The ***OFFICIAL*** Washington, DC thread (1 Viewer)

[Mr. Ected]

I could somewhat understand Thursday, but I felt like it really only needed a delayed opening.  The Friday closures/delays were a bit weird to me.

It seems like a lot are announcing early closures today (Alexandria announced they were doing that).

Friday was due to wind chills.

Out here in Loudoun, we have some classrooms that are separate from the main buildings (they are kinda prefab trailer-like buildings) and they were extremely cold late last week (in the 50s) so there is some thought by parents that that may have added to the push to close.

 

[trident]

Out here in Loudoun, we have some classrooms that are separate from the main buildings (they are kinda prefab trailer-like buildings) and they were extremely cold late last week (in the 50s) so there is some thought by parents that that may have added to the push to close.

Fairfax County has a lot of schools under renovation as well and my daughter's high school has probably 20 trailers...  Not sure what the temperature in them were, but better safe than sorry...

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Me again,

We had such a good time during our trip to DC in October.  Made quite the impression on the kid.  So much so, she's a applying to a 2-week pre-college program on-campus at George Washington University this summer.  I'm all for it. She loved visiting DC and is considering majoring in Political Science, so may as well kick the tires on GWU.  No matter where she ends up, IMO the program would be a great adventure for her.  

Not going to get too far ahead of myself, but if this is a go she will be in DC the second half of July.  My wife isn't the type to put the kid on a plane by herself and say "good luck", so if this is a go I'll be in DC for a bit this summer.  The MLB All-Star Game this season is at the Nationals ballpark and is while the kid would be at GWU, so I might have a late July East Coast baseball stadium tour mapped out by this afternoon.

 

[Mr. Ected]

Me again,

We had such a good time during our trip to DC in October.  Made quite the impression on the kid.  So much so, she's a applying to a 2-week pre-college program on-campus at George Washington University this summer.  I'm all for it. She loved visiting DC and is considering majoring in Political Science, so may as well kick the tires on GWU.  No matter where she ends up, IMO the program would be a great adventure for her.  

Not going to get too far ahead of myself, but if this is a go she will be in DC the second half of July.  My wife isn't the type to put the kid on a plane by herself and say "good luck", so if this is a go I'll be in DC for a bit this summer.  The MLB All-Star Game this season is at the Nationals ballpark and is while the kid would be at GWU, so I might have a late July East Coast baseball stadium tour mapped out by this afternoon.

Went to GW, 1992 for International Affairs. Loved that school. Haven't been there in a long time, which is odd considering I'm just outside of town.

Take this with the huge grain of salt considering I graduated 20+ years ago. The dorms were great, they were converted old apartments and hotels that they made into student housing. Most of them (with the exception of the dorm where you lived solo) had bathrooms in the rooms. Many (mostly for upperclassmen) had kitchens. Also because of legalities of having bathrooms, we had cleaners come thru. Now they didn't do much more than clean the bathroom and vacuum, but it was nice.

The school is great, back in the day it was expensive, so I assume it is the same today. Always thought that being in DC helps a ton for doing off-campus work (internships, etc), I had a paid internship that I started my freshman year that evolved into a job after school.

If you have any questions, I may be able to help, but take into account that I'm old!

HTH!

 

[dschuler]

1.  Anyone excited for the Caps playoffs?  Good bars to go to around the area for the games?

2.  It looks like Amazon HQ2 will be announced this year.  Front runner looks to be the DC area, either the city, North VA, or Montgomery county.  Amazon is visiting Atlanta later this month but rumor has it they hurt themselves with their recent fight with Delta.  Does anyone have a specific location in mind around the DMV?  I think National Harbor or Anacostia isn’t out of the picture even though it’s not being talked about as everything seems to be moving out there, but the transportation would still be an issue.  Lots of real estate for cheap in that area as well along with parks and would be very close to DC. 

