Richard Koshalek / Photo courtesy Richard Koshalek Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden / Rendering courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro

National Mall / Courtesy Wikipedia Smithsonian Institute / Coutresy Wikipedia DCMetrorail / Courtesy Ben Schumin via Wikipedia Jefferson Reading Room / Carol M. Highsmith Leopold's Kafe / Courtesy Lauren Shia

Richard Koshalek is the director of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. He oversees a collection of 11,500 objects that span the late 19th century to the present day, including paintings, sculpture, photography, works-on-paper, and film, as well as a growing collection of video and digital media.

Best New Architecture
Come fall of 2013, Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Seasonal Inflatable Structure (aka the “Bloomberg Balloon”) at the Hirshhorn will give Washington the most radical architecture it’s seen in decades.

Best Historic Architecture
The National Mall
The physical embodiment of American democracy, this historic greensward has been the site of generations of civic action. The Hirshhorn is privileged to occupy such a critically important location.

DC Metro
Harry Weese’s coffered concrete vaults make subterranean journeys a pleasure.

Folger Shakespeare Library and Theater
This Paul Cret-designed beauty houses a replica Elizabethan theater that’s not-to-be-missed.

The Library of Congress
The Jefferson Building reading room will knock your socks off.

Best Museums and Galleries
The Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection is a Washington institution; its Rothko room and Impressionist collection are unparalleled.

Best Drinking, Dining, and Shopping
Jaleo
Chef Jose Andres has helmed this Washington eatery since 1993, and it has only improved with age. You can’t go wrong with anything on his tapas menu.

Cady’s Alley
This tony enclave in Georgetown plays host to some of the city’s best furniture, design, and clothing stores. Find an outdoor seat at the Cafe Leopold and enjoy the chicest wurst in Washington.

The Source
The Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the Ennead-designed Newseum building is a great spot for cocktails.

The Four Seasons
At breakfast, this is Washington’s power center.

Café Milano
The go-to eatery for ambassadors, policy makers and power brokers, this Georgetown restaurant is a D.C. institution.

J&G Steakhouse
At the W Hotel, this is a favorite lunch destination. The hotel’s rooftop bar also offers spectacular views of the city.

Off the Record
This downstairs bar in the Hay Adams Hotel is a hidden gem in a classic Washington hotel.