People ask where we live in Washington, D.C. and when I say, “Brightwood,” it is clear from the blank stares that they’ve never heard of our neighborhood. The secret is not out—yet.

Even among those who’ve lived in D.C. for several years, the area remains a mystery, a blank space on the map of the city in their minds. Everyone knows Georgetown and Dupont and Capitol Hill and Chinatown. You might even know Shaw and H Street. But Brightwood? Nah.

We moved to our neighborhood five years ago but, ironically, my husband’s grandparents used to live two blocks down our street in the 1940s. Like the entire city, things have changed since then-though not at the rate of areas closer to downtown. We live in Uptown. Still Northwest, but not the multi-million dollar mansions and luxury condos people picture.

Instead, Brightwood and Brightwood Park, which are adjacent, remain mostly residential and look more like D.C. past. The area has a local, community feel to it-you never see tourists roaming the streets. There are no high rises or fancy hotels. It’s a place people actually live.

How long will this small swath of old D.C. last?

It’s hard to say. Gentrification is sweeping through with no signs of slowing, bringing good, bad, and plenty of debate. The luxury condos are on their way, and the main commercial thoroughfare, Kennedy Street, is bubbling with new businesses.

So, if you want to know what a neighborhood in transition looks like and experience a side of D.C. that few ever see, I recommend a stroll down Kennedy Street. These are some of our favorite places.

Where to stop on your stroll through the Brightwood DC neighborhood

Start at 1st St and Kennedy St and walk West to find each of these Uptown DC gems.

1. Wet Paint Mural

“Do something every day to remind this city why the hell you’re here,” the mural says. “Give it your best every single day and don’t be so hard on yourself come nightfall.” If walls could talk, right?

2. Jackie Lee’s

Historic jazz club turned Art Deco dive bar that serves solid food and drinks. Order the ribs or the chicken and waffles. Friendly staff and free games like a Trivial Pursuit deck from the 90s.

3. Vintage Glam Tea Party & Co.

Visit the boutique for “pre-loved” antiques and housewares from noon to 5 PM on Saturdays, or rent out the event space for a tea party of your own for $75 an hour. “Pinkies up!”

4. The Library Tavern

The Library Tavern serves a mix of Persian and American food along with cocktails, beers, and wine amidst walls of books. They have a lounge downstairs with a pool table and more.

5. Andrene’s Soul Food & Caribbean Cafe

Andrene has been serving up delicious, filling Caribbean-soul fusion on Kennedy Street for 13 years. Try the oxtail, the Jamaican beef patties, and a side of mac n’ cheese.

6. Lighthouse Yoga Center

Find your center with kundalini, hatha yoga, and pilates. It’s not your typical yuppie yoga operation with only power flow classes. Try the Yoga for “Misfits” class if you’re zen-curious.

7. Roots & Blooms

Designing floral arrangements in D.C. for over 30 years, this flower shop cafe has it all: gorgeous blooms, espresso drinks, pastries, and made in D.C. goods for sale.

8. Soup Up

Not just soup! Fancy toasts, grilled cheeses, jerk chicken wings, and more are all on the menu (but also soup). Drink some fresh-squeezed juice filled with loads of fruit and veggies too.

9. ANXO Cidery & Tasting Room

The production arm of ANXO in Shaw, this cidery and tasting room is a community hot spot. Sip your cider with Basque snacks and sandwiches or bagels, lox, coffee, and more for brunch.

10. Cheesemonster Studio

Opened in 2019 and ⅔ women-owned, this cheese catering studio offers cafe hours on Fridays and Saturdays, plus special tasting events. Stellar cheese and wine pairings in an intimate, friendly space.

Note: If you’re into natural wine, check out our post on the Solstice Natural Wine Festival.

11. La Coop Coffee

Founded by the son of a coffee farmer in Guatemala, La Coop is all about fair trade and sustainability-in addition to a delish cuppa joe. Right now, Juan (the owner) is running it as a pop-up shop inside of Cheesemonster on weekday mornings. Stop in for your nitro fix and to say hi!

12. Moreland’s Tavern

A family-friendly bar and restaurant with a cool circular bar upstairs that’s great for watching sports. This restaurant has the same owners as Boundary Stone, which is a Bloomingdale fave.

13. Uptown Farmer’s Market

Shop local produce, baked goods, and more at this small but bustling farmer’s market serving the Brightwood DC neighborhood. Open Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM.

14. Twist and Turns Body Fitness

A warm and welcoming studio that offers a variety of fitness classes for $99 per month, unlimited. It’s owned by a mother-daughter duo who focus on making exercise fun.