 

[Mr. Ected]

1.  Anyone excited for the Caps playoffs?  Good bars to go to around the area for the games?

2.  It looks like Amazon HQ2 will be announced this year.  Front runner looks to be the DC area, either the city, North VA, or Montgomery county.  Amazon is visiting Atlanta later this month but rumor has it they hurt themselves with their recent fight with Delta.  Does anyone have a specific location in mind around the DMV?  I think National Harbor or Anacostia isn’t out of the picture even though it’s not being talked about as everything seems to be moving out there, but the transportation would still be an issue.  Lots of real estate for cheap in that area as well along with parks and would be very close to DC. 

I wonder if Bezos owning The Post might help pull Amazon here. I think NoVA will be where they end up. There is a ton of space close to the city. I have heard Pentagon City/Crystal City as area, since there is a bunch of open space. I wonder if things may be cheaper a bit further out (plus being close to IAD might help) especially with the extension of the metro.

I don't know much about taxes and such but I wonder if there may be some benefits to NoVA, since there are other HQs here.

 

[dschuler]

I wonder if Bezos owning The Post might help pull Amazon here. I think NoVA will be where they end up. There is a ton of space close to the city. I have heard Pentagon City/Crystal City as area, since there is a bunch of open space. I wonder if things may be cheaper a bit further out (plus being close to IAD might help) especially with the extension of the metro.

I don't know much about taxes and such but I wonder if there may be some benefits to NoVA, since there are other HQs here.

Yeah that makes a lot of sense too.  Close to the city, yellow and blue line metro I think, and the Reagan airport right there.  The only thing is the space, which the HQ in Seattle is over 8 million square feet with plans to go to 12 million square feet!  To put that into perspective, AT&T stadium in Texas is only 3 million square feet, the Verizon Center here is only about 1 million square feet.   Insane. 

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/watch-amazons-seattle-campus-quadruple-in-size-in-a-decade/

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Tyson's Corner is making a big push, too. 

 

[dgreen]

I don't know much about taxes and such but I wonder if there may be some benefits to NoVA, since there are other HQs here.

In general, I think VA is more “business friendly.” But, I think MD is offering up to $5B in incentives to Amazon. 

 

[Mr. Ected]

I wonder if Bezos owning The Post might help pull Amazon here. I think NoVA will be where they end up. There is a ton of space close to the city. I have heard Pentagon City/Crystal City as area, since there is a bunch of open space. I wonder if things may be cheaper a bit further out (plus being close to IAD might help) especially with the extension of the metro.

I don't know much about taxes and such but I wonder if there may be some benefits to NoVA, since there are other HQs here.

Yeah that makes a lot of sense too.  Close to the city, yellow and blue line metro I think, and the Reagan airport right there.  The only thing is the space, which the HQ in Seattle is over 8 million square feet with plans to go to 12 million square feet!  To put that into perspective, AT&T stadium in Texas is only 3 million square feet, the Verizon Center here is only about 1 million square feet.   Insane. 

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/watch-amazons-seattle-campus-quadruple-in-size-in-a-decade/

From what I understand, there is a bunch of empty space in Pentagon City/Crystal City because of government reductions. Maybe they would go there for initial period until a better, more complete campus could be built elsewhere.

 

[dgreen]

From what I understand, there is a bunch of empty space in Pentagon City/Crystal City because of government reductions. Maybe they would go there for initial period until a better, more complete campus could be built elsewhere.

Not sure where the Potomac Yards redevelopment stands. That shopping center was intended to be temporary until they decide what to ultimately do with the land. It should have a new Metro station in the next few years. 

 

[The_Man]

Rumor I've heard from some semi-connected people is that DC is a prime frontrunner, but that they might end up dividing portions of HQ2 between northern Virginia and Maryland - maximizing the government goodies they get and increasing their political clout with more than just one congressional delegation, while gaining flexibility with the specs they need for space, infrastructure, etc. It's not about owning The Post, it's about Bezos knowing his company's future will be largely determined by regulation (or lack thereof) and he wants to have a very close connection to Capitol Hill. 

