Much of central Washington presents a polished and grand front to visitors: Foggy Bottom, however, is a part of town where the planners have been less tidy and where history has been a little more wrinkled. This quarter of Washington, lying next to the Potomac River, is one of the city's oldest districts. It's also one of its foggiest, where mists roll in from the river – hence the name.

The area had a different, but equally colourful, nickname a hundred years ago – the Round Tops. That was the name of the street gang that held sway over its community of Irish and German immigrants. All that changed in the mid-20th century, when the old industries closed down, and big government offices were built. Now visitors come to see the fragments of remaining old-town architecture or to take part in the many cultural events that the district is now known for, particularly at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Here you can catch world-class performances of classical music, theatre, opera or even ballet. Music of the more popular variety can be heard at the Smith Centre, just around the corner. Foggy Bottom even has its own major art gallery, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which is dedicated to that art which “encourages the American genius" and also makes room for international masterpieces.

But despite its recent cultural highs, Foggy Bottom still has room for some more off-beat monuments. The American Meridian is commemorated here, celebrating the line used to divide the world into Eastern and Western Hemispheres (before the US grudgingly accepted the Greenwich Meridian). And Foggy Bottom is where the world started equating scandals with '-gates'. At the office complex of Watergate, President Nixon's men were caught red-handed trying to burgle his opponent’s offices. That scandal was unearthed by the Washington Post – as a result Nixon fell.

Foggy Bottom’s location makes it a great base from which to explore the city. You can catch the MetroRail to Foggy Bottom from Federal Triangle Metro Station, or the L1 bus from Chevy Chase Circle stop.