Washington DC questions
 

Hi, all,

Am going to Washington DC for a three day weekend, and have a few questions:

1) We're flying into and out of Dulles (IAD). What is the best way for 4 people to get into Washington? (As one option, how far is the shuttle ride to the Metro station? And, what is the fare into?
2) Is a 2- or 3-day transit (Metro) pass available, and worth getting?
3) I am traveling with Chinese friends. Any recommendations on Chinese restaurants in all price ranges?
4) What would be your favorite location to stay? I will likely use priceline to book a hotel. Their regions are: Downtown White House; Convention Center/Capitol hill; Georgetown/Foggy Bottom; and, Dupont Circle?

Thanks very much in advance for your help.

John H.

One other note: a hotel location near the metro or within walking distance of sites is preferred.

Thanks.

John H

Ummmm. I live in DC, work in DC, spend my free time in DC. Tourists are quite safe in DC as are almost all place where tourists are going to visit.

While DC may have a high murder rate, the crime is confined to mostly two parts of town a tourist is never going to go into and the victims are almost always people who live in those poor communities.

You seem to not know the slightest idea what you are talking about, Spygirl. Given your paranoid and hysterical posts in other threads, people should be very careful about accepting advice from you

Please don't let spygirl scare you. Note that she had to reach back 4 years for a scary anecdote.

When I bid for a DC hotel on PL, I favor 3* the CapHill/Convention Center, which is very near to DC's tiny Chinatown, where you can just walk up and down the 2 blocks of restaurants and pick whichever one looks best to you. There are a couple of huge ones that seem to accommodate lots of ordinary tourists but many Chinese as well.

Here's the page that explains the DC Metro fare options:

http://www.wmata.com/riding/passes.cfm

Why is it so important to you last two posters to absolutely attack someone who points out a fact: that Wash. D.C. is one of the most dangerous cities in the entire world-and you need to only look up the statistics and do your research to find that out.

Very, very strange. Ad hominem attacks for pointing out the obvious. There was a murder last night in NW DC, is that more recent for you?

Yes, there was a murder in NW DC Wednesday, but not in an area where tourists would ever go. There were also murders in affluent Notthern Virginia, near the area you suggested was safer.

The reality is that crime against tourists is almost non-existant. It has been years since a tourist has been the subject of a violent attack, and that attack occurred in a portion of own tourists rarely venture.

A review of your posts demonstrates you often post very alarmist, paranoid replies to questions. To scare off tourists by saying DC is one of the most dangerous cities in th world is one of the most absurd things I've ever heard.

I just returned from two recent stays in DC. I am a single woman and was traveling alone. I stayed in both the Dupont Circle area and the Thomas Circle area. Both were convenient to Metro. I frequently walked home from the Metro pretty late at night (10 ? 11pm) and the streets were usually busy. Later than that I just took a taxi. I NEVER felt unsafe. Of course you need to exercise the usual common sense and be alert to your surrounding as you would for any big city (or anywhere else for that matter).

This was just my personal experience and I?ve seen the crime statistics as well, but if you are staying in the areas where most tourists go, you should not encounter any problems. Please don?t let the previous poster?s warning scare you off on staying in and exploring DC. The advice to stay in Bethesda, Chevy Chase or Crystal City area because it?s safer makes no sense. Young women disappear from small towns too.

I appreciate the commentary and ongoing discussion on crime. But, I have made the decision to stay in Washington itself and therefore would appreciate advice on my Washington-related questions.

Thanks.

John H

Good for you John.

As for Chinese restaurants, we have a Chinatown although I don't know if the food is really terribly genuine and your chinese friends could be disappointed. Still, there are a few hole in the wall places in Chinatown worth looking for. That part of town is actually pretty small, so I would just do a little walking around and have your guests find something the like.

No one said anything about not exploring DC-you just need to be VERY CAREFUL-PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT. A young female tourist from Seattle was murdered walking back her first night in DC from the Silver Spring Metro-that was last year. She was by herself. DON'T DO THIS. You should not walk around by yourself at night. Stick to the tourist areas-Georgetown, for example-and don't go exploring unfamiliar places at night. Always stay alert and aware of what's going on around you.