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Me again,

We had such a good time during our trip to DC in October.  Made quite the impression on the kid.  So much so, she's a applying to a 2-week pre-college program on-campus at George Washington University this summer.  I'm all for it. She loved visiting DC and is considering majoring in Political Science, so may as well kick the tires on GWU.  No matter where she ends up, IMO the program would be a great adventure for her.  

Not going to get too far ahead of myself, but if this is a go she will be in DC the second half of July.  My wife isn't the type to put the kid on a plane by herself and say "good luck", so if this is a go I'll be in DC for a bit this summer.  The MLB All-Star Game this season is at the Nationals ballpark and is while the kid would be at GWU, so I might have a late July East Coast baseball stadium tour mapped out by this afternoon.

Not sure I'm 100% in on this yet... but if I'm in town and available on July 19... who wants to see Derek Smalls with the National Symphony Orchestra: Lukewarm Water Live: An Adventure in Loud Music at the Kennedy Center?

 

[GoBirds]

Guys, looking for any advice on where to stay we are thinking of taking our kids( boys 4 and 6)to DC for the first time to catch the Nationals home opener then hit museums the day after. Can this be pulled off with kids this young and would you stay Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, or near the White House/museums? Can we get around by Uber/Metro or will it be a disaster with kids this young? Any help appreciated think we are going to charge it next Wed-Sat. 

 

[dgreen]

Guys, looking for any advice on where to stay we are thinking of taking our kids( boys 4 and 6)to DC for the first time to catch the Nationals home opener then hit museums the day after. Can this be pulled off with kids this young and would you stay Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, or near the White House/museums? Can we get around by Uber/Metro or will it be a disaster with kids this young? Any help appreciated think we are going to charge it next Wed-Sat. 

As long as you’re comfortable navigating cities and using public transit, it can definitely be pulled off and I don’t see why it would be a disaster. 

Any of those locations are fine. I imagine they’re all pretty expensive for hotels. DuPont Circle is on the red line and will require transferring to a different line to get to the museums and main sites along The Mall. Again, though, nothing to worry about if you’re comfortable with that sort of thing. 

 

[GoBirds]

As long as you’re comfortable navigating cities and using public transit, it can definitely be pulled off and I don’t see why it would be a disaster. 

Any of those locations are fine. I imagine they’re all pretty expensive for hotels. DuPont Circle is on the red line and will require transferring to a different line to get to the museums and main sites along The Mall. Again, though, nothing to worry about if you’re comfortable with that sort of thing. 

Booked the Marriott Courtyard Convention Center, but can change it......looked like it’s on the right line to get to Nationals game and walking distance to a lot of other attractions? I’m ok with cities but expect the kids minds to be blown.  Think that location works? Tough finding a spot to fit us all reasonably. Also looked at the Hyatt or Embassy Suites by DuPont but worry about longer ride to the game and switching lines. 

 

[dgreen]

Booked the Marriott Courtyard Convention Center, but can change it......looked like it’s on the right line to get to Nationals game and walking distance to a lot of other attractions? I’m ok with cities but expect the kids minds to be blown.  Think that location works? Tough finding a spot to fit us all reasonably. Also looked at the Hyatt or Embassy Suites by DuPont but worry about longer ride to the game and switching lines. 

Yep, good location. Waking distance to Metro Center and Gallery Place which includes all 6 metro lines, so you can go anywhere without having to switch lines. It’s also close enough to walk to parts of The Mall and some museums. 

 

[The General]

Rumor I've heard from some semi-connected people is that DC is a prime frontrunner, but that they might end up dividing portions of HQ2 between northern Virginia and Maryland - maximizing the government goodies they get and increasing their political clout with more than just one congressional delegation, while gaining flexibility with the specs they need for space, infrastructure, etc. It's not about owning The Post, it's about Bezos knowing his company's future will be largely determined by regulation (or lack thereof) and he wants to have a very close connection to Capitol Hill. 

