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Going to DC, stuff to do?
SaraLuna
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, next week I'm taking a short vacation up to our nation's capital & I'm looking for cheap/free things to do while I'm there. Of course I'll be hitting up the monuments/museums on the mall and possibly the national zoo, but other than that I'm not sure what else.
Restaurant suggestions are good too. Plus, anything I should know about the public transportation options? Places/areas to avoid?
Thanks!
Restaurant suggestions are good too. Plus, anything I should know about the public transportation options? Places/areas to avoid?
Thanks!
SaraLuna on
0
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Commuters will thank you (silently).
A few further tips about Metro(Rail):
Roughly 6:30-8:00 AM and about 4-6 PM, there will be hordes of commuters, especially if you're going through some of the busier stations downtown like Gallery Place or Metro Center.
As the announcements will remind you from time to time, the train doors don't bounce back if they hit something like elevators do - the conductor has to re-open them if he sees that one isn't closed properly. If you're in the way, they will close on you at least for a moment, and it won't be very pleasant.
If you have an iPod/iPhone/expensive smartphone/etc., keep a firm grip on it, and keep an eye out for anyone who seems to be paying excessive attention to you - while I personally haven't had anything happen in 6 years, there are more than a few people who get things swiped.
Yes, please.
1) Every Friday starting around 6:30pm (you want to get there at like 5:00 for good spots) there's a free jazz concert at the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden. $18.50 pitcher for Sangria, and like $13 for a pitcher of beer. It's fun to just be out there buzzed listening to good jazz. Be sure to bring a picnic blanket to sit on the grass. You can sneak in booze if you're good (I always take a flask inside my picnic blanket), but they do check bags at the entrance.
2) The museums on National Mall are free, so do check those out. I especially like the Aerospace museum because they have a lot of fun things to do in there. Capitol Hill tours, White House tours, going up the Monument, etc. are all free, but you have to plan a little ahead. I know the WH tours are only in the mornings at like 8am.
3) For everything else: dcist.org and freeindc.blogspot.com
4) For Happy Hours for nearly the entire city: dchappyhours.com
If you want to goto some intellectually stimulating things (panel discussions, etc.) check out policylink(?). If that's not right, I can forward you an email with a list of free events for the week that focus on everything from Middle East politics to Economic Recovery.
Some good bars:
Madam's Organ (Adam's Morgan): $5 cover, just an awesome place. live bands, dj, scotch room, smoke room. It's 3 stories, and it's like 4 different bar atmospheres.
Pharmacy Bar (Adam's Morgan): A really chill dive bar with great beers.
Marvin's (U Street): A cool spot with an outside patio.
I could list a bunch, but the main areas to go for bars are Adam's Morgan, U Street, Dupont Circle or Chinatown.
Some good restaurants:
Dukem (U Street): Ethiopian food. If you haven't tried Ethiopian food, go here and try it. There's a lot of other Ethiopian places, and all of them have been good to me. This is just the first one that popped into my mind.
Amsterdam Falafel (Adam's Morgan): Just good simple falafels. $11 for the sandwich with fries and drink. Unlimited toppings. One of my favorite places to take all my visitors.
Shake Shack (Dupont): If you don't know what this is... you must get the Shack Stack, Fries, and maybe a Concrete. It'll be like $18 total.
Eastern Market (Eastern Market): Go inside and go to the cafeteria area and get yourself a Crabcake Sandwich ($10). It's so damn good.
Good Stuff Eatery / We the Pizza (Eastern Market): This will be a few blocks from the crabcake spot. This place was founded by one of those Top Chef dudes (Spike something). Good Stuff Eatery = Amazing burgers and fries. They also make awesome shakes. We the Pizza = one of the best pizzas I've ever had. They also make their own hand-made/home-made soda... because it wouldn't be hand-made if they didn't. Beers available in both.
Greek Deli (Dupont): This small place is only open for lunch and the line is LONG but fast. Just get the combo thing for $11. That thing is amazing. Homemade authentic Greek food. So good, and so much food.
Ben's Chili Bowl (U Street): Of course. Obama ate here, etc. It's just a famous spot everyone goes to, but I think the food is okay.
The list goes on, but those are a few of my favorite spots and I'm getting hungry.
Public Transportation: The metro system covers almost everywhere. If you want to know which bus to take and all that, goto wmata.com. You'll be able to pay for the subway card with a card, but you'll need cash for the bus ($1.70 per ride typically). No change given.
Places to avoid: Just stay in NW to be safe. Anything past the Anacostia River is typically not safe. Georgetown's crowd is a bit pretentious and you'll feel like you're walking through a J.Crew catalog, so a lot of locals avoid that area. They're just annoying, but you might want to check it out because it's a nice area still.
Oh, and goto a Nationals game if you can. The stadium is really nice and it's always a blast.
If you have any specific interests, whether its in a certain cuisine, art, scene, crowd, etc. that you prefer, I can name a few more suggestions. Let me know.
Don't get that shit sober.