I'm in DC this weekend and was wondering if anyone had some suggestions of stuff to do that is different from the normal stuff? Thanks

5/22/2009 9:44:42 PM

Are the Natinals at home this weekend?

5/22/2009 10:10:54 PM

take the blue pill

5/22/2009 10:49:31 PM

call in a bomb threat

get mugged

see how close you can get to the whitehouse before the snipers tag you

start a fight with a tourist who can't speak english

[Edited on May 23, 2009 at 4:18 AM. Reason : lol]

5/23/2009 4:16:25 AM

Boyfriend and I went for a long weekend over Easter - Duck Boat tour is really fun! It leaves from Union Station. We also thought the Spy Museum was interesting.

5/23/2009 7:06:43 AM

tell obama to gtfo

5/23/2009 8:24:20 AM

Eat at:

1. The Capital Grille

http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/Locations/WashingtonDC/Main.asp

Some of the best food you will ever eat!

2. Wolfgang Puck's The Source

http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3941

Fantastic!

5/23/2009 11:24:25 AM

PM LunaK. She knows some of the less touristy things to do. I recommend the Old Ebbitt Grill as a good supper place.

5/23/2009 11:52:58 AM

1) Cafe Berlin

http://www.cafeberlindc.com/

2) Folger Shakespeare Theatre

http://www.folger.edu/

3) Warehouse Theater

http://www.warehousetheater.com/

4) One of the nighttime trolley tours from Union Station

5) If you haven't done the 'normal' stuff before (National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington, Vietnam Memorial, Korea Memorial, etc.) you should.

6) I second the Spy Museum (be warned that you can spend a lot of time there).

[Edited on May 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM. Reason : ]

5/23/2009 12:29:14 PM

I'm content spending all my time in the Smithsonian whenever I go up there

5/23/2009 12:41:33 PM

the new air and space museum out at dulles is really well done.

5/23/2009 1:09:32 PM

not real familiar with dc, but would like to go for a few days in the beginning of June with the gf

where is the best/cheapest/decently safe place to stay in the area (other than a hostel)

i don't mind riding the metro a decent way in as long as the hotel isnt too far of a walk and there is a place to park

5/23/2009 1:44:18 PM

Quote :

"hotel isnt too far of a walk"

i mean i don't KNOW for sure. but i doubt you're going to find a hotel that's walkable to a metro station for cheap. you can easily find one that's quickly driveable to a park and ride metro station.

5/23/2009 1:49:58 PM

i don't mean broke ass college student cheap haha

5/23/2009 1:52:55 PM

i still hold to my statement.

5/23/2009 3:11:21 PM

I stayed in Greenbelt. Wasn't too pricey and only a 5 minute drive to the Metro station.

5/23/2009 3:55:08 PM

I lived in DC. I'd love to move back. Here's what I would suggest:

1. Eat in Dupont Circle at any ethnic offering

2. Find the Ethiopian section near Adams Morgan and get Ethiopian

3. Don't go to Adam's Morgan after 1AM

4. If you go to Georgetown, you really can't go wrong anywhere. I have a few friends over there who say anything's worthwhile.

5. Places to avoid: Anacostia (duh), anything northeast of Capitol Hill, the area around GWU is just dull

6. There's this bar in Alexandria with old arcade games and craft brews on tap but I forget its name, ask around about it

7. Don't go to Busboys and Poets no matter how much people rave about it. You'll just leave annoyed at all the rich interns and trust fund kids hanging around reading Greenpeace pamphlets. Blah.

8. Just read this: http://wonkabout.com/

Quote :

"I stayed in Greenbelt. Wasn't too pricey and only a 5 minute drive to the Metro station"

Gangbelt! I miss it actually. It's not bad and the Metro station is very convenient. The MARC trains run from there too (that's the B-more train system)

[Edited on May 23, 2009 at 3:57 PM. Reason : .]

5/23/2009 3:56:23 PM

I really can't believe that people actually like Ethiopian food. I went there just to shut my friend up, and it was absolutely horrible. Spongy, sour bread rolls with bowl of slop in front of you. It's interesting to go and see but seriously the food is nasty, I mean seriously -- way overrated.

5/23/2009 8:31:32 PM

Quote :

"Don't go to Adam's Morgan after 1AM"

Ehh Adams Morgan isn't too bad now. You'll just encounter NUMEROUS drunken college-aged kids

5/23/2009 9:44:47 PM

7) The Newseum

http://www.newseum.org/

5/25/2009 11:02:48 AM

^ one of the few museums that charge you to get in, and not really worth the cost.