This is exactly it. Would be shocked if he puts it anywhere else.

 

[GoBirds]

Yep, good location. Waking distance to Metro Center and Gallery Place which includes all 6 metro lines, so you can go anywhere without having to switch lines. It’s also close enough to walk to parts of The Mall and some museums. 

Any advice for the Nationals game, looks like kids zone is close to outfield seats so may be best seats? If metro too packed after any other options for getting back besides Uber? Thinking maybe head there early for batting practice so metro ride there isn’t bad. 

 

[dschuler]

Rumor I've heard from some semi-connected people is that DC is a prime frontrunner, but that they might end up dividing portions of HQ2 between northern Virginia and Maryland - maximizing the government goodies they get and increasing their political clout with more than just one congressional delegation, while gaining flexibility with the specs they need for space, infrastructure, etc. It's not about owning The Post, it's about Bezos knowing his company's future will be largely determined by regulation (or lack thereof) and he wants to have a very close connection to Capitol Hill. 

Especially with the monopoly word being thrown around right now with these big tech names after this Facebook debacle, along with additional regulations possibly on the horizon from Congress at some point.  These big tech names went from being loved by everyone to in the cross hairs of the government overnight.  This was a great week for DC to increase their chance to get Amazon.  

 

[thecatch]

Any advice for the Nationals game, looks like kids zone is close to outfield seats so may be best seats? If metro too packed after any other options for getting back besides Uber? Thinking maybe head there early for batting practice so metro ride there isn’t bad. 

The metro after the game gets pretty packed. My 4 year old would definitely not handle it well. If you get there for batting practice, the kids may want to leave the game early anyway in which case the train shouldn’t be too bad. 

 

[TobiasFunke]

Any advice for the Nationals game, looks like kids zone is close to outfield seats so may be best seats? If metro too packed after any other options for getting back besides Uber? Thinking maybe head there early for batting practice so metro ride there isn’t bad. 

Some stuff I've picked up taking preschool aged kids to Nats games the last couple seasons:

- The Metro usually isn't that bad, and my kids love riding it. Opening Day might be a little worse than a normal game, though, especially if the game is close (meaning everyone leaves at the same time) plus there's the rush hour concern on the back end. If you want to avoid overwhelming crowds just leave before the 9th inning and it'll be fine. Or you can walk a couple blocks to the alternate Navy Yard metro entrance at New Jersey and M Street SE and use that. Or if you want to wait until the crowds thin out, there's an ice cream shop two blocks east of Nats Park called Ice Cream Jubilee. It's situated near a park type area and a riverwalk that has boats and ducks and other crap that 4 year olds usually like. After 20 minutes of ice cream and/or looking at boats and whatnot you should be able to use any transportation option you want pretty easily, although you'll still have the normal rush hour crowds. Just look up the ice cream shop on google maps and you'll see what I'm talking about.

- The Nats concession people never seem to be ready for sold-out crowds, so be ready to either get stuff from the vendors in the aisles or wait a while.

- The kids playground usually has a line so long it kills the entire purpose of going to a baseball game. My kids have never actually gone to the playground because of the lines; they just go to the nearby team store and harass me into buying them overpriced Nats stuff instead. Might be shorter lines for Opening Day, though.

- My kids can't get enough of the racing presidents. After the president's race (middle of the 4th inning) they usually reemerge at the base of the ramp to the upper levels behind Section 131 to take pictures with kids and whatnot.

- There's also a stroller check by Section 131, if you want to have a backup plan in case your little one reaches that dreaded cranky "I'm too tired to walk" phase.

If things go sideways for any reason I'm your huckleberry.  Wife and I will be there sans kids and we live on the Metro green line four stops north of your hotel. I'll PM contact info and our seats.

 

[dgreen]

Yeah, I was going to say to just check out The Yards Park for a while after the game if you are concerned about transportation difficulty. Maybe even eat dinner in the area. 

