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OK, you guys convinced me. What do you think of the Embassy Suites West End (on 22nd street). It looks like it is in a nice area, with lots to see and do. Prices are not horrible ($175/night). Or what about the Topaz Hotel, its one of the Kimpton hotels. I must admit, it sounds a little 'odd' for our tastes, but it gets good reviews. Price there was higher ($200/night). If you have any experience with either of these, please let me know. Which area is a better one to be in (safer & better location)? Which hotel would make it the easiest to get to all the tourist stuff (white house, smithsonian, etc)... Thank you for all your help!
They both get very high ratings. Embassy Suites is more kid friendly and the room rate includes that free made-to-order breakfast. Not bad. It's located in a sort of West End no-man's land -- in between everything. Embassy Row to the north, Dupont Circle, Connecticut Ave clubs and shopping, and the Metro Red Line to the east, GW University to the south. They may tell you that Georgetown is to the west, which it is, but what people actually think of as Georgetown is not walking distance at all. If you'll have a car though, go north on 22nd from the hotel (you'll have to, it's one-way), then left across the P Street Bridge (over Rock Creek). That way you'll sneak into Georgetown by driving past some of the nicer townhouses that the area is famous for. If you want to get to the Mall and the Smithsonian area, skip the Red Line, and walk south to Foggy Bottom at 23rd & I Streets. There you can pick up either the Blue or Orange lines which hit the Mall area directly, without the need for changing trains. Exit at Smithsonian. The White House is where 16th & G Streets would be if that intersection existed. Red Line to Metro Center, or Blue/Orange to McPherson Square. Or if it's nice out, just walk south (downhill) on Connecticut Ave, then diagonally across Farragut Square, then one more block until you reach the statue of von Steuben. That's Lafayette Park and the White House is right across the street...just beyond the day-care kids, the Japanese tourists, and the anti-nuke protesters. If you want to do the WH tour, look into it well ahead of time. There are restrictions since 9/11 and they keep changing, so get that info from someone who keeps closer tabs on it than I do. Meanwhile, if you know the Kimptons, then you know that you're going to get something a little different, a little New Age, a little off-beat for the money over at the Topaz. Free in-room lemonade? Of course! And some decors you might not have thought of for your living room. It's a few blocks closer to the action around Dupont Circle and the glitz of Connecticut Avenue. Also you'll be only three blocks from the Red Line. Nearest Blue/Orange is at 17th & I, which is also walkable in decent weather. The place is noted for its service, and for the size of its rooms. Most of them were kitchenettes in a prior lifetime. The bar at the Topaz is quite a popular happy hour destination for the upscale, i.e., lawyers and lobbyists. To check out your mid-level folks at play, The Front Page is right at the Metro exit, and just across the street is Buffalo Billiards (down the stairs). Have a beer, shoot some pool, and watch the weirdos, all at the same time. Actually, I should be more charitable...I played darts out of there for years. Anyway, the Topaz will be a more adult-oriented experience with a little higher energy level, though the block that it's on is actually still residential, so right there at the front door, there will be some peace and quiet. Both of these neighborhoods are 100% worry-free as far as safety goes. I long ago lost count of how many times I've been wandering around over there after midnight, and never once had a problem. So anyway, if the money is OK, I don't see how you can go wrong with either of these places. Unless you have freakishly bad luck of some sort, you'll be treated very well at both of them. Let me know if there's anything else you're wondering about. My offices are a couple of blocks north of the White House, so I've been trolling this area every day for some time now. And Downtown before that. In my job, I deal with others, so I manage to get around some. Can at least offer you a few insights based on that...
I have been leaning towards the Embassy Suites, actually. I am glad that its in a decent area & that things should be semi-easy to get to.
I printed out your directions to things & will use it on our trip. Is there anywhere else you think that would be worthwhile for us to visit? We will be there 3 days, and this will probably be our ONLY trip there. I'd love to get in as much as possible..
Can you also recommend some fun, interesting places to eat? It will be myself, my husband and my 17 year old son. We don't need 'little kid' fun, but we dont want totally serious adult stuff, either What is the DC Specialty? Anything?
What do you think of the trolley tours? Are they worthwhile? We will have a car so we can drive to out of the way places, but would rather not drive if we dont have to.
When we leave DC, we are heading towards Gettysburg PA - anything cool on the way? You seem like you really know the area!
