Washington DC questions

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m going to go to college there next year. I spent 6 weeks there on an internship so I know some important stuff (like how if you want to get from Eastern Market to Pentagon City it’s faster to switch to the yellow line at L’Enfant than take the blue line the whole way) but I still have a few questions:

Which cab services are most reputable. I think Yellow Cab ripped me off the least, but I want more experienced opinions.

Where do all the college kids hang out? At my overnight at AU I went into Georgetown, but I want to know some other hotspots as well.

Good places to eat. I spent most of my time down there eating at the McDonald’s across the street because I didn’t have much money. I’m hoping to get a paying job, so I’d like to splurge once in a while. I hear Adams-Morgan is pretty good. Similarly, where would I take a date?

Is there anywhere better than Union Station to see a movie?’

Thanks, and I might send more questions your way as I think about them.

2

Well, in my day…

  • M St/Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown

  • the area around Dupont Circle and Connecticut Ave

  • the area south of there, the little side streets off and around 19th St have some good reastaurants
    [/nostalgia]

3

College Park, MD.

4

Where are you going to college? Where are you going to be living? Are you going to be an undergrad or a grad student? How much money do you have to spend on things like a restaurant meal or a night out? Much depends on your answers to questions like this.

5

American
On campus
Undergrad
I can splurge on an occasional nice dinner

6

There are lots of good restaurants along Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenue in northwest DC that will be closer to you than Georgetown, Dupont Circle, or Adams Morgan will. (Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, Friendship Heights, and Glover Park are some of the neighborhoods there.) But D.C. is full of good restaurants, so you’ll have plenty to explore during your time in college. Incidentally, are you going to have a car? That would affect how far you can go.

I gather that there are lots of places for college-age people to hang out in the neighborhoods of Dupont Circle and U Street, but really I’m too old to be an expert on this sort of thing.

7

DC is one of my favorite places to visit, especially with Reeder. :slight_smile:

You might try Legal Seafoods. Right across the street from Chinatown’s gate, off (I think) the blue line. It has some very, very nice seafood.

Mostly when we go, Reeder and I just kinda wander around until we see something that suits our fancy.

Alas, neither of us are into the College scene, so I can’t help you there. What I’d recommend is to look for a student group in something you’re interested in. These people will probably have the same tastes as you and can recommend where to hang out.

Don’t be afraid to explore DC. yes, there are some places you probably shouldn’t go - but every city has that too. I don’t know what your major is, but don’t neglect to check out the usual museums and historical places - if we didn’t explore, Reeder and I wouldn’t have known that the boarding house where Lincoln died is now open to the public.

Debij

8

A good source for restaurants is the Washingtonian’s Cheap Eats annual issue, which they’re kind enough to leave online all year round.

Their ‘cheap’ is ‘under $50 for two’, including tax and tip, I believe, so that isn’t exactly cheap by college student standards, but it does give you an idea of where you might take a girl who’s worth splurging on. It’s indexed geographically too, and not just MD/DC/VA, but by neighborhood within each area. My wife and I have tried a number of restaurants on their list, and we’ve almost invariably been pleased.

The DC CityPaper, which carries Cecil’s column :), has good info on music, movies, and other events. The Smithsonian’s always free and just a subway ride away, and on a student’s schedule, you can go there when it’s uncrowded.

9

(I’m remembering this from a few years ago when I lived near DC)

I highly recommend Marrakesh if you like North African food.

Dinner is served family style with specific seating times. Most eating is done with the hands. On Friday and Saturday nights they have a belly dancer.

but, oddly enough, THEY DON’T ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS!

10

Big Kahuna, you are going to my alma mater! But now I’m feeling like an old lady since I graduated from American TEN YEARS ago just next month. Gulp!

I’m not going to delve into the bar scene too much since what were the cool places to go when I was an undergrad at AU probably don’t even exist anymore. Plus, you’ll find your own hip, happening places to hang out once you’ve spent one too many nights sitting in the lounge on your floor. Personally, I was never one for the G’Town scene since it was filled with frat boys and jar heads. My best times were had right in Tenleytown at a bunch of places that no longer exist.

Sooo, as far as eating goes…in Tenleytown, there is a TexMex place called Guapo’s which gets packed on Friday happy hours since they have an outdoor deck. Good margaritas and generally decent and cheap food.

Across from the National Cathedral, there are some restaurants - another TexMex place called Cactus Cantina or just The Cactus. Also a place called Cafe Delux and a Starbucks along with Giant Food (grocery store).

As you head down from the Cathedral and towards G’Town, on Wisconsin Ave, there is Glover Park. Near the corner of Wisconsin and Calvert, there are restaurants like Busara (Thai - with a great outdoor garden patio in the back that is open in the summer), Faccia Luna (pizza) and Austin Grill (tex mex).

