Dupont Circle

The dialectic of the global and the local, and of the central and the off-beat excites the air of D.C.'s eclectic Dupont Circle neighborhood.

The Circle itself is centered around a lively fountain where musicians, dancers and exhibitionists frolic on the weekends. Downtown office workers relax with their ubiquitous, plastic-clad carryout lunches on weekdays and the tone is more professional. The rowdy chess players, however, are a fixture.

Connecticut Ave. takes a subterranean route under the circle. Shops and cafes as well as steamy yoga studios and the late-night spot Kramer Books and Afterwords Café line the northward side of the circle.

Stephanie Beer - washingtonpost.com