Washington D.C. - Advice Needed

Old May 19th, 1999, 01:01 PM
  #1  
Colleen
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Washington D.C. - Advice Needed

My husband and I will be in D.C. the first week of Jan. 2000. We're considering the Doubletree on New Hampshire. Good choice? Bad choice? Are we in any crime danger? (keep in mind, we're from Miami!) We want a hotel that is near the tourism attractions and metro. Thanks! p.s. Warm coat donations accepted. 8)
 
Old May 20th, 1999, 02:55 AM
  #2  
shelley
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Hi Colleen,

You don't say what part of New Hampshire Avenue but my guess is it's near to Dupont Circle. Where there is a Metro stop and it's pretty central. It is actually a very nice area, although bear in mind that Dupont Circle itself is actually a gay area. Which never caused me any problems because it's safe and it's central.

If you want some advice on anywhere else to stay, my parents once came over to visit me when I lived there and they stayed in Virginia, not far from National Airport. Where there are lots of your usual names - the days inn, the holiday inn etc. It is literally a few stops from the centre of D.C and it's also near to Arlington Cemetry and Alexandria which is beautiful.

I actually lived in D.C for 3 years and loved it, I'm sure you'll love it too. Remember, all the museums are free. January may be quite busy, just after the Millenium, so get to the Museums before 8.30am because the queues will be long. Don't miss the holocaust museum, which you can book in advance, and should, so you can have access to all the rooms. Be prepared to be pretty saddened by it though. Also, to look out for, the Jefferson Memorial - early evening, which looks beautiful, especially in the fall.

South East Washington is to be avoided, although there are some tourist attractions on the outskirts which are okay to visit!!

Have a great trip and if there's anything else I can do for you, please contact me.

Wrap up Warm, the wind chill is pretty damned cold.

Shelley

p.s My parents will be in Miami at the beginning of July, any suggestions?
 
Old May 20th, 1999, 06:22 AM
  #3  
ilisa
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I am familiar with the Doubletree on New Hampshire. It is a good hotel and the area is pretty safe. You are central to both the Farragut North and the Dupont Circle metros (red line). Major attractions are not far away (only a few blocks from the White House). Contrary to the previous poster's remarks, all museums in DC are not free. All Smithsonian museums, however, are. In January, it will not be necessary to get to the museums before 8:30am (the Smithsonian opens at 10:00am). And I certainly wouldn't recommend waiting outside for an hour and a half in January. I've been living in the area for almsot 12 years, and I am a docent at the National Air and Space Museum, so if you want any further information on that place, as well as other attractions in DC, please feel free to email me. Have fun!
 
Old May 20th, 1999, 08:46 AM
  #4  
Neal Sanders
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Colleen, the Doubletree on New Hampshire gets you one of your two wishes... it is near Metro but not near any tourist attractions. As Ilisa says, it is a few blocks from Farragut North and even closer to the Foggy Bottom / GWU stop on the Blue line.

The area is definitely safe, it is adjacent to the George Washington University campus; the State Department is just down the street; and Kennedy Center is on the other side of the Whitehurst Freeway. Unfortunately, those are probably not high on your list of things to do while in Washington.

You're about a mile from the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, and Georgetown is walking distance. (You want a Miami analogy? You've gone to Miami because you want to see downtown and Coconut Grove. The hotel you've chosen is the Marriott up by the Herald building).

Distances are important in Washington because driving is not an option for tourists. On-street parking is nearly non-existent and garage parking is stratospherically expensive as well as inconvenient. So, you and your husband are going to be walking a lot and riding Metro (which is a model of how a subway should run). If, as tourists, you're used to leaving your hotel in the morning and not returning until you're done for the day, then the Doubletree is a good choice. If, on the other hand, you're the type who like to repair back to your room several times a day to drop off packages, freshen up, and make calls, then you may want something more central.

"More central," alas, is also usually more expensive. Loew's L'Enfant Plaza may well be the mst convenient hotel in Washington if you want to see the museums on the Mall, but it ain't cheap. The Hay-Adams can give you a room that is eye-to-eye with the White House portico, but all that old world charm comes at a stiff price.

Investigate the JW Marriott on 14th St. at Pennsylvania. It is very central; walking distance to everything, and is geared to conventions and conferences. January is not convention season in Washington, so they may well be offering very nice rooms at very attractive rates.

As to the weather, January may surprise you with daytime temperatures in the 50s. Enjoy.
 
Old May 20th, 1999, 09:51 AM
  #5  
Diane
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
OK, got to get my local 2cents in too. I've lived in DC or nearby MD for over 25 years. You can't even guess what the weather in January will be. 50s is probably a fair possibility, but don't be surprised if an "annual" snowstorm hits and it drops to 12, or if the temp soars up to 70. The Doubletree is well located, (and don't they give you those super cookies at bedtime?).
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -