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I'm asking because i'll be taking the greyhound up, and i'll be getting there at about 2:40am.......and i'll want to then go straight to Lincoln memorial, but i'm not familiar with d.c. streets, so i wanted to know is it safe to walk from 1st street to 23rd street, at night? [and i'm guessing the streets aren't that far apart, like nyc city-blocks, right?? or no?]
And if the distances is too far, then i might not want to walk it at all, and then my question would be, is there a bus or shuttle system or SOMETHING that could get my from the greyhound stations on 1st street, to lincoln memorial over by 23rd street........or am i going to have to go broke on a freakin taxi??? o_o [i'm guessing taxi prices are WAYYYYYY more expensive there, then here in raleigh, nc! ]
What do you mean by "Is it possible"? Sure it's possible. It'll take you a couple of hours, but you could do it. It's not the greatest neighborhood to start out with but as you get closer to the memorial the neighborhoods get better. Most people would not want to walk that far, or in those neighborhoods, or at that hour. Regardless of how long the blocks are or how many intersections you are crossing, you're looking at a 4 mile hike in the middle of the night. I don't think I'd recommend a woman, a stranger, walking alone, to go through the neighorhoods around the station, in the middle of the night, but I guess it depends on how intrepid you are.
Buses and subway don't run at that hour. If you want to wait a few hours you could take the X2 and transfer to the 80, or take the red line to farragut north and walk from there.
Cabs aren't very expensive in this town. From the greyhound station, it would probably cost less than $15.
Does your bus stop in Silver Spring, MD? I think it does. This would be a much better neighborhood to start out in. From there, a bunch of buses run until 3AM (and start up again at 4AM) south to Lafayette Square, which is right in front of the White House, and about 1.5 mile walk to the memorial. Or you could take a cab which would cost about the same as from the DC greyhound station.
What do you plan to do once you get there? The National Mall is open 24 hrs a day to visitors, but you can't camp or sleep there. The area is patrolled 24/7 so don't plan to not get caught doing this. Unless you plan on spending hours there and waiting until the rest of the city wakes up, you are going to need to work out a way to get back to the populated area of the city. What are you planning to do with your luggage? And have you taken into consideration weather? This time of year is pretty hot, even in the middle of the night (hotter than Raleigh; assume 80+F at 2AM), and prone to severe thunderstorms.
If you do decide to walk, I would advise having some cash on you, a cell phone, and the number for a cab company at the ready as well as a map of the city.
What do you mean by "Is it possible"? Sure it's possible. It'll take you a couple of hours, but you could do it. It's not the greatest neighborhood to start out with but as you get closer to the memorial the neighborhoods get better. Most people would not want to walk that far, or in those neighborhoods, or at that hour. Regardless of how long the blocks are or how many intersections you are crossing, you're looking at a 4 mile hike in the middle of the night. I don't think I'd recommend a woman, a stranger, walking alone, to go through the neighorhoods around the station, in the middle of the night, but I guess it depends on how intrepid you are.
Buses and subway don't run at that hour. If you want to wait a few hours you could take the X2 and transfer to the 80, or take the red line to farragut north and walk from there.
Cabs aren't very expensive in this town. From the greyhound station, it would probably cost less than $15.
Does your bus stop in Silver Spring, MD? I think it does. This would be a much better neighborhood to start out in. From there, a bunch of buses run until 3AM (and start up again at 4AM) south to Lafayette Square, which is right in front of the White House, and about 1.5 mile walk to the memorial. Or you could take a cab which would cost about the same as from the DC greyhound station.
What do you plan to do once you get there? The National Mall is open 24 hrs a day to visitors, but you can't camp or sleep there. The area is patrolled 24/7 so don't plan to not get caught doing this. Unless you plan on spending hours there and waiting until the rest of the city wakes up, you are going to need to work out a way to get back to the populated area of the city. What are you planning to do with your luggage? And have you taken into consideration weather? It's been blistering hot here, even in the middle of the night, with occasional severe thunderstorms--not exactly conducive to long hikes.
If you do decide to walk, I would advise having some cash on you, a cell phone, and the number for a cab company at the ready as well as a map of the city.
Lmao......Well yeah, i know it's technically possible to walk anywhere on land, and i suppose i could of used the word reasonable, instead of possible....but i just wanted to know if it was a short walk laid out like the city blocks in NYC, or no.
