Yolanda Cole / Photo courtesy Yolanda Cole Newseum / Courtesy Wikipedia

National Cathedral / Courtesy Wikipedia Logan Circle / Courtesy Wikipedia Rasika Restaurant / Courtesy D.C. Cityblog

Yolanda Cole, senior principal at D.C.’s Hickok Cole Architects, merged her practice with Hickok in 2003. Since then, the duo’s office has specialized in commercial architecture and interiors.

Best New Architecture
Newseum
We’ve chosen to host the Washington D.C. AIA chapter party at the Ennead-designed museum, both because of the beauty of the building’s architecture and because people have usually not been. It’s a good example of a new museum and new building in the city.

Best Historic Architecture
The Capitol Building
The Capitol Building is really a symbol of Washington D.C.—for the nation and for the world. There’s a rich array of historic architecture in the city, but the Capitol is the thing that really defines it.

The National Cathedral School
The grounds and neo-Gothic architecture of the National Cathedral School—and, of course, the National Cathedral itself—are just gorgeous and definitely worth a visit.

Best Neighborhoods
Georgetown
In Georgetown, there are people on the street and along the waterfront. And the mix of shops and restaurants is great.

Logan Circle — 14th Street Corridor
You’ll find a lot of new architecture, restaurants, and shops mixed in with pawnshops and dilapidated sites. It’s the new and up-and-coming neighborhood. It spans from Thomas Circle to U Street.

Best Drinking, Dining, and Shopping
Muleh
Muleh is a women’s clothing boutique that also has a lot of furniture. It’s an unusual combination, but it’s everything there is beautifully designed.

Rasika
This restaurant has two locations, one downtown and one on the edge of Georgetown on DuPont Circle. The food is upscale, gourmet Indian with a bit of flair.

The Gibson
On U Street, it’s one of those places that you don’t know is there and serves old-fashioned cocktails. You have to make a reservation.