Extolling D.C.’s farming roots among top recommendations from Mandarin Oriental’s concierge.
By Anna Storm
Mandarin Oriental's Clyde Eads (Photo by Joseph Allen)
It’s easy to overlook modern concierges in the age of the iPhone: you can’t carry one in your pocket, or stick one on your dashboard as you navigate Georgetown traffic. But as the only professionals trained to know the city better than anyone else, their encyclopedia-meets-personal approach is far from outdated. In our series, Top Concierges, we offer up the city’s top hits — and misses — from D.C.’s very own human Googles.
Name:
Clyde Eads
Hometown:
Tampa, Fl.
How long have you lived in D.C.?
26 years
How long have you been working as a concierge?
10 years
Most bizarre question you’ve ever been asked by a guest:
Can you get me a size 6 catheter? The question was asked at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night. The second most bizarre question is: Do you have a bathroom?
What’s one place tourists should ask about, but never do:
Lincoln’s cottage on the grounds of the Soldiers’ Home
Best off-the-beaten-path site:
Most overrated D.C. attraction:
Which one place/region/go-to destination is most worth the hype?
If the District wasn’t known for politics, what would be its claim-to-fame?
Farming
What’s your number-one pick for families?
For twenty-somethings?
Most frequently asked question:
Do you have a map?
A couple is only here for one day, and they’re looking for an experience they can’t get anywhere but D.C. Where would you suggest they go?
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Best job perk:
Talking to interesting people from around the world