Oh one more thing, do you know how long it would take to get from DC (Embassy Suites West end area) to Baltimore?
Well, there ya go, and in addition to Cafe Soleil, you've got the McDonald's right down the street in case the sudden urge for a Sausage McMuffin should strike. And just by the way, you'd be perfectly safe walking around there at night. I do it all the time. There are maybe a couple of overly aggressive homeless people early on, but by 8:00 or so, they've all gone on their way, and it's a perfectly enjoyable area. But it would be tough to get a room there with two queen size beds for $113 a night.
Yes! You are so right!
I remember each time we visited their was one homeless man who would always be standing on the grate between McDonald's and the Caribou Cafe and he had a frizbee in his hand (upside down for change). He never said anything, but smile. I always gave him money. Nice thing about it , I would see him inside the McDonald eating right after I gave him the money.
I printed out your directions to things & will use it on our trip. Is there anywhere else you think that would be worthwhile for us to visit? We will be there 3 days, and this will probably be our ONLY trip there. I'd love to get in as much as possible.
Wow...there's an awful lot to choose from. There's all the usual monuments and memorials, then there's the Archives, the Air & Space Museum, the Zoo (pandas!), the National Gallery of Art, the FBI tour, the Bureau of Engraving & Printing (no free samples, sadly), the Spy Museum, the Holocaust Museum (somewhat sobering)...and all of that barely scratches the surface. It really depends what your individual interests are. You might prefer a quick trip to Mt. Vernon, or wandering through Arlington Cemetery, or an afternoon of horseback-riding in Rock Creek Park. You can't see or do it all in three days, so you'll have to pick and choose a little, figuring that you probably can't do much more than two actual things during the daylight hours.
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Originally Posted by SoCalMomma
Can you also recommend some fun, interesting places to eat? It will be myself, my husband and my 17 year old son. We don't need 'little kid' fun, but we dont want totally serious adult stuff, either What is the DC Specialty? Anything?
Nah, there really isn't a classic DC food. Well, maybe 'crow' for some of the politicians from time to time. Most of the high-end restaurants that locals consistently rate as the best in the area are actually well out into Virginia, but there are lots of very fine eateries of almost every sort in town. One of the most popular places for an upscale dinner is not too far from the Embassy Suites, namely Kinkead's at 20th & Pennsylvania, NW. They have a website. Make reservations well in advance if it looks good to you. You'll need to be reasonably attired. They do a lot of seafood, but I can endorse the grilled lamb, and also the fact that at maybe $60 per person (plus drinks) you don't have to sell your car to pay the tab. An interesting mid-scale sort of place at almost any time of day is the Old Ebbitt Grill on 15th Street just east of the White House. They boast of their Oyster Bar with very good reason, and they have very nice selections of cheese and wine as well. Quite informal, typical American fare available, and in general moderately priced, so it's been a DC classic for more than 150 years. On the other hand, if a brewed beverage would be more to your liking, you should make it a point to stop in for a few minutes at the not-upscale-at-all Brickskeller, especially since its right on 22nd Street, about three blocks north of the Embassy Suites. They have every beer that there is. Think of some really obscure beer that nobody's ever heard of, then go over to their website and check out the beer list. It's probably on there. I could recommend the Otter Creek Pale Ale, but that might be because I happen to be wearing the brewery t-shirt at the moment. Otherwise, if you have a favorite sort of cuisine, post that and maybe I can provide a tip or two. Unless it's Indian. I don't mind it, but my wife hates it, so I'd be pretty much in the dark in that area.
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Originally Posted by SoCalMomma
What do you think of the trolley tours? Are they worthwhile? We will have a car so we can drive to out of the way places, but would rather not drive if we dont have to.
It's been a few years now since I've been on one, but the Old Town Trolley in particular has always done a good job by me. It's a very good way to see a lot in a short period of time without having to drive and park all over the place (the latter being something you would want to avoid if at all possible). Depending on the weather, their evening tours are a very good and not energy-intensive way to wrap up a day. Cap it off with a late-night bite on Connecticut Avenue. Hard to beat that. In the same vein but off the beaten path a bit is DC Ducks. Pile into a WWII amphibious vehicle at Union Station (itself, an interesting place to spend an hour or two) for a narrated tour down the Mall, then plop -- into the Potomac River you go for a leisurely cruise down to Gravely Point which is right at the end of the main runway at National Airport. Get up close and personal with a 737! Haven't done the DC version, but have in other cities and it's a memorably different way to see the sights. Less than two hours and less than $35.
