Virginia is not DC
 

My Friday rant a few days early...

Yes, it's "right across the water" and there are some very nice areas. Still, it's a different destination and only serves to mislead people looking for information on DC. I just read a post where someone was looking for an area to walk around DC and they got a response of Old Town Alexandria, VA.

Along the same lines ("but it's just across the water!...):

Oakland is not San Francisco
New Jersey in not NYC
Buffalo is not Niagara Falls
etc.

Old Town Alexandria isn't even outside the Beltway. It's definitely a "neighborhood" to explore when visting Washington, DC.

Arlington Cemetary, Mt. Vernon, the two airports IAD and DCA, are all in Virginia. I don't understand your rant.

Actually, I think you misread that post.

The person said, "I'll be in the DC/VA area" and was looking for a place to "wander around."

When someone mentions "VA" or "DC/VA," I think it's reasonable to reply with info about Old Town.

The Cincinnati Airport is in Kentucky. So what? If one place is a stones throw from another and someone asks about visiting the area, I don't see the harm in letting them know all the options. I'm guessing this is more of a personal pet peeve (which is fine, we all have them!).

I completely agree with you Bardo. Maryland is not DC either and both Va and Md take time away from visiting all the sights in DC.

Most people do not understand the time involved in getting into DC and then to start visiting all our museums sand monuments. It adds 45 to 75 minutes each way onto a tourists commute.

When in san Francisco I want to be near Fishermans Wharf. In New York put me near the Marriott Marquis. I'm heading to Yellowstone and I'm not going to stay outside the park and come in and out each day.

But in the meantime keep giving everyone the good advice you've been known to give and you'll have more and more visitors staying within the city where there's a lot more to see and do.

In my opinion, this seems to be an odd thing to have an issue with however I totally understand.

It drives me nuts when someone suggests staying in New Jersey for the New York City trip.

I live in Arlington, VA., but when someone asks where I live, I say DC. Why? Unlike the NJ/NY example, the DC area is small enough that commuting from a Rosslyn or Crystal City hotel, for instance, into the Mall is quicker than commuting from many parts of DC proper. I live closer to the museums on the mall than my friends who live in DuPont Circle, and I live in another state.

Old Town, admittedly, is further away and I do question the logic of staying in Old Town. But to visit Old Town while being a tourist in DC is like visiting the Cloisters in NYC while staying in Midtown or visiting the Met while staying in the Village.

True, VA is not DC but when first time tourists visit the area, they are generally going to see the historical monuments/sites. Old Town Alexandria is steeped with history. And, unlike some of the comparisons bardo1 made, it is incredibly easy to get to Old Town from the city.

For what it's worth...
Arlington and Alexandria used to be part of the District of Columbia. The land was returned to VA in the late 1800's.

There are several 'DC' attractions that are actually in VA, including the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Mt. Vernon Estate, and yes, Old Town Alexandria. And don't forget both the Pentagon and Reagan National Airport are in Virginia.

As a local, I would usually tell visitors that staying in DC is the best bet. But not everyone can afford a decent room in Dupont Circle. If they can find one, great. But there's a lot of hotel space in VA that is up for grabs.

And comparing the distance from SF to Oakland with DC to Arlington is deceptive at best. A better comparison would be Boston to Cambridge.

I don't want to "start" anything...But..
If you read the first line of my reply... "I don't know about D.C. proper..." I was only trying to be helpful.
I am not an idiot (although my family might disagree) I know Virginia is not D.C.
As my dear departed mother used to say.."If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all".

I grew up in Alexandria. Whenever someone asked me where I was from, I would say DC, and then I would elaborate.

I was in Myrtle Beach finishing up a round of golf and as I was putting my clubs into the car, noticed the guy next to me had NJ plates. I engaged him asking where in NJ he was from. He said Trenton.

I replied: "Oh, I have a sister who lives in Yardley."

He replied: "Yardley's not in New Jersey."

I thought to myself, No Sh!t Sherlock. It's right across the Deleware River -- you could spit on it from Trenton.

I would always recommend someone going to DC to stay in Old Town ((b))

So that's the reason Budman loves crab cakes!!!! Who would have known??

In years past DC, Md, and Va were all considered one area where everyone just hopped around from one state to another. That is not the case any more. I'm not even certain if the Dixie Pig is still in business down off Rt 1 (where most of us went for breakfast after partying on a Friday or Saturday night). Unfortunately now there's 6 to 8 million people in this area and we can't head out to Md, Va or DC as easily as we used to.

True Yardley's not in NJ and Annapolis is NOT in DC and it's not really a good place for people who woulde like to visit DC to stay.

Alexandria is truly a great colonial city as is Annapolis but neither is that 30 minute closer spot as is Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, or L'Enfant Plaza.

I lived in Alexandria, VA way back in the mid 1980s for 8 months. It is a D.C. suburb and very close to NW D.C. (20 min subway trip). Anyone who states it is not is being super anal about specifics.

poochie,

Like all of us - of course you were just trying to help. Appreciate the effort.

stephanie,

NO ONE disagrees that Northern VA is a D.C. suburb and very close to NW D.C.. Even with the proximity, however, it has a COMPLETELY different vibe. This is why when someone posts: "Looking for a hotel in DC", then the most helpful thing would be to answer their specific question. Now if thay were to ask: "Looking for hotel in DC AREA", that would be a whole different thing.

LN & GoTravel,
I'm glad I'm not alone here.

Yeah and Cambridge isn't Boston and so what? If you're traveling more than 25 miles to explore a city, it's reasonable to assume that surrounding communities associated in a metropolitan area are possibilities to visit. Posts like this are just churlish and somewhat insulting to Fodorite intelligence.

And another for-what-it's-worth: I lived in Alexandria and enjoyed its distinctive personality, but if you ask people in Danville VA, Alexandria's a lot more like DC than it is like the rest of Va.

Bardo - I have empathy for your plight. I live near Schenectady NY, yet people only hear NY. "I guess you're riding a bicycle cause being from New York you don't have a car, huh?", "Doesn't riding the subway everywhere get boring?", "Do things cost as much as I here in New York?". People are amazed to hear the I have some dirt roads within 15 minutes of home. I feel your pain! Oh- and no rant for you this Friday! You used it up.

All of you must have been getting a vibe I don't get. Alexandria, no matter what part, was alot like the whole D.C. area. I'd agree with you if you mentioned Mt. Vernon and the VA countryside but Alex isn't that way.