If you head up Wisconsin Ave from the Tenleytown area, you’ll hit Friendship Heights. This is more shopping with two malls, department stores, a Pottery Barn…but there are some chains like the Cheesecake Factory.

Hands down, the fun place to explore is Adams Morgan. Tons of great ethnic restaurants and some bars, too. Check out Perry’s and their rooftop bar area, Madam’s Organ, and grab some ethiopian food at Meskerem (I also like Fasika’s).

Another area is on Connecticut Ave where the Uptown movie theater is. Great theater! It’s near the corner of Connecticut and Porter. There is also Ireland’s Four Provinces (nicknamed The Four Ps) just a couple of doors down from the Uptown.

Ah, another bar that I like is the Zoo Bar - it is directly across the street from the National Zoo. Pitchers of beer and live music on the weekends. When I’m feeling itchy to leave the suburbs and go out, I still hit the Zoo Bar and hang out outside with a pitcher of beer, my husband and a few friends to shoot the shit.

Oh and as far as the cabs ripping you off, DC is bizarre in that it has zones instead of metered cabs. So, learn the zones. I think we used to take the shuttle from campus over the Tenleytown and then grab a cab because it saved us going through a zone and saved us some bucks on the cab fare.

So, what dorm are you living in?

11

**Which cab services are most reputable. I think Yellow Cab ripped me off the least, but I want more experienced opinions. **

They’re all pretty much the same, in my opinion. I grew up in DC, and the few times I needed a cab I used Yellow or Diamond.

**Where do all the college kids hang out? At my overnight at AU I went into Georgetown, but I want to know some other hotspots as well. **

Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle are your best bets. Hot spots in DC include the clubs Black Cat and 9:30 Club, which aren’t too far away from Dupont and are where the best bands play now. Georgetown is best avoided on weekend nights.

**Good places to eat. I spent most of my time down there eating at the McDonald’s across the street because I didn’t have much money. I’m hoping to get a paying job, so I’d like to splurge once in a while. I hear Adams-Morgan is pretty good. Similarly, where would I take a date? **

Others have already made good suggestions: I’ll add the Belmont Kitchen (A.Morgan), Red Sea (A.M., though I’ve heard it’s not what it used to be), Bistro du Coin, on Connecticut avenue near Dupont Circle (occupies the space where the late, lamented DC scene restaurant Food For Thought used to be).

The best kept secret for food isn’t in DC–it’s Bethesda, Maryland, where really good restaurants seem to be springing up weekly, from what I remember. There are (among others) very good Indian (check out Haandi), Thai, Mexican, Tex-Mex/BBQ, and Italian places there. If you like good food it’s worth the relatively short trip on the Red Line.

Other places to go include Eastern Market, Foxhall Road (drive down it to see where some of DC’s wealthiest live–it’s worth a detour), and Rock Creek Park for getting away. **Hain’s Point **is also kind of cool and peaceful.

**Is there anywhere better than Union Station to see a movie?’ **

I always liked the Uptown Theater on Connecticut Avenue near Cleveland Park–a real old-fashioned movie theater, highly worth going to.

I also second RTFirefly’s rec for the City Paper. You can get your weekly Cecil fix and free city info at the same time.

Hope this helps.

12

It has been my experience that Red Top is the only cab service that will actually come when you call them. You can trust most of them to get you where you want to go as fast as possible, because they go by zones and not by meters. Occasionally you’ll find a dude who tries to dip into another zone so he can fleece you for an extra two bucks. Once they get meters, though, it’s open season on tourists and newcomers.

My rule of thumb for good eats is this: if they don’t have a bar, I don’t want to eat there. I swear it works, but then again, I’m a drunk and an indifferent eater.

There are some decent theaters at Pentagon City (off the Blue line). You can nail some other pretty decent theaters by shooting out the Orange line to either Courthouse (AMC–only a couple of good viewing rooms) or Ballston (Regal–all pretty nice). Here’s the problem, though. On weekdays, the last train going back into DC passes through Ballston at about 11:30, and past Courthouse at about 11:35 or 11:40, despite what the signs tell you. The last train is always, always early. What this means is that you can find yourself out in the middle of nowhere if you try to catch a 9pm showing.

In DC, there is a bar-and cinema between Dupont and Adams Morgan on… is it Florida Ave? I can’t remember, but it’s a fun place to go. The Cineplex Odeon just up the street from Dupont has the best films, but it is unquestionably the worst theater I’ve ever been in. There’s a damned pillar right in the middle of the audience for crying out loud! Still, it’s worth it for those indie flicks the proles are going to be raving about when it goes to video a year from now.

13

Hmmm, it doesn’t appear to be a secret anymore. The place is a madhouse on any given weekend. TWO HOUR wait for a table at Jaleo’s a few Saturdays ago. I could’ve sworn they were giving away free food what with the throng of people just waiting outside the restaurant.