5/25/2009 3:07:05 PM

Quote :

"Ehh Adams Morgan isn't too bad now. You'll just encounter NUMEROUS drunken college-aged kids"

i knew there was a reason why i liked that place

5/25/2009 3:08:30 PM

Check out the Korean War Monument at night. Something about that thing creeps the hell out of me.

5/25/2009 4:35:13 PM

The girlfriend and I will be spending a long weekend in DC sometime in June. Does anyone have any suggestions for hotels or neighborhoods to stay in? I would like a place that is within walking distance of a Metro station and bars at night. Also, please keep suggestions to ~$200/night or less.

5/25/2009 8:18:42 PM

try arlington or crystal city in virginia.

or you can try rockville/bethesda area in maryland.

if you hotwire or priceline hotels you can usually get in the area that you want and a better price.

5/25/2009 8:39:22 PM

there is a banging place for peel and eat shrimp somewhere between DC and fairfax but it's been so long the name eludes me all i remember (besides it being fucking delicious) is it being owned by some little asian dude

5/25/2009 9:34:22 PM

ha. if i ate seafood, then i might be able to help with that one.....

5/25/2009 9:45:08 PM

the holocaust museum is a must see if you're into that kind of thing. stunning. It'll take a least a couple of hours.
Foggy bottom district is near a few nice restaurants and walking distance to the watergate hotel (if you wanna take your lady to a fancy meal.....quail egg in your salad, square plates etc.)
Stayed at the doubletree there on New Hampshire ave. & it was probably the nicest for the money in all my travels to DC. You can get some kickass Ethiopian food in Georgetown at a place called Zed's. For a big mall check out Tyson's corner

5/26/2009 11:56:23 AM

Seeing the changing of the guard was pretty awesome when I was there.

It was my first (and still only) time visiting the actual downtown/monuments area of DC.

Ride the metro as well, it's cheap, fast, takes you everywhere, and it's neat (I dig the ambient lighting in the underground stations).

5/26/2009 12:41:47 PM

Go kayaking on the Potomac. You'll get some really nice views of some of the monuments and it is one of the more relaxing things to do in DC.

Check out Jack's boathouse for kayak rentals.

http://www.jacksboathouse.com/

5/26/2009 1:31:48 PM

its so weird hearing visitors/tourists talk about the cool places to go haha

fucking fairfax????

gtfo.

5/26/2009 4:13:43 PM

Things I dig in DC

Monuments by Moonlight tour: Seeing the big ones at night (Lincoln, Jefferson, Iwo Jima, WWII, Korean) is truly stunning. The only one that is cooler in the daytime is the Vietnam Memorial. It’s hard as hell to see at night. The new FDR monument is enormous (too big IMO) but it’s got a great spot right on the river. When the cherry blossoms are coming in, it’s one of the prettiest sites in the whole country IMO.

The Holocaust Museum: You’re going to need a good three hours to get through all of this. There are some things that really, I mean REALLY stick with you. I’d go later in the day – if you go early on, you’re kind of in this weird, depressing funk all day.

Alexandria: Cool place with almost a college-town feel to it — reminded me a lot of Ann Arbor, MI. King Street is full of cool shops and places to eat. Try Austin’s Grill. Awesome Tex-Mex food.

And if you're looking for a place to stay, try Falls Church. It's right on the metro and has some very decent places to stay

5/26/2009 5:59:39 PM

bttt!

anyone have any "suggestions of stuff to do that is different from the normal stuff?"

8/28/2013 12:01:04 PM

Also I'm considering staying at the Marriott in Landover,MD - http://tinyurl.com/ozus45r

Evidently it's a block and a half walk from the Metro station. Is that area safe? Would you be concerned about that walk later in the evening?

8/28/2013 12:24:17 PM

http://www.groupon.com/deals/key-bridge-boathouse-1

Dunno too much about Landover but i think you are better off finding something on VA side

[Edited on August 28, 2013 at 1:02 PM. Reason : ..]

8/28/2013 1:01:13 PM

^ Thanks, the other hotel location I'm considering is Alexandria - Fort Belvoir

8/28/2013 1:28:00 PM

we had a great experience and room at The River Inn in Foggy Bottom. considering the room we got, we were more than pleased with the cost. it was a quick walk to the metro station as well.

