Urban Discoveries Living .

At one point or another, I'm sure we've all complained that our house is way too small. After taking a look inside Alexandria's Spite House, you may be in awe of how much space you actually do have.

Located in historic Old Town Alexandria, the Spite House was built in 1830 and was designed to keep traffic out of a narrow alley. The home is two stories, 25 feet deep and 7 feet wide. With only 325 square feet, it puts many complaints about cramped living spaces to shame. In fact, the house doesn't even have its own walls - the brick walls of the houses on either side make up the Spite House's interior walls.

The house has been featured on both HGTV and the Oprah Show. Recently the New York Times took a look inside the Spite House's small, but stylish interior. To read the entire article and view a slideshow of the house, click here.

Now if only the rest of use could figure out how to maximize our small spaces as effectively...

When you think of visiting museums in DC, you may automatically think of the museums lining the National Mall. With spring well on its way, tourist season is upon us and the thought of fighting your way through the crowds is enough to make anyone want to stay home. Well believe it or not, D.C. has plenty of fun and interesting museums to offer that aren't located on the Mall, which makes them less likely to fall prey to the normal tourist's itinerary. We list a few of the best museums DC has to offer - there's bound to be at least one that will pique your curiosity.

•· National Building Museum (401 F St., NW) - Located in a block-long red brick building that has been home to a number of inaugural balls, the National Building Museum is a sight in and of itself. Its expansive Great Hall is almost as big as a football field and contains 75-foot-hight Corinthian columns which appear to be marble but are actually made of brick. The building was constructed using 15.5 million bricks and contains exhibits celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning. There is also a kid-friendly exhibit on the construction of D.C., including touchable models of the Capitol, the White House, and other local landmarks. The museum also houses an ever changing group of exhibitions, as well as playing host to an extensive educational series including lectures by world-renowned architects. The museum's website has information about visiting the museum, as well as a list of exhibits and lectures.

•· Kreeger Museum (2401 Foxhall Rd., NW) - Built originally to be both a private residence, an art gallery, and a concert hall, the Kreeger Museum is home to an extensive and very impressive art collection. Displaying works by artists including Monet, Picasso, and Cezanne. However the art displayed on the walls isn't the only incentive to explore the Kreeger - the mansion itself is reason enough to visit. Designed by architect Philip Johnson, the building is organized around a modular system with expansive ceilings, teak and coated aluminum accent walls made from travertine and glass rear walls allowing in plenty of natural light. From March 15 through July 31, the museum will have a special exhibit on Philip Johnson which will explore the relationship between architecture and art. For additional information, including hours and exhibits, visit the museum's website.

•· National Museum of Health and Medicine (6900 Georgia Ave., NW) - Not for young children or the overly-squeamish, the National Museum of Health and Medicine is devoted to exploring the human body. Located on the campus of Walter Reed and supported by the Army, the museum traces the history of medicine and examines how the human body works and what can go wrong when it doesn't. Exhibits include a comprehensive display on AIDS, a real specimen of a smoker's blackened lung, and the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln. Hands on displays allow you to try on a weighted smock so you can feel what it's like to be 9 months pregnant as well as a preserved human brain you can touch. The museum's website contains information about hours, exhibits, and a number of educational opportunities.

•· Textile Museum (2320 S St., NW) - Scheduled to open an expansion site in Penn Quarter in Fall 2009, the Textile Museum is dedicated to celebrating textiles of all kinds - from carpets to fabrics and everything in between. With so many works of art and so little space to display them all, the museum's exhibits are constantly changing. The museum has showcased some of the world's most impressive textile collections and even has special days when you can bring in your family heirlooms for inspection by museum curators. On June 7 and 8, the museum will hold its 30^th Annual Celebration of Textiles, including artist demonstrations and hand on activities. For more information about the museum, visit their website.

