The ***OFFICIAL*** Washington, DC thread (2 Viewers)

[thecatch]

I'm headed to DC for my first time at the end of Feb and have a few questions on where to stay. Right now I'm booked in to the Hilton in Ballston, good area? I'm not paying (work) but I do have to stay within the govn't rate. My question is should I change up and stay downtown so that after my training is over and I can walk around and see the sights or am I fine launching from Ballston to do all of this?

It's easy to get into town, but all things being equal you'd want to stay in the city. Ballston has a few good restaurants and the Capitals practice facility is there, but that's about it for an out-of-towner.

You know how DC is shaped like a diamond (or tilted square) expect a piece of that diamond is cut out by Virginia? Ballston is in that area. Very close to downtown. The Metro from there to the city is underground as well, so no issues getting in and out regardless of the weather. Plus, there are some decent places to drink @ then walk back to your hotel.

My training is over by Bolling airfield but I plan on taking metro over renting a car. There are plenty of places in the city for the govn't rate but I wasn't sure if the night life is better in Ballston or the city as I've heard conflicting things. Sounds like the city might be the way to go.

I think the Hilton is literally on top of the Ballston metro, so that should be very convenient. Obviously depending on where you stay in DC, you might be able to get within walking distance of whatever nightlife you want to hit and avoid the metro altogether.

 

[(HULK)]

Just wondering what price range you guys are talking about here?

Let's say a 3BR/2 Bath house?

In Chevy Chase DC, thats like 800K if it isn't renovated.

So I guess the old FBG myth of everyone being filthy rich is true or is this just a D.C. thing?

We went to 1 income when my 1st kid was born. I'll be blunt and forthright here, why not. I have made between 120K and 135K over the past 5 years. You can't support a family well on that in NW DC. Now that my wife is back to work, we could probably swing it. But really, it doesn't add enough to quality of life to make it worth the cost anyways.

I'm in a virtually identical situation. We pull it off, but only because I bought a condo in Adams Morgan in my 20s before the market really took off, so when I sold we had a lot of cash available for a down payment. And we're not anywhere anyone would consider all that nice- we're in Petworth, albeit in a newly renovated home. I love it, but Georgetown it is not.

90% of the reason we live there is for the commute, I work on the Hill and there's no reasonably priced parking available, I'd never see my kids if I had to get to Montgomery Country or Alexandria or something after work.

I live a very short walk from the MARC train Kensington stop. Its direct down to Union Station and pretty quick.

You should look into being my neighbor imo.

I'm pretty happy in Petworth. It's a great neighborhood. Also I'm a DC sports lifer, so the other 10% of the reason is that it's super easy to get to Nats Park and even easier to get to Verizon Center. so we're gonna stay at least until our oldest is ready for school.

You seem like you'd be a good neighbor, though. Do you have Sunday Ticket? A pool table? A Big Green Egg? A hot wife?

Wife is indeed hot. Her family also holds 4 lower level season tix to the Skins, sections 104 and 105

Does she have a sister?

Sorry, two brothers.

Lots of hot friends though. Whats your type?

 

[nittanylion]

Just wondering what price range you guys are talking about here?

Let's say a 3BR/2 Bath house?

In Chevy Chase DC, thats like 800K if it isn't renovated.

So I guess the old FBG myth of everyone being filthy rich is true or is this just a D.C. thing?

We went to 1 income when my 1st kid was born. I'll be blunt and forthright here, why not. I have made between 120K and 135K over the past 5 years. You can't support a family well on that in NW DC. Now that my wife is back to work, we could probably swing it. But really, it doesn't add enough to quality of life to make it worth the cost anyways.

I'm in a virtually identical situation. We pull it off, but only because I bought a condo in Adams Morgan in my 20s before the market really took off, so when I sold we had a lot of cash available for a down payment. And we're not anywhere anyone would consider all that nice- we're in Petworth, albeit in a newly renovated home. I love it, but Georgetown it is not.

90% of the reason we live there is for the commute, I work on the Hill and there's no reasonably priced parking available, I'd never see my kids if I had to get to Montgomery Country or Alexandria or something after work.

I live a very short walk from the MARC train Kensington stop. Its direct down to Union Station and pretty quick.

You should look into being my neighbor imo.

I'm pretty happy in Petworth. It's a great neighborhood. Also I'm a DC sports lifer, so the other 10% of the reason is that it's super easy to get to Nats Park and even easier to get to Verizon Center. so we're gonna stay at least until our oldest is ready for school.

You seem like you'd be a good neighbor, though. Do you have Sunday Ticket? A pool table? A Big Green Egg? A hot wife?

Schools are great up by me. Unfortunately for me, I'm 2 blocks from the line for Walter Johnson HS (one of the best in the area and nation for public HS), but the elementary school for me is fantastic. I may move a couple blocks over when my eldest is in 8th grade.

Don't have Sunday Ticket anymore or a pool table. I do have a large playground setup out back, a firepit, and a normal grill. Wife is indeed hot. Her family also holds 4 lower level season tix to the Skins, sections 104 and 105 I typically get to 3 or so games a season.

What do you do on the Hill. I've looked @ a few jobs @ the SEC in the past but nothing has panned out there. I'm getting weary of being a defense contractor, but I currently work @ Walter Reed (formerly Bethesda Naval) and its 4 miles door to door and it would be tough to give that up.

I pretty much AM your neighbor, (HULK), and except for my time at Penn State, I was born (Walter Reed), bred and raised not to far from where you currently call home, 10 minutes or so...don't know how long you've lived in Kensington, but if we ever meet up I could tell you stories about how far that area has come in the 45 years I've resided therein. Talk about gentrified...

..and if you are seriously entertaining the idea of moving a few blocks or so to get within the boundaries of WJ, you might as well look at the communities surrounding Churchill, Wootten, or Whitman. You wouldn't have to move much further, the communities and home prices are relatively the same, (provided you find the right enclaves, of course, as most of the homes are around 1M+, as I'm sure you know, but there are enclaves where much more normal pricing exists, you just have to know where to look and I have people that can help you with that), and although Montgomery County Public Schools in general are among the best in the state and nation, and WJ is among the best, Churchill, Wootten and Whitman are the front-runners, and if you're in for a dime, you might as well be in for a dollar (at least that's the way I look at it). The current Superintendent (Starr) who took over a few years ago, lives in the Whitman cluster and those schools are getting a TON of attention - my (step)son attended Burning Tree Elementary when he took office and was in the same 3rd grade class as one of his kids. That was already widely considered to be one of the best public elementary schools ever, and I didn't think it was even possible for the staff to be more on point...but they were...

 

[(HULK)]

Just wondering what price range you guys are talking about here?

Let's say a 3BR/2 Bath house?

In Chevy Chase DC, thats like 800K if it isn't renovated.

So I guess the old FBG myth of everyone being filthy rich is true or is this just a D.C. thing?

We went to 1 income when my 1st kid was born. I'll be blunt and forthright here, why not. I have made between 120K and 135K over the past 5 years. You can't support a family well on that in NW DC. Now that my wife is back to work, we could probably swing it. But really, it doesn't add enough to quality of life to make it worth the cost anyways.

I'm in a virtually identical situation. We pull it off, but only because I bought a condo in Adams Morgan in my 20s before the market really took off, so when I sold we had a lot of cash available for a down payment. And we're not anywhere anyone would consider all that nice- we're in Petworth, albeit in a newly renovated home. I love it, but Georgetown it is not.

90% of the reason we live there is for the commute, I work on the Hill and there's no reasonably priced parking available, I'd never see my kids if I had to get to Montgomery Country or Alexandria or something after work.

I live a very short walk from the MARC train Kensington stop. Its direct down to Union Station and pretty quick.

You should look into being my neighbor imo.

I'm pretty happy in Petworth. It's a great neighborhood. Also I'm a DC sports lifer, so the other 10% of the reason is that it's super easy to get to Nats Park and even easier to get to Verizon Center. so we're gonna stay at least until our oldest is ready for school.

