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Going to New York and Washington D.C.!
Cristo
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I'm going to New York and Washington D.C. (with my parents) from the 28th April - 7th May (4 days in each city more or less) and I need some pointers.
I've never been to the U S of A before, so I need some pointers on where to go and what to see in these great cities.
First of all, what's the weather at these times of year in NYC and D.C.? I'm assuming it'll mild days and chilly nights in NYC since it's the North-East but I'm not sure about D.C. since it's a bit further south and it'd be good to know what to wear.
Adding on to that, I'd like to know what things there are that are must see and must do. Of course there are all the obvious things like the Empire State Building, Statute of Liberty, Washington Monument etc. etc. but we're not you're typical tourists who leave with tacky souvenirs and whatnot, we like the small quirky places that locals enjoy. Be it specific shops/boutiques or nice little diners or whatever.
Also for reference, my hotel in NYC is East 42nd Street and my hotel in Washington is in Georgetown - in case you should know something cool that's nearby
Basically any protip you guys can give me to get the best out of my trip is most welcome, and definitely appreciated!
I've never been to the U S of A before, so I need some pointers on where to go and what to see in these great cities.
First of all, what's the weather at these times of year in NYC and D.C.? I'm assuming it'll mild days and chilly nights in NYC since it's the North-East but I'm not sure about D.C. since it's a bit further south and it'd be good to know what to wear.
Adding on to that, I'd like to know what things there are that are must see and must do. Of course there are all the obvious things like the Empire State Building, Statute of Liberty, Washington Monument etc. etc. but we're not you're typical tourists who leave with tacky souvenirs and whatnot, we like the small quirky places that locals enjoy. Be it specific shops/boutiques or nice little diners or whatever.
Also for reference, my hotel in NYC is East 42nd Street and my hotel in Washington is in Georgetown - in case you should know something cool that's nearby
Basically any protip you guys can give me to get the best out of my trip is most welcome, and definitely appreciated!
Cristo on
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If you like local markets, definitely check out Eastern Market in DC. There's a local food market there as well as a flea market on Sundays.
If you're planning on actually going in the Washington Monument, I think you need to be there at about 7AM to get tickets. It's a little ridiculous. I've lived here for about 5 years and still haven't been.
The Holocaust Museum is very moving, and the temporary exhibits are always really good. It's a downer, obviously, but worth seeing. You'll have to get there early, because they hand out tickets to enter the permanent area of the museum to limit the crowds (temporary exhibits don't require a ticket).
If you like planes and military history, the Udvar-Hazy Center is awesome. It's an extension of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and is located near Dulles Airport in Virginia (about 30 minutes outside DC). The Smithsonian has a free shuttle to it that leaves from the Air and Space Museum on the mall. It's basically a giant hangar with lots of historical planes. They also have an entire space shuttle, which is totally ginormous. There's a cool observation tower that puts you at the same elevation as planes landing and taking off from the airport. If you're not into that sort of thing then don't bother, but I always recommend it to people because it's really unique as far as museums go—there really isn't anything else like it in the world.
I'm also a big fan of the architecture in DC--probably because it's stolen from, like, everywhere. Either way, it's pretty impressive by American standards. Oh and the new(ish) Native American museum is an awesome building and place to do learning. I wouldn't bother with trying to get in the Washington Monument, but maybe I'm just bitter for never making the effort myself. National Cathedral is sweet. So is the Lincoln Memorial. So is the Jefferson Memorial. Botanical Gardens are cool. Air/Space Museum at Dulles is awesome. There's a shit-ton of stuff to do without leaving DC though...most of which I've yet to bother with--and I'm practically living in it.
PS: Spy museum
This is possibly of more interest to Americans, but it's still got some good stuff - the National Archives. This building has original copies of the Declaration, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Treaty of Paris, and the Magna Carta. If you go in just to check out these documents you can get in and out fairly quickly. The rest of the building is cool, but IMO is skippable if you're pressed for time.
