Shopping? Dc or NYC? (planes, Ireland, Boston, info)

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by Sickandtiredofthis

I'm staying in a Marriott in Washington and a 4 star in NYC near the World trade center

Near the WTC is the Century 21 department store which has relatively good prices for clothing, etc.

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by graceC

I know that, I live here. I was merely pointing out the difference since the OP's thread title says "DC or NYC", and Tyson's not DC.

OP, I was going to suggest doing your shopping in NJ instead, as they have no sales tax for clothing and shoes purchases under $200. But, considering you don't drive and it's a hassle to get to one of their outlet malls from NYC, it may not be worth the trouble.

There is no sales tax on clothing purchases of $110 or less in NYC. So if the OP is planning on buying separate items and each one is under $110 there is no point in going to NJ.

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by Sickandtiredofthis

Not really sure! Off to dc in about a week and I have to buy new clothes. I'm spending like $600 so I should be able to get more than enough.

It will mostly he medium level brands. I am going out to the Tyson's corner center which looks great and a day out, I'm just not sure if it would be better for me to buy my clothes in NYC or Dc? Is it cheaper in NYC? Do they have better sales?

Also how much money should I budget each day for normal things in nyc besides clothes shopping? It's hard to predict.

Any mall with large department stores in the USA will provide what you need. You'll probably get a little bit better of a selection in NYC, but there is little reason to go to NYC or DC if you are buying off-the-rack mainstream consumer labels.

[Bluefly]

For starters, I think spending $600 on clothes in one trip is quite a lot and I'm not broke by any means. Some people on here might have lost perspective.

Anyway, I'd say the far more interesting shopping in DC would be getting away from the malls as well as the Mall, monuments, and tourist areas and out into the neighborhoods where DC is at its most dynamic and authentic, like U Street, Shaw, Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant, Eastern Market... You could have a little shopping adventure discovering great finds at local boutiques and thrift stores, checking out the many wall murals throughout town and maybe some Ethiopian or Salvadorian joint for lunch. Then afterward catch a show at the underground jazz cave Bohemian Caverns where Duke Ellington used to play or the 9:30 Club revered by musicians worldwide. Maybe see an offbeat play at the tiny Church Street Theater, dinner in Blagden Alley, take a hike out to the raging Great Falls on the Potomac or maybe go in the opposite direction and spend your whole day in Alexandria.

That, to me, would make DC worth the trip. As others have said, malls are malls wherever you go and DC's are no different than NYC's or Boston's or Denver's. Tysons is definitely the premiere regional mall of the DC area and now Metro accessible on the new Silver line, but they're kind of an uglier version of The Galleria in Houston or Somerset Collection in the wealthy suburbs of Detroit.

As DC has surged back to life in the past 15 years or so, downtown has rebuilt a solid shopping district but it's not worth traveling to experience. Michigan Avenue in Chicago it most definitely is not. Good for locals or if you're already in town but nothing you can't get elsewhere.

Mazza Galleria in Friendship Heights toggling the border of upper Northwest DC and Maryland is an odd mix of extremely upscale and discount without much middle ground.

Pentagon City will by far be the most convenient mall if you're staying in Crystal City (which itself is a very bland hotel row in Virginia that seems to exist only as a cheaper, easy shot into DC itself). Pentagon City's an average middle / upper middle mall very conveniently on top Pentagon City Metro station. It seems to mostly serve as a way station for 8th grade field trips.

Hope this helps fill in some gaps and understand the area a little better.

[graceC]

Originally Posted by Sickandtiredofthis

Thanks. It is nice to hear from someone who is local and knows the area.

I read that the musuems are free, we will try and visit as many as possible. I think I will incorporate the trip to the airport musuem into the Tyson's corner trip (not going out there twice).

My hotel is near DCA airport and right beside a metro station so i'm not sure what you mean.

If you're talking about the airport museum near Dulles airport (Udvar - Hazy museum), that one is not metro accessible so you will need to take a cab, or a combination of metro and bus. It's worth it though, according to my husband and his nephew who are crazy about planes.

Tyson's corner is metro accessible via Silver Line Metro, just get off at Tyson's Corner exit and you're there. The DCA airport is connected by Blue and Yellow lines - so to get to Tyson's you will need to change train somewhere. You can log on to WMATA.COM to get more info on metro lines, where to connect, etc.

Since you will stay in VA for your trip, you will have to get on a metro to get to your destinations, sometimes requiring you to change metro at least once, or do a combination of metro and bus, or take a cab. That's much more hassle than staying in the heart of DC where you can walk to most places. Our metro lines also are not as sophisticated and nowhere as fast as London's. That's what I meant about too bad you're staying in VA.

Since you're staying close to Blue and Yellow lines, I highly suggest you check out Old Town Alexandria in VA. Both lines will take you there, just get off at "King St-Old Town station" stop. Once outside the metro station, hop on the free trolley that'll take you down King Street. King Street is also very pedestrian friendly and lined by plenty of shops and restaurants, and the street ends at Potomac River waterfront. From that waterfront, you can take water taxi to the National Mall or Georgetown in DC.

Or you can do the opposite route, cross the river via water taxi from Georgetown, DC to Alexandria. Georgetown is also a DC neighborhood I highly recommend, lots of restaurants, pubs, shops, etc - perfect for walking and strolling or simply people watching.

[graceC]

Originally Posted by nei

As for museums, both NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum are better than the DC equivalents. But they're not free, and rather expensive (though for the Met you can pay less than recommended). DC's museums have more of an American history and government theme, though not all do. Very different cities.

That right there is the main difference between DC and NYC museums. DC is all about American history and the government, whereas NYC has everything else in between (at a much higher cost).

[apexgds]

Originally Posted by graceC

That right there is the main difference between DC and NYC museums. DC is all about American history and the government, whereas NYC has everything else in between (at a much higher cost).

DC isn't all about American History and the government.

Natural History Museum
African Art
Sackler
Freer
Hirshorn
Holocaust Museum
National Gallery
Newseum

[cat1116]

Work in DC but rarely buy anything these days. The Metro takes most of my money for what I probably would spend on breakfast/lunch. I used to get the occasional street hot dogs. Every once in awhile, I might get something from CVS (using savers card). I used to get coffee drinks at Starbuck's, lunch (sometimes) at Chipotle. Items from Union Station - used to. Some really aren't worth it and McDonald's [@ Union Station] is pretty quick to screw up your order. Tell 'em you want grilled, and when you get on the train and open up the newly packaged wraps, bite into it and find that it's fried Nope. The cupcakes that they used to sell for twice the amount you'd pay at a grocery store, aren't worth it either. I've yet to get a moist cupcake or one that actually had some flavor to it from there [cupcake store @ Union Station]. So, no to that too . 99.8% of the time, I bring in my own food/drinks. Between the taxes and the "overpriced because it's DC", pass.

[apexgds]

We're talking DC and NYC here. They're BOTH overpriced.

[Sickandtiredofthis]

Originally Posted by Chava61

Near the WTC is the Century 21 department store which has relatively good prices for clothing, etc.

I seen it and it looks good. It might be one of those stores though where you have to search for something.

Like Tkmaxx