You seem like you'd be a good neighbor, though. Do you have Sunday Ticket? A pool table? A Big Green Egg? A hot wife?

Schools are great up by me. Unfortunately for me, I'm 2 blocks from the line for Walter Johnson HS (one of the best in the area and nation for public HS), but the elementary school for me is fantastic. I may move a couple blocks over when my eldest is in 8th grade.

Don't have Sunday Ticket anymore or a pool table. I do have a large playground setup out back, a firepit, and a normal grill. Wife is indeed hot. Her family also holds 4 lower level season tix to the Skins, sections 104 and 105 I typically get to 3 or so games a season.

What do you do on the Hill. I've looked @ a few jobs @ the SEC in the past but nothing has panned out there. I'm getting weary of being a defense contractor, but I currently work @ Walter Reed (formerly Bethesda Naval) and its 4 miles door to door and it would be tough to give that up.

I pretty much AM your neighbor, (HULK), and except for my time at Penn State, I was born (Walter Reed), bred and raised not to far from where you currently call home, 10 minutes or so...don't know how long you've lived in Kensington, but if we ever meet up I could tell you stories about how far that area has come in the 45 years I've resided therein. Talk about gentrified...

..and if you are seriously entertaining the idea of moving a few blocks or so to get within the boundaries of WJ, you might as well look at the communities surrounding Churchill, Wootten, or Whitman. You wouldn't have to move much further, the communities and home prices are relatively the same, (provided you find the right enclaves, of course, as most of the homes are around 1M+, as I'm sure you know, but there are enclaves where much more normal pricing exists, you just have to know where to look and I have people that can help you with that), and although Montgomery County Public Schools in general are among the best in the state and nation, and WJ is among the best, Churchill, Wootten and Whitman are the front-runners, and if you're in for a dime, you might as well be in for a dollar (at least that's the way I look at it). The current Superintendent (Starr) who took over a few years ago, lives in the Whitman cluster and those schools are getting a TON of attention - my (step)son attended Burning Tree Elementary when he took office and was in the same 3rd grade class as one of his kids. That was already widely considered to be one of the best public elementary schools ever, and I didn't think it was even possible for the staff to be more on point...but they were...

Yeah, my in-laws own in the Wooton cluster... we've discussed buying their house when they're read to downsize. Neither of us like how far out it is though in "North Potomac" (really south Gaithersburg imo).

We love the convience of where we are now. Speaking of gentrified, Starbucks just went in down the end of our street and a block over (across from the KaiserPermenante at the Conn/University split). I grew up in the area too, over by Georgia Ave and Bel Pre Road.

We're kinda central to our family right now too... her parents are N Potomac, my mom is in Leisure World of all places, my dad is over in White Oak in this secretly quiet little neighborhood that is suprisingly nice, my brother is in the condos behind Grovsnor, her brother is in Gaithersburg. I realize WJ isn't the tip top, but this is more about avoiding Einstein / Downcounty Consortium and less about being in the absolute best public school. I'll settle for good enough, lol.

FYI, I was born @ GW downtown, my wife and both daughters were born @ Sibley. Most people in the area I know aren't from the area, unless I knew them from way back. Its cool that you and Tobais are locals as well.

 

[(HULK)]

Local interest note: State Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher lives on my street, and @ Halloween he gave out candy wrapped in his political swag. Tacky.

 

[(HULK)]

FWIW, if/when we do move, its probably Garret Park or over to the other side of Knowles Ave.

 

[dgreen]

FYI, I was born @ GW downtown, my wife and both daughters were born @ Sibley. Most people in the area I know aren't from the area, unless I knew them from way back. Its cool that you and Tobais are locals as well.

Count me in. Born at Georgetown Hospital and lived in NoVa my whole life. My wife is also native.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

hmm, still unsure about where to stay. The transit to and from the training is not of concern as much as being in a position to easily hit the sights followed by an area that has something decent going on for drinks. Sounds like by the White house is my best option for after hours sight seeing and drinks. Ballston would be great if I was there with family but since I'll be going solo I might as well be downtown.

 

[TobiasFunke]

hmm, still unsure about where to stay. The transit to and from the training is not of concern as much as being in a position to easily hit the sights followed by an area that has something decent going on for drinks. Sounds like by the White house is my best option for after hours sight seeing and drinks. Ballston would be great if I was there with family but since I'll be going solo I might as well be downtown.

Based on this I would definitely would agree that you want to be downtown, if you can swing it at a decent spot under budget. There's plenty of food and drink options in Ballston, but it's got more of an Anytown USA feel to it. Being downtown makes it easier to hit the sights as well as some more interesting (IMO) food and drink spots.

 

[Don Quixote]

hmm, still unsure about where to stay. The transit to and from the training is not of concern as much as being in a position to easily hit the sights followed by an area that has something decent going on for drinks. Sounds like by the White house is my best option for after hours sight seeing and drinks. Ballston would be great if I was there with family but since I'll be going solo I might as well be downtown.

I wouldn't say there is a lot in the way of drinks by the White House. There are some bars (including some upscale options), but they are not places where a lot of people go to for casual bars at night (except for drinking after softball/kickball games, or for wild and crazy trivia nights). But I think downtown is best, since close to sightseeing and then you can cab it to some of the other neighborhoods that people mentioned for drinking.

 

[TobiasFunke]

hmm, still unsure about where to stay. The transit to and from the training is not of concern as much as being in a position to easily hit the sights followed by an area that has something decent going on for drinks. Sounds like by the White house is my best option for after hours sight seeing and drinks. Ballston would be great if I was there with family but since I'll be going solo I might as well be downtown.

I wouldn't say there is a lot in the way of drinks by the White House. There are some bars (including some upscale options), but they are not places where a lot of people go to for casual bars at night (except for drinking after softball/kickball games, or for wild and crazy trivia nights). But I think downtown is best, since close to sightseeing and then you can cab it to some of the other neighborhoods that people mentioned for drinking.

I mentioned a boutique-y hotel a while back in this thread that might fit your needs. Here's the link for gov't employee reservations. Close enough to the White House and downtown for sightseeing, but far enough north that you can easily walk to a ton of stuff in Logan Circle/14th St or even Dupont. Also close to McPherson Square metro.

I swear I have no ties to that place, just coincidence.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

hmm, still unsure about where to stay. The transit to and from the training is not of concern as much as being in a position to easily hit the sights followed by an area that has something decent going on for drinks. Sounds like by the White house is my best option for after hours sight seeing and drinks. Ballston would be great if I was there with family but since I'll be going solo I might as well be downtown.

I wouldn't say there is a lot in the way of drinks by the White House. There are some bars (including some upscale options), but they are not places where a lot of people go to for casual bars at night (except for drinking after softball/kickball games, or for wild and crazy trivia nights). But I think downtown is best, since close to sightseeing and then you can cab it to some of the other neighborhoods that people mentioned for drinking.

I mentioned a boutique-y hotel a while back in this thread that might fit your needs. Here's the link for gov't employee reservations. Close enough to the White House and downtown for sightseeing, but far enough north that you can easily walk to a ton of stuff in Logan Circle/14th St or even Dupont. Also close to McPherson Square metro.

I swear I have no ties to that place, just coincidence.

that place looks really nice, I'm in Thanks!

 

[nittanylion]

Zentan, the restaurant in The Donovan House Hotel that Tobias recommended is a very good restaurant, especially if you enjoy pan-asian takes on seafood. Jennifer Nguyen is a rising culinary talent on the DC scene.

 

[tom22406]

Everybody ready for another round of fun?

Going to be 60 today and ice/snow tomorrow

 

[VA703]

was hearing Tuesday was spose to be ice then wed thur snow.. wish I would have washed my car yesterday

 

[Todd Andrews]

I assume the public schools in Petworth are currently ones you'd want to avoid, but I haven't paid much attention lately.