 

[GoBirds]

@dgreen, @TobiasFunke, @thecatch appreciate it fellas, hope to book it all tonight and make a quick run up for a couple days. The 4 yr old is a firecracker and they've never been to a real city so it should be real but YOLO right?

 

[Don Quixote]

Feels like the least excitement for either the NBA/NHL playoffs in DC in quite awhile, despite both teams making it.  Maybe a combination of Wizards struggling down the stretch, and, after a decade of hope, people know what to expect from the Caps (plus they are a bit down this year, and mostly the beneficiary of a weak division). 

That means this is the year one or both of them break through, right?

 

[dgreen]

Feels like the least excitement for either the NBA/NHL playoffs in DC in quite awhile, despite both teams making it.  Maybe a combination of Wizards struggling down the stretch, and, after a decade of hope, people know what to expect from the Caps (plus they are a bit down this year, and mostly the beneficiary of a weak division). 

That means this is the year one or both of them break through, right?

Hard to get excited for predictable heartbreak. 

 

[TobiasFunke]

Feels like the least excitement for either the NBA/NHL playoffs in DC in quite awhile, despite both teams making it.  Maybe a combination of Wizards struggling down the stretch, and, after a decade of hope, people know what to expect from the Caps (plus they are a bit down this year, and mostly the beneficiary of a weak division). 

That means this is the year one or both of them break through, right?

Yeah it definitely feels different this April. I think it's a combination of what you said- getting beat down year after year plus this year's Wiz/Caps teams are weaker than what we've usually had the last few years.

But like you suggest, maybe exhausted resignation from the fans will be exactly what they needed. No pressure!

 

[Don Quixote]

Welp, Caps gonna Caps. And Wizards done in by their inferior bench.

There goes the no pressure potentially causing different results theory.

 

[tom22406]

Welp, Caps gonna Caps. And Wizards done in by their inferior bench.

There goes the no pressure potentially causing different results theory.

You left out the Nats who have now switched jerseys with the Mets early on.Gotta love ya some D.C. sports teams  :X

It's almost as if they are trying to out suck each other.

 

[Sebowski]

You left out the Nats who have now switched jerseys with the Mets early on.Gotta love ya some D.C. sports teams  :X

It's almost as if they are trying to out suck each other.

DC United has 1 win in their first 6 games of the season! 

 

[dgreen]

All three teams play tomorrow night. Should be a blast.

 

[TobiasFunke]

All three teams play tomorrow night. Should be a blast.

What's everyone drinking tonight to get through this very special DC sports trifecta with all three teams playing as road underdogs vs teams they already trail?

I'm probably gonna go with a nice bourbon and xanax.

 

[Don Quixote]

What's everyone drinking tonight to get through this very special DC sports trifecta with all three teams playing as road underdogs vs teams they already trail?

I'm probably gonna go with a nice bourbon and xanax.

I may go John Lee Hooker style... one bourbon (Caps), one scotch (Wizards), and one beer (Nats).

 

[dgreen]

https://twitter.com/1timmurray/status/986447008079777792?s=21

Nats win
Caps win
Wizards held opponent under 131

 

[Sebowski]

I can't even day I'm happy the Caps won. I probably feel the same as if they lost. I'm going to need a Caps series clinching game to get in to it again. 

 

[Sabertooth]

I'm bringing the family to DC this summer in late June.  Do you guys have any recommendations on where to stay.   We've read you want to be pretty close to the Metro.  So we want that, but which areas are decent, and where should we avoid?  Myself, wife, two daughters 11 and 14.  We are driving but plan to leave vehicle parked at hotel. 

Also, any recommendations on things to do that aren't staring at plaques and monuments would be helpful.  Definitely hitting Natural History and Art Museums.  

How would this be for a decent itinerary for us?  

https://washington.org/dc-itinerary/3-days-in-washington-dc-for-families

 

[dgreen]

I'm bringing the family to DC this summer in late June.  Do you guys have any recommendations on where to stay.   We've read you want to be pretty close to the Metro.  So we want that, but which areas are decent, and where should we avoid?  Myself, wife, two daughters 11 and 14.  We are driving but plan to leave vehicle parked at hotel. 