I refuse to sugar-coat the dangers of DC. Let others do that, if they wish to be so foolish as to think it is as safe as other major cities in the US-well, it isn't. There's a whole different type of policing that goes on the District-the situation on that front is pretty grim.

John,

The restaurant that everyone seems to really like in Chinatown is called, oddly enough, Eat First. It's on H street and is considered one of the best, genuine Chinese restraurants in town. It isn't fancy, however. The better Chinese restaurants are actually in the suburbs, oddly, but I've heard great things abotu Eat First.

The best way for 4 people is by taxi (probably $40 to $50, total). You can also take Metrobus 5A from the airport to the Rosslyn Metro station or to L'Enfant Plaza Metro for $3. Third option is to take the Washington Flyer bus to the West Falls Church Metro station for $8. Fourth option is to rent a car, but you would need to check on parking costs at your hotel.

See Dulles airport ground transport info here:
http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/

See Metrobus and Metro Rail info here:
http://www.wmata.com/

Most women are paranoid for absolutely no reason. I lived in the D.C. area twice and worked nights at the FBI in N.W. At no time did I feel threatened once the sun went down when I walked over to the post office for something to eat or even to the Harrington for a buffet breakfast. The West End and Georgetown are really great places to walk at night also. I'd say stay away from the area immediately around the Capitol but really don't be afraid of your shadow. I'd suggest staying in VA or MD, both have excellent subway systems and you can be in D.C. within 15 minutes no matter what state you are in.

I would also reccomend a taxi from Dulles airport if there's going to be 4 people. The Washington Flyer and Metro combination for 4 people would probably cost about the same.

The Dupont Circle area is the best choice for hotels. There's more to do in the evenings in that area.

Have a great trip!

I have worked in Dupont Circle for 18 years and I'm here RIGHT NOW. Dupont Circle is a wonderful neighborhood to stay because people actually live here, unlike the convention center and downtown areas. There are wonderful restaurants (Pizzeria Paradiso, Pesce, and Johnny's Half Shell on P Street, to name just a few). There are places to go and things to do at night. And the metro is right here.
(It's no less safe than any big city, but basic precautions are definitely in order here as anywhere).

That is simply not correct to say that DC is "as safe" as any other big city-it is factually incorrect. The crime rate (including homicides, assaults, robbery and other misdemeanors) in comparison to the relatively low number of persons who live there, is astronomically high in comparison to other major cities.

Very few people who live in the District have not been the victim of some type of crime. Very, very few.

Spygirl, I know you believe you are the expert on almost everything, but you simply don't seem to know anything or appear to misuse information.

I've lived in DC for 10 years and never been the victim of a crime. In fact, I would be hard pressed to identify anyone I know who has been the victim of a violent crime. Admittedly, I don't know a lot of people who live in the city's highest crime neighborhoods. Instead, I know people who live and work in ALL of the places tourists would go.

Please, only give advice and information in which you have first-hand knowledge, especially when the purpose of your posts is to scare tourists with wrong information.

There are some great restaurants in Chinatown! Eat First is definitely one of them. I also enjoy Lei Garden, Chinatown Express and Full Ke. These are all in the inexpensive category.

The trip from the airport to the Metro is under 30 minutes (I think)

I'd go for the Dupont Circle area on Priceline. All of the areas would be fine but I like the neighborhood-y feel of Dupont Circle and, as noted, some really good restaurants.

I lived in the DC area for years and oddly enough the only place I was ever mugged was in Crystal City. That was some time ago before it became a weekend mecca for tourists getting great hotel rates.

I agree with those who suggest a taxi. It's pricey, but split between 4 people not bad. The shuttle to Metro is a pain in the neck with luggage, particularly as it puts you on the always-crowded orange line. Re Chinese restaurants, one of the best is Peking Gourmet in Falls Church, VA (a favorite of many prominent politicians, but not too expensive). However, you might explore with your chinese friends whether they want Chinese food--do you go to China and want American food? There's many ethnic types of food to explore in DC. Just go to the Adams Morgan area and take your pick. as places to stay, I'd avoid the convention center area--it's rather foresaken at night. Dupont Circle area is probably best for nearby metro access and walking distance to restaurants and night spots. Georgetown is a bit off the beaten track for Metro (and is kind of like staying in a shopping mall--I'm not a G'town fan). Capitol Hill can be fun, but the night life is a bit sparser than Dupont Circle. Re this silly safety debate: I've lived in the DC area on and off for 17 years. It's a big city. Yes, I've been mugged--walking alone from the Metro late at night in my neighborhood, which was a pretty dicey area at the time. But that doesn't stop me from enjoying the city. Just take reasonable precautions and have fun!