•· Phillips Collection (1600 21^st St., NW) - Opened in 1921, the Philips Collection was America's first museum of modern art. Internationally renowned for its collection of impressionist works, the Phillips Collection expanded in April 2006 to allow for more exhibit space to display its extensive collection. The artists represented at the Phillips goes on and on - from to Monet and Renoir to O'Keeffe and Klee. Now through May 25, the exhibit Degas to Diebenkorn shows off the Phillips' newest acquisitions. On Thursday evenings, the museum stays open until 8:30 and offers lectures, gallery talks, and other special programs. On Saturday mornings, introductory talks are offered at 11 a.m. to educate visitors about the permanent collection. Similar talks are offered on Friday mornings at 11 a.m. on the museum's special exhibits. From October through May, the museum also hosts Sunday evening concerts. Information about current and upcoming exhibits, special program, as well as a number of interactive programs are available on the website.

What better way to celebrate the birthday of famous jazz master Duke Ellington than to have a walking tour of his birthplace? Born on April 29, 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington grew up on U Street, Washington's Black Broadway where the great African American entertainers headlined.

On his birthday weekend, we'll visit the houses where Ellington spent his childhood, including one in historic Le Droit Park. We will also visit other elegantly restored landmarks like the gilded Lincoln Theatre and the Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage which is home to the nation's first black YMCA. Next will be nearby Howard University, followed by a stop at the only memorial to African American Civil War soldiers.

A dinner in the neighborhood will cap the day's journey through the heart of African American culture in the nation's capital.

We'll stay on to hear live music at your chosen venue, and experience jazz that continues to thrive on the "New U".

Advance purchase of tickets to the "Duke Ellington's DC" tour is required. Cost is $30 for adults, $15 for age 12 and younger. Purchase online or by phone (800-979-3370 or 212-209-3370).

Booeymonger on 3265 Prospect St. NW in Washington may have a silly restaurant name and just as silly sandwich names but they're serious about food. The price is cheap, but the sandwiches are tasty and won't leave your stomach grumbling an hour after eating.

At Booeymonger, special orders are the specialty. Don't want alfalfa sprouts on the Scheherazade? No problem. Hold the avocado on the Pita Pan? Absolutely! Or you can just customize your own sandwich, from scratch, and pair it with one of the 10 side dishes. With so many delicious, reasonably priced creations, it's hard to go wrong.

Try one like the warm, gooey "Ace" and just a few bites will convince you why the business thrived. Booeymonger is in fact celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year.

If you're in the mood for something a little lighter, the salads are just as fresh as the sandwiches. Booeymonger also offers breakfast and dessert items.

Call Booeymonger at 202-333-4810. Or better yet, drive down to Prospect St. now, stop at 3265 and satisfy your grumbling stomach.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a truly incredible woman, and I often pull from her wisdom to get through my own life, reminding myself that nobody can make me feel inferior with my consent, or that old bodies are works of art. Her speaking skills, strong leadership, and revolutionary nature reinvented the role of First Lady and still inspire common people today. It was for good reason that she was known as "First Lady of the World."

Mrs. Roosevelt fought for consumer welfare, civil rights, improved housing, and women's rights. She was a prolific writer, a respected speaker, the recipient of 35 honorary degrees, and an American spokesman in the United Nations. She accomplished much more in her lifetime than most.

Mrs. Roosevelt lived in Washington, D.C. twice in her life (when her husband served as assistant secretary of the Navy, then later as First Lady), and she still lives on in this vibrant city today. From her home on a peaceful street near Embassy Row, to the Dupont Circle office building where she once worked, her memory is alive. The White House will never forget her, and the DAR Constitution Hall will always remember when Marian Anderson was not allowed to perform and Mrs. Roosevelt championed her cause. As if these visual reminders in addition to her life-changing words and works are not enough, she was also the first First Lady to be honored in a memoriam, as her likeness resides by that of her husband in the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.

What is really exciting is that you can see all these places and more on a special Eleanor Roosevelt-themed bus tour in D.C.! The Washington Walks tours happen rain or shine, and combine walking with the bus transportation, so you can get out and immerse yourself in the same places Eleanor Roosevelt spent so much time. Those three hours will help you feel the history and presence of this amazing woman who made such an impact on so many people and the United States as a whole.

To find out more about dates and ticket prices, to purchase a tour, or for any other questions about the "Eleanor Roosevelt's Washington " tour, call 1-800-979-3370 or 212-209-3370.

Gone but never forgotten, the world would never have been the same without Eleanor Roosevelt.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Eleanor Roosevelt, 'This Is My Story,' 1937

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.

Eleanor Roosevelt