Month Stay in DC

NebulousQ

1st Question: Where should I stay? What are good locations with things to do in walking distance? I will be working around the Capitol Hill area.

My work is sending me for a "rotation" to work in Washington DC. I am currently looking for a place to stay for about 30 days: February and some change. I was wondering where a good place to stay would be. I will be dependent on public transportation.

I am currently looking at this or somewhere provided by these guys, sticking in the arlington area.

Also what are some fun things to do in DC during the worst part of winter for a guy with no car?

Thanks for your guys help!

RUNN1NGMAN

As far as things to do, the Smithsonian museums are free and you could spend every weekend going to a different one and still not see everything.

Penn Quarter's a pretty good place to stay if you don't have a car--there's lots of things within walking distance and you're close to several Metro stops.

Arlington might not be a great idea for a short-term stay. It's a major haven for young professionals but lacks the volume of things to do and see that the District has. Of course, as long as you're near a Metro stop it's easy to get into the city.

drhazard

The Lansburgh is only three or so blocks south of Chinatown, and one of the most useful Metro stations in the city (though crowded all the time). If you can afford it, I would definitely suggest that. The area is nice, if a little corporate. It's mostly a bunch of chains--some local chains, but still chains--that are all decent quality. Fado is great but gets packed at night; go in for an Irish breakfast and watch a soccer game at the bar one morning. And RFD's a satellite of Brickskeller, so they have a bunch of beers available as well as pretty decent food. The Clydes there is also pretty good.

Beyond that, you've got the Portrait Gallery and National Museum of Art right there, and the rest of the Smithsonians are a short Metro ride away.

NebulousQ

Thanks guys. Due to your suggestions I focused my search for places to stay to places around the Penn Quarter area. I am also now looking at the Marriot Execustay on 400 8th street and an Attache place on 555 Mass Ave. The Attache place is quite a bit cheaper than many options, I am wondering why.

Darkewolfe

NebulousQ wrote: »

Thanks guys. Due to your suggestions I focused my search for places to stay to places around the Penn Quarter area. I am also now looking at the Marriot Execustay on 400 8th street and an Attache place on 555 Mass Ave. The Attache place is quite a bit cheaper than many options, I am wondering why.

They must be really fucking tiny or possibly on fire, because that is not a cheap area.

Are you at all interested in things like drinking/socializing/clubbing, or just touristy stuff?

Iceman.USAF

Pretty much anywhere metro accessible is a safe bet as far as things to do. The metro can take you anywhere you'd want to go in the city, and a lot of places you'd want to go OUTSIDE the city. I live way out by Fedex Field in Maryland, and the metro comes within (literally) 50 yards of my door.

Anyway, the place you picked is nice but looks expensive. How much are you looking to spend for your month?

Darkewolfe

If you're looking to go cheap(ish) and month to month, I'd recommend living out in Columbia Heights. It's a decently young area, you can probably find a place that isn't unaffordable, you'll be near a metro and you're pretty close to Dupont/U St.

kaliyama

columbia heights is a good choice, though if work was paying for your expenses i could see the logic in doing something corporate.

Darkewolfe

Man, if work is paying your expenses definitely stay somewhere cooler.

Don't go over to Virginia, though (I see you're looking in Arlington). The rule is that every year over 21 is a mile you have to live off the Hill. Virginia isn't as fun; it's a place you move because you have to be there for work, or you're compromising with a spouse on location, or you're just old and want to get out of the city. If you can live in Dupont, Columbia Heights, U St., the Hill or anywhere like that, absolutely do so just because you can.

Iceman.USAF

Man what? My gf lives in Alexandria, we love it! I, on the other hand, live near Fedex Field. Don't live there.

(She 22, me almost 24).

Deathwing

Man, if work is paying your expenses definitely stay somewhere cooler.

Don't go over to Virginia, though (I see you're looking in Arlington). The rule is that every year over 21 is a mile you have to live off the Hill. Virginia isn't as fun; it's a place you move because you have to be there for work, or you're compromising with a spouse on location, or you're just old and want to get out of the city. If you can live in Dupont, Columbia Heights, U St., the Hill or anywhere like that, absolutely do so just because you can.