You probably won't be able to get into the White House, but you should be able to get into the Capitol. Like the Washington Monument though, you need tickets, so grab some early and go check some of the nearby museums while you wait for your entrance time.
Finally, one of my personal favorites, the Library of Congress. This is an absolutely beautiful building. The tour is just amazing in how much symbolism went into the architecture and art in the building. It also has a Gutenberg bible and the Mainz bible (handwritten) on display.
All of these have no admission fee.
As for NYC, it depends on what you want to see. While you're staying on 42nd street, it might be worth your time to try and see and off-broadway show. You're going to have to do the research on what's out at the moment though. If you do decide to see a show on broadway, don't just buy the hottest ticket in town because it will cost you an arm and a leg and possibly your liver. A lot of pretty famous shows started off-broadway in New York (Blue Man Group: Tubes, Avenue Q, The Vagaina Monologues etc.), so try and check it out.
New York has a fantastic jazz scene too. You're going with your parents so I'm not sure how viable it is, but I think Cleopatra's Needle still runs late night jam sessions where SOMETIMES famous musicians will sometimes stop by to play. In Greenwich village there's still the Village Vanguard. Check out the schedule and see if you like whoever is playing there. If you go on monday night you can hear the house band, who are pretty fucking awesome as well. As a rule I avoid the Blue Note and Birdland, but if there's somebody playing there you REALLY want to see, go ahead. If you want to see avante guarde music, the Knitting Factory may be more up your alley.
Food in New York is a pretty big deal. My favorite pizza place in the city is John's Pizza in Greenwich village. Do NOT go to the John's Pizza in midtown, it's nothing special. Probably the best eating in New York City is in the Astoria area of Queens. I recommend taking the trip up at least once to eat at a Greek restaurant (may I suggest Telly's Taverna, followed by pastry at Lefkos Pyrgos?). If you head to Flushing or Chinatown on saturday or sunday at around 12:00 you can get dim-sum, though the place I used to go to has long since closed down. I'm sorry to say that Ratner's Restaurant has closed down, but I do suggest checking out the Carnagie Deli for a pastrami sandwich. Saigon Grill is (was?) a really popular Vietnamese restaurant, though you should be aware that the restaurant is always crowded and waiters are going to try and push you out as quickly as possible. You should also check out Zabar's, a very famous specialty food store that now runs a small eat-in cafe.
As always, with New York be sure to check if there are any street fairs going on when you're in town. If you want to get gifts and stuff, the .99 cent stores in chinatown sometimes have pretty interesting stuff. While it's touristy, you should not miss going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Don't bother going to the Statue of Liberty, but the Empire State Building's observation deck is worth the very short trip.
Does that help?
Weather - right now, it's generally staying around the mid 50s-lower 60s. By the time you come, it will probably be more like mid 60s-lower 70s. Definitely not scalding hot yet, barring a freak heat wave like Runn1ngman mentioned. You'll most likely be fine with shorts & t-shirt, and some light pants & a jacket in case it's chilly or raining.
Touristy things - the spots mentioned by others are all good, i'm particularly fond of the Air & Space museum on the Mall, and the National Gallery of Art.
If you try to drive in DC (and I strongly recommend you don't), be *very* observant of signage for parking regulations, as the parking enforcement downtown is brutal. Not many days go by when I don't see at least 1 or 2 people getting towed away from just the street in front of my work.
When riding the subway, keep in mind that the local rush hours during the week are generally from about 7-9 AM in the morning and 4-6 PM at night - the trains will be crowded with a lot of commuters who are often not very appreciative of tourists.
If you're going to be riding the train a lot while you're here, you may want to consider buying a reloadable SmarTrip card ($10, $5 for the card and $5 value) so you can get through the fare gates faster and avoid worrying about losing/destroying the paper cards.
Lastly, WikiTravel has a halfway decent article on DC that you may want to check out also.
Seriously.
