Seals & Sea Lions Exhibit, the Reptile House, the remarkable Aviary, and the irresistibly cute prairie dogs.

• American University Museum

  phone: +1 202 885-1300

Concerts

• Fort Reno Concerts

  phone: +1 202 355-6356
  address: Nebraska Ave and Fort Dr
  Fort Reno was one of the bedrocks of the legendary and celebrated D.C. punk/hardcore/straight-edge scene, and evolved to encompass later post-hardcore and other local indie rock. The concert series was founded in 1968 as a sort of government-sponsored hippie fest to try and bring some love, joy, and sense of community back to the district post-1968 riots. Having run annually since, this is one of the truest local traditions, is beloved by the community, and a great way to delve further into that elusive city beyond the federal government and neoclassical memorials. No alcohol, no glass bottles, but plastic bottles are allowed.

Cinema

• Uptown Theatre

  phone: +1 202 966-8805
  address: 3426 Connecticut Ave NW
  This movie theater is a historic landmark, hosting many premieres throughout its history. With few exceptions, it shows epic franchise films that can make good use of its large screen (70 ft long by 40 ft wide) and great number of seats. If there is a film playing there that appeals to you, it's worth the trip.

Parks

Rock Creek Park

Rock Creek Park is the largest park in DC.

• Peirce Mill

  phone: +1 202 282-0927
  address: 2401 Tilden St NW
  A historic water-powered mill in the park and a national historic site built by Isaac Peirce in 1829.

• Rock Creek Golf Course

  phone: +1 202 882-7332
  address: 6100 16th Street NW
  The 18 holes of golf in Rock Creek Park are a bit rough. That's not to say you can't have a good experience here, as it is quite a novelty to play golf deep in the woods, despite being in the city. The back 9 holes are challenging due to extreme hills and narrow fairways. Par 65. Golfers might want to consider the other two major courses in the city: Hains Point in Waterfront and Langston in Near Northeast.

• Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium

  phone: +1 202 895-6070
  address: 5200 Glover Rd NW
  Deep inside the park, the Nature Center offers hands-on exhibits, guided nature walks, an "observation beehive," and a full planetarium. Especially good for kids.

• Rock Creek Horse Center

  phone: +1 202 362-0117
  address: 5100 Glover Rd NW
  If you wish you had opted for a country vacation instead of a trip to D.C., it's not too hard to make believe in Rock Creek Park. The horse center offers trail rides, horseback riding lessons (group and private), and pony rides throughout the summer months. The trail rides are very popular, and reservations often are booked more than a month in advance. The pony rides and lessons also require reservations, but are much easier to get. For those visiting on a whim, and not interested in paying for a ride, you can just stop by and pet and feed the horses for free. If you traveled to the city on horseback, they offer full-service public stables for $600/month.

Other parks

• Turtle Park

  phone: +1 202 282-2198
  address: 4500 Van Ness St NW
  Turtle Park has the coolest playground in town. The centerpiece is an enormous sandbox littered with eminently climbable turtle sculptures and plastic shovels and buckets. In the summer, you can get the sand off your kids away without a trip to the bathrooms at the "sprayground." The park is fenced in and has plenty of shade, as well as four baseball fields, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, and a rec center.

Luxury stores

There are many high-end luxury department stores on Wisconsin Avenue, centered around the Friendship Heights Metrorail Station, including Neiman-Marcus (5300), Ann Taylor (5300), Loehmann's (5333), World Market (5335), J. Crew (5335), Bloomingdale's (5400), Anthropologie (5406), Brooks Brothers (5504), and Saks Fifth Ave (5555). The Collection at Chevy Chase at 5471-5481 Wisconsin Avenue includes several additional high-end stores such as Jimmy Choo (5481), Tiffany & Co (5481), and Cartier (5471).

Discount clothing stores

Also along Wisconsin Ave near the Friendship Heights Metrorail Station are several discount clothing retailers including TJ Maxx (5300), Nordstrom Rack (5333), DSW (5333), Marshalls (5333), and H&M (5335).

Boutiques

• Catch Can

  phone: +1 202 686-5316
  address: 5516 Connecticut Ave NW
  A local women's clothing boutique specializing in natural fibers. They also have a range of other good gift buys like bath products, home decor, jewelry, etc. It's pricey, but the quality is very high.

