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I've been working remotely for a company in Alexandria for about 6 months now, and they're wanting me to start spending a week in-house every 6 weeks or so. I haven't been to DC in several years, and don't really know anyone there besides my coworkers (given the 27/single versus 40-50/married dichotomy, it is unlikely I'll spend much time with them outside work). If I'm gonna be spending significant time up there, I need some advice on places/groups.
I have no interest in sitting in my hotel or spending every evening in a bar. I prefer to be outside and active after work, though that of course might not be possible for the next couple trips depending on weather.
Down here, a few of my regular activities are:
(1) Ultimate Frisbee on weekends (would love to find a group up there that plays once/twice a week and doesn't mind a semi-regular participant).
(2) Volunteering (mostly parks/dog shelters)
(3) Gaming: there's a group that meets once a week at a local sports bar and does a board games night. Video games would be fun as well.
(4) Kayaking, sailing, biking...okay these might not be applicable
(5) Foodie groups that try out local restaurants
(6) There's a group down here that does a lot of "casual" sports like dodgeball, bowling, pool, etc.
Would also be fine with just a group of people that hang out. I work as a programmer and am into a lot of the common "nerdy" things most people in my line of work are into. There's bound to be some hotspots where these sorts gather that I could try to meet people at.
Of course I'll end up spending a night or two at the Smithsonian museums, always go to those whenever I'm in the area.
It looks like I'll be staying pretty close to King Street station, so I should have easy access via the metro to just about anywhere. Hoping to avoid renting a car. I've driven in DC once and that was enough for me, but I may have to, so being within walking distance of a tube station isn't mandatory.
Would also love some suggestions on places to eat. Couldn't talk the company into giving me a hotel room with a kitchen to cook, so I'll be eating out for most meals. I like trying more exotic foods: Mongolian, Thai, Greek, etc. Not really into chain restaurants and fast food (I don't eat grains, so selections are usually pretty limited).
Didn't really mean for this post to get so long, but I always end up with a million questions. Any suggestions/tips would be greatly appreciated!
Hey I don't really have any specific suggestions on groups, but I would try searching for your interests on meetup.com. Most meetup groups that I've attended seem to allow for occasional/infrequent participants and don't have any attendance requirements.
As far as I know, most Smithsonians aren't open very late unless there is a specific event, so it may be difficult to spend the night there.
Yeah, my museum visits will have to be on weekends. Fortunately, I end up arriving pretty early on Sunday and leave late the following Saturday, so I should have ample time on the weekends.
I'll definitely be browsing on meetups, hoping I might get some specific recommendations here as well (finding the good meetup groups within the massive list just takes time, especially when there's almost 2000 of them *grin*)
I go hiking periodically but have yet to find someone to join me; you might find that odd in this weather but its actually quite nice. There's few people on the trails, and the relative quiet is relaxing. If you'd like to join me sometime feel free to drop me pm.
FYI: the Adams-Morgan neighborhood, near Dupont Circle, last time I was there...had multiple ethnic restaurants. One street had Ethiopian, Argentinan, Thai all close together.
Biking: You can bike from King St. Metro to Thompson Boat Center mostly on the Mt. Vernon Bike Path. It's narrow, paved, congested with runners, walkers, r'bladers, dog walkers etc., but it will get you to the DC monumental core. I suggest the taking the George Mason Memorial Bridge into DC rather than crossing GW Parkway to take the sidewalk on the Memorial Bridge. It's about 10 miles to Thompson's Boathouse. Cycling groups: Potomac Pedalers not a lot of rides in the city, though. Also see Washington DC Multi-Use Trails for some bike trail info and other riding options. Sections of Rock Creek Parkway are closed to motorized traffic on weekends, you can ride the road with the whole lane to yourself. You can also bike the Mt. Vernon Path south to Mt. Vernon Estate.
Also, bikes are allowed on metro except during rush hours and the Fourth of July. Use the elevators, and end doors on the cars.
Last edited by DCBiker; 02-22-2012 at 08:39 PM..
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