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Hello, people, my wife and I will be taking a week off in October (10-17) and we are leaning toward visiting Dc for the first time, which we planned several times and always postponed.
I already browsed for hours the main websites about DC but it's always good to hear from the locals. We love the city, we are Italians and lived in West Palm Beach, Fl so we miss the city lifestyle, the walking, shops along the streets and not in strip malls etc...
After visiting NY and Chicago (well, Chicago 4 times, it's become our second home pretty much, love it), I decided I can't postpone a trip to the capital any longer.
We have no intention of driving; we love to get a smart card, ride buses and metro and finally walk, as down here in Fla, unless you go to Miami, you are dead without a car.
Being the first time in DC of course we'll go to the White House (outside) and the main attractions. But we are not just into taking pics of landmarks. We like to walk the neighborhoods, see real life unfolding, have a taste of the how the people are in a new city.
So, before this gest too long:
1-where should I try to get a hotel to maximize our excursions? We are going to get out at night as well: dinner, hopefully I can catch some live jazz etc..
Is downtown the best option?
2-If you would be a visitor and you had to visit 5 attractions where would you go?
3-anyone has ay "inside" tip regarding food, restaurants, or anything else that might not be found on the main websites?
Well, anything that comes to mind. I know that my trips to Chicago would have never been that great without the insiders from Chicago here at CD Forum, so I am asking for similar help here.
Also, it comes to mind, like I said we don't mind walking and seeing neighborhoods, so if you have a particular hood to suggest us as a visit, please let me know.
If money isn't an issue, definitely get a hotel downtown. The Metro Center/Penn Quarter area is probably the best because it's close to the touristy stuff but it actually also has some nightlife unlike some of the other parts of downtown.
Top affordable restaurants in DC:
1)Founding Farmers in Foggy Bottom (make a reservation like a week in advance)
2)Old Ebbitt Grill - across from White House (DC institution - open since 1856) (need a reservation at peak times)
3)Ted's Bulletin - 14th & S NW (avoid on weekends because it gets insanely busy even with a reservation)
4)Matchbox - H Street in Chinatown
5)Clyde's - 7th Street in Chinatown and M Street in Georgetown
Since you're Italian, Wiseguy's on H Street a couple blocks from Chinatown is the only place in town that has authentic New York Pizza. 2 Amys in Cleveland Park (not near Metro) has best Neapolitan Pizaa. Il Canale in Georgetown also has good pasta and Neapolitan pizza.
AVOID BEN'S CHILI BOWL - It's nothing but a tourist trap.
None of those restaurants would be particularly memorable and the Lincoln Memorial is a tourist trap. While a street vendor might be a better choice, Ben's Chili Bowl would be a perfectly good spot to sample a half-smoke (a peculiarly DC delicacy) along with some local culture. Ben's is located in U Street/Shaw, one of the city's more diverse and vibrant areas.
As for hotels, it would indeed be best to stay downtown if possible, or perhaps in Rosslyn where easy connections to Metro are at hand.
One of the other DC neighborhoods worth exploring would be Capitol Hill, the walkable area near the Capitol, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress. Beautiful old row-houses and quite a lot of local flavor along Pennsylvania Avenue SE from the Capitol over to Eastern Market and then south along 8th Street SE. There is a smallish (150 rooms) and quite lovely hotel (The Capitol Hill Hotel) located at 2nd & C Streets SE that might be a good choice for both sightseeing and DC neighborhood exploration. The Capitol South Metro station is nearby.
By the way, street addresses in DC typically include a quadrant modifier. With the Capitol itself as the center point, the city is divided into four quadrants by North and South Capitol Streets along one axis and East Capitol Street and The Mall (where West Capitol Street would be if there were one) on the other. Lettered and numbered streets proceed in each direction moving away from those two dividers. As the result there could be as many as four intersections of 2nd and C Streets in the city, one in each of the four quadrants. The SE modifier tells you that it's the one in the Southeast quadrant.
There are a number of other notable neighborhoods in the District. Georgetown of course, which includes the C&O canal for favorable weather walks or boat trips. Penn Quarter has many museums, boutiques, theaters, and restaurants. DuPont Circle has lots of shopping and hotels. Woodley Park has hotels and the National Zoo (though you won't be allowed to pet the baby pandas), and nearby are Embassy Row and the vistas of the National Cathedral.
It's a lot to take in if you want to do the typical touristy sites as well, but a week gives you chances to pick and choose.
Last edited by Reynard32; 08-26-2015 at 01:53 PM..
