insider's guide to DC?

[hmai18]

I'm heading to Washington at the end of the week (will be there Saturday to next Thursday) to visit a friend of mine who'll be there for a conference. Am looking for recommendations for things to do that may not necessarily be on Trip Advisor or the usual travel sites.

I know I'll be doing the round of the museums and monuments but am looking for the inside scoop on the little secrets that only locals would know. My interests are bikes and photography, obviously, and most things design-related. Also looking for cool bars for whiskey or scotch sippin.'

I'll be in Foggy Bottom and will not have access to a vehicle.

[robin3mj]

The FDRmemorial is a little off the beaten path and a nice place to take photos, also affords a nice view across the tidal basin. Though I'm not sure how much the newish MLK memorial has drawn crowds to the immediate area.
There's a WW1 memorial hidden amongst the trees between the WW2 and Lincoln, on the south side which is always a surprise to stumble upon.

Since its been 4(!) years since I moved away from the area I will defer to the current locals on eats and drinks.

[Too Tall]

Get a six of great beers and walk the C&O canal hike bike paved trail for about a mile past the boat houses and look left to the river. There are benches in the woods. I leave the rest to you .

Also, there are zip cars all over the joint which makes for easy escapes to mt. vernon, great falls park.

Best outdoor art? Hershorn. Best indoor art maybe the Phillips Collection (buy tix online) amazing moderns.

Eff the bars, BYO and go sit on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial alte night and watch bats. Be discreet.

[Saab2000]

If you're a baseball fan there are much worse things than catching a Nationals game. They have a nice park and it's accessible using public transit.

I've been to a couple games and liked it more than I expected I would. It's a nice park and they offer a good experience at the park.

[Matthew Strongin]

Eff the bars, BYO and go sit on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial alte night and watch bats. Be discreet.

This. Monuments late at night are the best way to enjoy them.

[Too Tall]

Nats games are a blast agreed.

Something completely different? >>> Washington DC Duck Tour - Washington DC | Viator

[BShow]

Nats games are a blast agreed.

Something completely different? >>> Washington DC Duck Tour - Washington DC | Viator

Man those things sound like a great idea, but it seems like every other week I hear of one sinking/crashing/having a freak accident here in Philly. I'd still get on one if the wife would let me.

If you're into captive animals, the national zoo is quite good. Last time I was down with the family, we stayed in the Alexandria historic district. Get off the beaten path and there is a lot of interesting architecture. Georgetown isnt a bad place to walk around either. No shortage of places to eat or drink there. I'm not a local, so I can't give any specifics though.

[tamaso]

C&O Canal and the Nat'l Arboretum are two amazing 'nature in/near the city' experiences, as is Rock Creek park (Beach Dr. is largely closed to cars on the weekend). Both are best accessed / enjoyed by bike, if you can get one. Looks like a fair amount of rain during your stay though...

Foggy Bottom is not the most interesting neighborhood, IMO, but metro/bus/bikeshare makes the city easy to get around. La Colombe is good coffee, A&D nearby is a fun bar. In addition to Georgetown, there are a lot of little sleepy streets and neighborhoods around the 14th St NW corridor / Logan Circle area that have architecture that is pretty unique if you have not spent much time in the mid-atlantic / south.

[davids]

A DC friend took us to the National Portrait Gallery a few years back. For some reason no one goes there. It was great.

But this one knocks me out every time:



You're getting lots of great advice so that's all I'll add.

[Jonathan]

Pizza Paradiso is good, really good. That's where I took Ronnie above. If it's incredible pizza you seek, Two Amys is better. At Amy's skip the beer and ask for the fizzy red wine. DavidS knows Amys.

[Too Tall]

2amys is real good.
Food truck scene in DC around Farragut Square. Boom.

[ron l edmiston]

-- when tammy, ashley & ronnie made our last visit.., echoing josh --- a couple of the best steamed hot dogs with kraut, bottled water & a frozen malt, right center plate for the noon meal.. ahhh thumbs-up for "ptomaine truck/s.."
then ---
just keep on truck'n.., the best family bargain go'n..

love'n our DC with a smile..,

ronnie

[rwsaunders]

Plenty of great suggestions. If you can make it out to Dulles, the National Air and Space Museum is worthy of your time.

https://airandspace.si.edu

[jmgorman]

Hirshhorn and Portrait Gallery/American Art museum are some of the best the Smithsonian has doing right now. Freer does have a really interesting reinstallation of their peacock room going right now, too, so worth stopping in (plus they're going to be closed for ages beginning this fall). All the suggestions so far have been great. If you like Indian food, the Rasika in the West End (near foggy bottom) is very nearly as good as it's older sister downtown - both are some of the best you'll find in the US. If you're tooling around Georgetown, the Dumbarton house and gardens are great as is a stroll through the Oak Hill cemetery in back. If you're hungry down near the tidal basin, go to the fish market just on the other side of the highway - I'm told that's as close to old Washington as you can find any more. Sunday brunch at the Howard theatre is great, too.

If you can ride a 53, I have a sscx you can use for the duration.

[ZenNMotion]

Mmm. Farragut Square food trucks. The Ethiopian sisters in the orange truck are the best.

[ZenNMotion]

Mmm. Farragut Square food trucks. The Ethiopian sisters in the orange truck are the best.

Damn I ran out of time to edit this.

Food near the Mall museums is a challenge- the museum cafeterias are too expensive and the food sucks. However, walk a few blocks to Farragut square between the Farragut West and Farragut North metros- Like TooTall said, food trucks. Good food cheap.

Also, visitors can eat at the Congressional cafeteria located in the Longworth Building near the Capitol Building. There's lots of variety to choose- sandwiches or hot meal, it's inexpensive. Definitely not easy to find, visitors are allowed but not encouraged to eat there. You need ID to get into the building and possibly a thorough bag search. This is where lobbyists and congressional staff grab a bite to eat when they're not busy doing nothing or hatching nefarious plans to do nothing.

Near the opposite (West) end of the Mall, visitors can also eat at the US Dept of Agriculture cafeteria housed in the huge USDA building around 1400 Independence Ave. You need ID to enter and the hours are limited to mid-day starting from 11am- 2 (maybe 3?) pm. Lots of choices, fairly cheap. You'll need to ask one of the many guards around the many entrances how to get to the cafeteria, it's not marked.

[deano]

Not local, but avid visitor. Have braved the line, or made a reservation well in advance to eat lunch at 3PM at Founding Farmer's just a few blocks down Penn. from where you'll be. Wow. Well worth it.

We have also come back to Eastern Market for a gigantor breakfast at Ted's Bulletin. Get one of their homemade poptarts to take to the monument with your six pack. You can eat it for breakfast when you wake up.

Also (and take with salt as I'm into Baroque and Renaissance stuff): the National Gallery has to be one of the best/world-classiest art museums I've been in. For me it takes the cake over the Getty, the Art Institute of Chicago, etc. I haven't yet been to the Louvre, but the only one I've liked better than the NG is Uffizi in Florence.