This past fall semester I spent a semester away from campus doing an internship in Washington DC. Moving to a new city I had only been to once in seventh grade for a whole semester was intimidating. It was like I was taking a test drive of life post grad.
I had no idea where to start in this new city.
So I set a goal for myself – I am going to visit as many bookstores as I can in Washington DC. I’ve never been in a bookstore that didn’t feel like home. Something about being surrounded by books and people who love books sends my anxiety away while I’m inside. Then, being in a new city visiting bookstores felt like a comfortable place to start exploring.
What I realized after visiting as many DC bookstores as I could in six months was that bookstores tell you so much about the neighborhood, town, or city. There are staff picks that can tell you exactly what people in the city are reading. Sometimes the cookbook section is bigger than the memoir section, or the kids section is a shelf or three. People who work at these bookstores are always willing to help and those conversations can be some of the kindest conversations you have in the city.
I feel less alone in a bookstore that I can just fade away and feel safe among the stacks. I love Washington DC now and didn’t want to leave because of these places.
I’ve listed below six of the bookstores I visited in Washington DC (and one in Virgina). Check them out if you ever find yourself there and you won’t regret it.
Capitol Hill Books in Capitol Hill
Kramers in Dupont Circle
Old Town Books in Alexandria
Politics and Prose in Union Market
East City Bookshop in Eastern Market
The Lantern Bookshop in Georgetown