8/28/2013 2:15:23 PM

Are there any cool tours that we should consider, besides the nighttime bus tour? I'm expecially interested in any official tours, that are not currently closed (like the White House and FBI tours)

I've been looking at a bike tour during the day, but we may just rent bikes and ride around on our own.


^ thx

8/28/2013 2:49:10 PM

I think it's weird that everyone raves about the Spy Museum. I thought it was overpriced for what it was... a bunch of somewhat interesting items but outdated exhibits (I thought this would be one of those "new museum" experiences, because they bring in a pretty large amount in ticket sales, so updating exhibits seems standard). I thought Newseum was way more worth the money, but maybe it's a matter of subject interest.

8/28/2013 3:49:00 PM

I'm definitely going to the Air and Space Museum Chantilly, Virginia to see the SR-71 and Space Shuttle. http://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center/

8/28/2013 4:00:09 PM

If the genome project is still showing at the natural science museum I would check it out. Very interesting.

Hirshhorn is my favorite art museum.

8/28/2013 6:12:31 PM

Eat @ Woodward Table (WTF for Take-Out)

http://woodwardtable.com/

Vidalia

http://vidaliadc.com/ or

Bistro Bis.

http://bistrobis.com/

/Shameless plug

8/28/2013 8:17:15 PM

Quote :

"I think it's weird that everyone raves about the Spy Museum. I thought it was overpriced for what it was..."

agreed, I like the Crime & Punishment Museum better

8/28/2013 9:06:26 PM

I really have a love/hate relationship with DC

The architecture and museums are really second to none. I can't think of any major city in the country that has such awesome museums for FREE, or even comes close. If you're a museum junkie, DC reigns supreme. The architecture is absolutely incredible as well.

The main problem with DC is that the people fucking suck. 90% of people are straight up dicks. Nobody smiles. Everybody is a one-upper. Workaholism and materialism is the norm. People bitch about NYC and Boston being cold and stuck up, but DC really takes the cake. I grew up in Fairfax County and it's crazy how unfriendly the entire region is.

8/28/2013 10:36:11 PM

3^ you work there/own the places?

8/29/2013 8:11:29 AM

yes

8/29/2013 9:29:05 AM

Can anyone recommend anywhere to eat...anything from divey to nice, though I'm not looking to drop $200 on dinner or anything.

[Edited on August 30, 2013 at 11:06 AM. Reason : in addition to the biased recommendations above ]

8/30/2013 11:05:47 AM

Quote :

"I really have a love/hate relationship with DC The architecture and museums are really second to none. I can't think of any major city in the country that has such awesome museums for FREE, or even comes close. If you're a museum junkie, DC reigns supreme. The architecture is absolutely incredible as well. The main problem with DC is that the people fucking suck. 90% of people are straight up dicks. Nobody smiles. Everybody is a one-upper. Workaholism and materialism is the norm. People bitch about NYC and Boston being cold and stuck up, but DC really takes the cake. I grew up in Fairfax County and it's crazy how unfriendly the entire region is."

Pretty well nails it.

A couple restaurants I like a lot:

http://www.rasikarestaurant.com/
http://tedsbulletin.com/

8/30/2013 1:44:37 PM

If you are planning to go to Rasika, make sure you reserve a table!

I will also add http://www.masalaartdc.com/ here. Good indian food but not as pricey as Rasika!

[Edited on August 30, 2013 at 2:56 PM. Reason : link]

8/30/2013 2:56:28 PM

some good places on the va side as well, but just keeping it in the city:

http://www.eatyourpizza.com/#sthash.xsB6fzw7.dpbs
http://www.gardendistrictdc.com/
http://www.falafelshop.com/

keep in mind that the following are in areas not frequented by visitors to the city, options for transit may vary and the neighborhoods could make some uneasy:

http://granvillemoores.com/
http://tokiunderground.com/#/
rappahannock oyster bar or red apron butcher at http://unionmarketdc.com/

the dupont circle farmer's market on sunday morning is pretty great - lots of vendors and very busy

breweries with tours on saturday, neither easy to get to:

http://www.dcbrau.com/#
http://www.threestarsbrewing.com/

trail ride rock creek park (the northern sections are a nice hike, as well): http://www.rockcreekhorsecenter.com/trail_rides.htm


[Edited on August 30, 2013 at 5:19 PM. Reason : a]

8/30/2013 5:08:17 PM