If you do stay in Dupont, I would suggest the restaurant City Lights of China at 1731 Connecticut Ave. NW, Tel: 202-265-6688.

I love DC and especially the Dupont Circle neighborhood, which I recommend to everyone who asks. (In fact, I just returned today from several days there and it was fabulous, as always.) After many visits, Washington remains one of my favorite destinations. As for crime, I think people should take the advice that Spygirl offers for what it is worth; particularly the admonition to avoid traveling at night alone. For whatever reason, I spent some time looking through the police reports during my visit and a couple of things were obvious:

1. Crime is not necessarily targeted within a few rough neighborhoods between people who know each other, are members of gangs, etc. There are many confrontation-type crimes that occur. In many of those cases, it involved a person walking alone, who wasn't far from their vehicle, etc.

2. While street-smart people take a cautious approach in any environment, getting just a block off the beaten path at the wrong time seems like it may carry greater risks in Washington DC than it might in many other cities.

Particularly troubling was the high incidence of attacks on people who definitely knew their way around. An example: assaults on bus drivers, who generally have little to steal, know plenty about the people they deal with and receive training in protective behavior. There have been dozens of these this year alone and the trend has been higher.

Our nation's capital city is a great place to visit for many reasons beyond simply the museums and the monuments. It is a true international city that is vibrant, interesting and exudes urban energy. There are wonderful restaurants and nightspots. There are people from cultures all over the world. I wouldn't discourage anyone from visiting it for a minute. But it is also no place to be naive or careless about personal safety.

Flyboy-I thought your post was excellent, and I would hope that those thinking of visiting DC will read it carefully -PARTICULARLY NO. 2. You could NOT be more on point here. It is the incidence of RANDOM violent crime that marks the difference between DC and other major US cities-random violence happens in the District with alarming frequency-and going a block or two away from the established tourist areas does pose greater risk in the District than elsewhere.

I could give some scary statistics, but I have no wish to do that-you just have to be more alert and aware in the District of what's going on around you at all times, particularly at night.

I agree that one needs to be aware of your surroundings, just like you need to do in any major American city. While I think you are likely overtstating the amount of random violence and failing to account for where that violence takes place and who is involved, it is always worthwhile being aware of your surroundings.

But to suggest that someone shouldn't stay at a hotel in the city, as SG recommended, is just alarmist and bizarre and completely out of touch with the reality of crime in DC. I would also argue that it is likely based on certain racist concepts of life in a city that is 65% African American.

Flyboy, I'm glad there are sensible tourists like you with good observations on the District-you're a very credible source of information.

jh6000: i've stayed in crystal city, foggy bottom, capital hill, washington hilton, and dupont circle. i like dupont circle the best, as its a nice area with lots of nice and different restaurants. i usually stay at the residence inn by marriott, right next door to mimi's all american cafe, with the singing waiters/waitress. great place for music and a nice glass of wine. a few good indian and italian restaurants. as for chinese food, i found good chinese food to be non-existent in dc. the dc chinatown is just a couple of blocks. i have eaten in a few of them, nothing to make me want to go back. i'd rather go to the washington chop house. my favorite is legals seafood.no comment about how safe is it in dc, just answering you inquiry about where to stay. dupont cirle is great. ps don't know when your weekend will be, but if they are in town, go see the redskins launch their quest for the super bowl!

DC is perfectly safe. driving however is a pain in the tuckus!

of your areas mentioned, I'd prefer either G'town or Dupont to stay in. lots of shops, bars, and restos to choose from. plus it's just so pretty there - there are a lot of nice places to sit outside along the riverfront, in Georgetown, for instance.

I rarely take metro so I can't help you there. I think they have a day pass which is reasonable.

No city is "perfectly" safe anywhere.

