As cities go, I found New York to be worse on a few days visit. Smelled terrible, and if there was a window open, at any hour of the day or night I could hear sirens. Most of my memories of DC are the subway, which was decent, and marching through the streets / locking down buildings with the group I was with. What's awful about it in your experience?
It is, yeah. Of course, my visits have been less touristy and more protesting at Health and Human Services, and occupying the House trying to get representatives to meet with us, but what I've seen was nice.