15. Rock Creek Park/ Carter Barron Amphitheater

If you reach Rock Creek, you’ve reached the end of this Brightwood DC neighborhood tour-but you should keep walking! Kennedy will turn into Morrow Drive and take you into the park, which is gorgeous. Explore the trails and you might even stumble upon some horses.

Washington, D.C. never ceases to amaze me with the hidden gems it has to offer in just a few square miles. Brightwood is not the only underrated area of the city — there’s so much more to explore. So yes, do all the museums and the famous neighborhoods, but then venture further. The real D.C. is really not that far away.

Images all shot by Melissa M. on an iPhone 8 Plus, except the image of Rock Creek Park, which is courtesy of creative commons.

Originally published at https://www.realbigworld.co on October 2, 2019.

Where to go and what to see in the hidden gem of Brightwood D.C. was originally published in Real Big World on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Nick has banked over $10,000 in free flight vouchers. How? With a handful of simple tricks. Here are his tips for scoring travel vouchers for flights.

Who says you can’t get anything for free? Just ask a broke college student forking out hundreds of dollars for each flight home for the holidays. AKA me. Well, me a few years back. One holiday I scored a free voucher for taking a later departure on an overbooked flight. Over the last 10 years, I’ve banked more than $10,000 in vouchers.

Hold it. What is an overbooked flight?

Airlines often sell more seats than they have inventory available. They know that some amount of travelers will sleep through their alarm, get stuck in traffic, or think their flight isn’t until the next day. It happens. If American Airlines could save $40,000 a year by removing one olive from first-class cabin salads, imagine how much money would be left on the table if they assumed everyone would show for their flight and left seats unused.

But sometimes it backfires and everybody shows. Regulations in the U.S. could force the airline to pay you 400% of the value of a one-way ticket to your destination. That’s a heck of a lot more than they can “bribe” you to get off with a voucher in hand to fly on their airline in the future. Win-Win.

Is this happening more as airline profit margins narrow?

Surprisingly not. Travelers being bumped from flights edged past 1 million in the late 1990s. But that was a rough time for all of us. We thought carrying backpacks on one shoulder looked cool (hello back pain in 2019), proudly danced the “Macarena,” and went everywhere in Dr. Martens. We’ve all moved on.

Ok back to free tix… Here are a few trips and tricks to increase your odds of cashing in on free airplane vouchers.

Tips to score travel vouchers for flights

1. Choose full flights.

You are more likely to get bumped from flights that are more heavily sold. (Thanks captain obvious.) But you are hopefully booking ahead of the curve. If there is no real price difference, book a popular time to travel. Also, don’t pay for the extra legroom. If you get bumped you lose that value.

2. Leave buffer time.

While you’re at the booking game, give yourself a little buffer time, especially during holiday travel. At times you might be booked on a flight that is only minutes behind in arrivals or you might have to fly out the next day. Go ahead take a sick day before your vacation day.

3. Pack lightly.

You are reading a travel blog. So, you probably already know to put everything into a carry on bag and leave checking a bag for the amateurs. This makes rebooking SO much easier for the airline and you will not be separated from your stuff if you have to fly out the next day. (We gave some packing tips that might help here, especially in basic economy.)

4. Be single.

Sometimes it really pays not to have a companion. Traveling solo makes it easier for airlines to rebook you on future flights.

5. Early bird gets the blah blah…

It’s first come/first served for volunteering for travel vouchers for flights. So, get to the gate early. Sit right close to the gate agent. If they call for volunteers. Don’t dawdle. Be the first in line.

6. Be nice.

Your mama (or some cross-stitched pillow) probably told you that you catch more bees with honey. I’m not sure how you catch bees without honey, but this is so true at the airport, especially during peak travel time. Remember that you are actually trying to help them. The easier they can rebook somebody the less hassle and grumpy passengers they will have to handle.

+ Bonus Varsity Level Tip

This is probably a controversial tip. But if the Gate Agents aren’t too busy, I try to suss out the situation before they ask for volunteers. This could backfire if you nag and annoy them. But if you can find a reason to talk to them and throw out a “Flight Looked full. Are ya’ll oversold? Oh ya? Cool. I’m totally game to help out and take a later flight.” It might help you to the front of the line before it’s announced.

This worked for me in my early 20’s (and I probably leaned into my southern accent when flying into/out of Texas) but give it a shot if you think you can pull it off.

Some restrictions apply, especially on international flights. So, don’t bank on this as a sure thing, but it’s a great surprise when you hit the jackpot.

Here is some more info on your rights.

Got more tips on how to score travel vouchers for flights? Share them in the comment section below!

Originally published at https://www.realbigworld.co on August 4, 2019.

How to score a travel voucher on your next flight was originally published in Real Big World on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.