The area itself is doing a lot better than 15 years ago. I kinda view it as being on the "edge" of the nicer areas to the west.

Shady stuff still goes down. My wife had a highschool classmate murdered @ the NY Ave Metro stop about 2 years back. I've got a buddy who live @ a condo development @ 5th and Mass and that area seems to be improving. The first couple of years, there used to be street walkers and dealers out and about every night. In fact, one time I walked up to my car and a 200 lb hooker was sitting on the hood of my car resting. She politely moved her girth elsewhere when I politely asked her to do so. But, the past year or so, all of that stuff seems cleaned up.

Meanwhile, if you head farther into NW, it is super safe. Its just insanely expensive. My wife stopping work when we had our first also was a big big factor in the decision to move to MD. I love Kensington though, great neighborhood.

You are near me--I have a young un at Garrett Park Elementary.

 

[Spanky267]

I'm going to be visiting the July 4th week 6/29 to 7/5. I havent been to DC since I was in my early teens. I'll have to whole family in tow. Wife and both boys 12 & 13. We are staying in Alexandria on the advice of friends who visted last year. We are staying at the Westin. Any recommendations on things we absolutely must do, especially since its the 4th of July in the nations capital. I am going to set up a visit to Capitol Hill through my Congressmans office. Definitely going to hit several of the Smithsonian Museums. Anything else off the beaten path that we should go visit? We are driving up so will have our car but planning on using the Metro for most of the week. Is it still worth it to go on one of those bus tours? We did that when I visited as a kid and it seemed to work well. We were able to get on and get off the bus at our leisure.

I'd also like to try some uniquely D.C. dining establishments. Keep in my mind that my wife is only mildly adventurous when it comes to food and we have to make sure the restaurant can accomodate our autistic son. They either have to have grilled cheese on the menu or the willingness to make it. I know that will probably limit some of our options. But he is an exceedingly picky eater.

We dont get to take many vacations like this due to our work schedules. I want to make this as memorable a trip for my boys as I can. TIA.

 

[VA703]

I'm going to be visiting the July 4th week 6/29 to 7/5. I havent been to DC since I was in my early teens. I'll have to whole family in tow. Wife and both boys 12 & 13. We are staying in Alexandria on the advice of friends who visted last year. We are staying at the Westin. Any recommendations on things we absolutely must do, especially since its the 4th of July in the nations capital. I am going to set up a visit to Capitol Hill through my Congressmans office. Definitely going to hit several of the Smithsonian Museums. Anything else off the beaten path that we should go visit? We are driving up so will have our car but planning on using the Metro for most of the week. Is it still worth it to go on one of those bus tours? We did that when I visited as a kid and it seemed to work well. We were able to get on and get off the bus at our leisure.

I'd also like to try some uniquely D.C. dining establishments. Keep in my mind that my wife is only mildly adventurous when it comes to food and we have to make sure the restaurant can accomodate our autistic son. They either have to have grilled cheese on the menu or the willingness to make it. I know that will probably limit some of our options. But he is an exceedingly picky eater.

We dont get to take many vacations like this due to our work schedules. I want to make this as memorable a trip for my boys as I can. TIA.

id goto a nats game, their stadium is pretty nice

theyre playing the cubs and orioles while you're in town

 

[TobiasFunke]

I'm going to be visiting the July 4th week 6/29 to 7/5. I havent been to DC since I was in my early teens. I'll have to whole family in tow. Wife and both boys 12 & 13. We are staying in Alexandria on the advice of friends who visted last year. We are staying at the Westin. Any recommendations on things we absolutely must do, especially since its the 4th of July in the nations capital. I am going to set up a visit to Capitol Hill through my Congressmans office. Definitely going to hit several of the Smithsonian Museums. Anything else off the beaten path that we should go visit? We are driving up so will have our car but planning on using the Metro for most of the week. Is it still worth it to go on one of those bus tours? We did that when I visited as a kid and it seemed to work well. We were able to get on and get off the bus at our leisure.

I'd also like to try some uniquely D.C. dining establishments. Keep in my mind that my wife is only mildly adventurous when it comes to food and we have to make sure the restaurant can accomodate our autistic son. They either have to have grilled cheese on the menu or the willingness to make it. I know that will probably limit some of our options. But he is an exceedingly picky eater.

We dont get to take many vacations like this due to our work schedules. I want to make this as memorable a trip for my boys as I can. TIA.

People like the Old Town Trolley bus tours because they can get off and on them. I've always meant to take one just for ####s and giggiles but never got around to it.

On the bloded- it's pretty far in advance to start thinking about dining, but something to file away on this front- America Eats Tavern is reopening in Tyson's Corner in the spring. It was a pop-up restaurant last year tied with a museum exhibit. The chef who is opening it, Jose Andres, is the 800 pound gorilla of the DC dining scene, so that satisfies your "uniquely DC" criteria, and I'd say there's a decent chance they'll have something at least vague grilled cheese-y available and also your wife wouldn't have any problems with things being too exotic. It'll be expensive, though. Other options- Stoney's Bar and Grill is usually considered the best grilled cheese in DC and is in the cool Logan Circle neighborhood and a bit of an institution. Also there's Ben's Chili Bowl, which is the first restaurant people think of when it comes to DC. I'm sure they have or will make Grilled Cheese.

Also if you want to share more information about your son either in the thread or in a PM I'm sure I can come up with some destinations he might enjoy. I have an autistic cousin and we've tailored his family's visits to town around his interests before (he's super into malls and interesting retail spaces).

 

[Don Quixote]

While in Alexandria versus downtown DC, Cheesetique is my favorite for grilled cheeses. It's not on a Metro, so you'd have to drive or bus, but it's a fairly short commute to where you are staying. They have various grilled cheese options, which are among the best in the area. Not really a uniquely DC place though. It's not fine dining, but pretty good comfort food. Mac and cheese there is great; they have a hot dog topped with mac and cheese that sounds disgusting, but is actually pretty tasty.

Also, Union Street Public House is pretty popular in Old Town with families, and has a children's menu with grilled cheese.

ETA: On other places to visit, one thing you may want your car for is a trip to Mount Vernon. Not on the Metro line, but pretty close by and worth checking out (I think you can bus there, but a lot easier to drive and park.)

 

[Sweet J]

While in Alexandria versus downtown DC, Cheesetique is my favorite for grilled cheeses. It's not on a Metro, so you'd have to drive or bus, but it's a fairly short commute to where you are staying. They have various grilled cheese options, which are among the best in the area. Not really a uniquely DC place though. It's not fine dining, but pretty good comfort food. Mac and cheese there is great; they have a hot dog topped with mac and cheese that sounds disgusting, but is actually pretty tasty.

Also, Union Street Public House is pretty popular in Old Town with families, and has a children's menu with grilled cheese.

ETA: On other places to visit, one thing you may want your car for is a trip to Mount Vernon. Not on the Metro line, but pretty close by and worth checking out (I think you can bus there, but a lot easier to drive and park.)

I'll second the recommendation for Cheesetique. Plus, it's in a fantastic little neighborhood (Del Ray, Alexandria) that has a ton of shops, restaurants, coffee shops, pizza, etc.

 

[dgreen]

I'm going to be visiting the July 4th week 6/29 to 7/5. I havent been to DC since I was in my early teens. I'll have to whole family in tow. Wife and both boys 12 & 13. We are staying in Alexandria on the advice of friends who visted last year. We are staying at the Westin. Any recommendations on things we absolutely must do, especially since its the 4th of July in the nations capital. I am going to set up a visit to Capitol Hill through my Congressmans office. Definitely going to hit several of the Smithsonian Museums. Anything else off the beaten path that we should go visit? We are driving up so will have our car but planning on using the Metro for most of the week. Is it still worth it to go on one of those bus tours? We did that when I visited as a kid and it seemed to work well. We were able to get on and get off the bus at our leisure.

