We're Going To DC!

[plumtreeblossom]

Yes we are, October 12 through 15! I'm really excited, as I haven't been there since I was a kid. We'll be meeting up with beowabbit's sister and her husband while there, too! I won free Amtrak tickets earlier this year, which was the catalyst of the trip to begin with, and we both really enjoy train travel so it was a big win for all. We're museum lovers, so we'll be haunting the Smithsonian to our heart's content. Yay!

What I don't know are the neighborhoods of DC, and which ones would be good to stay in. Being within walking distance of the local subway system is crucial. We like to be in the thick of things, so not looking for suburbs or outskirts. We'd love a neighborhood with some Cool Stuff where we could just kick around a bit. Since out train travel is free, we don't have to pinch pennies so much on the hotel. Who's familiar with DC?

Comments

[beowabbit]

Yay! Coincidentally, I just got email from my sister, making sure I got her message that she and spacechicken can meet up with us.

Love you, my travelling companion!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Love you, sweetie! I just e-mailed you our train itinerary. :-)

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

You must have Ethiopian food! I recommend Meskerem.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Totally Ethiopian. Do you know, I have STILL never had it? I've been trying for years and something always goes awry and the dinner never happens. Finally, I WILL have it!

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Eep, we shouldn't wait that long! Let's have dinner at Fasika.

(I don't even recommend Addis anymore. It's gotten worse every time I've been there over the past two years, with the last visit being really horrid. Fasika has better food *and* it's cheaper!)

[beowabbit]

Where is Fasika? I haven’t heard of it!

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

It's on Broadway in East Somerville and it makes the food at Addis look like McDonald's. Although to be honest, Addis has been doing that on their own. The last time I went (Porter Sq), they did so many things wrong, it was crazy, including us having to wait ages for our food, getting items swapped out without telling us, and it being served ice cold. I was mortified since I was the one who suggested our group go there. Not again, not anytime soon.

Their quality seems to go down as their prices go up. It makes me particularly sad because it used to be one of my favorite restaurants in the area. :(

Fasika is the place that used to be in JP on S. Huntington, and even then had a rep for better food but lesser atmosphere than Addis. They closed and sometime later showed up in Somerville, also in a bar. The ambiance wasn't great but the food was still awesome. They recently redecorated inside to separate the restaurant from the bar and now it's quite nice inside.

Let's go!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Lets totally do that! We can plan it in another post or off-site, since this post is public. :-)

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Sounds good! :)

[beowabbit]

Wow! It’s totally bizarre that anybody who recognizes me on sight, much less actually sleeps with me on a regular basis, has not had Ethiopian food. Let’s plan a dinner at the new Addis Red Sea in Porter some night next week.

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

Can I recommend Dupont Circle?

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Sure! I think my boss stays in that neighborhood when he travels there for business. :-) What's in the 'hood?

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

Everything fun, as far as I could tell. :) I've only been to DC a couple of times, but there was a lot of nightlife in that area and Adams Morgan. Also, it's right on the subway. Also, there's a Krispy Kreme. :)

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

If you don't hear from her in the comments, then you must ping noire. She used to live in DC and knows all the best places.

:hug:

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

Yay!

How did you win train tickets?

Though it has been many years since I have been to D.C., I recommend Dupont Circle as well, if for noting else the people watching.

Hope you have a blast!

[moechus.livejournal.com]

My knowledge of DC is rather dated. I went to GW from '76 to '78, did an internship on Capitol Hill in '85 and have made frequent visits since but none in the last 5-6 years at least.

My recommendation for a nice neighborhood is Adams Morgan. Lots of nice restaurants. Don't know about accommodation.

I may be down there at about the same time. I'm hoping to spend the week of Columbus Day at my sister's in North Carolina, with a visit to friends in DC on the way down and/or on the way back.

[epilimnion.livejournal.com]

from my single trip to DC, I recommend the Library of Congress tour. It's a beautiful building, good exhibits, and a nifty tour that explains the artwork. And the sculpture garden at the Hirschhorn modern art museum.

I also recommend the Chinese tea house Ching Ching Cha in Georgetown for lunch. Good food and awesome tea.

[ron_newman]

Adams-Morgan is pretty cool. A multicultural mix, sort of like Jamaica Plain or Inman Square. It doesn't have a Metro station right in it; you need to walk about 10 minutes out of the neighborhood to reach Woodley Park station.

[noire.livejournal.com]

Okay, I lived in DC for many years. Do NOT stay on Capitol Hill (Eastern Market.) Not many hotels around there anyway, but that's where I lived and it was sketchy. Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle are far better. There's also a Sheraton near the Zoo on the other side of Adams Morgan and I can't for the life of me remember the name of the neighborhood now, but it's NW and it's safer than most. The area around American U is also reasonably safe.

DC is NOT a safe city. The worst parts of Dorchester are better than almost any neighborhood in DC that is not in NW. Be careful walking around at night. Remember that the train station is beautiful and has a lovely mall and is a close walk to the Smithsonian, but it's also in a VERY sketchy area. There are a bunch of hotels around there, including a nice new Hyatt, but I wouldn't walk around there myself after dark.

Keep to the nice tourist areas and you should be relatively safe, but don't strike off into the residential areas. It changes VERY quickly, block by block even.

