Visiting Washington, D.C.? Here Are Some of the Many Must-See Landmarks

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Washington, D.C., is not only our nation’s capital, it’s also a place that has made a lot of history over the years.  Residents and visitors alike can’t travel more than a few minutes without coming across important and historical places to visit, particularly in the downtown area.

Washington’s most famous resident is the United States president, but members of Congress also call it home, and their workplaces are some of D.C.’s most famous sites. There are monuments all over D.C. too, providing information on historic figures from the nation’s past.

Politics and history aren’t the sole focus, though, as D.C. has modern landmarks that make it a world-class metropolis for locals. Washington is essentially two different cities – one catering to visitors and the other focusing on providing amenities to the area’s residents. This guide will examine some of D.C.’ s best-known landmarks for both tourists and locals.

D.C. Landmarks That Tourists Visit

Visitors to D.C. will spend much of their time exploring historical structures, museums, and monuments. The area is packed with sites that enjoy worldwide fame for their beauty and their place in history. Some of D.C.’s best-known landmarks include:

The White House 

Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House is the residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Construction on the building was completed in 1800, and every U.S. president has lived there since. Prebooking is a requirement for White House tours, and visitors can get a decent view of the building’s exterior from Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Washington Monument

A short distance south of the White House is the Washington Monument, a structure built in the mid-1800s to honor the United States’ first president, George Washington. The monument is the world’s tallest stone structure and, at one point from 1884 to 1889, was the tallest structure on the planet. Visitors can go inside the Washington Monument with a ticket. 

The U.S. Capitol 

The U.S. Capitol is where the nation’s Congress meets. It is a historic building that first opened in 1800, although it was partially destroyed in 1814 and later rebuilt. Visitors who want to tour the U.S. Congress building will have to book an appointment in advance, with the caveat that there are separate tours of the Senate and House galleries.

The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial was constructed from 1914 to 1922 in remembrance of President Abraham Lincoln. The structure features Greek Revival architecture and a large statue of Lincoln himself, making it one of the country’s most recognizable sites. The Lincoln Memorial is also where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

The National Mall’s Museums

Museums are everywhere at the National Mall, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution Building, and the National Museum of African Art. Visitors can spend days exploring these historical sites and learning about the country’s past.

Few cities in the world can rival the stunning collection of landmarks that D.C. has to offer. Those who live in Washington, however, often explore sites that the average visitor might miss.

Image of the washington monument, a historic DC Landmark

5 D.C. Landmarks Favored by Residents      

It can be a struggle getting used to living in Washington, D.C. because so much of the area focuses on history and government. Area residents tend to eventually look beyond the historical sites to carve out some favorite places of their own so they can avoid the crowds and enjoy the amenities this city offers. Here are some popular places to spend time if you’re looking for a break from the throngs of tourists.

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1. The Wharf

The Potomac River runs through D.C.’s heart from the Chesapeake Bay, giving the area a waterfront. The Wharf, which sits just south of the National Mall, is a multibillion-dollar mixed-use facility featuring restaurants, hotels, shops, parks, concert venues, and a marina. The result is a development that all Washington residents can use as a full-service entertainment district.

2. Georgetown

Another landmark district in Washington is the famous Georgetown neighborhood. This area dates to 1751, predating Washington’s establishment as the nation’s capital by about 40 years. It features historic buildings such as the Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel and the Old Stone House, the city’s oldest home. The neighborhood also has a canal, a historic university, and an entertainment district, making it a site that residents love visiting.

3. Union Station

Washington’s Union Station is one of the East Coast’s most vital transportation hubs, providing service to cities such as New York, Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Local commuter rail, streetcar, metro, and bus lines also depart from the station. The building, which opened in 1907, is certainly a landmark, but locals appreciate its functionality.

4. Nationals Park

One of D.C.’s newest landmarks is Nationals Park, home to the 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals. The stadium has 41,546 seats and enjoys a scenic location near the Anacostia River. There is also a surrounding entertainment district that Washington residents make full use of, particularly in the summer.

5. Chinatown

Chinatown is a small section of downtown Washington that was once home to thousands of immigrants from China. Today, the area features historic architecture such as the Friendship Archway and countless 19th-century buildings. The district is currently best-known for Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals and Wizards.

Whether you’re visiting this beautiful city or are considering relocating here, you will quickly learn that Washington, D.C., has something for everyone. Local real estate experts are a great source for additional recommendations and hidden gems that might not be well known.

Relocating to Washington, D.C.? Let an Expert Help You Find the Right Home

When you’re in the market for residential real estate services, look no further than the team at Nomadic Real Estate. Our experts provide property management, sales, and leasing to property owners in and around Washington, D.C., plus help connect tenants with the perfect rentals to fit their needs. 

Contact us for more information on living in Washington, D.C., and for a look at how its world-class facilities and comfortable properties can make you feel right at home.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a place to rent, check out our DC rentals.

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Enhanced Reporting

Your portal includes a selection of extremely useful reports. Reports are available in the “Reports” section, and are distinct from the financial statements. Unlike financial statements which are static records, Reports are dynamic real-time records that will update with current data every time you view them. 

Scroll down to learn more about Reports:

Navigate to the "Reports" module in your portal:

Owner Portal Reports
  • Keep in mind, these reports are dynamic records. They will refresh to display current information every time you view them. 

