#FitWithFinesse City Guide: Washington D.C.
If New York is the city that never sleeps, does that make Washington D.C. the city that likes to hit snooze? I am up most mornings by 5 a.m. because that is the only way I will get in my personal workout for the day. That rule typically sticks when I’m traveling, but a recent trip to D.C. had me a little out of sorts. I had the hardest time finding studios with classes before 6 a.m. Looks like the city’s trend is to swap out that 5 a.m. time slot for 7 p.m.
It’s been a few years since I’ve visited our nation’s capital, so I was pretty excited to lace up my tennis shoes and visit new sites like the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. While in Chocolate City (Can we still consider it that?), I was also able to track down a few gems.
Busboys and Poets
Of course the first stop was going to be food. Busboys and Poets is a D.C. staple and honestly, it is exactly what I believe a little slice of heaven on earth should be.
Here you can have your coffee, a good book, healthy eats, some cake and eat it all too! The restaurant is known for having some of the city’s best vegan and vegetarian food, so I ordered (and loved) the Vegan Quesadilla and a Matcha Latte. Of course I snagged a good book on the way out. I hate that I wasn’t able to come back to enjoy any of the live music or poetry, but that just means it will have to be a stop the next time I’m in the city.
Cut Seven
Trying out new studios is often a very humbling experience, even for the most fit among us. Let me tell y’all, Cut Seven whooped my butt!! It’s been a long time since I felt this challenged. Cut Seven is a hardcore body weight and strength, sports conditioning studio in D.C.’s Logan Circle. I decided to give it a try because it’s exclusive to D.C., so I knew it would be something different. The workout focuses on different muscle groups each day to achieve complete muscle failure with optimum recovery. Each workout plays into a larger program. I grabbed my cousin who lives in the city and we tried out the Abs + Heart class. Bear Crawls, Russian Twists, Sprints, TRX, Resistance Bands…all in a 60-minute, circuit style format. I was definitely pushed to my max. This studio had an strong community vibe and I felt encouraged by other members the entire time.
#FinesseTip: Cut Seven has a 7:30 p.m. class for half-off most nights of the week.
The Tavern x Sweetgreen
Who knew my absolute fave could do anything else to make me fall even more in love?
The statement, “I Love Sweetgreen,” just doesn’t even sound correct. I’m obsessed. When I’m in LA, I eat at the salad chain everyday. But these are not regular salads. They are flavorful and the combination options are endless. My favorite is the Warm Shroomami Bowl.
Anyway, what I didn’t know before visiting the city was that the restaurant was founded in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. The original location was recently re-opened and converted into a hyper-local grocery hub, complete with rows of produce, nut butters, flowers, kombucha, and more from partners Sweetgreen has worked with over the years. I stumbled not only across some new brands to try, but also some really good black-owned brands. Stay tuned for a separate posts on what I purchased and we tried for you.
RUMBLE
Yes, you just saw us feature RUMBLE in April. I doubled back (told you we would double tap that)! I enjoyed the workout when Shawnie and I took the class together in LA, but this was also the only studio that was open at 5 a.m., and in close proximity to my hotel. My experience at the studio was better this time around. There were only two of us booked into the early morning class, so we received a private, 2-on-1 session with trainer Salu. I have to note, the playlist that morning was amazing.
You can’t come to D.C. and not take in all the history and landmarks the city has to offer. I was able to tour the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as finally check out the Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial. Both gave me chills and I swelled with pride thinking about the strength, resilience and fight found in my people. I definitely left D.C. a little better and stronger than when I came.
Have you made summer travel plans? If so, let us know where you are headed by dropping us a line on IG or Facebook.. If not, I strongly suggest considering a trip to D.C. The city has so much to discover and explore.
Love,
CaCera