What D.C. Means to You: A Survey, Not an Essay

The District's tourism bureau is giving the city an image makeover -- or, in bizspeak, a "destination brand" -- via http://www.shareyourdc.com, a Web site where you can articulate the many splendors of living here for those keen on visiting.

Sure, the last thing we need is more tourists, but those fanny-packed masses spend $5 billion a year here, says Victoria Isley, a senior vice president for the Washington, D.C., Convention and Tourism Corp., which started the Web project.

"It's about understanding what the motivators are for people to come and travel here," Isley says of Share Your DC. "But it's also connecting that with what residents see and feel every day. It's whether you want to be a tourist or a traveler and how someone would want to experience a city. You either get the veneer or you get the rich mahogany."

The survey -- featuring such mahogany-esque questions as "What do you love about being in Washington, DC and why?" -- will be up through the end of the month. The latest poll result? A whopping 70 percent of 354 voters refer to their city as "DC" (zounds!) while only 2 percent call it "nation's capital." You can also appreciate the city by submitting photos to webmaster@washington.org.

The tourism corporation will collate data and release findings by the end of the year. Our suggested tagline for the city? "Washington: We Got No Vote in Congress, but We Got One on www.shareyourdc.com."

-- Dan Zak