• Full of Beans

  phone: +1 202 8566
  address: 3813 Livingston St NW
  Upscale children's clothing and toy store.

• Transcendence-Perfection-Bliss of the Beyond

  phone: +1 202 363-4797
  address: 3428 Connecticut Ave NW
  A toy store with a selection of unique items, and quite the wild name.

Books

• Politics & Prose

  phone: +1 202 364-1919
  address: 5015 Connecticut Ave NW
  This is a quite possibly the city's favorite independent bookstore, with a non-exclusive focus on politics, a coffeeshop downstairs, and frequent, excellent lectures. It is far off the beaten path, about a mile north of the Van Ness-UDC Metro Station, but it's a rewarding destination.

• Tempo Bookstore

  phone: +1 202 363-6683
  address: 4115 Wisconsin Ave NW
  This is a bookstore wholly dedicated to language resources: language learning books, software, linguistics texts, teaching tools, etc. A great place for philology nerds.

Household goods

• The Container Store

  phone: +1 202 478-4000
  address: 4500 Wisconsin Ave
  You can pretty much buy anything to put anything in at this store.

Budget

• 2 Amys

  phone: +1 202 885-5700
  address: 3715 Macomb St NW
  A gourmet Italian restaurant with a big focus on Neapolitan style pizza. With popular food and top-notch service, the waits can be long, but make no mistake, this is D.C.'s most popular pizzeria for a reason. If the noise bothers you, request a table in the upstairs dining room.

• Byblos Deli

  phone: +1 202 364-6549
  address: 3414 Connecticut Ave NW
  Greek and Mediterranean food. Outdoor seating.

• OpenCity Diner

  phone: +1 202 332-2331
  address: 2331 Calvert St NW
  Late night "diner" (more of a large cafe) with free WiFi, good tea, booze, and vegan friendly!

• Osman & Joe's Steak 'n Egg Kitchen

  phone: +1 202 686-1201
  address: 4700 Wisconsin Ave NW
  The quintessential greasy spoon (which can be hard to find in the D.C. area), serving eggs, steak, hash browns, bacon, and of course the local "delicacy" scrapple to a crowd of locals and AU students 'round the clock in a small diner. Serves by day a peaceful handful of diner patrons, by (late) night a packed, intoxicated crowd. Patio seating.

• Rockland's Barbeque

  phone: +1 202 333-2558
  address: 2418 Wisconsin Ave NW
  Voted best BBQ in the city numerous times. Traditional pit BBQ. Offers many traditional southern sides like homemade style mac and cheese and collard greens. Also offered grilled vegetarian options. Wide selection of small production hot sauces and BBQ sauces. The signature dish is the pulled pork.

• Sprig and Sprout

  phone: +1 202 333-2569
  address: 2317 Wisconsin Ave NW
  Vietnamese sandwich shop that serves pho, banh mi & rice bowls.

• Surfside

  phone: +1 202 380-9353
  address: 2444 Wisconsin Ave NW
  Tacos, burritos, and margaritas.

• Vace's Pizza

  phone: +1 202 363-1999
  address: 3315 Connecticut Ave NW
  Another contender for D.C.'s best pizza is this New York-style Italian deli. The pizza is 100% authentic New York style and done well (the subs are great too. No tables or delivery—carry out only. Whole pizza or by the slice. There is another location in Bethesda.

Mid-range

• Arcuri

  phone: +1 202 827-8745
  address: 2400 Wisconsin Ave NW
  Italian restaurant and bar.

• Cafe Olé

  phone: +1 202 244-1330
  address: 4000 Wisconsin Ave NW
  Tapas are a fixture in D.C. ever since José Andrés came to town, and the Greek/Mediterranean places have taken note, calling their mezzes tapas. The focus on mezzes is welcome, though, as a large bunch of them almost always will be more satisfying than the standard, heavy Greek entrees. The brunch here is very popular, as are the panini at lunch time. Closing soon.