Eat Ethopian food! Meskerim is great. There are also some new places on U St. that are excellent. (Google will know...) My favorite building of the Smithsonian is the Hirschorn, but do not miss the Freer or the Sackler. Most people get caught up in the National Gallery, Air and Space and American History--and Natural History too--and never explore the others. Technology and Science is a BLAST--totally awesome! And--the Smithsonian is free!!!! Also, the textile museum in Dupont Circle and the Corcoran are wonderful. The tour of the Capitol is a Must Do. Trust me--best tour in town. After that, the Library of Congress gives a fabulous tour, and I know you'd adore the Library. (And you won't be there long enough to use it, but any citizen is allowed to!) Definitely check out Union Station--amazing restoration including marbles and stencils bringing it back to a turn of the last century palace. Just go there in the middle of the day!

If you have any interest in gothic architecture, go to the National Cathedral. Yeah, it's all Episcopalian, but again the tour is wonderful and it's authentic gothic but modern. They show you the gargoyles carved as various workers and modern folk, and there's a moon rock in the space window.

Another thought would be to stay in right across the river from Georgetown in Rosslyn (sp?) There are a lot of hotels there, my favorite Mexican restaurant (Santa Fe), a Metro stop that will take you into the rest of DC, and a short walk to Georgetown (which otherwise is a hike from the Metro.) And you do want to check out Georgetown--good restaurants and fun shops, and it's one place you CAN wander around late at night. There used to be clubs there, but they've all moved over to Adams Morgan and U St.

If there's anything else I can tell you, let me know...

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Thanks much for all the helpful input!! Can you tell me, what's the story with the neighborhood called "White House" on the hotel websites? Obviously we know one thing that's in the neighborhood. :-) But is the neighborhood itself sketchy?

[noire.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm. When I lived in DC there was no neighborhood called "White House." But if it's the area I think it *might* be, it's a downtown business district where there isn't much in the way of life after 6pm (and not much of a restaurant area, either.) But if I recall correctly, there were a number of very nice hotels there, the Madison being a fave. But do NOT go to the TechCenter at L'Enfant Plaza. It's very close to Chinatown and the metro (and a beautiful hotel!) but again, if you turn down the wrong block you could be in trouble.

That's the thing of it. Most of the hotels I know are on okay blocks, but you don't want to wander. And, in some of those areas, there's no place really to go after dark anyway. Dupont, Adams Morgan and up near the Sheraton have restaurants, nightlife, Metro, and are safer.

The problem is that one block could be fine and the next dreadful.

OTOH, you may just want to use a taxi to get back to the hotel in the evening. You wouldn't have to worry about that.

[pleasantlyevil.livejournal.com]

I was in DC during Thanksgiving with deceptiverose, and we wandered about the Mall at night without much difficulty. Granted, it was cold, so maybe less hoodlums about. That, or having lived in places as sketchy or sketchier, I didn't notice the sketchiness. *shrugs*

At any rate, don't forget the Holocaust Museum. And tissues. Lots and lots of tissues. I know it's not a "fun" thing to do, but I think everyone needs to go at least once to counter, as many times as possible, every moron who says it was all a lie.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

I haven't visited DC in a while, but like others I suggest Dupont Circle.

And for Smithsonian museums, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is a must.

[quilla.livejournal.com]

soooo, i've lived in DC now for almost two years? but i still don't know it as well as i'd like to. ok, AKSHULLY, i've lived in the boonies of MD, so i should be more forgiving.

having said all that, sounds like you've got a bunch of folks knowledgeably talking about DC up there. my words of caution/wisdom: Adams Morgan and Georgetown both tend to attract the younger crowd. (as in my age or younger. and you know how i feel about ppl my age) this is because EVERY Hill intern and new college student knows that that's the cool place to go clubbing. soooo, i'd highly recommend Georgetown because of teh pretty of the buildings and architecture and shopping (all the "expensive" stores are there), but not for the bar scene.

U Street is a much much better place for loungey bars and such. Off the top of my head, Google the following places in that neighbourhood:
Twins Jazz - awesome stuff to be heard.
Bohemian Caverns - more of the above.
Busboys and Poets - coolest cafe i've been to; lots of fun events happen there.
Cafe Saint-Ex - elegant little restaurant with good food.
Chi Cha lounge - if you guys are into smoking sheesha. it's got low couches, ok drinks, interesting (if a bit hit-or-miss) food. i love the vibe there. service could be better.
Tabaq Bistro - cool rooftop view, but it might be too cool/cold for that when you get here.

do NOT miss out on Eastern Market, which is much like Faneuil Hall. sadly, recently a fire burned down much of the building, but they've begun restoration. great place to hang out Saturday or Sunday morning/afternoon.

re: Dupont Circle, tons of fun, lots of decent bars (and some not so decent ones), and some very very good restaurants.

oh! at the Natural History Museum, if you're around on Friday evening, there USED to be a Jazz Cafe. it's $10 for a night of good jazz from 6-10pm. the half bar has drink specials and the food is priced ok for a museum cafe. it turned out to be the coolest date idea i'd ever come up with. very cozy setting that's still respectful of the artist (i.e. they don't stick em in a dark corner). here's the website. (http://www.mnh.si.edu/jazz/) they don't have the Oct schedule up yet but hopefully it won't have been shut down like i've heard rumours about.

if you want recommendations for places to EAT, let me know. i know a fair bit about the restaurant industry here because of the ties my organization has. give me a combination of price range, location, cuisine, ambience and i bet i could name you a couple of places.

whee! email me when you're here! i'd LOVE to see you and meet beowabbit!

[quilla.livejournal.com]

oooh about cabbing in DC, be warned: it's zoned, so it tends to be expensive if you're going from zone to zone, and no one really knows how the zoning works, except the cabbies and their meters, possibly.