Travel to Washington, DC?

Question

I am traveling to DC at the end of July with my husband. We are both in our early 30's. We wish to see the typical tourist attractions of DC during the day, but also desire to have something fun to do at night besides sit in the hotel (bars, restaurants, etc., not night clubs). I am wondering the best area of DC to stay to fulfill these requests? I do not mind taking cheap transportation during the day (metro?) but would prefer to be close by things to do at night so we can safely walk to and from these activities. Downtown? Capital area? Georgetown/Foggy Bottom? Dupont Circle? Please advise-I can find deals in all these areas but don't know which one to choose. Thanks!

Answer 1

I lived in DC for about 50 years until a few years ago. While I have a long history with the city, things do change. But from what I remember the place that you want to stay in or near is Georgetown. You can do that by staying in DC or on the Virginia side of the river maybe one or two metro stops away. Georgetown will likely have the bars and restaurants you are looking for. My next recommendation would be downtown, like maybe the Marriott at 14th St and Penn Ave. You could walk to restaurants and the museums from there. The Capitol area has some bars and restaurants but its mainly a day time area. As I recall Dupont Circle is where the gay community hangs out.

Answer 2

There s lots to do in DC in the evenings, and I need to suggest that you should not be afraid of metro at night - it is very well patrolled and is extremely safe. I used to travel late at night all by myself frequently (taking classes in the city) and neither I nor my husband had any worries. We never go into the city with a car, including when we go in for something in the evening.

Downtown there is a lot of theatre. Check out the Shakespeare theatere on 7th street (at F) and Wooly Mammoth Theatre on 6th street just west of 7th to start. Shax has something going up to the end of July - Hamlet, but not sure exactly when you will be here. It closes in the last week of the month. Also in this area (Penn Quarter, Chinatown) has some great restaurants and bars. Check out Zaytinya, mezze and bar, Zola, in the spy museum, Jaleo (Tapas) and all the restaurants in chinatown. RFD (Regional Food and Drink) on 7th Street north of H street is a good place if you like beer - they have hundreds from all around t he world!

Adams Morgan is another area, and the Dupont Circle area that is good. DuPont is near a number of hotels - and has a number of bars, restaurants and clubs. Adams Morgan, particularly 18th Street and Columbia Road, has many great nightspots - restaurants, bars with live music and the like. Problem is, not a lot of nearby hotels, and a long walk uphill from DuPont Circle (I'd take Metro to Woodley Park, then go over the Duke Ellington Bridge,, and follow Columbia until it crosses 18th Street. Find a place to stop, maybe Madam's Organ for the evening, then head down 18th Street to T or S, and take it to the DuPont Circle area (where you might stop in open-all-night Kramerbooks and Afterwards.) Heaven and Hell club is on 18th street, too, though it is well known I've not been there.

If you are into Jazz, you can't beat the U-Street area - this was Black Broadway in the early part of the 20th century, and is where Duke Ellington grew up. The Lincoln Theatre here has nightlife, but so do places like Bohemian Caverns if you like jazz music with your drink. But no nearby hotels. Ben's chili bowl is a Washington fixture late at night. The U-Street/Cardozo/African American Civil War Memorial stop is across the street. You can take the walking tour (which has interpretive signs on the street) then stay for dinner and a nightcap!

Other options include Old Town Alexandria (Tiffany Tavern if you like bluegrass, and others) and Georgetown. But your hotel is far from the sights if you stay either of these places.

One note - it is no longer possible to get tickets to the white house on the same day. They need to be requested ahead of time from your Representative or Senator. The White house does it for groups of 10 or more, but some reps and sens form the groups themselves, so you don't have to.

Answer 3

Georgetown+Adams Morgan! Especially for young couples...
Staying in a hotel in downtown DC can get quite dim at night, the city shuts down after a certain hour except for key hotel lobbies and bars..
Blues Alley is one of the classiest places on earth as far as I'm concerned, very down to earth place with great live music almost every day of the week and great food, right in the heart of Georgetown...
Dumbarton Oaks is an opulent outdoor garden in Georgetown purchased in the 20's and turned into one of the most beautiful and serene areas in town, with an amphitheatre for outdoor evening performances..
http://www.doaks.org/Gardens.html
There is plentiful transpo via bus or train direct to and fro downtown DC. ...

If you get a chance, you should check out Old Town, a quaint historic area in Alexandria, Virginia there are metros also running to King Street from DC.. it's one of the most romantic areas minus the hustle and bustle of DC or Georgetown -- cobblestone streets, sophisticated seafood and a beautiful walk along the Potomac river at night makes for a brilliant night. .. old town restaurants i recommend are Eve [really hard to get reservation but the best food in town], warehouse bar and grill -INCREDIBLE seafood, and the charthouse is great for the spectacular views over the harbor..
while in DC, my favorite places are the Natural History Museum, the Botanical gardens, and the air and space museum... [and its FREE..unlike New York].. everything else there is self explanatory!

Answer 4

Almost any downtown hotel will be good. Georgetown is nice and there is a Metro stop there. You could also stay across the Potomac in Rosslyn, there are hotels there and a Metro stop as well. For entertainment, go to the mall and take a bus tour. Visit the Smithsonian museums, the Air & Space one is on the mall. The National Zoo is worth a visit to see the Giant Pandas. If you want to tour the White House, get to the ticket kiosk VERY EARLY! For night time, the areas I hear the most about are Georgetown and Adams Morgan.

Answer 5

I am a college student in DC. Go to Georgetown at night, it is fun, lots of bars and restaurants etc..
Also make sure you check out the monuments at night they are amazing.