I'd also like to try some uniquely D.C. dining establishments. Keep in my mind that my wife is only mildly adventurous when it comes to food and we have to make sure the restaurant can accomodate our autistic son. They either have to have grilled cheese on the menu or the willingness to make it. I know that will probably limit some of our options. But he is an exceedingly picky eater.

We dont get to take many vacations like this due to our work schedules. I want to make this as memorable a trip for my boys as I can. TIA.

id goto a nats game, their stadium is pretty nice

theyre playing the cubs and orioles while you're in town

You could even take a ferry from Alexandria to the game. There are some good touristy water cruises, including one down to Mount Vernon, from Alexandria.

 

[njherdfan]

I'm going to be visiting the July 4th week 6/29 to 7/5. I havent been to DC since I was in my early teens. I'll have to whole family in tow. Wife and both boys 12 & 13. We are staying in Alexandria on the advice of friends who visted last year. We are staying at the Westin. Any recommendations on things we absolutely must do, especially since its the 4th of July in the nations capital. I am going to set up a visit to Capitol Hill through my Congressmans office. Definitely going to hit several of the Smithsonian Museums. Anything else off the beaten path that we should go visit? We are driving up so will have our car but planning on using the Metro for most of the week. Is it still worth it to go on one of those bus tours? We did that when I visited as a kid and it seemed to work well. We were able to get on and get off the bus at our leisure.

I'd recommend checking out the National Cathedral. It's beautiful.. The zoo isn't bad, but lots of cities have that. All of the monuments are great. Depending on what your kids are interested in, I'd recommend the Newseum. There's a lot of cool interactive stuff there.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

There's also grilled cheese place opening in Dupont Circle in the next month or so. GCDC. The Post just ran an article. Lots of "adult" grilled cheeses, which always seems to take all the comfort out of it (for me), but I suppose they'd probably have the basic available. The tomato soup looks like an autistic kid might find it dubious.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2014/01/27/inside-gcdcs-grilled-cheese-lab/

 

[Mr. Ected]

I'm going to be visiting the July 4th week 6/29 to 7/5. I havent been to DC since I was in my early teens. I'll have to whole family in tow. Wife and both boys 12 & 13. We are staying in Alexandria on the advice of friends who visted last year. We are staying at the Westin. Any recommendations on things we absolutely must do, especially since its the 4th of July in the nations capital. I am going to set up a visit to Capitol Hill through my Congressmans office. Definitely going to hit several of the Smithsonian Museums. Anything else off the beaten path that we should go visit? We are driving up so will have our car but planning on using the Metro for most of the week. Is it still worth it to go on one of those bus tours? We did that when I visited as a kid and it seemed to work well. We were able to get on and get off the bus at our leisure.

I'd recommend checking out the National Cathedral. It's beautiful.. The zoo isn't bad, but lots of cities have that. All of the monuments are great. Depending on what your kids are interested in, I'd recommend the Newseum. There's a lot of cool interactive stuff there.

By this summer the Zoo should have the baby Panda out, which some little kids may find cool. Newseum is supposed to be cool. Both of the Air & Space Museums are awesome. The Spy Museum is great. For Newseum and Spy Museum, you may be able to look on Groupon for tix. (These are the few museums in DC that charge for entrance)

 

[(HULK)]

I assume the public schools in Petworth are currently ones you'd want to avoid, but I haven't paid much attention lately.

The area itself is doing a lot better than 15 years ago. I kinda view it as being on the "edge" of the nicer areas to the west.

Shady stuff still goes down. My wife had a highschool classmate murdered @ the NY Ave Metro stop about 2 years back. I've got a buddy who live @ a condo development @ 5th and Mass and that area seems to be improving. The first couple of years, there used to be street walkers and dealers out and about every night. In fact, one time I walked up to my car and a 200 lb hooker was sitting on the hood of my car resting. She politely moved her girth elsewhere when I politely asked her to do so. But, the past year or so, all of that stuff seems cleaned up.

Meanwhile, if you head farther into NW, it is super safe. Its just insanely expensive. My wife stopping work when we had our first also was a big big factor in the decision to move to MD. I love Kensington though, great neighborhood.

You are near me--I have a young un at Garrett Park Elementary.

How old? My daughter is in kindergarten @ Rock View. She did go to the co-op preschool for about a month at Garrett Park. We didn't like it though.

 

[dgreen]

Sounds like the Dinosaur hall at the Natural History Museum is closing for renovations this Spring. It won't reopen until 2019!

 

[(HULK)]

I ate at Ardeo Bardeo in Cleveland Park the other night. Pretty good and very different food.

 

[(HULK)]

Sounds like the Dinosaur hall at the Natural History Museum is closing for renovations this Spring. It won't reopen until 2019!

Whoa!

 

[Don Quixote]

Sounds like the Dinosaur hall at the Natural History Museum is closing for renovations this Spring. It won't reopen until 2019!

Yep, but I read an article saying that they are going to have dinosaur fossils still up scattered around in the interim.

And we do have Wankel T. rex to look forward to.

 

[Spanky267]

I'm going to be visiting the July 4th week 6/29 to 7/5. I havent been to DC since I was in my early teens. I'll have to whole family in tow. Wife and both boys 12 & 13. We are staying in Alexandria on the advice of friends who visted last year. We are staying at the Westin. Any recommendations on things we absolutely must do, especially since its the 4th of July in the nations capital. I am going to set up a visit to Capitol Hill through my Congressmans office. Definitely going to hit several of the Smithsonian Museums. Anything else off the beaten path that we should go visit? We are driving up so will have our car but planning on using the Metro for most of the week. Is it still worth it to go on one of those bus tours? We did that when I visited as a kid and it seemed to work well. We were able to get on and get off the bus at our leisure.

I'd also like to try some uniquely D.C. dining establishments. Keep in my mind that my wife is only mildly adventurous when it comes to food and we have to make sure the restaurant can accomodate our autistic son. They either have to have grilled cheese on the menu or the willingness to make it. I know that will probably limit some of our options. But he is an exceedingly picky eater.

We dont get to take many vacations like this due to our work schedules. I want to make this as memorable a trip for my boys as I can. TIA.

People like the Old Town Trolley bus tours because they can get off and on them. I've always meant to take one just for ####s and giggiles but never got around to it.

On the bloded- it's pretty far in advance to start thinking about dining, but something to file away on this front- America Eats Tavern is reopening in Tyson's Corner in the spring. It was a pop-up restaurant last year tied with a museum exhibit. The chef who is opening it, Jose Andres, is the 800 pound gorilla of the DC dining scene, so that satisfies your "uniquely DC" criteria, and I'd say there's a decent chance they'll have something at least vague grilled cheese-y available and also your wife wouldn't have any problems with things being too exotic. It'll be expensive, though. Other options- Stoney's Bar and Grill is usually considered the best grilled cheese in DC and is in the cool Logan Circle neighborhood and a bit of an institution. Also there's Ben's Chili Bowl, which is the first restaurant people think of when it comes to DC. I'm sure they have or will make Grilled Cheese.

Also if you want to share more information about your son either in the thread or in a PM I'm sure I can come up with some destinations he might enjoy. I have an autistic cousin and we've tailored his family's visits to town around his interests before (he's super into malls and interesting retail spaces).

Thanks. I am a fan of Jose Andres. So hopefully we can get by there. I'm not big of fine dining so more casual stuff that we wouldnt have back home in Florida would be great. Our rule on vacations is that we try to avoid chain restaurants unless its one we dont have back home. We prefer local stuff.

My son has Aspergers. He's very high functioning but is very particular about food and drinks. We'll be able to go just about anywhere with him and he'll be fine. Definitely want to hit both the Air & Space Museum on the Mall and the Udvar-Hazy Center. Setting up a tour of the White House and Capitol Hill. Pretty much open to anything. My oldest son, who is the one with Aspergers, is into Science both natural and physical. He also likes espionage and spies so we'll probably hit the Spy museum.

