Winners For

Best People-Watching

An anarchist punk, a woman in a sexy dress, a musician who plays the guitar strings with pieces of yellow and red chalk, some chess players and a homeless man walk into a bar. That bar is Notsuoh, which is connected to the equally curious Dean's. It's a sleepy Tuesday night — not even a bustling weekend evening — and these folks have found thems...

Whether you’ve snagged a spot on the much-coveted patio or inside among the ladies who lunch, Stephanie’s is a treat—and we’re not just talking about the food. This is eye-candy central. Everyone who’s anyone passes by the picture windows on their Newbury stroll, while the see-and-be-seen set sip Bloody Marys and provide commentary. The food mat...

The city’s most “civilized steakhouse” may be in need of an interior decorator, but this Square stalwart keeps us coming back with half-priced cocktails, $6 clams casino, crispy potato skins, deviled eggs, and great people-watching from our vantage point at the bar. Plus: Sunday happy hour, should you need to ease into your Monday.

Tourists, popped-collar preppies, dating couples and yacht owners make their way to the Georgetown Waterfront at the slightest hint of warm weather. Sequoia's outdoor patio is the place to watch.

For glimpsing the madness that is Adams Morgan's 18th Street on the weekend, there's no better vantage point than the bay window of the awesomely eccentric Pharmacy Bar.

In the summer, the Clarendon Ballroom's rooftop hosts Arlington's best (and busiest) happy hour, as folks in work clothes mingle with party girls who've obviously changed out of their 9-to-5 wear.

The parade of humanity on 17th Street never gets boring, and the Fox and Hounds' busy patio is the best place to watch, especially with a cheap happy hour drink.

One of the trailblazing lounges in D.C., Chi-Cha still draws a full house on weekends, when an international crowd stakes out the battered sofas, sips South American drinks and dances to world music.

Rittenhouse Square is Philadelphia’s Central Park. It’s in the heart of the city’s downtown shopping area, so it attracts a diverse mix of people and dogs. There’s foot traffic all day every day, but if you stop by on a Saturday in the summertime, you’ll be entertained for hours. In the summer months, there are normally craft fairs, concerts and...

Did we choose the Chain of Lakes as winner in this category solely because of the opportunity it provides to ogle buff, nearly naked bodies as they run, skate, and sunbathe near the water during summer? No — not entirely. But we'll admit that's a big part of the reason, especially as the lakes afford such good cover for observing your fellow cit...