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Washingtonian Wrapped: A Look Back at All the Top 2023 DC-Area Moments

From a viral panda departure at Dulles Airport and a giant George Santos balloon on the National Mall, to all of our favorite DC-area restaurants and everything else in between—check out the highlights of 2023 in Washington as told through our most-read stories of the year.

Written by Washingtonian Staff | Published on December 21, 2023
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Contents
  • 1. 100 Very Best Restaurants
  • 7. Michelin Adds 10 Restaurants to Its 2023 DC Guide
  • 12. 50 Great Date Ideas in DC
  • We Said Goodbye
  • We Said Hello
  • Related Stories

1. 100 Very Best Restaurants

 

2. Clarence Thomas’s Billionaire Benefactor Collects Hitler Artifacts

3. Jay-Z and Solange Brunched at a Chevy Chase Restaurant This Weekend

 

4. The Twisty Story of DC’s African Braiding Center

 


5. Fox News’s Bret Baier Lists DC Home for $32 Million—a Potential Record

6. The DC Area’s Best “Hidden Gem” Restaurants, According to Food Influencers

 

Back to Top

7. Michelin Adds 10 Restaurants to Its 2023 DC Guide

 

8. Sorry, but You Probably Won’t Be Able to See the Northern Lights From Maryland This Week

 


9. The Grimace Shake Is a Purple Blob of Exquisite Mystery

10. Six Great Hikes Near DC For Seeing Gorgeous Fall Foliage

 

11. 3 Self-Care Getaways to Escape the DC Area

 

Back to Top

12. 50 Great Date Ideas in DC

 


Back to Top

We Said Goodbye

2023 saw a handful of high-profile DC departures.

This year, DC said bye to: former Commanders owner Dan Snyder, expelled congressman George Santos, the beloved Smithsonian National Zoo pandas, and a host of restaurants.

National Zoo Pandas

29 DC-Area Restaurants Closed

Dan Snyder

George Santos

 


Back to Top

We Said Hello

2023 ushered in welcomed additions to the DC area.

This year, DC said hello to: new music venue the Atlantis, Metro openings and reopenings (including the long-awaited Potomac Yard station), the freshly renovated National Museum of Women in the Arts, and many, many exciting restaurants.

Atlantis

So Many Restaurant Openings

New Metro Stations

Museum Renovations

 


Back to Top

Related Stories

Washingtonian’s Best Longreads of 2023

A Look Back at DC’s 2023 Food Scene

Fave Stories You Might Have Missed

Photographs courtesy of Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures.

Year in Photos: Through the Lens of Our Photographer

 

1. 100 Very Best Restaurants

 

2. Clarence Thomas’s Billionaire Benefactor Collects Hitler Artifacts

 

3. Jay-Z and Solange Brunched at a Chevy Chase Restaurant This Weekend

 

4. The Twisty Story of DC’s African Braiding Center

 

5. Fox News’s Bret Baier Lists DC Home for $32 Million—a Potential Record

 

6. The DC Area’s Best “Hidden Gem” Restaurants, According to Food Influencers

 

7. Michelin Adds 10 Restaurants to Its 2023 DC Guide

 

8. Sorry, but You Probably Won’t Be Able to See the Northern Lights From Maryland This Week

 

9. The Grimace Shake Is a Purple Blob of Exquisite Mystery

 

10. Six Great Hikes Near DC For Seeing Gorgeous Fall Foliage

 

11. 3 Self-Care Getaways to Escape the DC Area

 

12. 50 Great Date Ideas in DC

 


Back to Top

We Said Goodbye

2023 saw a handful of high-profile DC departures.

This year, DC said bye to: former Commanders owner Dan Snyder, expelled congressman George Santos, the beloved Smithsonian National Zoo pandas, and a host of restaurants.

 

National Zoo Pandas

 

29 DC-Area Restaurants Closed

 

Dan Snyder

 

George Santos

 


Back to Top

We Said Hello

2023 ushered in welcomed additions to the DC area.

This year, DC said hello to: new music venue the Atlantis, Metro openings and reopenings (including the long-awaited Potomac Yard station), the freshly renovated National Museum of Women in the Arts, and many, many exciting restaurants.

 

Atlantis

 

So Many Restaurant Openings

 

New Metro Stations

 

Museum Renovations

 


Back to Top

Related Stories

Washingtonian’s Best Longreads of 2023

 

A Look Back at DC’s 2023 Food Scene

 

Fave Stories You Might Have Missed

Photographs courtesy of Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures.

 

Year in Photos: Through the Lens of Our Photographer

More: FeaturesWashingtonian Wrapped 2023
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Related

9 Food Trends That Defined the DC Dining Scene in 2023

The Top 10 Dishes Our Food Editors Ate This Year

Photo by Evy Mages.

Year in Photos: 2023 Through the Lens of Our Photographer

Some Favorite Washingtonian Stories of 2023 (That You May Have Missed)

© 2025 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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