Stacie Turner Hopes To Bring Attention To Her Charity On The RHODC

Q&A from Express Night Out.

Breathlessly waiting for Bravo's Aug. 5 debut of "The Real Housewives of Washington D.C."? Then you know who not to root for (battery-acid blond state dinner crasher Michaele Salahi) when the catfight starts. You may even realize that one star (Brit Catherine Ommanney) snogged Prince Harry. But D.C.'s "Wives" offers something rarer than a quiet moment from Bethenny Frankel: a genuinely nice heroine in Stacie Turner, a real estate agent and charity fixture. So, what's she's doing with these publicity, um, hounds?

» EXPRESS: Why'd you sign up to do this?

» TURNER: I was leery! I couldn't imagine my life being on display. But I thought it'd bring visibility to my business and charity [foster-care assistance program Extra-Ordinary Life].

» EXPRESS: What's the D.C. social scene like?

» TURNER: Here, we have politics, which doesn't have a role in the other shows. Also, D.C. is diverse, and has international flair and a racial mix. The city has really taken off in the past couple of years.

» EXPRESS: You seem to have nice friends already. What happened when you brought these women around?

» TURNER: It just expanded the circle. That's one of the cool things about D.C. There are just so many circles you can move in and out of.

» EXPRESS: Including the White House?

» TURNER: There's a misconception that the show revolves around the Salahis and the White House. People will see drama because we go interesting places and have unusual experiences.

» EXPRESS: So there's no Barack-spotting on the show?

» TURNER: No, but you'll see his influence. The Obamas have made the White House cool. It helps to have a fashionable first lady.

» EXPRESS: But Michelle doesn't seem to shop in D.C.! You do. Any fave boutiques?

» TURNER: I love Hu's Wear (2906 M St. NW; 202-342-2020) — just everything there, plus the shoe store across the street [Hu's Shoes, 3005 M St. NW; 202-342-0202]. I also like to shop in Baltimore at Vasarri (1636 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville; 410-415-6333). It's in the middle of a strip mall, but it has awesome cocktail clothes.

» EXPRESS: What about restaurants?

» TURNER: Ben's Chili Bowl is one of my hangouts (1213 U St. NW; 202-667-0909). I also like Oya (777 9th St. NW; 202-393-1400) because I love sushi, and it has a sexy bar.

» EXPRESS: As a real estate agent, you must know what the new hot D.C. neighborhood is. Where should I buy a condo?

» TURNER: The hottest place right now is NoMa, like the H Street NE corridor between 11th and 13th streets. They're going to get a trolley car system, and it's going to be a cool extension of Capitol Hill.

» EXPRESS: What about your own house?

» TURNER: My husband and I love to renovate houses, and our house used to be a church. It was a complete hovel, but now it's cool.