I’m old so if I have to wait for a table, I get cranky. :slight_smile:

14

**Which cab services are most reputable. I think Yellow Cab ripped me off the least, but I want more experienced opinions. **

They’re all equal opportunity ripper-offers, assuming you’re not familiar with aforementioned zone system. LEARN THE ZONE SYSTEM- it will save you $$$ in the long run. It is a fixed price for a ride depending on the least # of zones it takes you to get from point A to point B. So if zone A is next to zone B and the driver takes you some route that goes through every single zone, he can only charge you for 2 zones as that’s the law. If a driver says you’re wrong, politely ask for his Driver License # and main office phone # and contact them.

**Where do all the college kids hang out? At my overnight at AU I went into Georgetown, but I want to know some other hotspots as well. **

Georgetown’s the biggest one, otherwise the DC college scene is kinda spread out. The AU campus doesn’t have much of a nightlife scene since Quigley’s and Maggies closed.

**Good places to eat. I spent most of my time down there eating at the McDonald’s across the street because I didn’t have much money. I’m hoping to get a paying job, so I’d like to splurge once in a while. I hear Adams-Morgan is pretty good. Similarly, where would I take a date? **

Marrakesh is a good date restaurant (reservations required tho) as its very exotic but moderately priced (bellydancing included). With the exception of Armands, AVOID DC PIZZA- there’s a few exceptions, but that’s the rule.

**Is there anywhere better than Union Station to see a movie?’ **

God yes. For one there’s the Uptown, on Connecticut Ave. If you get in line right now, you may be able to catch the new Star Wars movie when it opens.:slight_smile:

15

Quigley’s and Maggie’s…

sigh

I will second you on avoiding DC pizza but I would go so far as to say to avoid Armand’s too. Raw dough with some ketchup slapped on it. :slight_smile:

16

Make sure you get over to Southeast some. The Anacostia River is a sight to behold.

If you DO get over to Southeast and manage to make it out alive, you’ll realize that I’m being facetious.

It has been a long while since I worked in DC or visited with any regularity (except for trips to the aforementioned 9:30 Club - which isn’t at 930 anymore).

17

Hoping for Anderson Honors Floor (I haven’t gotten my room assignment yet) because I think I’d like Southside better.

As for the cabs, I already knew about the zone system, but is there any map of DC with the cab zone lines transposed on the regular street map? Apparently they think it’s easiest to learn when the city is shown rotated 45 degrees.

Also, I’ve actually been to Guapo’s before, great Mexican food and I typically don’t like Mexican that much.

18

Southside housing is the only way to go. Other dorms are deathly quiet and sort of like the library. Anderson-Letts is always fun, yet people can be made to shut up so’s you can sleep.

Quigley’s is now Chef Geoff’s, a sort-of-upscale restaraunt. Le sigh.

Armand’s is not bad pizza, but it’s next-to-impossible to get good pizza in DC.

Guapo’s is one step above Taco Bell, but it’s right there. Tenley Liquor, which is right next door, will only card you if you look like you’re twelve.

Diamond Cab has AU sewn up for normal cab service.
Go to Adams-Morgan as often as you can; and if you can get access to a car, go to Meridian Hill Park (called Malcolm X) off of 16th during the day or at sunset.

Metro is your friend. If Metro and the Metrobus don’t go where you want, then you probably shouldn’t go there. Plus which, Metro is open until two-three o’clock in the morning on the weekends.

19

I lived in Letts Terrace (which is actually the basement) my freshman year, then the very top of Letts my sophomore year. Then I moved off campus.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the zones transfered to a real map. Although, that is a great idea. You’re a bit at the cabbies mercy and if you are primarily a metro rider (like I was in college), when you are above ground getting from point A to point B, it’s sometimes difficult to know that the cabbie is screwing you over on the fare by taking every circle in DC.

20

That’s not facetious–that’s cruel! Seriously, I live in New York now, and not one area I’ve been to–not Bushwick, not East New York or BedStuy–feels anywhere near as sketchy to me as Anacostia or Shaw.

Regarding Armands, I used to have a summer job near the takeout Armands, and I loved it. Not sure how I’d like it now after living in the City of Pizza[sup]TM[/sup].

Too bad about Bethesda; I figured the overcrowding had to happen sooner or later. But I’m sure the food is still good.

The Tenley Mini Mart happily accomodated all of my brewed refreshment needs during my younger years. It’s next to the firehouse, right across from the 7-11 on Wisconsin.

There’s also a halfway decent deli called Toojay’s, up Wisconsin avenue towards Friendship Heights. Next door is a pretty good pool hall.

And if you like seafood, namely crab, the Dancing Crab is right there, too.

Out on Rockville Pike, there’s a great vegetarian Chinese restaurant called the Vegetable Garden.

Will post other ideas as they come to me.