Readers’ pick: Constitution Gardens
Whether you’re a CIA agent in training or in the mood to talk trash, you don’t have to go far to find the District’s best spot for a clandestine meeting.
Take a pass on Watergate-era parking garages and payphones — instead, rendezvous at Signers Island in the Constitution Gardens pond.
When you run into the same people in class, on the street or in the GW Deli line every day, it’s hard not to form an opinion about them. Whether you love your peers and professors or hate them, concealing your feelings about them can be a tall order. If you really need to be clandestine, it’s time to get off campus.
With your backpack or briefcase in tow, only a few blocks stand between you and this quiet corner of the National Mall. Burrowed between the Vietnam Veterans and World War II memorials, most people ignore the island and gardens entirely.
Granted, Constitution Gardens isn’t much — but it’s something. Hit the path around the pond if you’re in the mood for a walk and talk, or curl up on one of the park benches near the island for a sedentary gossip session. And though the island itself is pretty barebones, you can enjoy the shade its willow trees offer.
While you may find yourself the witness to a marriage proposal — I was, twice — the lack of flashy monuments means minimal foot traffic. There’s just a small dedication to the signers of the Declaration of Independence that gives the island its name. To quote one D.C. tour guide, it’s “a rather obscure monument.” Tourists’ loss is your gain — not to mention your newest spot.
And yes, Signers Island is genuinely an island. So, take advantage of the footbridge that separates it from the mainland. Why not recruit a friend to run security? With one way on and off the island, they’ll have a clear view of any potential eavesdroppers or familiar faces that might blow your operation.
Either way, it’s time to get to business once you’re there. Disastrous dates? Gross group project? Someone with an ego as big as John Hancock’s signature? This isn’t District House basement: you can dish to your heart’s content without looking over your shoulder.
Fortunately for you, Signers Island is about as private as a technically public space can be. Get there early in the morning or later at night, and you’ll have it to yourself — minus the ducks and occasional geese that call it home, of course. And where else can you spill secrets in the shadow of the Washington Monument? (Seriously, snap some photos while you’re there.)
From arranging dead drops to talking about who’s drop-dead gorgeous, the seclusion of Signers Island has you covered. And if I see you there, I won’t mention it.