Also, any recommendations on things to do that aren't staring at plaques and monuments would be helpful.  Definitely hitting Natural History and Art Museums.  

How would this be for a decent itinerary for us?  

https://washington.org/dc-itinerary/3-days-in-washington-dc-for-families

If you try the new African American museum, I'd be interested to hear whether you were able to get tickets or not. I still haven't tried because my understanding is that it is still hard to get into, but maybe that's not true anymore.

Anyone gone yet?

 

[Don Quixote]

If you try the new African American museum, I'd be interested to hear whether you were able to get tickets or not. I still haven't tried because my understanding is that it is still hard to get into, but maybe that's not true anymore.

Anyone gone yet?

 I went to it last summer.  I reserved the tickets on one of the release days.  They release all of the tickets for a month at once (2-3 months out).  If you just keep track of the release day in your calendar or something and log in at the release time, they are pretty easy to get.

 

[Don Quixote]

I'm bringing the family to DC this summer in late June.  Do you guys have any recommendations on where to stay.   We've read you want to be pretty close to the Metro.  So we want that, but which areas are decent, and where should we avoid?  Myself, wife, two daughters 11 and 14.  We are driving but plan to leave vehicle parked at hotel. 

Also, any recommendations on things to do that aren't staring at plaques and monuments would be helpful.  Definitely hitting Natural History and Art Museums.  

How would this be for a decent itinerary for us?  

https://washington.org/dc-itinerary/3-days-in-washington-dc-for-families

For hotels, there are plenty of options and neighborhoods.   A lot of new stuff opening up in the Convention Center area, which has easy access to the various Metro lines.

On the itinerary, I think you can cut Georgetown and the Eastern Market kind of stuff.  Georgetown is a lot of high-end shops, which you can probably do anywhere.  Eastern Market might be a place to go for dinner, but I wouldn't spend waste a day there.  I'd probably do one day of walking around monuments/White House and hitting a couple of museums (such as the ones that you mentioned).  Second day, a half-day doing a tour of the Capitol building and hitting a couple more museums (such as Air & Space, American History, or Portrait Gallery).  Third day, maybe get out of the city a bit.  Since you have a car, maybe hit Mount Vernon.  You could also do Arlington Cemetery (by Metro).

 

[Mr. Ected]

For hotels, there are plenty of options and neighborhoods.   A lot of new stuff opening up in the Convention Center area, which has easy access to the various Metro lines.

On the itinerary, I think you can cut Georgetown and the Eastern Market kind of stuff.  Georgetown is a lot of high-end shops, which you can probably do anywhere.  Eastern Market might be a place to go for dinner, but I wouldn't spend waste a day there.  I'd probably do one day of walking around monuments/White House and hitting a couple of museums (such as the ones that you mentioned).  Second day, a half-day doing a tour of the Capitol building and hitting a couple more museums (such as Air & Space, American History, or Portrait Gallery).  Third day, maybe get out of the city a bit.  Since you have a car, maybe hit Mount Vernon.  You could also do Arlington Cemetery (by Metro).

@Sabertooth - Mount Vernon is a great option, especially on a good weather day. Your girls are probably learning about GW in school.

On the way back, Old Town Alexandria is a fun place to do for dinner, great place to walk around for restaurants.

 

[TobiasFunke]

For hotels, there are plenty of options and neighborhoods.   A lot of new stuff opening up in the Convention Center area, which has easy access to the various Metro lines.

On the itinerary, I think you can cut Georgetown and the Eastern Market kind of stuff.  Georgetown is a lot of high-end shops, which you can probably do anywhere.  Eastern Market might be a place to go for dinner, but I wouldn't spend waste a day there.  I'd probably do one day of walking around monuments/White House and hitting a couple of museums (such as the ones that you mentioned).  Second day, a half-day doing a tour of the Capitol building and hitting a couple more museums (such as Air & Space, American History, or Portrait Gallery).  Third day, maybe get out of the city a bit.  Since you have a car, maybe hit Mount Vernon.  You could also do Arlington Cemetery (by Metro).