As Deathwing said, don't park here. Really, don't. The metro goes to all the tourist stuff anyway. I second the Air & Space Museum as well as the Museum of Natural History, both on the mall. Off the mall, you absolutely want to visit the Newseum if you have the barest interest in the media.
When I was in DC a few years back you could call ahead for tickets for the next day and they'd hold them for you at the door. Not sure if that's still possible. I've also heard good things about the Spy Museum.
The national aquarium just off the mall is a big letdown, give it a miss. You should also get your picture taken outside the FBI building if you're an X-Files fan or just want a badass picture. Getting around DC is rediculously easy thanks to the metro.
And four days after that it was like 70 again.
All the information that has been said already is good. If you can figure out some way to get tickets from a representative for the Capitol tour then do so - those tickets actually get you into the galleries where you can see Congress in action (or at least see the room if they're not there). The regular tickets you get at the visitor's center do not allow you to see the chambers.
Also, despite what Runningman said, I don't think there is a shuttle from the Air & Space Museum to Udvar-Hazy. I've never heard of it and I can't find any mention of it on their website. Without a car it's really pretty much impossible to get to ($60 cab ride from downtown each way).
Washington Monument - I haven't done this and I don't know anyone who has, mostly because why the fuck would I stand in that line when I can go to 1000 other things much more easily?
Also, check out the Smithsonian website (www.si.edu) to see what exhibits are at what museums when you'll be here.
Also, ignore the advice about not taking the metro at rush hour. People in this city need to learn how to deal with tourists.
Also, I don't think it's been said yet but DC can be very confusing if you don't keep your mental map clear. THere are 4 M streets, 4 5th streets, etc. But only one Mass Ave, New York Ave, etc. If you're walking randomly and it feels like you're going into a shady part of town, you just might be. DC is not all wonderful and happy in every neighborhood. Just remember its like any other city, it has great and not so great spots.
I didn't say he shouldn't take the metro during rush hour (hell, I take it every day to get to work/home), just that it's likely to be more crowded than usual, and some people are going to be grumpy....Fact of life around here. If you can deal with that, then dive right in
Over the last few years, i've had several incidences of confused tourists standing next to me on the platform around 4:30 or so, completely boggled and annoyed about why it's so crowded.
This is definitely the case. One thing you definitely want to do is take the metro down to the smithsonian area. That's a good tourist area to go because you can (more or less) walk to a ton of national monuments and museums. One place you might want to check out as well is Old Town Alexandria. It's accessible from the metro and a really cool place to see. From the nearest train stop you'd probably have to walk about a mile to get there unless you took the bus or a cab, but it's definitely worth it.
Also, deathwing! I live in Alexandria. We're close-ish. That's fun.
I live in Maryland, off exit 15, I think everyone in this thread is close! haha
Yeah, we used to live in Alexandria also actually, over near Landmark. Old Town is quite nice, we went over there a few times and had chili at the Hard Times Cafe
Definitely recommended if you have the time and the weather's nice, Cristo.
Sounds brilliant so far. Another question: what would be the best way of getting to Washington from New York?
I assume there are buses and trains going all the time.
Train or bus is the most convenient, both leave from the middle of Manhattan and arrive in downtown DC. There are a few new bus services called BoltBus and Megabus that have started running as an alternative to Greyhound. BoltBus has WiFi and power outlets, not sure about Megabus. Most sane people don't take the Chinatown buses any more because they tend to explode into flames without warning.
Amtrak will be faster than a bus, but much more expensive.
Sorry, I just re-read my post and it appears that I left out the location. I'm talking about the Holocaust Museum.
Baltimore?!?!
I saw a documentary on BBC with Louis Theroux where he was reporting from Baltimore. I saw people get shot. Lots of people. Young people too! And the police were like "Argh! We keep trying to stop them but they just keep on shooting us".