That's an exceedingly inaccurate comment-I'm surprised, Flygirl, that you would say something like that.

Spygirl, I know we're all supposed to believe it just cause you say it but for the diehard skeptics, how about coughing up those Scary Statistics you alluded to earlier?

And please please please could you work in the phrase "ad hominem attacks" just one more time today?

Rock-you're another that needs to go and have a gin and tonic. Relax! You'll come up with something substantive to say one of these days, I'm sure of it!

And JH-if you're looking for decent Chinese restaurants-I can think of two in DC's Chinatown: 1) Hunan Chinatown, on H Street (upscale Hunan- but a lot of native Chinese frequent the place)
and Tony Cheng's Seafood/Mongolian Restaurant, also on H Street-the seafood restaurant is on the second floor, Mongolian below

HI We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Franklin Sq. It is a clean hotel with a nice breakfast. We walked to many sights. There is also a metro stop one block away. I believe the price was around 140 per night. We took a taxi at night to Georgetown for dinner and walked freely in the Georgetown area. (Many people walking around-we felt safe) We were two women with our children traveling.
From a personal point of view, during the day, you can walk freely around all the tourist areas and take the trains safely. At night, cab it to dinner or eat near your hotel. Night time in any city can have it's dark streets. If you are unfamiliar, I would take the taxi, and enjoy.

I have found terrific rates on Priceline at the Grand Hyatt on H street across from the Convention Center for several trips. It is across the street the Capitol City Brewing Company and restaurant with microbrews, good food, moderate price. There is also a Thai restaurant close by. There is a Metro station you can walk to through the business center attached to the hotel. It is easy walking distance to Chinatown, also Reeves Bakery one of my favorite spots for breakfast or quick lunch.

Kuranosuke-I don't disagree at all with your assessment of the Chinese restaurant scene in DC-the two I listed are ones that people do frequent-notice I said "decent" which is entirely different from saying they're "good." And as far as putting any Chinese restaurants in the DC area up against the best in other cities, well, I wouldn't!

And Joy's suggestions are good ones-partic. Reeves- a DC institution.

Thanks again for all of the information and restaurant suggestions.

Dupont Circle seems to be a favorite choice, so I'll likely try for that area.

JoyinVirginia, I noted your mentioning the Grand Hyatt in the Capitol Hill/Convention Area. How did you find the hotel and, as importantly, the surrounding area? Also, it sounds like the metro access is entirely indoors -- is that correct? If I couldn't get Dupont Circle, that looks like it would be a likely next choice on Priceline.

John H.

Well, I was born and raised in NYC where I developed my big city survival skills (e.g. dont travel alone in sketchy neighborhoods late at night, dont flash money and credit cards around,watch your wallet on public transportation, etc) I then lived in the DC area for 18 years and think its a great city. I spent time in DC both at night and during the day and never felt that I was endangering my life. I now live in Germany and some people told me not to move here because I am Jewish and it might be dangerous.So there can always be something to worry about! I did have my purse stolen when travelling in Poland and I now travel with more precaution but I certainly travel. I have been here for 3 years and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Enjoy your trip, dont do anything foolish as a tourist and stay in the "here and now".

The Grand Hyatt is a very nice property and you are correct that Metro access is entirely indoors. They get tons of conference/convention business and nearly always seem to be busy. They frequently seem to host fancy receptions in the evenings--I often see people milling around in formalwear. I've never stayed there since I live in the DC area, but I do walk through the lobby on a regular basis as my office is nearby and their Metro entrance is the closest. This would be a great option for proximity to Chinatown. The surrounding neighborhood is fine during the day. If you walk a few blocks there are some areas I might think twice about walking through as a woman alone after dark, but that's true in most areas of DC.

A couple of things which got mentioned above and have been ignored since, which I'd like not to get lost:

Spygirl was challenged to supply backup for her assertions that violent crime was "astronomical" in Washington as opposed to other large cities in the U.S., and that it is inaccurate to say that the overwhelming majority of it occurs away from the tourist areas. So far, she has not risen to the challenge.