• Comet Ping Pong

  phone: +1 202 364-0404
  address: 5037 Connecticut Avenue Northwest
  Comet is another great pizza place in DC. However, this is not your average restaurant. There are ping-pong tables in the back, clam pizzas, and concerts on Saturday nights. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' Guy Fieri called in some of the best pizza he'd ever eaten. A local favorite! Try the wings! Also serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Definitely kid-friendly.

• Coppi's Organic

  phone: +1 202 966-0770
  address: 3321 Connecticut Ave NW
  A cozy Italian restaurant.

• Fat Pete's BBQ

  phone: +1 202 362-7777
  address: 3407 Connecticut Ave NW
  Texas-style brisket and bourbon.

• Indique

  phone: +1 301 244-6600
  address: 3512-14 Connecticut Ave NW
  Indique specializes in southern Indian cuisine, usually crafted into something just a little unique, and serves its customers in a really cool, attractive space.

• Kotobuki

  phone: +1 202 625-9080
  address: 4822 MacArthur Blvd NW, 2nd floor
  One roll of sushi costs $1.25-3, but it's actually good! There really isn't anything else you need to know, but the atmosphere, particularly for lunch, could well trick you into thinking you were in a little local dive in Osaka.

• Medium Rare

  phone: +1 202 237-1432
  address: 3500 Connecticut Ave NW
  A well priced steakhouse.

• Old Europe

  phone: +1 202 333-7600
  address: 2434 Wisconsin Ave
  A traditional German restaurant not far from the Embassy, serving the best German food you will find in the D.C. metro area. Schnitzel is the specialty!

• Petits Plats

  phone: +1 202 518-0018
  address: 2653 Connecticut Ave NW
  A French-American bistro in a city short on bistro cuisine is a nice find. The service is incredibly friendly, and the familiar bistro favorites are quite good, from the French onion soup to Boeuf Bourguignon, braised veal, pastas, and salads. At lunch they also offer inexpensive wood-fired pizzas from next-door Pizze. In a pretty old townhouse, it's equally amenable to a romantic dinner or a casual lunch.

• Pho 14

  address: 4201 Connecticut Ave NW
  Arguably the best Vietnamese food within the city limits.

• St. Arnold's Mussel Bar

  phone: +1 202 621-6719
  address: 3433 Connecticut Ave NW
  Belgian food including mussels, fries, waffles, and a great beer selection.

Splurge

• BlackSalt

  phone: +1 202 342-9101
  address: 4883 MacArthur Blvd NW
  This is the one restaurant in the Palisades neighborhood that is famous throughout the city. Cuisine is New American seafood, although there are some great non-seafood entries as well. The seafood is incredibly fresh, and the dishes are inventive, such as an arctic char with green mole, plantains and "citrus braised pork belly." The adjoining seafood market has some of the highest quality fish in the city.

• Et Voila!

  phone: +1 202 237-2300
  address: 5120 MacArthur Blvd NW
  Washingtonians like their Belgian mussels and pomme frite, and this particular restaurant serves them well, particularly those fries.

• Makoto

  phone: +1 202 298-6866
  address: 4822 MacArthur Blvd NW
  Makoto is an experience. It's a tiny, very classy Japanese restaurant, with a strict set of rules designed to combat the general breakdown of Western societal mores: conservative dress code (think non-casual business attire), shoes off at the door, no cell phones. The food and attentive service are outstanding, with attention to detail befitting a great Japanese restaurant.

• New Heights

  phone: +1 202 234-4110
  address: 2317 Calvert St NW
  New Heights is a great place for a night of complex, inventive American cuisine. Don't skip dessert. The bar has an excellent selection of gins, which is refreshing, given the number of establishments around the city with great menus of cocktails or whiskies.

• Town Hall

  phone: +1 202 333-5641
  address: 2340 Wisconsin Ave NW
  Serves high-end southern cuisine, and is also a great place to relax and socialize at the bar, on the patio, or privately with friends. By D.C. standards, the clientele is wildly conservative!

The Upper Northwest is a much more friendly and comfortable option compared to the nightlife-centered districts. Gin lovers must check out the bar at New Heights (above).