Enhanced Rent Roll Report:

Enhanced Rent Roll Report
  • The Enhanced Rent Roll Report will show the rent amount, last payment date, move-in date, lease expiration date, and security deposit amount for each of your tenants. 
  • It will also show a portfolio summary with occupancy percentage, vacancy loss, and more!

Unit Comparison Report:

Unit Comparison Report
  • If you own multiple units (or buildings) with Nomadic, you’ll get access to the Unit Comparison Report. 
  • This report enables you to quickly compare financial performance between your units at a glance without toggling between individual reports. 

Income Statement Month-Over-Month:

Income Statement by Month Report
  • The Income Statement Detail – Monthly Report serves as a month-over-month record of portfolio performance. You’ll see itemized income and expense categories and can track monthly. This report will update with fresh data every time you view it. 

Financial Statements

Financial statements will be published to your portal on a monthly basis. The statements are found in your Documents library, and provide a historical record of all financial performance. The statements serve as a snapshot of financial performance over a given period, and are static documents (unlike Reports, the statements do not update/change in real-time). 

Scroll down for more info about the Financial Statements in your Documents library:

The Documents area contains monthly financial statements:

Owner Portal Documents
  • The statements in the Documents are are static documents. They are posted to the portal once a month to serve as a historical record of financial performance. 

Download a statement to see month and YTD financials:

Owner Portal Property Statement

You'll also find a month-over-month operating statement:

Month over Month Statement

Portal Communication Tool

You can use your owner portal to communicate with our team. Any messages you send through the portal will go straight to your Account Manager. When we reply, you’ll get an email notification and you’ll also see the message in your portal next time you log in. 

Here’s an overview of using the communication platform:

Click "Communications" and navigate to "Conversations":

Commincation Dashboard Screenshot
  • The communications module will contain a record of all messages that you create through the portal. 

Click the "New Message" button and send your message:

Owner Portal New Message Screenshot

Responses will show up in the conversation ticket:

Portal Conversation Response Screenshot
  • You’ll get an email notification whenever you get a response, and you’ll also see the message in your portal next time you log in. 

You can reply in-line using the comment box:

Owner Portal Comment

Each conversation will be logged in its entirety:

Portal Conversation Snapshot

Understanding the Ledger

Your portal includes a ledger with all transactions. The ledger is populated with data in real-time as transactions flow through our accounting software. Much of this information is also available in the Reports area, as well as the Statements in your Documents library, but the ledger is the most comprehensive resource for diving into the details. 

Please scroll through the sections below to get a better understanding of how to interpret the ledger. 

By default, transactions are sorted chronologically:

Owner Ledger Dates
  • The date reflected in the lefthand column is the actual transaction date, not the “bill date”. This is the date the transaction was actually processed. 

If you have multiple properties with Nomadic, you'll see the address for each transaction in the "Location" column:

Ledger Property Column
  • You can filter the ledger to look at just one property, all properties, or specific sets of properties. 
  • If you only have one property with us, you’ll just see the ledger for that property. 

The Description column displays the transaction type:

Owner Ledger Description Column
  • BILL: this is an expense transaction, such as for repair costs or management fees.
  • CHARGE: this is a transaction  billed to the tenant, most typically a rent payment. 
  • NACHA EXPORT: this is a credit we processed to your distribution account. This type of transaction is how you get paid! 

The Amount column shows the dollar value of each transaction:

Owner Ledger Amount Column
  • Positive Amounts: if an amount is positive, it reflects a transaction that is payable to you. Typically, this will be a rent payment that we collected from your tenants. On occasion, a positive number could also signify a journal entry or credit adjustment. 
  • Negative Amounts:  if an amount is negative, this is a transaction that is either payable to Nomadic or is an amount that has already been paid to you. Typically this will be for repair costs or management/leasing fees. Owner draws (net distributions into your checking/savings account) also reflect as negative amounts, since they have already been paid to you. 

The Account Balance column shows a sum of positive/negative transactions at a given point in time:

Owner Ledger Account Balance Column
  • Account Balance should always equal zero after a net distribution has been processed. When the balance is zero, this means that all expenses have been paid and you’ve received the remainder as net operating income, leaving a balance of zero (meaning: no one is due any money, as all funds have been distributed appropriately). 

Navigating the Propertyware Owner Portal

Your portal includes some extremely useful features that help you understand your property’s financial performance at a new level, with real-time transparency into every transaction.

Scroll through the snapshots below for an overview of portal navigation! If you need more help or have specific questions about using the portal, you can reach out to your Account Manager any time for a screen share. 

You can filter all info by date range or property:

PW Portal Filters

View a snapshot of income and expenses on your dashboard:

PW Owner Dashboard View

See every transaction in real-time on your ledger:

Owner Portal Ledger View

Statements and forms will be posted to your documents library:

Owner Portal Document Library

View a suite of real-time financial reports:

Portal Reports View

See a running list of all bills, and drill down for more detail:

Owner Portal Bills View

Under Bill Details, you'll find dates/descriptions/amounts and more:

Portal Bill Details

You can also communicate with your Account Manager through the portal:

Owner Portal Communication Tools

How do net distributions work?

Net distributions keep your accounting clean and simple. Each month we’ll collect rent from the tenants, deduct any repair expenses for the previous month and any management/leasing fees for the current month, and credit the remaining net operating income to your account. 

Net Distribution

You’ll receive a statement via email each time a net distribution is processed, and can view all transaction details in your Propertyware owner portal.