Things to Do

Jenna and Barbara Bush Still Have Favorite Places in Washington

The former First Daughters are back in town to promote their new book.

Photograph courtesy of Warner Theater.

George W. Bush’s daughters haven’t lived in Washington for years, but this month finds them in town again to promote their bestselling cowritten memoir. We asked for some of their favorite local spots.

Jenna:

The National Mall

“When we were little, our mom would take us to all of the monuments and museums. Later, when I lived in DC after college and was teaching [at a charter school], I would run there almost every day.”

Politics and Prose

“We’re both readers, and it’s a great bookstore. They have so many events for the community.”

9:30 Club

“My husband and I went to a lot of live music at the 9:30 Club. It’s great because it’s so small. I think we saw the National there.”

Barbara:

Smithsonian Museums

“As an adult, I’ve loved going to the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African-American History & Culture. I love the architect of that museum [David Adjaye]. I got to meet him in New York.”

Pizzeria Paradiso

“Jenna and I are sort of early-to-bedders, so we used to go to Pizzeria Paradiso on M Street at, like, 6 pm on Sundays.”

The Jefferson Hotel

“It has an amazing bar, and we’ve had a lot of fun meeting up with friends there.”

See the Bush sisters discuss their memoir, Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life, at the Warner Theatre on March 7. Tickets are $43 to $148.

This article appeared in the March 2018 issue of Washingtonian.

Mimi Montgomery Washingtonian
Home & Features Editor

Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.