My youngest is into sports, music and science as well. While it doesnt mesh with his interests exactly I think he might really like the Newseum.

I want them to see the capital and get a deeper appreciation for all the great things about our country. I want them to visit Arlington and the Tomb of the Unknowns as we have a huge miltary tradition in our family. I also want to take them to the older parts of the city as we dont have cities with such historical significance in Florida.

 

[Spanky267]

While in Alexandria versus downtown DC, Cheesetique is my favorite for grilled cheeses. It's not on a Metro, so you'd have to drive or bus, but it's a fairly short commute to where you are staying. They have various grilled cheese options, which are among the best in the area. Not really a uniquely DC place though. It's not fine dining, but pretty good comfort food. Mac and cheese there is great; they have a hot dog topped with mac and cheese that sounds disgusting, but is actually pretty tasty.

Also, Union Street Public House is pretty popular in Old Town with families, and has a children's menu with grilled cheese.

ETA: On other places to visit, one thing you may want your car for is a trip to Mount Vernon. Not on the Metro line, but pretty close by and worth checking out (I think you can bus there, but a lot easier to drive and park.)

This is definitely going on the itinerary. Might be a good stop when we pull into Alexandria the first day. He will be amazed that there is a place that serves a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches even if all he is going to order is a plain one. Thanks for the info.

 

[Spanky267]

There's also grilled cheese place opening in Dupont Circle in the next month or so. GCDC. The Post just ran an article. Lots of "adult" grilled cheeses, which always seems to take all the comfort out of it (for me), but I suppose they'd probably have the basic available. The tomato soup looks like an autistic kid might find it dubious.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2014/01/27/inside-gcdcs-grilled-cheese-lab/

Yeah he's no fan of soup. He's really not a fan of many things that arent served at room temperature. Sure he eats grilled cheese and french fries like a champion. But thats about it. He will nibble on chicken as a last resort but doesnt truly enjoy it and he eats no vegetables. The funny thing is his metabolism must be set at maximum because he is thin as a rail.

 

[Spanky267]

Sounds like the Dinosaur hall at the Natural History Museum is closing for renovations this Spring. It won't reopen until 2019!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you serious? My kids would love that.

 

[dgreen]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I heard about the dinosaurs. It has to be one of the most crowded rooms in all the Smithsonian Institutions. On the plus side, though, I think the Washington Monument might be back open by then. If it is, I'd suggest getting the cheap tickets (like $1.50 each) online to make sure you can get up there. Otherwise, I think you have to get in line at like 4 AM to get a free ticket the day you want to go. Seriously, that's what I've heard. Never done that, but that's pretty much what you used to have to do. Maybe it's different now with the online tickets. Other good views of the city are from the National Cathedral and Old Post Office Pavilion (someday to be a Donald Trump hotel). Each have observation decks. Nothing like the Empire State Building, of course, but pretty good views.

Cheap tickets are also available online for the National Archives (but that's not nearly as difficult to get into as the Washington Monument). Free tickets are needed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (see a bunch of money printed) and Holocaust Memorial (if you think your kids are up for something like that).

I'm sure you've done this, but I'd suggest looking around the Smithsonian site to see what special exhibits are at each museum to help plan your trip.

The National Building Museum is not part of the Smithsonian and is a lesser known spot. It does have an admission for some of the exhibits.

Oh, and there's a Navy ship docked at the Navy Yard (near the Nats stadium) that is free and open to the public. It's called the USS Barry, if you are interested and want to look it up. If you go to a game, probably worth swinging by the Barry and hanging out in Yards Park before the game.

You used to be able to take a canal ride in Georgetown, but they've stopped those and only do them from Great Falls. I remember doing that during a school field trip and keep meaning to take my kids. Since you'll have a car, swinging by Great Falls either to or from Udvar Hazy might be a good idea. And then hit that restaurant suggested earlier in Tysons Corner. Actually, just remembered those rides are on the Maryland side of the river (Udvar and Tysons Corner are in VA), so not sure if it's worth driving back and forth across the river just for that. You can access views of the falls, though, from either the VA or MD side.

 

[Spanky267]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I heard about the dinosaurs. It has to be one of the most crowded rooms in all the Smithsonian Institutions. On the plus side, though, I think the Washington Monument might be back open by then. If it is, I'd suggest getting the cheap tickets (like $1.50 each) online to make sure you can get up there. Otherwise, I think you have to get in line at like 4 AM to get a free ticket the day you want to go. Seriously, that's what I've heard. Never done that, but that's pretty much what you used to have to do. Maybe it's different now with the online tickets. Other good views of the city are from the National Cathedral and Old Post Office Pavilion (someday to be a Donald Trump hotel). Each have observation decks. Nothing like the Empire State Building, of course, but pretty good views.

Cheap tickets are also available online for the National Archives (but that's not nearly as difficult to get into as the Washington Monument). Free tickets are needed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (see a bunch of money printed) and Holocaust Memorial (if you think your kids are up for something like that).

I'm sure you've done this, but I'd suggest looking around the Smithsonian site to see what special exhibits are at each museum to help plan your trip.

The National Building Museum is not part of the Smithsonian and is a lesser known spot. It does have an admission for some of the exhibits.

Oh, and there's a Navy ship docked at the Navy Yard (near the Nats stadium) that is free and open to the public. It's called the USS Barry, if you are interested and want to look it up. If you go to a game, probably worth swinging by the Barry and hanging out in Yards Park before the game.

You used to be able to take a canal ride in Georgetown, but they've stopped those and only do them from Great Falls. I remember doing that during a school field trip and keep meaning to take my kids. Since you'll have a car, swinging by Great Falls either to or from Udvar Hazy might be a good idea. And then hit that restaurant suggested earlier in Tysons Corner. Actually, just remembered those rides are on the Maryland side of the river (Udvar and Tysons Corner are in VA), so not sure if it's worth driving back and forth across the river just for that. You can access views of the falls, though, from either the VA or MD side.

Thanks. Definitely want to hit the National Cathedral toured it when I was about my boys age and the view is amazing. The Old Post Office was a shopping mall when I was last there, 1985 or 86. Is it still? We'll definitely visit the Barry, my boys love that kind of stuff and so do I. We probably wont go to a Nats game. I'm not a huge baseball fan and while I would love to see the park, my wife would not enjoy it at all.

Can any of you guys recommend the must do or see things for the 4th of July? I've seen the concerts and fireworks on PBS in the past. Is the Mall the place to be? I am assuming that the crowds will be huge.

 

[dgreen]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I heard about the dinosaurs. It has to be one of the most crowded rooms in all the Smithsonian Institutions. On the plus side, though, I think the Washington Monument might be back open by then. If it is, I'd suggest getting the cheap tickets (like $1.50 each) online to make sure you can get up there. Otherwise, I think you have to get in line at like 4 AM to get a free ticket the day you want to go. Seriously, that's what I've heard. Never done that, but that's pretty much what you used to have to do. Maybe it's different now with the online tickets. Other good views of the city are from the National Cathedral and Old Post Office Pavilion (someday to be a Donald Trump hotel). Each have observation decks. Nothing like the Empire State Building, of course, but pretty good views.

Cheap tickets are also available online for the National Archives (but that's not nearly as difficult to get into as the Washington Monument). Free tickets are needed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (see a bunch of money printed) and Holocaust Memorial (if you think your kids are up for something like that).

I'm sure you've done this, but I'd suggest looking around the Smithsonian site to see what special exhibits are at each museum to help plan your trip.

The National Building Museum is not part of the Smithsonian and is a lesser known spot. It does have an admission for some of the exhibits.

Oh, and there's a Navy ship docked at the Navy Yard (near the Nats stadium) that is free and open to the public. It's called the USS Barry, if you are interested and want to look it up. If you go to a game, probably worth swinging by the Barry and hanging out in Yards Park before the game.

