Over the river and through the woods to the lobbying house on Capitol Hill? Although the stereotyped notion of a corporate lobby shop is a K Street office, expense accounts at The Palm or Charlie Palmer’s, and a PAC connected to downtown D.C.’s movers and shakers on the fundraising circuit, companies also use prime real estate to get face time with lawmakers. Among the subtler venues to engage in political advocacy are Capitol Hill townhomes; in fact, I attended an event with more than 20 other lobbyists at spirit and beverage giant Diageo’s property just a few weeks ago. Politico estimates that there are more than 20 properties in and around Capitol Hill that are owned by business groups and others who lobby Congress. The homes are used as workplaces, bases for lobbyists, and fundraising venues for members of Congress. More than anything, these swanky townhouses provide companies, trade associations, religious groups, and lobbying shops with a chance to meet lawmakers and their staff outside the bounds of government property. The townhouses have been a mainstay of D.C. lobbying for decades, and they provide a unique set of benefits to the lobbyists that own them and the lawmakers who attend events at them.