(Around) The White House Well, okay, not actually a house you can rent! But welcome to the President’s neighborhood. This area is where you will find The White House, the National Mall, the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian, and a collection of landmark museums and memorials. There aren’t a ton of apartments in this small part of DC, and the ones that exist are fairly new and tend to be a little higher in price.

Foggy Bottom/West End/K Street Stately studios and high-class apartments line infamous K Street, where Washington’s lobbyists, think tanks, and advocacy groups gravitate. A mix of modern and historic apartment buildings and small row houses can be found throughout another corner of this neighborhood, along with George Washington University’s academic buildings and several federal and historic offices (including the State Department and Watergate building). With the mix of lobbyist and college action, there are a number of sports bars and happy hour spots, and a matching mix of apartments that range as much as the residents.

Georgetown There are two faces to Georgetown: one historic, immaculate, and couture, and the other rowdy. This neighborhood of cobbled hills, idyllic M Street shops, old houses, iconic live music venues, and University of Georgetown frat houses creates an interesting mix. M Street and Wisconsin Avenue are the center of DC’s main boutique shopping area, but there are tiny local restaurants and grocers off the beaten path that feel like they may have been frequented during the American Revolution. Along the water is a more modern waterfront where people dock their boats and drink in the summer. It’s definitely one of of the more upscale neighborhoods in DC-proper, and you can expect rent prices to reflect that.

Logan & Dupont Circle Foreign embassies, gay bars, music venues, bright (often boozy!) brunches, and exotic eateries make up the trendsetting-scene here. Upbeat and full of energy, the people are a combination of long-time locals, tourists and summer interns, along with the requisite artists, musicians, food crafters and drink mixers. These neighborhoods looked very different a few decades ago, and are now some of the more expensive and trendy in the District.

U Street The U Street Corridor is home to living legacies like Ben’s Chili Bowl and the Lincoln Theatre, as well as new hip spots like Busboys & Poets (part bookstore, part restaurant, part performance venue) and The Gibson. In the evenings, you can dine on DC’s best soul food and caribbean classics, and when the sun goes down the street comes alive with young people seeing out great music, the newest restaurants, and a very lively bar scene.

Southwest Waterfront Seafood and trapeze school, live outdoor music, a technicolor church and arts collective, an exciting nightlife and ever-expanding foodie repertoire make this laid-back neighborhood the epitome of urban renewal.

Capitol Hill This funky neighborhood gets its name from the iconic congressional building, but its chill vibes don’t necessarily come from the legislators that work there. A tight-knit and eclectic community of young families and summer interns come together at street fairs and and some of the best parks in the city. The historic East Market is a bustling few blocks of fresh produce, arts and cute little restaurants. Unique restaurants, cafes and secondhand shops line the stately streets, and there are plenty of watering holes for an afternoon cocktail.

Downtown & Penn Quarter In Downtown and Penn Quarter, you will see a crowd of fast-walking, briefcase-carrying, very-important-looking business people on their way to their very important business. But when the work day is over, there are plenty of places to play. There are boutique shops, hot eateries, hip clubs, and entertainment. The Verizon Center is located here, where the Capitals, Mystics, Wizards and Georgetown Hoyas play, along with a variety of concerts and events. This is also where DC’s Chinatown is, along with tons of national restaurant chains, sports bars, movie theaters and brand name shops.

Adams Morgan Trade in your suit-and-tie for at-shirt and a slice of late-night “Jumbo Slice” pizza in Adams Morgan. The nightlife here can be a bit overwhelming, or exactly perfect for a big night out. There are countless bars, ethnic eats and cool local shops along its historic streets. Off the beaten path, you will find calm side streets, historic row homes, charming flats, and the peaceful wilderness of Rock Creek Park.

Shaw In Shaw, colorful rowhouses on sleepy streets put residents an easy stroll away from coffee shops, laid-back dives, renowned theaters, Howard University, and the buzzing nightlife of U-Street.

Northwest DC Surrounded by urban forest and home to the Smithsonian Zoological Park, Northwest DC is a long, quiet corridor that feels like a small town in the big city. There are main street eats and shops, riverside parks, a hidden forest of glass bottles and bicycle parts, along with a splash park at the Palisades.

Tacoma Park Tacoma Park is a diverse, historic, middle-class haven on the northern DC city limits. Strong community roots combine with fresh transplants in its small downtown that is blossoming with new businesses.

Mount Pleasant Historic facades, diverse people, esthetic street art, laid-back cafes and small, family-run businesses give Mount Pleasant its down-to-earth character. The commercial corridor is small, but packed with mom-and-pop shops, local restaurants, chill dives, produce stands, unique vendors that spill out onto the sidewalks, and one of the best and oldest dive bars in the city where locals gather, The Raven. The result is a small-town feel right in the middle of the big city.

Cleveland Park Cleveland Park is a neighborly, family-friendly, spotless nook with well-lit sidewalks, parks and playgrounds. A cluster of casual eateries lines Connecticut Avenue, where you can find a couple of low-key bars to shoot pool or watch a local band.

Columbia Heights This neighborhood full of locals and newer younger transplants is in full renaissance, quickly adding convenient big box stores and entertainment to its small independent businesses, local bakeries and divey, mural-covered side streets.

Near Northeast This walkable, laid-back but hip neighborhood is mostly residential, but its small-and-lively commercial district is teeming with trendy hangouts. The heartbeat of the Near Northeast is a 1.5-mile stretch called Atlas District but known by most simply as (H Street). Here you will find folk singers and dance-happy crowds, dive bars and cocktail lounges, the farmers market and annual H Street Festival, as well as year-round eateries ranging from chic warehouse bistros, farm-to-table restaurants, pocket-size cafes, and indoor golfing at H Street Country Club.