Baltimore is bad, but there are good parts as well. I mean its not Mexico or anything, just confine yourself to the Inner Harbor and you will be fine. Heck I practically grew up there as a kid, my mother worked in a jewelry store and I was there pretty much everyday. Then she worked at a pizza place in one of the bad areas. Sparing you the crazy stories, the rule of thumb is to just keep to yourself.
Also, as someone who lives in Baltimore and commutes to DC regularly; DC is just as bad as B-more.
There are only 2 M Streets, 2 5th streets, etc. D.C. is laid out in a grid. Lettered streets run east-west, and will be denoted by which quarter that half of the street is in. For instance, M St. NW and M St. NE are the same street, it's just which half of the city they're in. There is a separate street which is denoted by M St. SW and M St. SE. Numbered streets are exactly the same, but they run north-south. State-named streets run diagonally and are usually the best way to drive if you're trying to cross town.
The note about eating is true. There is limited good food around the Capitol, really, and you'll do better to head into northwest. The sketchy parts of town are all the bits that aren't near the center of the city in NE, SE and SW. NW just gets richer the further you go along.
I live in Chinatown on the Hill, yay!
This is really all you need to know.
Oh. oh. Get across the river to Old Town Alexandria for great dining and sights and try to make it to a Nationals game. I know they are a shitty team, but everyone should go to a baseball game in their life and the new stadium is great.
You know what, I will personally take anyone to a Nationals game who has never seen a ballgame before.
haha, I live right down from Beauregard on 236.
I would so take you up on that if my parents weren't coming with me. I'm pretty sure that since you're someone from the internet they'd think you were out to kidnap and molest me. You're not though, right? :winky::winky:
And then molest you.
I go to school in Baltimore, its not that bad if you aren't dumb about walking around you'll be fine, but I dont think (unless you go to the aquarium) there's alot to the harbor other than eating. Baltimore is an interesting place but I think DC will give you more depth/history for the time spent there, unless you were super interested in The Wire and want to experience it first hand.
But, I will say if you like seafood, Maryland is a good place to eat sea food. You shouldn't be eating Maryland blue crab in any other place, really. If you like crab cakes, stopping through Baltimore and going to the rusty scupper, phillips, or mccormick and schmick's is a really easy way to get you hands on a crab cake with no filler and deliciousness. (I would suggest the lexington market too, but thats probably not a good way to get introduced to baltimore.) But even in DC your average Crab cake, muscles, or oysters are probably going to be delicious, so thats something to keep in mind.
Lexington market?!? He might want to come back to the States :P The last time I was there there was drug, uh paraphernalia disposed of around the entrance, and I doubt the person that did it was a diabetic, also there was a bunch of homeless people camping in that general area, and my Mom, step-dad, little brother, and me were chased by a drunk because we didn't acknowledge his presence. We don't go there anymore. Although, my Grandmother still works there at some sandwich shop and shes still alive...
Of course, to put it in perspective, that means you have about a 0.045% chance of getting murdered in Baltimore if you live there.
Seriously though. Delicious crab cakes. Other than that, as a tourist I'd stay in DC.
Some people would consider having to watch the Nationals a form of molestation.
It's a little off topic, but in 1990, the Braves had the worst record in baseball, and President Stan Kasten made a number of moves to bring in young talent. They went to the World Series the next two years, the NLCS in 93, won the Series in 95 and went back in 96 and 99. From 91-2005 they won their division every year.
I point this out because prior to that, they were averaging 65 wins a season, and now Stan Kasten is the President in DC, trying to build a solid young foundation.
Anyways, the thing is, if it turns around, nobody will be able to accuse me of being a fair-weather fan. I stick by my boys.
More like torture.
Hopefully the Nats will get better now that their worthless GM is gone.
I think I need to go to a Nats game with you just to experience someone who actually LIKES the team. Only time I've bothered to go was with my girlfriend who is a Yankees fan. It did not go over well with her when I pointed out that, dollar to performance, the Nats were probably a better team.
Man, I am going to a game for my bachelor party, that's how much of a fan I am. We are getting a box.