Bars

• Atomic Billiards

  phone: +1 202 363-7665
  address: 3427 Connecticut Ave NW
  Cleveland Park's pool hall has weird futuristic decor, a few good microbrews on tap, and pool, shuffleboard, and darts. The pool tables are a bit expensive, and there is no kitchen if you are hungry, but it's a good option for a fun night nonetheless.

• Breadsoda

  phone: +1 202 333-7445
  address: 2233 Wisconsin Ave NW
  It has all you could want of a basement-level dive bar: pool, ping pong, good sandwiches, relaxed and friendly atmosphere—except it's clean and attractive. Happy hour: 4-7PM daily.

• Cleveland Park Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 202 806-8940
  address: 3421 Connecticut Ave NW
  A great rooftop deck and beer selection.

• Mad Fox Taproom

  phone: +1 202 791-0389
  address: 2218 Wisconsin Ave NW
  Locally brewed beer.

• Nanny O'Brien's Irish Pub

  phone: +1 202 686-9189
  address: 3319 Connecticut Ave NW
  Laid back with excellent beers on tap. Monday night Irish jam sessions.

Cafes

• Coffee Nature

  phone: +1 202 237 8989
  address: 4224 Fessenden St NW

Budget

• Days Inn Connecticut Avenue

  phone: +1 202 244-5600
  address: 4400 Connecticut Ave NW
  A standard chain hotel with what you would expect (cable, WiFi, etc.). This is a pretty ideal, if boring, low-budget option for D.C. visitors.

• Kalorama Guest House Woodley Park

  phone: +1 202 328-0860
  address: 2700 Cathedral Ave NW
  Less than a block from the zoo, this is definitely the only hotel in the D.C. area where you can open your windows in the morning and hear monkeys howling in the distance. It's also a magnificent bargain for the location. No televisions or phones are provided in the rooms.

Mid-range

• Woodley Park Guest House

  phone: +1 202 667-0218
  address: 2647 Woodley Rd NW
  One of Washington D.C.'s loveliest B&Bs set in a peaceful, safe & historic neighborhood. An excellent value steps to the Metrorail, neighborhood restaurants, Adams Morgan, Dupont circle, the National Zoo and National Cathedral. Hospitable owners and staff are an invaluable source for experiencing DC from an insider's point of view. A fresh, delicious buffet breakfast is provided every day.

Splurge

• Embassy Suites Hotel at the Chevy Chase Pavilion

  phone: +1 202 362-9300
  address: 4300 Military Road NW
  An upscale extended stay hotel in the middle of D.C.'s most upscale shopping strip, and a block away from the Friendship Heights Metro stop.

• Marriott Wardman Park Hotel

  phone: +1 202 328-2000
  address: 2660 Woodley Rd NW
  A city unto itself, this hotel covers sixteen acres. It has hosted a long list of U.S. presidents, dignitaries and other VIPs. It's a very easy walk to both the metro, the National Zoo, and the Woodley Park dining strip. Outdoor heated pool.

• Omni Shoreham Hotel

  phone: +1 202 234-0700
  address: 2500 Calvert St NW
  A grand old hotel in leafy Rock Creek Park, near the National Zoo, that once was a premier destination for visiting dignitaries and celebrities, from the Beatles to Emperor Selassie. Free Wi-Fi, resort-style outdoor heated pool, and fitness center. The hotel was built in 1930 and has hosted several Presidential Inaugural Balls.

• Kimpton Glover Park Hotel

  phone: +1 202 337-9700
  address: 2505 Wisconsin Ave NW
  This is an all-suites local boutique hotel, albeit a big one in a perfectly lovely and very safe neighborhood. Since it's up the hill, the top floor rooms facing south and east have spectacular views.

Almost all cafes and many restaurants and supermarkets offer a free WiFi connection. Computer terminals are accessible for free at the following public libraries:

Public libraries

• Cleveland Park Library

  phone: +1 202 282-3080
  address: 3310 Connecticut Ave NW

• Palisades Library

  phone: +1 202 282-3139
  address: 4901 V St NW

• Tenley-Friendship Library

  phone: +1 202 244-3212
  address: 4200 Wisconsin Ave NW

For better nightlife and restaurants, visit the neighbors to the south: Georgetown and Adams Morgan, or the neighbor to the north: Bethesda.