The best
places to ...
GET A PIZZA
Armand’s
4231 Wisconsin Ave. N. W.;
202-363-5500 • “It’s
been around for years
and years,” says Gibson.
“Anything they have is
good. It was the first
place in D.C. to use thick,
Chicago-style crust.”
Why I Love ...
Washington, D.C.
As the nation prepares to elect a new commander
in chief, ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson returns
to his hometown along the Potomac
and even fox hollows. The park begins in
the northern quadrant of the city, near the
zoo, and extends into Maryland.
“One of my favorite spots is a great
waterfall that has an old mill [Peirce Mill]
at Beach and Tildon streets,”
Gibson says. “It’s a beautiful
spot right in the middle of the
city. It’s also a wonderful place
to picnic.”
Not that the city itself isn’t alluring. “The Kennedy Center has
been an evolution and revolution
for Washington cultural life,” he
says. “Before it, there was only
one legitimate theater in town.
Now it’s our centerpiece, with the National
Symphony Orchestra, several theaters and
an opera house.”
He also credits Lady Bird Johnson for
enhancing the city’s beauty with a profusion
of flower beds woven into the landscape.
“She left a great legacy for the city,”
Gibson says. “And I think the monuments
and government buildings are beautiful.
Some people complain about certain
pieces of architecture, but the majesty of
the city is lyrical to me.”— STACE Y MORRIS
Although many think of Washington, D. C.,
as our nation’s repository of presidential
monuments and government offices,
Charlie Gibson considers it home.
The anchor of ABC World News Tonight
may live in New York, but
Gibson moved to D.C. at age 12
and has lived there on and off
for nearly 40 years. And this
fall’s presidential elections
promise to have him making
frequent visits to his hometown, which couldn’t make
him happier.
When work takes Gibson
back to his former stomping
grounds, he usually heads to his favorite
pizzeria or pub—and revels in the breathing space he says is so unique to D.C.
“The openness is incredible. It’s a big
city without the oppressiveness of feeling
closed in,” Gibson says, referring to the
city’s original plan for no structures over
100 feet to be built. “Washington just has a
great, parklike feeling.”
One of his favorite retreats is Rock
Creek Park, a 1,750-acre oasis of forests,
running trails, stone bridges, picnic areas
CATCH A BALLGAME
Nationals Park
1500 S. Capitol St. S.E.;
202-675-6287 • “The
centerpiece for my
existence is any stadium
used for baseball or
football,” says Gibson,
who’s over the moon with
the opening of the city’s
new stadium, for D.C.’s
first baseball team in
nearly 40 years.
PARTAKE IN
HAPPY HOUR
The Tombs
1226 36th St. N. W.;
202-337-6668 • Gibson
loves this Georgetown
pub, in part because it’s
the closest thing to Cheers
he’s ever seen. “They have
good pub food, too,” he
says. “And the place is
decorated with the oars
from all the crews who
rowed on the Potomac. I
rowed in college, so that’s
part of why I love it there.”
