Blue Guide Washington, DC

By Candyce H. Stapen, W. W. Norton, 2000

The Blue Guide Washington, D.C., provides a comprehensive cultural, historical and architectural guide to the city as well as detailing the city’s major and off-the-beaten path attractions. The book includes accommodations, restaurants, cafes, walking tours, and maps.

5.0 out of 5 stars

“Candyce Stapen has captured the details of Washington that make it such a fascinating city.  This guide goes beyond the usual monumental and symbolic Washington and puts you on the sidewalk to explore an authentic city rich with physical detail, fascinating characters.

Whether it is explaining the stories behind public sculpture, the history of individual neighborhoods, or detailed descriptions of museums, Blue Guide Washington, D.C. leaves you better acquainted with a city otherwise invisible to most visitors. This is the most comprehensive guide to Washington,” – The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

“Blue Guides: Sure command of history, art, architecture…The most engrossing guidebooks since the 19th century Baedekers.” – Travel & Leisure

From tour guides:

“Still THE tour guide’s handbook for the nation’s capitol, even if it is in desperate need of an update. Published in 2000.”

From readers:

“In the Blue Guide style, this guidebook divides much of the city into sectors (about 5 blocks by 5 blocks in the downtown region) and suggests guided walks in each of these sectors – but with careful attention to the history and architecture of the landmarks and buildings in each region it discusses. It really tells you what to notice about the places you walk by. There is also plentiful information about logistics (e.g. closest subway stations and bus lines, hours, etc.) It’s simply a wonderful book and reaches beyond merely comprising a ‘greatest hits’ list of the obvious things to do in Washington. It’s also not a ‘picture book’, which I’m not too fond of because it’s nice to actually see something for oneself!”

“The one qualm about the book is that it is 11 years old, so some things have moved (like the Newseum) and no doubt the restaurant listings are out of date. But if you have a smartphone, or supplement with Internet research beforehand, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t get as much out of this carefully researched book as out of some generic Lonely Planet guide just considering practical information itself. It IS the history and architecture discussion, though, that makes this book.”

“Great item great price.”