(Reuters) – It's not all politics and no play in Washington, D.C.
For business travelers like WeWork cofounder Miguel McKelvey, the nation's capital has plenty to offer the professional-on-the-go.
McKelvey frequently makes the train trip from New York City to D.C. to visit the company's two locations, both of which opened in 2014. WeWork provides creative office and meeting spaces for professionals to collaborate, but that doesn't stop McKelvey from venturing out to make the most of 48 hours among the nation's forefathers.
Cup of Joe and power breakfast: My idea of awesome coffee is melted Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream. I like a lot of cream and a lot of sugar. There's a place near our WeWork Wonder Bread factory location (641 S St. NW) in the U street area: Blind Dog Café (944 Florida Ave. NW). They make it strong there, but it's got a selection that is good for all kinds of coffee drinkers.
For breakfast, try the spin on the typical NYC egg and cheese – but with sausage and potato on a croissant.
Lunch break site-seeing: In business, it's so much about decision making and power systems. The White House has a lot of symbolism with regards to where history is created. Also, you could lose yourself in the cool stuff at The Smithsonian, even if you have just a couple hours between meetings.
Back to the office: Uber is pretty awesome in D.C. Sometimes, they are there within two minutes. The cabs often don't take credit cards, which is a hassle.
Dinner with colleagues: Every time I am in D.C., I go to Five Guys (various locations) for dinner. It calls my name. The company started in D.C. It's casual, great food. But it's not so business-y.
Nightcap before the hotel: I'm not a big drinker, and that's why I like Tryst (2459 18th St. NW) in Adams Morgan. It's a cool coffee house, bar and lounge. I can drink a cup of coffee while someone else has a glass of wine. There's live music, people on dates. Something is going on any time of the day there.
Rest up: I'm a design guy, so to me, a good hotel for any purpose is if it's designed in a cool way. You feel productive because you are inspired by your surroundings. The Graham Hotel Georgetown (1075 Thomas Jefferson St. NW) has spacious rooms with a sofa area adjacent to the bedroom. If you have people with you, it's nice to be able to meet there so they don't have to sit on your bed.
Morning stroll: When I am in a new place, I try to make a trek across the city. D.C. is great for that because you could have a long walk from one monument to the other monument.
One of the interesting walks is to go from Georgetown through downtown and into Chinatown. When I leave the Graham Hotel, I like to walk to Union Station (50 Massachusetts Ave. NE) and get on the train at the end of my visit.
Off-site meeting: I love Le Pain Quotidien (various locations) because they have these great long communal tables. It's not that easy to find a place for a big group, but they are always able to accommodate.
Where to kill extra time: D.C. is a very planned city, but the Smithsonian National Zoo is up on this hillside. It feels like a forest. It's really nice to feel detached from the city in just a short drive.
Read more: Washington, D.C. – from monuments to meetings