I'm gonna disagree with you on Georgetown, only because @Sabertooth said he's gonna have a 14 year old girl and an 11 year old girl with him.  Georgetown is tween girl heaven.  Otherwise, good advice here. Eastern Market might be good on Saturday morning just to get away from the tourist path and get a bit of local flavor, but otherwise you can skip it.

Late June is no good for one of my two standard recommendations, seeing the Supreme Court in session. But it's perfect for my other standard recommendation, hitting the monuments at night instead of during the day.

Also, the article was dead on about the waterfront/Nats Park area.  It's totally transformed and worth checking out, especially in late June when it'll be all polished and ready to go for the All-Star game two weeks later.  Lotta good stuff down there, and another chance to get away from the well-worn tourist path and see the rest of the city.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

+1 on the Monuments at Night tour.  Went to DC for about a week last fall and that was one of our favorite things.  We found a tour guide through TripAdvisor that took people out in small groups via electric cart.    There were cheaper options, but doing the tour as a group of 8 (including the guide) appeared to be a lot more fun than some of the buses rolling around.  

 

[dgreen]

I'm gonna disagree with you on Georgetown, only because @Sabertooth said he's gonna have a 14 year old girl and an 11 year old girl with him.  Georgetown is tween girl heaven.  Otherwise, good advice here. Eastern Market might be good on Saturday morning just to get away from the tourist path and get a bit of local flavor, but otherwise you can skip it.

Late June is no good for one of my two standard recommendations, seeing the Supreme Court in session. But it's perfect for my other standard recommendation, hitting the monuments at night instead of during the day.

Also, the article was dead on about the waterfront/Nats Park area.  It's totally transformed and worth checking out, especially in late June when it'll be all polished and ready to go for the All-Star game two weeks later.  Lotta good stuff down there, and another chance to get away from the well-worn tourist path and see the rest of the city.

And if you like walking around old, urban neighborhoods, it's hard to beat Georgetown. Getting off M street or Wisconsin Ave and walking through the residential areas is great for anyone who likes that kind of stuff. The waterfront park is decent, too.

And, yeah, I love that they highlighted the Nats Park area. It's still under development, but a lot of good stuff and it's fairly lively on a nice, sunny day (like that picture of the wading pool).

 

[Don Quixote]

I'm gonna disagree with you on Georgetown, only because @Sabertooth said he's gonna have a 14 year old girl and an 11 year old girl with him.  Georgetown is tween girl heaven.  Otherwise, good advice here. Eastern Market might be good on Saturday morning just to get away from the tourist path and get a bit of local flavor, but otherwise you can skip it.

Late June is no good for one of my two standard recommendations, seeing the Supreme Court in session. But it's perfect for my other standard recommendation, hitting the monuments at night instead of during the day.

Also, the article was dead on about the waterfront/Nats Park area.  It's totally transformed and worth checking out, especially in late June when it'll be all polished and ready to go for the All-Star game two weeks later.  Lotta good stuff down there, and another chance to get away from the well-worn tourist path and see the rest of the city.

That is fair on Georgetown with tweens.  Not something that I factored into my post.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

My daughter will be spending two weeks at GWU this summer.  It’s a pre-college program that will be mix of content on campus at GWU (she will stay in the dorms) and Capitol Hill.  We’re very excited about this opportunity for her.

Thanks to the regulars in this thread.  I know the great visit we had to DC last fall played a big part in her wanting to apply to this program, and y’all gave us some great recommendations that made our trip so special.  

 

[Don Quixote]

My daughter will be spending two weeks at GWU this summer.  It’s a pre-college program that will be mix of content on campus at GWU (she will stay in the dorms) and Capitol Hill.  We’re very excited about this opportunity for her.