My own impression--and since Spygirl made the original assertion, I do think the burden is on her to present the statistics to prove it, rather on me or anyone else to disprove them--is that the most recent figures show that violent crime is relatively high in Washington compared to the average for big cities in the U.S., but it is not way above all other cities as Spygirl states, but in the same range as in a number of other cities which rank high by this measure. As I recall, some Sunbelt cities (I think maybe Miami, Phoenix and Dallas, for instance)have come to meet or exceed the crime rates of the traditional Northeastern leaders in this category, such as Washington, Baltimore, Detroit, Newark, etc.

Also, I have a vivid memory of a large map done fairly recently by the Washington Post with dots in the location of every violent crime in a just released report. It was immediately and overwhelmingly evident that the doys were clustered in areas of the Southeast and Northeast quadrants of the city, and that the dots were dramatically sparser in the Northwest quadrant (where nearly all tourist venues are.) Certainly scary crimes do occur in Northwest, and prudent big-city caution should be exercised there, but it is clear that the violent crime rate in Northwest DC has to be much, much, lower than the published figures for DC as a whole.

It's a very sad fact that the residents of much of the land area of our national capital city are living amongst such dangerous conditions. We should applaud and support the efforts of those who live in those areas to make them better and safer places to live. But a think Spygirl will be very seriously challenged to come up with any reputable study or report which suggests people are more likely to become violent crime victims in the tourist areas of Washington than in the comparable areas of a number of other large U.S. cities that draw a lot of tourists.

The other thing is--since jh6000 is looking for a Chinese restaurant, and so many people have (correctly I think) recommended Dupont Circle as the most interesting neighborhood to stay in, I'm very surprised that only one person has mentioned the excellent and reasonably priced City Lights of China there.

AHEM - Spygirl, what makes you such an EXPERT on Washington, DC?
Do you live here (notice I say HERE)?
Do you work here?
Do you spend any time here?

Don't you think you're taking your opinion a little far?

DC is a great city. I've lived here long enough to consider myself a Washingtonian. Yes, DC is a city and it's important to keep that in mind. You do need to make sure you are aware of your surroundings and don't become to adventurous during the night or day, for that matter.
Be smart and you'll be safe.

By no means. It is without question, a most dangerous city, unique because of the RANDOM VIOLENCE FACTOR that is found nowhere in the country, and indeed nowhere else in the world that I've experienced, and there's just not a whole lot of places in the world I haven't been.

Case in point: since my first post, where I mentioned the latest murder of last weekend, there was yet another on Sunday. And what was it? Some gang warfare, someone who knew someone else? No. A young Israeli locksmith, who lived in Arlington, Va., was in front of a Methodist church just around noontime on Sunday. He was trying to help a ROBBERY VICTIM get into his car after his keys had been stolen. Someone approached on foot, shot the young locksmith in the neck, and then disappeared in a car. He was dead in an hour.

And this latest tragic death is a prime example of what I mean. When Spygirl has prosecutors from Texas telling her that they've never been in a city where they've sensed so much danger around them just walking through the downtown area, well, you can take that for what it's worth. Spygirl knew of lawyers coming to DC from another country, she expressly warned them against doing any jogging in the area while they were in the city. They thought it was kinda amusing, until they saw all the police cars gathered down the block from the hotel in an arrest scene one night.

And as for "proving" what I've said about the danger-well, that's ridiculous. Anyone can read the Washington Post and find out what's happening by reading the Metro section. But with around a 40 per cent homicide closure rate, which is shocking by any measure, (and no one has evern been charged in the murder of the young lawyer who disappeared from the Dupont Circle Starbucks, or Chandra Levy's murder, or the murder of the young intern in Georgetown a few years back fron San Francisco-I could go and on).

Yes, one needs to be very careful in the District, daytime and night, and particularly, crossing the streets-it also happens to have one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the nation as well.

And as for me, I would not stay in Dupont Circle. The assault and robbery statistics in that area are quite high-and Spygirl has never gotten over the young lawyer from the IRS's disappearance. Nope. Won't go there, nor to the Starbucks on lower Wisc. Ave- the only Starbucks in the world I'm aware of where all 3 evening employees were massacred some 6 years or so ago.

And if those on this post wish to tell everyone how "perfectly safe" it is, and how you just have to use ordinary caution the way you would in any city-well, I disagree-random violence being what it is, you simply can't guard against it.