Washington — When the National Museum of the American Indian opened last month, visitors were greeted with a 23-foot-long electronic sign that flashed "welcome" in more than 100 Native languages.
It was the latest in a series of inviting changes in the nation's capital -- a city that was once as famous for its crime rate and slums as for its cultural institutions and high-powered politicians. Despite its long history as a tourist destination, downtown Washington was avoided by many visitors and residents after dark. The Washington Post said D.C. had come to stand for "Deserted City."
But a downtown renaissance -- coupled with new attractions and museums in the city and beyond -- has revitalized the area. Stylish restaurants, nightclubs, theaters and brew pubs are drawing crowds to the capital at night. And during the day, visitors can choose from a host of new activities as well as see the sights that have drawn tourists for generations.
The Museum of the American Indian, the first museum to open on the National Mall since 1987, is the most imposing of the new offerings -- a $219-million homage to the Western Hemisphere's Native peoples. But other additions to the city and environs also have brought freshness and vitality.
* In the Penn Quarter neighborhood just north of the Mall, district workers and tourists dine on tapas at trendy restaurants such as Jaleo, glimpse the dark fury of "Macbeth" at the Shakespeare Theatre and test their espionage skills at the International Spy Museum.
* On the Mall, tourists swarm the National World War II Memorial night and day, despite criticism preceding and following its opening in spring.
* Outside the city near Washington Dulles International Airport, visitors stand awestruck in front of the Space Shuttle Enterprise and other historic aircraft at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center, named after its main benefactor. It's a mammoth addition to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.
I visited the nation's capital twice in the last six months to sample its flourishing cultural scene and tour some of its new museums and attractions. Guided by a friend who spends his days as a button-down D.C. civil servant, I saw vibrant night life, from hip ethnic clubs and restaurants to clubby old-line watering holes.
