This city is full of little things that are very endearing. Take Sheridan Circle, at the intersection of Massachuetts Avenue, 23rd Street, and R Street, NW. The circle has a great view of multiple embassies, Dupont Circle (and its fountain) to the east-southeast, and upper Mass Ave to the west-northwest. There is some lovely grass, perfect for a picnic or for lying out in the sun. The statue of General Phil Sheridan, a Civil War hero, stands proudly in the center of the circle, astride his horse. The statue’s pedestal is a little plaza with benches and two seemingly non-functional fountains that look like blocked stairways to a non-existent crypt.

Along the southeast arc of the circle, on the outside lane of the road, stands a small memorial to the victims of a car bomb attack carried out by the Chilean Secret Police (with assistance from the CIA) that resulted in the installation of General Pinochet, the tyrant of South America. One of the trees close to said monument still bears the scars of the bombing nearly four decades later.

Sure, there’s always traffic, and it’s entertaining to watch drivers try to figure out the merge rules for this circle (which, admittedly, are far easier than those at Dupont Circle, with its traffic lights and island-divided lanes), and diplomatic limo drivers only add to the fun, as they seem to ignore most common international and local traffic laws. But in the afternoon on a warm day, it’s a great place to stop, read a book, and catch some sun.