My wife and I live in Annandale, and it's not really that bad, aside from some truly annoying people in the surrounding condos. Plenty of trees, and we even have a 30' x 20' plot in the county community garden across the street.

You couldn't pay me enough to live in DC, though, working there is bad enough

Crashtard

My wife and I live in Alexandria near old town, and with 2 metro stops here it's only about 15-20 minutes ride time on the metro to get into DC. It's a nice area, and it's probably a little cheaper than living in/around DC.

Darkewolfe

Alright, I'll grant you that Alexandria is a community in it's own right. Some people love Alexandria. I love DC. Arlington is just DC for commuters, though. I'm not hating on Arlington, it serves its purpose. I just don't think it's what a young guy briefly doing a stint in DC would want.

kaliyama

Arlington has a douchey bar scene to rival u street, but there's some nice stuff there too, it's very much the burbs. I lived there and had an easy commute to the pentagon and could get in the city easy too. Columbia heights is cheap and fun. It's still very mid gentrification so the rents will be varied but plenty of good food to be had and bars to attend. I'd try to be decently close to the metro stop tho.

adytum

A month in DC in the winter? Don't do it!

Can you be any more specific with what you enjoy doing? There's so many things to recommend, but everyone will just say "bars" or "museums" if you're note more specific with what you want to do.

NateVader

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Man, if work is paying your expenses definitely stay somewhere cooler.

Don't go over to Virginia, though (I see you're looking in Arlington). The rule is that every year over 21 is a mile you have to live off the Hill. Virginia isn't as fun; it's a place you move because you have to be there for work, or you're compromising with a spouse on location, or you're just old and want to get out of the city. If you can live in Dupont, Columbia Heights, U St., the Hill or anywhere like that, absolutely do so just because you can.

I've never heard that rule ever and I've lived in the DC area for 27 years. Maybe this is a crazed capitol hill staffer rule or something, but I'd much rather be in Dupont/Columbia Heights/U st than on the hill.

I will second the notion that Arlington is DC lite for the lazy who don't want to go "all the way" into DC.

Pretty much anywhere you stay in NW should be fine as long as it's near a metro. Avoid SE and NE.

Darkewolfe

NateVader wrote: »

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Man, if work is paying your expenses definitely stay somewhere cooler.

Don't go over to Virginia, though (I see you're looking in Arlington). The rule is that every year over 21 is a mile you have to live off the Hill. Virginia isn't as fun; it's a place you move because you have to be there for work, or you're compromising with a spouse on location, or you're just old and want to get out of the city. If you can live in Dupont, Columbia Heights, U St., the Hill or anywhere like that, absolutely do so just because you can.

I've never heard that rule ever and I've lived in the DC area for 27 years. Maybe this is a crazed capitol hill staffer rule or something, but I'd much rather be in Dupont/Columbia Heights/U st than on the hill.

I will second the notion that Arlington is DC lite for the lazy who don't want to go "all the way" into DC.

Pretty much anywhere you stay in NW should be fine as long as it's near a metro. Avoid SE and NE.

Well, if you're in any of those areas you're still only like 3 miles from the Hill. It's probably also a hill staffer thing.

Also, I enjoyed living in NE, except when I was way out in Rosedale.

adytum

Don't let everyone bagging on Arlington deter you from stopping by.

Yes, parts of it are the suburbs. But large parts of DC are simply residential, too- or industrial wastelands.

Downtown Arlington (along the metro line) is a predominantly young area. There are *tons* of awesome restaurants and bars, particularly in Clarendon. Rosslyn and Courthouse are completely dead at night, as they're predominantly business centers. Clarendon is home to most of the nightlife. And it's awesome. Ballston has.. a mall. That nobody shops at. With some bars in it, to boot.

Yes, a lot of the bars in Arlington are filled with pretentious douches. But newsflash, most of the bars in the entire DC Metropolitan area are filled with pretentious douchebags- every night! It's a part of living around here that you have to deal with.

I spend 95% of my time out in DC, but that doesn't mean you should count our Arlington (Or at least, Clarendon) completely.