You used to be able to take a canal ride in Georgetown, but they've stopped those and only do them from Great Falls. I remember doing that during a school field trip and keep meaning to take my kids. Since you'll have a car, swinging by Great Falls either to or from Udvar Hazy might be a good idea. And then hit that restaurant suggested earlier in Tysons Corner. Actually, just remembered those rides are on the Maryland side of the river (Udvar and Tysons Corner are in VA), so not sure if it's worth driving back and forth across the river just for that. You can access views of the falls, though, from either the VA or MD side.

Thanks. Definitely want to hit the National Cathedral toured it when I was about my boys age and the view is amazing. The Old Post Office was a shopping mall when I was last there, 1985 or 86. Is it still? We'll definitely visit the Barry, my boys love that kind of stuff and so do I. We probably wont go to a Nats game. I'm not a huge baseball fan and while I would love to see the park, my wife would not enjoy it at all.

The Old Post Office is still basically a mall that isn't worth visiting other than to go to the observation deck in the tower.

Can any of you guys recommend the must do or see things for the 4th of July? I've seen the concerts and fireworks on PBS in the past. Is the Mall the place to be? I am assuming that the crowds will be huge.

People will be sitting in various spots along The Mall and other places.

I go downtown almost every year. My favorite spot to sit is the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln is a fairly close spot and can be pretty loud. (Not sure if that would be a problem or not since I know absolutely nothing about Aspergers.) Sitting on the lawn around the Washington Monument would also be close to the action.

There's a concert in front of the Capitol and those seats will put you a little further away from the explosions and lights. The Jefferson Memorial is also a little further from the action and there will be a decent crowd there.

Then there are places along the VA side of the Potomac. People will set up along the banks of river and The Pentagon parking lots will even be open for people to sit there. Watching the show from a boat or a rooftop are typically considered the elite places to be (kind of like luxury suites at a game), but

All of the different options have varying difficulty when it comes to getting back to your hotel. If you go downtown, you either have to be willing to just hang out for a while (probably close to 2 hours) while you wait for Metro to clear out some, fight the crowds and treat being smashed into a train as a "fun" experience, or do some walking to put yourself in a better spot to get on a train. I guess you could also grab yourself a parking spot in a garage early in the day and fight your way out of the city in your car.

I've tried many different things in the past and can offer some ideas if you have your mind set on a particular seating location and are open to an exit strategy that may not be all that simple.

 

[Mr. Ected]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I heard about the dinosaurs. It has to be one of the most crowded rooms in all the Smithsonian Institutions. On the plus side, though, I think the Washington Monument might be back open by then. If it is, I'd suggest getting the cheap tickets (like $1.50 each) online to make sure you can get up there. Otherwise, I think you have to get in line at like 4 AM to get a free ticket the day you want to go. Seriously, that's what I've heard. Never done that, but that's pretty much what you used to have to do. Maybe it's different now with the online tickets. Other good views of the city are from the National Cathedral and Old Post Office Pavilion (someday to be a Donald Trump hotel). Each have observation decks. Nothing like the Empire State Building, of course, but pretty good views.

Cheap tickets are also available online for the National Archives (but that's not nearly as difficult to get into as the Washington Monument). Free tickets are needed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (see a bunch of money printed) and Holocaust Memorial (if you think your kids are up for something like that).

I'm sure you've done this, but I'd suggest looking around the Smithsonian site to see what special exhibits are at each museum to help plan your trip.

The National Building Museum is not part of the Smithsonian and is a lesser known spot. It does have an admission for some of the exhibits.

Oh, and there's a Navy ship docked at the Navy Yard (near the Nats stadium) that is free and open to the public. It's called the USS Barry, if you are interested and want to look it up. If you go to a game, probably worth swinging by the Barry and hanging out in Yards Park before the game.

You used to be able to take a canal ride in Georgetown, but they've stopped those and only do them from Great Falls. I remember doing that during a school field trip and keep meaning to take my kids. Since you'll have a car, swinging by Great Falls either to or from Udvar Hazy might be a good idea. And then hit that restaurant suggested earlier in Tysons Corner. Actually, just remembered those rides are on the Maryland side of the river (Udvar and Tysons Corner are in VA), so not sure if it's worth driving back and forth across the river just for that. You can access views of the falls, though, from either the VA or MD side.

Thanks. Definitely want to hit the National Cathedral toured it when I was about my boys age and the view is amazing. The Old Post Office was a shopping mall when I was last there, 1985 or 86. Is it still? We'll definitely visit the Barry, my boys love that kind of stuff and so do I. We probably wont go to a Nats game. I'm not a huge baseball fan and while I would love to see the park, my wife would not enjoy it at all.

The Old Post Office is still basically a mall that isn't worth visiting other than to go to the observation deck in the tower.

Can any of you guys recommend the must do or see things for the 4th of July? I've seen the concerts and fireworks on PBS in the past. Is the Mall the place to be? I am assuming that the crowds will be huge.

People will be sitting in various spots along The Mall and other places.

I go downtown almost every year. My favorite spot to sit is the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln is a fairly close spot and can be pretty loud. (Not sure if that would be a problem or not since I know absolutely nothing about Aspergers.) Sitting on the lawn around the Washington Monument would also be close to the action.

There's a concert in front of the Capitol and those seats will put you a little further away from the explosions and lights. The Jefferson Memorial is also a little further from the action and there will be a decent crowd there.

Then there are places along the VA side of the Potomac. People will set up along the banks of river and The Pentagon parking lots will even be open for people to sit there. Watching the show from a boat or a rooftop are typically considered the elite places to be (kind of like luxury suites at a game), but

All of the different options have varying difficulty when it comes to getting back to your hotel. If you go downtown, you either have to be willing to just hang out for a while (probably close to 2 hours) while you wait for Metro to clear out some, fight the crowds and treat being smashed into a train as a "fun" experience, or do some walking to put yourself in a better spot to get on a train. I guess you could also grab yourself a parking spot in a garage early in the day and fight your way out of the city in your car.

I've tried many different things in the past and can offer some ideas if you have your mind set on a particular seating location and are open to an exit strategy that may not be all that simple.

If you are staying on the VA side of the river, the area around the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) is a great area to see the fireworks. You are up on a hill overlooking the river and the whole National Mall. Before and after, you are not that far from the Rosslyn Metro station in Arlington, which is on both the Blue and Orange lines, which makes travel easy.

 

[dgreen]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I heard about the dinosaurs. It has to be one of the most crowded rooms in all the Smithsonian Institutions. On the plus side, though, I think the Washington Monument might be back open by then. If it is, I'd suggest getting the cheap tickets (like $1.50 each) online to make sure you can get up there. Otherwise, I think you have to get in line at like 4 AM to get a free ticket the day you want to go. Seriously, that's what I've heard. Never done that, but that's pretty much what you used to have to do. Maybe it's different now with the online tickets. Other good views of the city are from the National Cathedral and Old Post Office Pavilion (someday to be a Donald Trump hotel). Each have observation decks. Nothing like the Empire State Building, of course, but pretty good views.

Cheap tickets are also available online for the National Archives (but that's not nearly as difficult to get into as the Washington Monument). Free tickets are needed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (see a bunch of money printed) and Holocaust Memorial (if you think your kids are up for something like that).

I'm sure you've done this, but I'd suggest looking around the Smithsonian site to see what special exhibits are at each museum to help plan your trip.

The National Building Museum is not part of the Smithsonian and is a lesser known spot. It does have an admission for some of the exhibits.

Oh, and there's a Navy ship docked at the Navy Yard (near the Nats stadium) that is free and open to the public. It's called the USS Barry, if you are interested and want to look it up. If you go to a game, probably worth swinging by the Barry and hanging out in Yards Park before the game.