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Originally Posted by SoCalMomma
When we leave DC, we are heading towards Gettysburg PA - anything cool on the way? You seem like you really know the area!
You'll be heading right up the Potomac River on the George Washington Parkway, then jogging the Beltway to pick up I-270 which, once it gets out of town, also runs through some quite lovely countryside. Again, if the weather is nice, that will be a very pleasant drive. You'll have to turn right at Frederick, MD, which is about halfway along. If you feel like a pit stop, follow the signs into the downtown Historic District. A lot of towns have these, but the one in Frederick is particularly good. Many 18th and 19th century buildings and lots of interesting shops and grab-a-bite options. You can be in and out in an hour and it sure beats a TigerMart or a Gas-and-Go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCalMomma
Oh one more thing, do you know how long it would take to get from DC (Embassy Suites West end area) to Baltimore?
Typically, just about an hour on the dot to the Inner Harbor, which is a worthwhile destination. The Aquarium in particular is terrific. You'll have a choice between I-95 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. I would do the latter both ways. It's a tad longer, but a much more interesting drive, and it's difficult to get lost. Particularly southbound on I-95, those not familiar with the I-495 interchange have a marked tendency to end up somewhere in Landover asking for directions. The BW Parkway is a straight shot into the Inner Harbor and also back into downtown DC.
So, I think that covers these questions. Don't hesitate if you have some more...
I remember each time we visited their was one homeless man who would always be standing on the grate between McDonald's and the Caribou Cafe and he had a frizbee in his hand (upside down for change). He never said anything, but smile. I always gave him money. Nice thing about it , I would see him inside the McDonald eating right after I gave him the money.
I can't exactly place him. When I'm on that block, I'm almost always on the NEOB side of the street. Next time, I'll do the west side and see if he's around. A lot of the homeless folks are perfectly fine people. Just no job and no place to live. Wish I could help all of them out, but that would have unfortunate implications for my own situation, so I try to keep it to two regulars and an incidental or two. Then there's always a couple of idiots, and a few who are just plain sick. Those are the ones that the press tends to sensationalize, and it ends up giving a bad name to everybody. Too bad, really.
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Originally Posted by FleeingFloridaForever
I always feel safe around that area.
There are more on-duty police officers per square foot in downtown DC than almost anywhere else in the world. Stuff still does happen, but just plain not very often. You really have more to fear from dumb people than from mean people in that area it seems to me.
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Originally Posted by FleeingFloridaForever
I miss D.C.
Yeah, me too. So I guess I'll go back tomorrow morning...
We will be visiting Washington DC for a couple days. Looking for a safe, well-located (not too far from all the 'stuff') hotel. Is Arlington VA too far? Is it a decent area? Found a hotel that is not too expensive, and it looks decent. Its the Crystal City Marriott. Do you think its in a safe area? How long would it take to get over near the White House?
Arl VA is a great place and safe. Can get to WH by car in 10/12 minutes
Arl VA is a great place and safe. Can get to WH by car in 10/12 minutes
And then do what with it? Pay $20 to whatever all-day lot you can squeeze into, then find yourself SOL when you get back ten minutes late and find that the attendant has locked the place up and gone home for the night? Or you could always scavenge for on-street parking and then schlepp back every two hours to pump ten more quarters into the meter. Face it, when doing the tourist thing in DC, the last thing you want to bring along with you is a car...
Saganista-do you have any thoughts on the Wyndham hotel on Mass and 14th? I'm taking my 8 and 10 year old. Is this safe and convenient to the rail system? We're interested in Smithsonian, monuments, White House, etc. What the heck we're interested in the tourist thing.
I walk around Many areas of DC after dark and feel perfectly safe. Also, the city is especially beautiful at night, and it would be a shame not to see it. Be aware of your surroundings, maybe carry something harder to snatch than a purse, don't walk around alone. There was a crime spree on the Mall a while back, but the perpetrator has been caught. Crystal City is safe, but it is a desert after dark. Rosslyn is right across the bridge from Georgetown, an easy walk. Check out the hotels there.
An "official" D.C. food? I'd pick the crabcake in the upscale restaurants, and the fried fish sandwich elsewhere.
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thanks and a few more questions...
What is the DC Specialty? Anything?
