I have searched all sites for Washington Dc. First time there to see smithsonian, all memorials and also enjoy some good food. I thought this would be a good place close to metro and be able to enjoy walking to good restaurants. What do you think??

Janet,
DuPont is a great area, the Residence Inn is right in the middle of things, near great eats (don't miss Mimi's, the waiters and waitresses sing to you!), close to the sights, close to Metro. DuPont is a popular gay area, so make sure you're not uncomfortable with public displays of affection in that manner. Have a great trip.

My opinion may be biased as I do work for Marriott (and I'm writing this from the Residence Inn in Dallas). For the price, you can't beat it. The RI Dupont is a newer version of the brand as they are opening on city-centers (usually in suburban/office park areas), so it looks more like full-service hotels). RI's have full kitchens even in the studio rooms, with full size fridge, microwave, dishwasher, etc. Also have happy hours almost every night with food, drink etc for free.

All this can be nice if you'll be in town for more than a couple of days. You can save money on snacks, sodas, or lunch by having the kitchen (and save you money for the great dinners). You'll find that eating in the immediate area around the Smithsonian museums is limited and not always great.They do have a Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock nearby but not always my first choice. I would visit washingtonian.com for eating, museum, etc. advice. Have a great time

Janet, DuPont Circle is the heart of DC's thriving gay community. You'll find a great atmosphere and nightlife.

We visited DC just a few weekends ago and we stayed at the Residence Inn-Dupont Circle. It was definitely a great choice. I think Residence Inns have to be one of the best values for brand name hotels in the US. Sure, you can't get room service or shoes shine, but the rooms are MASSIVE (you have your own kitchen).

Anyway, Dupont Circle is a great area as well. True, it has a high concentration of gay people, but it is also a very mixed, comfortable crowd. So, if you're not gay, don't worry at all. There are tons of straight people and the atmospher is very casual.

Cosi is great for coffee/pastries and sandwiches. There are a lot of restaurants along Connecticut Ave, both above and below the circle. There is one right next to the Cosi, kind of a french/provencal casual breakfast/lunch buffet type of place called Cafe Midi. Lots of pastries, sandwiches, pasta salads, bread, etc. They have a very nice upstairs seating area with big windows out onto Connecticut Ave.

If you want to eat outdoors, there are a lot of restaurants with sidewalk patios along 17th street, around P, R or Q Sts. There are also a lot of nice, casual and fairly cheap restaurants in Woodley Park (just take the red line Metro one stop north, the cluster is on Connecticut Ave right outside the Metro exit). I would recommend Lebanese Taverna or Afghan Grill.

The Metro stop is no more than a 3 minute walk from the Residence Inn. Check out the website for Metro info:
http://www.wmata.com/

Here's a wesbite with some of the restaurants around the circle listed: http://www.letsgo.com/DC/06-food-366

Here's a page with some Dupont Circle info (mostly pictures, actually): http://www.kestan.com/travel/dc/dup_cir/

This also might be useful: http://earthops.org/dupont.html

Take a look at the National Building Museum, my favorite in DC. Just the building itself is worth a look. It's free like the rest of the Smithsonian. Just take the red line to Judiciary Square, it's right across from the exit (the BIG red building).

Enjoy DC

We stayed at Washington Suites Georgetown - similar set-up to Residence Inns we have stayed at but less money. Despite the name, it is 3 blocks from Foggy Bottom Metro stop and close enough to edge of Georgetown to walk and find places to eat there.

When booking a hotel, we found best rates at washingtondchotels.com for a large selection of hotels.

is the RI Dupount circle within walking distance of any synagogues?

The Residence Inn would be a long walk to an orthodox synagogue in Georgetown, Kesher Israel (where Sen. Joe and Hadassah Lieberman attend). If you are not observant and are willing to take mass transit, there is a large Conservative synagogue in Cleveland Park near the Metro (Adas Israel). There are also a number of Reform synagogues, but all would require a taxi or a bus ride.

If you like seafood, make sure you eat at Johnny's Half Shell in DuPont

And if you like Chinese - the best is at City Lights of China!!!