You used to be able to take a canal ride in Georgetown, but they've stopped those and only do them from Great Falls. I remember doing that during a school field trip and keep meaning to take my kids. Since you'll have a car, swinging by Great Falls either to or from Udvar Hazy might be a good idea. And then hit that restaurant suggested earlier in Tysons Corner. Actually, just remembered those rides are on the Maryland side of the river (Udvar and Tysons Corner are in VA), so not sure if it's worth driving back and forth across the river just for that. You can access views of the falls, though, from either the VA or MD side.

Thanks. Definitely want to hit the National Cathedral toured it when I was about my boys age and the view is amazing. The Old Post Office was a shopping mall when I was last there, 1985 or 86. Is it still? We'll definitely visit the Barry, my boys love that kind of stuff and so do I. We probably wont go to a Nats game. I'm not a huge baseball fan and while I would love to see the park, my wife would not enjoy it at all.

The Old Post Office is still basically a mall that isn't worth visiting other than to go to the observation deck in the tower.

Can any of you guys recommend the must do or see things for the 4th of July? I've seen the concerts and fireworks on PBS in the past. Is the Mall the place to be? I am assuming that the crowds will be huge.

People will be sitting in various spots along The Mall and other places.

I go downtown almost every year. My favorite spot to sit is the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln is a fairly close spot and can be pretty loud. (Not sure if that would be a problem or not since I know absolutely nothing about Aspergers.) Sitting on the lawn around the Washington Monument would also be close to the action.

There's a concert in front of the Capitol and those seats will put you a little further away from the explosions and lights. The Jefferson Memorial is also a little further from the action and there will be a decent crowd there.

Then there are places along the VA side of the Potomac. People will set up along the banks of river and The Pentagon parking lots will even be open for people to sit there. Watching the show from a boat or a rooftop are typically considered the elite places to be (kind of like luxury suites at a game), but

All of the different options have varying difficulty when it comes to getting back to your hotel. If you go downtown, you either have to be willing to just hang out for a while (probably close to 2 hours) while you wait for Metro to clear out some, fight the crowds and treat being smashed into a train as a "fun" experience, or do some walking to put yourself in a better spot to get on a train. I guess you could also grab yourself a parking spot in a garage early in the day and fight your way out of the city in your car.

I've tried many different things in the past and can offer some ideas if you have your mind set on a particular seating location and are open to an exit strategy that may not be all that simple.

If you are staying on the VA side of the river, the area around the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) is a great area to see the fireworks. You are up on a hill overlooking the river and the whole National Mall. Before and after, you are not that far from the Rosslyn Metro station in Arlington, which is on both the Blue and Orange lines, which makes travel easy.

Can't believe I forgot about Iwo Jima. Definitely a popular spot. Is the train you catch in Rosslyn not already completely packed?

 

[Don Quixote]

Iwo Jima is pretty popular on the Virginia side for watching the fireworks. There's also Gravelly Point just north of National airport (also cool as planes landing or taking off will go directly over your head), and you can stretch out along the Mount Vernon biking trail from there north towards Iwo Jima. If you want to be extra lazy, you can walk from your hotel to the Masonic memorial, which is on top of a hill and you can see them from there.

But, if this is a once in a lifetime type thing and you don't mind dealing with the crowds, the Mall is the place to be.

 

[Mr. Ected]

Yeah, I was pretty shocked when I heard about the dinosaurs. It has to be one of the most crowded rooms in all the Smithsonian Institutions. On the plus side, though, I think the Washington Monument might be back open by then. If it is, I'd suggest getting the cheap tickets (like $1.50 each) online to make sure you can get up there. Otherwise, I think you have to get in line at like 4 AM to get a free ticket the day you want to go. Seriously, that's what I've heard. Never done that, but that's pretty much what you used to have to do. Maybe it's different now with the online tickets. Other good views of the city are from the National Cathedral and Old Post Office Pavilion (someday to be a Donald Trump hotel). Each have observation decks. Nothing like the Empire State Building, of course, but pretty good views.

Cheap tickets are also available online for the National Archives (but that's not nearly as difficult to get into as the Washington Monument). Free tickets are needed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (see a bunch of money printed) and Holocaust Memorial (if you think your kids are up for something like that).

I'm sure you've done this, but I'd suggest looking around the Smithsonian site to see what special exhibits are at each museum to help plan your trip.

The National Building Museum is not part of the Smithsonian and is a lesser known spot. It does have an admission for some of the exhibits.

Oh, and there's a Navy ship docked at the Navy Yard (near the Nats stadium) that is free and open to the public. It's called the USS Barry, if you are interested and want to look it up. If you go to a game, probably worth swinging by the Barry and hanging out in Yards Park before the game.

You used to be able to take a canal ride in Georgetown, but they've stopped those and only do them from Great Falls. I remember doing that during a school field trip and keep meaning to take my kids. Since you'll have a car, swinging by Great Falls either to or from Udvar Hazy might be a good idea. And then hit that restaurant suggested earlier in Tysons Corner. Actually, just remembered those rides are on the Maryland side of the river (Udvar and Tysons Corner are in VA), so not sure if it's worth driving back and forth across the river just for that. You can access views of the falls, though, from either the VA or MD side.

Thanks. Definitely want to hit the National Cathedral toured it when I was about my boys age and the view is amazing. The Old Post Office was a shopping mall when I was last there, 1985 or 86. Is it still? We'll definitely visit the Barry, my boys love that kind of stuff and so do I. We probably wont go to a Nats game. I'm not a huge baseball fan and while I would love to see the park, my wife would not enjoy it at all.

The Old Post Office is still basically a mall that isn't worth visiting other than to go to the observation deck in the tower.

Can any of you guys recommend the must do or see things for the 4th of July? I've seen the concerts and fireworks on PBS in the past. Is the Mall the place to be? I am assuming that the crowds will be huge.

People will be sitting in various spots along The Mall and other places.

I go downtown almost every year. My favorite spot to sit is the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln is a fairly close spot and can be pretty loud. (Not sure if that would be a problem or not since I know absolutely nothing about Aspergers.) Sitting on the lawn around the Washington Monument would also be close to the action.

There's a concert in front of the Capitol and those seats will put you a little further away from the explosions and lights. The Jefferson Memorial is also a little further from the action and there will be a decent crowd there.

Then there are places along the VA side of the Potomac. People will set up along the banks of river and The Pentagon parking lots will even be open for people to sit there. Watching the show from a boat or a rooftop are typically considered the elite places to be (kind of like luxury suites at a game), but

All of the different options have varying difficulty when it comes to getting back to your hotel. If you go downtown, you either have to be willing to just hang out for a while (probably close to 2 hours) while you wait for Metro to clear out some, fight the crowds and treat being smashed into a train as a "fun" experience, or do some walking to put yourself in a better spot to get on a train. I guess you could also grab yourself a parking spot in a garage early in the day and fight your way out of the city in your car.

I've tried many different things in the past and can offer some ideas if you have your mind set on a particular seating location and are open to an exit strategy that may not be all that simple.

If you are staying on the VA side of the river, the area around the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) is a great area to see the fireworks. You are up on a hill overlooking the river and the whole National Mall. Before and after, you are not that far from the Rosslyn Metro station in Arlington, which is on both the Blue and Orange lines, which makes travel easy.

Can't believe I forgot about Iwo Jima. Definitely a popular spot. Is the train you catch in Rosslyn not already completely packed?

It might be. One thought that comes to mind is that there might be street parking in and around the Rosslyn area, get some dinner (or bring a picnic) and head over to the memorial. Afterwards, just walk back to your car. I would think on a National Holiday you would be OK on longer street parking. Can anyone in Arlington help on this?

