This was fine. But I felt like there are other titles out there about overlooked, hidden parts of a city that do a better job.

No Access Washington DC is an interesting book about some of the hidden gems in Washington DC. Each entry is fairly short and sometimes the specific locations are not given. A few of the choices are unusual and some of the sites are not in the DC area proper. As a result, No Access Washington DC was not what I expected.

There are quite a few places mentioned in the book that are not accessible by the general public. Since I have visited DC quite often, I had been hopeful that this book would present places that could be visited but are often overlooked (such as the boundary stones). Or, places that have more to see than often meets the eye. So, for this reason, I was somewhat disappointed in Ms Kanter’s book.

Even so, I still found the narrative and photos fascinating and I gleaned bits of information that I will rely on the next time I visit the city.

Many thanks to NetGallley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Posted that I was reading this on social media and had several D.C.-based friends inquire about it. I recommended it wholeheartedly with the caveat that they might not be able to see all the places in it but would learn an absolutely incredible amount of compelling history. I wish there was a version of this book for my hometown!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

This is a pretty fun book. While I find some of the choices of places a little strange, I enjoyed reading about the mysterious, weird, and tucked away places in DC like the Finnish spa. The descriptions are just the right length and cover a wide range of sites and topics. It will be fun to try and see some of these the next time I'm in DC.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book offers a fascinating look at either places you may not have heard of or interesting aspects of places where you may have been. A few examples...you may have been in Rock Creek Park but did you know that discarded stones from the Capitol building are there? Have you heard of the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument or the home of Carter G Woodson that is located in the Shaw neighborhood? For those who don't know Dr. Woodson was "the man known as the father of African American History." Have you visited the home with a front yard filled with dinosaurs? How about the President's Suite at Regan Washington National Airport where Roosevelt held meetings? There are many places listed, described and photographed in this book. It is worth having for both first time and frequent visitors to DC, along with DC residents.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I learned a lot.

This book was interesting from the perspective that Washington, D.C. is my all time favorite city and it reveals a number of items that I was totally unaware of in my many visits. The author does a good job of mixing in public and nonpublic places that one does not normally hear about or find in any of the guides to the city. An added bonus is the photography contained in the book. Of particular interest to me was the drawing on the support columns and walls underneath the Lincoln Memorial and the original stone markers outlining the boundaries of the city. It is an easy and engaging read.

I recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in Washington DC and wants to learn more about places off the tourist path.

I received a free Kindle copy of No Access Washinton DC by by Beth Kanter courtesy of Net Galley  and Rowman & Littlefield, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as Washington is my favorite city and the theme sounded very interesting. This is the first book by the author that I have read.

Charming book with stunning pictures and short essays about many unseen and unknown places in DC. While you can't visit all of them knowing about them gives you great appreciation of the area.

i really enjoyed it.

This is an interesting book of an eclectic mix of places around Washington, DC-- most aren't accessible by the general public (at least not on a regular basis); and most are of significant historical importance, even if they aren't places you'd choose to visit, if you could. There are an impressive number of sites related to documenting African American history and some sites that are just unique.

As a traveler, I'm always interested in the hidden places that tourists don't usually see. Unfortunately, most of those included in this book can't be visited even if you know their location. Still, historians and history buffs would probably find this all fascinating.

If you are looking for places to visit 'off the beaten path', this book won't really be beneficial. Many really are 'no access' and honestly, many you wouldn't probably want to visit anyway.

For me, the most interesting part was the stories of how some of the parks, spaces and records were saved or reclaimed from near oblivion.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've lived in DC over 20 years and have conducted dozens of "family tours." I'm adding this book to my library as I found a half-dozen sites I'd never heard of that I can add to my tour! The author helpfully provides pictures, background information, and tips on visiting where possible. DC is a city that has tons to see, but the sites in No Access Washington DC are off the beaten path and worthy of attention.

First of all, i don’t like the title. No Access tells me none of the sites mentioned in the book are accessible to the public when some of them indeed, are. Also, very little information is given on some sites and way too much on others. That being said, I did learn quite a bit and will use this book as a reference the next time I visit DC.

This is a wonderful book that will only make you more aware of what you see in Washington DC, as well as what you might not see.