10-15 bucks, really? That sounds better then raleigh!
You sure though!?? Because i'm pinching pennies and i'd hate to get up there and it end up being like a 40 buck ride! hahaha.
And i won't have luggage of any sorts, i'll just be up there for a day, and i'm not going to be falling asleep at the mall, LOL!!! I mean come on, seriously?
and thanks for the info on which time the buses start, but i really wanted to go straight to the memorial when i get there if i can! =)
thought of another question though! Are there restaurants like BK, subway, etc. by the memorials, or would i be better off to get my food before i leave the union station area??
Yes, I'm pretty sure of the cab rate. In fact, there is a maximum of $19 within the district. You could go end to end and not incur more than $19. Now, there will be add-ons if you have extra passengers or luggage. And there's the tip. But I'm pretty confident in $15. Fares are typically higher in smaller cities like Raleigh were most people have their own cars.
No, there will be no food near the memorial. During the daytime there are hotdog stands but nothing more substantial. It is a national park after all, so commercial businesses are held back to the perimeter. And hot dog vendors don't roam in the middle of the night. The rest of the city will have extremely limited options as well, I'm not even sure you could find something at Union Station. I think the train waiting areas are open but none of the businesses inside are open. DC isn't a 24-hr city like NYC is. It's pretty well asleep after midnight. Even most grocery stores aren't open all night. there's a 7-11 a few blocks north of the memorial (near foggy bottom metro). I'm not sure if its open all night either. I think you should plan to bring your own food with you on the bus.
What route were you planning on walking? If from Greyhound to Union Station, through Senate Park, to the capitol building, and then along the mall--there really won't be many businesses along that route at all, even if you were walking during the day. It's all parks and government buildings. The museums will have cafes but they are not open at night. And I don't want to be alarmist, but even if you took a longer route through downtown, I don't know that you would find any businesses open at that hour. Hotel lobbies, I guess. But I just want to reiterate that you should have a map, cash, and a cell phone, because if you get lost or need help, you likely won't find a place open to stop in at.
I would walk to union station then walk towards the capitol then walk the mall all the way to the lincoln memorial. The most dicey part of the walk would be to get to union station. That's the shadiest area. The union station/capitol hill area has double law enforcment coverage (captiol police and MPD). the Park Police covers the mall area pretty well; maybe MPD, too. Maybe take a cab to Union station (?) then start walking.
There will be no restaurants open at that time. The only 24hr place I've heard of is in Georgetown. Better get some food before the walk.
Yes, I'm pretty sure of the cab rate. In fact, there is a maximum of $19 within the district. You could go end to end and not incur more than $19. Now, there will be add-ons if you have extra passengers or luggage. And there's the tip. But I'm pretty confident in $15. Fares are typically higher in smaller cities like Raleigh were most people have their own cars.
No, there will be no food near the memorial. During the daytime there are hotdog stands but nothing more substantial. It is a national park after all, so commercial businesses are held back to the perimeter. And hot dog vendors don't roam in the middle of the night. The rest of the city will have extremely limited options as well, I'm not even sure you could find something at Union Station. I think the train waiting areas are open but none of the businesses inside are open. DC isn't a 24-hr city like NYC is. It's pretty well asleep after midnight. Even most grocery stores aren't open all night. there's a 7-11 a few blocks north of the memorial (near foggy bottom metro). I'm not sure if its open all night either. I think you should plan to bring your own food with you on the bus.
I don't want to alarm you but in fact i think you could walk all the way from the station to the memorial and not encounter any business that is open. Maybe a hotel lobby, once you get closer to the memorial. This underscores why it will be important for you to have a phone, spare money, and a map with you--don't assume you will find help along the way if you need it.
Thanks for all the info!!!
I love the 19 dollar limit! That's awesome!
And trust me, i plan on not leaving the greyhound station unless i have a sure-fire way to make it to the memorial! Which is why it looks like i'm going to have to go by taxi!! ^_^
And also, i'm going to have to try to think of food that will last without being refrigerated! =[ Because we'll probably be up there until 1pm-ish!
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is very close to the Lincoln Memorial. I have heard that Vietnam veterans visit the Memorial at all hours of the night, and there are volunteer counselors there to help veterans cope with their grief and war memories.
Don't they turn off the outdoor lights on the monuments after a certain time? The long panoramic view of the Washington Monument, Capital, etc might be lost at that hour.
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