David Whitley chats to an Australian bar owner, and discovers that there’s far more to Washington DC than first meets the eye.

If you fly into Washington, try and tick off the highlights and then leave within a couple of days, you could be forgiven for thinking there’s not much more to it than showpiece monuments and a rather unfulfilling downtown area. And it’s true that this is one major part of Washington. The museums and memorials around the National Mall are what a lot of people come for, and if you don’t venture too far afield from there, you’ll be surrounded by suit-clad types intent on showing how big their wallets/ balls are in hugely expensive be-seen steakhouses.

But once you get beyond the area where it’s all about impressing dignitaries, interns and monument-loving visitors, the city starts to get a whole lot more interesting. I spent my second evening in the city in a small bar in the up-and-coming district of Columbia Heights. You’d really have to know Room 11 was there and target it directly, as there’s no way you’d accidentally stumble across it.

It’s the sort of place that Washington is, quietly, starting to do well. It doesn’t take itself seriously, it’s all about the people you talk to rather than the people who see you there, and it shows that this city can be cool without having powerdress and surround yourself with opulent marble.

Over an enormous glass of wine (“we don’t believe in micropouring...”) I end up chatting with Ben Gilligan. His accent is more east coast Australia than east coast US – unsurprising, given that he grew up in Brisbane – and the conversation provides a classic lesson. It’s easy enough to get an idea of a city by walking around it and looking at things, but to really delve into it and begin to understand how it all holds together, you’ve got to talk to people. It’s the faultlines that make Washington fascinating. The reason the capital was built here was because it is where the north meets the south. During the American Civil War, the two sides could stare at each other in their own territory across the Potomac River. The city’s character owes as much to Atlanta and Memphis as it does to New York and Boston.

Race matters too. Washington is a majority African American city and the contrasts between the upmarket northwest and much poorer south-east are stark.  It’s the most staunchly democratic city in the country – over 90% voted for Barack Obama – but there are still major political divisions. In the recent Democratic primary for the mayoral election (essentially the mayoral election given that no other party has a chance), incumbent Adrian Fenty lost, even though he won in 58 of the 61 majority white areas. He won just 10 of the 118 majority black areas. If Americans try and tell you there’s no racial divide in their country, the evidence suggests otherwise.

But in Washington, the most interesting areas are where the ‘white’ half and ‘black’ half of the city lap at each others’ shores. U Street is the classic example – it was the scene of riots in the 1960s, but now there’s a relatively easy coexistence between people of all races and incomes. This is spreading north to Columbia Heights, and to little pockets such as H Street in traditional no-go areas.

As Ben says, “Washington is finally getting little enclaves that are starting to grow – it’s an unpretentious version of the New York thing where a lot of people rarely leave their home area.” There’s still crime in Columbia Heights, but three years ago, a place like Room 11 would have never taken off here.

“Getting Obama in has eased a bit of the tension in the city,” says Ben. “It’s still a tense city, though – and that’s what makes it exciting.”

Tense, exciting, whatever you want to call it – Washington is certainly a lot more interesting than it first appears. Step beyond the Mall, explore the borderline neighbourhoods that get the tag “new DC” and you uncover a city you just want to know more about. Most of all, though, it’s a great lesson – it’s good to talk.

Details: Room 11 (Room11DC.com) can be found at 3234 11th St. NW in Columbia Heights. David stayed at the Dupont Hotel (Doylecollection.com) and W Hotel (Starwoodhotels.com/whotels).