Georgetown

Continue walking or biking along the 184.5 mile C&O towpath and park for a near-escape from city-life. A few minutes into your walk or bicycle ride, you are in the middle of a green and verdant linear park alongside the banks of the Potomac. As freeways and highways in the area aren't allowed to have billboards, you won't experience visual pollution as you traverse although you will see and hear cars and planes. Nonetheless, much like Rock Creek, it's a great walk alongside nature.

Arlington, Virginia, originally part of D.C. proper, is a 10-15 minute walk or even shorter bike ride over the beautiful Key Bridge. After crossing the Key Bridge to Arlington, you can take the stairs on the east side at the end of the bridge to get on the Mount Vernon Trail, which heads east to the quiet refuge of Theodore Roosevelt Island, which sports some magnificent views of its own. Further along the trail, bikers and joggers enjoy spectacular river views of the monuments, going past the airport, Old Town Alexandria, and all the way to George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon.

Looking for less collegiate-style nightlife? Catch a cab east to Dupont Circle or even further to Adams Morgan for the city's trendier clubs and divier bars, as well as the city's main live music venues. Or head north up Wisconsin to Glover Park and Woodley Park for quieter neighborhood bars serving a slightly older better-mannered crowd.