Thanks to the regulars in this thread.  I know the great visit we had to DC last fall played a big part in her wanting to apply to this program, and y’all gave us some great recommendations that made our trip so special.  

Nice.  It's been awhile since I was student, but happy to offer any GW advice.  I still have GW hoops season tickets and mostly just head over to campus for that these days, but unfortunately not the season for that.

 

[Sabertooth]

What about staying down right by the National Mall.  Residence Inn down there maybe?  Pros? Cons? 

 

[Don Quixote]

What about staying down right by the National Mall.  Residence Inn down there maybe?  Pros? Cons? 

Where is that specifically? Kind of a mixed bag depending on where. North of the Mall has some good neighborhoods and restaurants.

South of the Mall is fine, but it is a lot of government office buildings, and not as many food options nearby.

 

[Brunell4MVP]

What about staying down right by the National Mall.  Residence Inn down there maybe?  Pros? Cons? 

I'm sure there is good advice here that I won't dive back into, but my two cents having lived here for almost 50 years...

Like DQ said, stay north of the mall.  There is a Courtyard Marriott kind of between Chinatown and Penn Quarter Metros.  I'd guess it's called their Convention Center location, which as some mentioned is a decent area.  It's not bad for the price and convenient to the Tourist stuff - Capitol, WH, Smithsonian Museums, Spy Museum, Supreme Court, Archives).  Some good restaurants near there too.  

South of the Mall is L'Enfant plaza and it's govie buildings.  I think the Residence Inn is down that way so I'd pass on that.  Staying south of mall is zzz.  The few things worth seeing south of the mall that you can taxi too are are the Holocaust museum and the Waterfront.  You can take a taxi to them.  The SW waterfront is very cool now.  Hanks Oyster Bar and some good restaurants.  One well kept secret is to go to Whiskey Charlie for drinks and apps before wherever you eat.  It's on the top of a hotel with a rooftop terrace.  One of the best views in town.  Not sure it's great for tweens though so I guess skip it this trip.  We often go there for an hour, then go to Del Mar de Fabio Trabocchi for an awesome, awesome dinner.  (note - there is also an area called the SE Waterfront that is near the Navy Yard and Nats Park - it's fine too but not as nice as the SW Waterfront ... opinions vary).

GTown I'd pass on.  But that's just me.  Some people love it.  If you like old row houses and lots and lots and lots of boutique clothing stores, it's perfect.  Some OK restaurants there too.

Mount Vernon and Old Town I like a lot.  I'm a history buff so MV is awesome.  Then go to Old Town for dinner.  It's cool to see the changing of the guard at Arlington Cemetery.  Could be too much in one day though.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

What about staying down right by the National Mall.  Residence Inn down there maybe?  Pros? Cons? 

I liked staying within walking distance of the National Mall, but that’s where we spent most of our time during our visit.  There are buses that service the Mall that run about every 10-15 minutes and have stops convenient to monuments and the museums, so between those buses and the Metro we got by without renting a car.  

There seemed to be more action north of the Mall than south, especially north of the eastern half of the Mall.  That’s where we picked a lot of restaurants.  We also liked the National Portrait Gallery and the Newseum, which are off the Mall in that area.

We walked across the bridge from Lincoln Memorial to Arlington Cemetery.  I thought it was beautiful, and got the bonus of watching planes take off from Reagan and quickly changing course so they didn’t fly over DC.  My wife and daughter didn’t like how close we were to fast-moving cars.  But there’s a Metro station right at Arlington, and you can drive to it.  

The narrow sliver of Alexandria we saw we liked a lot.  We took the Metro down, walked down King Street until we got to the water. If a business looked interesting, we popped in and took a look.  There’s an artist installation by the water that’s a converted old torpedo factory.  That was fun.  Didn’t quite time it right to take a water taxi back up to DC, so we grabbed the bus the runs King Street back to the Metro station.