 

[Spanky267]

Thanks guys. I think the Iwo Jima Memorial spot would be great. But this is kind of a once in a lifetime trip for my boys so we may have to venture to the Mall, Lincoln Memorial or Capitol Hill. Is the Concert at Capitol Hill the one they show on PBS? I think it would be cool to see that. As for the noise, we can bring ear plugs or muffs for my son. He normally covers his ears if things get too loud for him. But he enjoys fireworks. I dont particularly want to drive anywhere. We are just driving to an from Washington so that the boys get the road trip experience. We did it in 2008 when we spent 2 weeks out west. Drove 6000 miles in the car over that two weeks and the boys loved it. Plus we can see some other cool sights on the way up and back. We like to leave for the trip really early in the morning, say 3am, so that we can get to our desitnation with a few hours of daylight left so that we can explore a bit.

 

[Todd Andrews]

I assume the public schools in Petworth are currently ones you'd want to avoid, but I haven't paid much attention lately.

The area itself is doing a lot better than 15 years ago. I kinda view it as being on the "edge" of the nicer areas to the west.

Shady stuff still goes down. My wife had a highschool classmate murdered @ the NY Ave Metro stop about 2 years back. I've got a buddy who live @ a condo development @ 5th and Mass and that area seems to be improving. The first couple of years, there used to be street walkers and dealers out and about every night. In fact, one time I walked up to my car and a 200 lb hooker was sitting on the hood of my car resting. She politely moved her girth elsewhere when I politely asked her to do so. But, the past year or so, all of that stuff seems cleaned up.

Meanwhile, if you head farther into NW, it is super safe. Its just insanely expensive. My wife stopping work when we had our first also was a big big factor in the decision to move to MD. I love Kensington though, great neighborhood.

You are near me--I have a young un at Garrett Park Elementary.

How old? My daughter is in kindergarten @ Rock View. She did go to the co-op preschool for about a month at Garrett Park. We didn't like it though.

Second grader. We have friends with kids at the co-op but we didnt put our youngest there. They seem to like it.

 

[dgreen]

Thanks guys. I think the Iwo Jima Memorial spot would be great. But this is kind of a once in a lifetime trip for my boys so we may have to venture to the Mall, Lincoln Memorial or Capitol Hill. Is the Concert at Capitol Hill the one they show on PBS? I think it would be cool to see that. As for the noise, we can bring ear plugs or muffs for my son. He normally covers his ears if things get too loud for him. But he enjoys fireworks. I dont particularly want to drive anywhere. We are just driving to an from Washington so that the boys get the road trip experience. We did it in 2008 when we spent 2 weeks out west. Drove 6000 miles in the car over that two weeks and the boys loved it. Plus we can see some other cool sights on the way up and back. We like to leave for the trip really early in the morning, say 3am, so that we can get to our desitnation with a few hours of daylight left so that we can explore a bit.

Yes, the concert at the Capitol is the same as the one on PBS. (OK, I've never actually watched it on PBS, but I think I'm safe in this assumption.) The Capitol is good for the concert experience. I think you might need tickets (probably free passes) to sit in certain areas, but most of the grass around the area will be open to anyone. I've only sat over there once and I found the fireworks very underwhelming from that distance. You are going to be about a mile away. However, you should have a very easy exit because the Yellow Line (which goes by your hotel) runs near there. The one time I sat at the Capitol, we walked up to Gallery Place (less than a mile) to hop on yellow. Archives is closer, but I assumed that would be too crowded, so we kept going one more stop. When our train pulled into Archives Station, it didn't look too bad, so you could probably do that.

As I said, though, the Lincoln is my favorite spot. Really good atmosphere and crowd and you are closer to the fireworks (half mile, at most). Having the Memorial directly behind you helps keep the sound right there and you can feel some of the explosions. Downside is a more difficult exit back to your hotel and no concert (even though I've been there some years when the crowd will just start singing).

 

[(HULK)]

I assume the public schools in Petworth are currently ones you'd want to avoid, but I haven't paid much attention lately.

The area itself is doing a lot better than 15 years ago. I kinda view it as being on the "edge" of the nicer areas to the west.

Shady stuff still goes down. My wife had a highschool classmate murdered @ the NY Ave Metro stop about 2 years back. I've got a buddy who live @ a condo development @ 5th and Mass and that area seems to be improving. The first couple of years, there used to be street walkers and dealers out and about every night. In fact, one time I walked up to my car and a 200 lb hooker was sitting on the hood of my car resting. She politely moved her girth elsewhere when I politely asked her to do so. But, the past year or so, all of that stuff seems cleaned up.

Meanwhile, if you head farther into NW, it is super safe. Its just insanely expensive. My wife stopping work when we had our first also was a big big factor in the decision to move to MD. I love Kensington though, great neighborhood.

You are near me--I have a young un at Garrett Park Elementary.

How old? My daughter is in kindergarten @ Rock View. She did go to the co-op preschool for about a month at Garrett Park. We didn't like it though.

Second grader. We have friends with kids at the co-op but we didnt put our youngest there. They seem to like it.

We didn't feel that the "teacher" was doing much teaching. Mostly just jawwing with whatever parent was co-oping.

And by "we", I mean my wife and I just went along...

 

[Apple Jack]

I'm assuming the Cemetery station is going to be open, so if at the Lincoln, you could just walk across the bridge and catch the blue line there. Probably avoid a lot of the crowd issues that way, too.

 

[dgreen]

I'm assuming the Cemetery station is going to be open, so if at the Lincoln, you could just walk across the bridge and catch the blue line there. Probably avoid a lot of the crowd issues that way, too.

Tons of people walk across the Memorial Bridge and use that station. We used to park on the side of the road over there and walk to the Lincoln. We'd always see huge lines backed-up above ground trying to get down into the station. Foggy Bottom would probably be a better entry point, but I've never really witnessed what that station is like after the fireworks. Either way, you are boarding an already full train if you are headed toward Springfield. Trains headed back downtown would be empty and you could take that into town and over to Yellow and back out toward Eisenhower. I've never tried that, but that might be what I try if we go down this year.

Basically, you either have to wait it out, be ok with dealing with the mobs, or be willing to take a non-direct route and work your way around. My suggestion would be to find a restaurant, sit down for dessert/coffee/whatever, and wait it out if you really don't need to be anywhere.

 

[Mr. Ected]

Haven't done this in a LONG time, but you used to be able to get passes to get into tours of Capitol thru your Rep. Is this still done? With all the security?

 

[Todd Andrews]

I assume the public schools in Petworth are currently ones you'd want to avoid, but I haven't paid much attention lately.

The area itself is doing a lot better than 15 years ago. I kinda view it as being on the "edge" of the nicer areas to the west.

Shady stuff still goes down. My wife had a highschool classmate murdered @ the NY Ave Metro stop about 2 years back. I've got a buddy who live @ a condo development @ 5th and Mass and that area seems to be improving. The first couple of years, there used to be street walkers and dealers out and about every night. In fact, one time I walked up to my car and a 200 lb hooker was sitting on the hood of my car resting. She politely moved her girth elsewhere when I politely asked her to do so. But, the past year or so, all of that stuff seems cleaned up.

Meanwhile, if you head farther into NW, it is super safe. Its just insanely expensive. My wife stopping work when we had our first also was a big big factor in the decision to move to MD. I love Kensington though, great neighborhood.

You are near me--I have a young un at Garrett Park Elementary.

How old? My daughter is in kindergarten @ Rock View. She did go to the co-op preschool for about a month at Garrett Park. We didn't like it though.

Second grader. We have friends with kids at the co-op but we didnt put our youngest there. They seem to like it.

We didn't feel that the "teacher" was doing much teaching. Mostly just jawwing with whatever parent was co-oping.

And by "we", I mean my wife and I just went along...

lol, I wondered about the dynamic in there. My 3 yr old is next door at the MCCA in the old brick Garret Park schoolhouse in front of the new elementary school. We are real happy with them. They also handle the after school for the elementary in there and have summer programs we have used when we needed filler time between camps and such.

 

[dgreen]

Haven't done this in a LONG time, but you used to be able to get passes to get into tours of Capitol thru your Rep. Is this still done? With all the security?

Yes, I believe this still happens. You'll submit names ahead of time and they likely do background checks. I think this is also the way to set up White House tours.