2-If you would be a visitor and you had to visit 5 attractions where would you go?
White House
Washington Monument
U.S. Capitol
Air & Space Museum
Museum of Natural History
But that is the tip of the iceberg. Basically, any tourist attraction in DC is worth visiting. So, it's probably best to do a sightseeing tour at some point.
Sounds like you'd enjoy Eastern Market, which is right on a Metro stop. Not a tourist attraction, per se, but very much a DC place. Butchers and bakers and fishmongers and artists and second-hand stuff dealers all in one place. You can get sandwiches or crabcakes from some of the vendors and eat at the picnic tables there for a casual lunch.
I don't want to repeat what others have said but I agree 100% with Wiseguy's on H Street. Best Pizza in DC city limits. Best pizza in the area is in Maryland.. but you can take the metro there easily. Avoid Jumbo Slice in Adams Morgan.
Other food options:
-Hot and Juicy (in Woodley Park) for Crawfish
-Zengo (in Chinatown) for Asian/Mexican fusion
-Le Diplomate on 14th street (must make reservations if you want a good time)
-Bub and Pops (in Dupont) for a great sandwich
-Bens Chili bowl.. just because this might be your only chance
Sounds like you'd enjoy Eastern Market, which is right on a Metro stop. Not a tourist attraction, per se, but very much a DC place. Butchers and bakers and fishmongers and artists and second-hand stuff dealers all in one place. You can get sandwiches or crabcakes from some of the vendors and eat at the picnic tables there for a casual lunch.
+1 Go on the weekend though if you can because it makes for a much better experience with a lot more vendors.
Thank you all for the good tips. I am going to try some Italian restaurants, I am sure there are real Italian places (vs. Italo-American, I definitely don't want to eat some piccata or alfredo...never knew what they were before coming to the USA).
Washington has really a lot of stuff, so a choice will have to be made.
Let me ask you something: I always thought the Smithsonian Museum was a huge museum. Well, now, doing some researches, it seems to be a huge area with MANY museums. Is there A Smithsonian Museum per se, or it is a collection of museums? Are some better than others? I looked it up on the map, and that thing is like West Palm Beach downtown...
Downtown: is DC downtown one of those downtown that after 7 p.m. gets a little bit dead because it's mostly offices?
Also, say I am out in the evening (I'm with my wife, so I'd be more prudent than if I'd be by myself), walking, going to bars etc... are there areas that might look great in daytime, but might get sketchy at night?
Finally (not really, I'll be bugging you again...) are those streets with letters to be considered 'sketchy"? I am asking beacuse in South Florida, in many cities, the areas called alphabet city are not places you would normally walk at night, unless you are looking for troubles or drugs.
Oh, guys, is a 6-night stay a bit too long for DC? I normally spend 5 nights when staying in one city. In DC I could do 6 (even 7, pushing it).
Is it worthy to rent a car for a day and go around? (I always wanted to visit some civil wars places, but there are so many in the area, the dream would be to take a two-week long vacation with the car, but I haven't gotten two weeks vacation (in a row) since I was in Italy....you know how it is here, with all the "work hard stuff"? LOL
Thank you all for the good tips. I am going to try some Italian restaurants, I am sure there are real Italian places (vs. Italo-American, I definitely don't want to eat some piccata or alfredo...never knew what they were before coming to the USA).
Washington has really a lot of stuff, so a choice will have to be made.
They are pricey, but Osteria Morini, Fiola, Bibiana, Centrolina are all good. Ghibellina just lost their chef, so I can't vouch for it. Dolcezza for gelato (and decent espresso).
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoItaly
Let me ask you something: I always thought the Smithsonian Museum was a huge museum. Well, now, doing some researches, it seems to be a huge area with MANY museums. Is there A Smithsonian Museum per se, or it is a collection of museums? Are some better than others? I looked it up on the map, and that thing is like West Palm Beach downtown...
It depends on the type of things you want to see. The Smithsonian Castle is the original building and has some interesting odd things on display that folks have donated over the years. I wasn't terribly impressed by the American Indian museum, but they have a very interesting cafeteria with a menu based on foods the different tribes ate (as opposed to typical cafeteria fare that they fancied up with "tribal" names).
The museums are stretched out on either side of the National Mall, a greenspace that runs from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial, and are between the Capitol and 14th Street.
Two museums that I really like that aren't part of the Smithsonian (and have entrance fees) are the International Spy Museum (Gallery Place Metro) and the Newseum (news/journalism museum -- can't remember the cross streets). And the National Geographic Society typically has a couple of interesting displays (Dupont Circle).
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