Each week, Yahoo Travel pits rival cities against each other to determine once and for all which destination is the best. This week, we take on two mid-Atlantic capitals — Washington D.C. and Baltimore.

THE CASE FOR WASHINGTON D.C.

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The D.C. skyline (Photo: Getty Images)

For politicos, D.C. may be a wasp’s nest of conniving competitors. But for locals and visitors, the capital city is a Mecca for global arts and culture, with one of the most sizzling culinary scenes on the East Coast. Thanks to the federally funded Smithsonian, the world’s largest collection of museums lines the grassy mall in downtown D.C. — which means there are a gazillion fascinating exhibitions happening on any given day, and almost all are free of charge. D.C. foodies have a lot to sink their teeth into, as new chef-driven concepts, including José Andrés’ Minibar, have cropped up in droves on the 14th Street corridor and other trendy rows in recent years. Bonus: There’s an easy way to leave D.C.’s hideous traffic in the dust — grab a ride from a corner bike share rack and get to peddling.

Related: Monuments by Moonlight: How to Do D.C. After Dark

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The First Family, keeping it real (Photo: The White House/Flickr)

Population: 646,449

Famous Faces: As long as that hulking white mansion sits on Pennsylvania Avenue, D.C. will always be home to the country’s biggest celeb: the President.

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A Metrorail station (Photo: Mark Fischer/Flickr)

How to Get Around: While Baltimorians bemoan their city’s lack of public transportation, D.C. is home to the labyrinthine Metrorail subway system, which was expanded in August. Cabs and buses are ever-present, but tooling around is best done by bike — the Capital Bikeshare program has scattered over 300 bikes, parked and ready to roam, around the city.

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A scene from “St. Elmo’s Fire” (Photo: Everett Collection)

Famous Films: Seminal Brat Pack flick, “St. Elmo’s Fire,” uses stately Georgetown as a backdrop; creep-tastic “Silence of the Lambs“ filmed a scene at the U.S. Department of Labor; and countless political intrigues— from ”All the President’s Men“ to ”Patriot Games“ and ”A Few Good Men“ — have captured slices of D.C. on celluloid.

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The Jefferson Hotel (Photo: Jefferson Hotel)

Haute Hotels: Great hotels in D.C. are as common as T-shirt kiosks on the mall. The swishy Jefferson Hotel, a 95-room boutique hotel, does circa-1700s Federal-style décor — a D.C. hallmark — better than anyone, patterning its rooms after the discerning, heavily-curtained tastes of Thomas Jefferson. The new and modern Hotel George takes it cues from George Washington; throw pillows in the rooms are gussied up in mini military uniforms. The Hay-Adams, a circa-1927 property that feels like an old-world European mansion, was renovated in 2001 to include the Top of the Hay, a show-stopping rooftop terrace with 360-degree views of the city.