 In fact, Charles Dickens came here in the 1840s, and he said, Washington is a city of magnificent intentions. It has grand boulevards that start in nothing and go nowhere. Indeed, we had not a single paved road. In fact, the avenue just down here, which was intended to connect the executive branch with the legislative branch, was unpaved. It was built on a flood plain, and every time it rained, it would flood out.