As advised by a forumer...

This thread is for the visitor to DC. It would be a great resource if any
locals would share information on recreational activities, general tourism,
neighborhoods, hotels, bars, restaurants, and clubs.

Say it once here, and you'll never have to repeat it again!

And to repeat my question in the appropriate thread for posterity....

I am hoping to be in town around the 4th of July. I've been reading
through this thread and other books trying to get a feel where to stay,
but I'd love to have some local opinions...

Questions: Where should a couple stay for easy access to the obvious
sightseeing and tourism? Where should we stay for a more local vibe,
with galleries, small restaurants, bars? Is there a neighborhood that's
best for both?

I'm hoping to stay in a small-ish boutique type of hotel on a tight budget.
Don't need any pampering, just a good spot. Specific names of hotels
would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much in advance!! :)

I am hoping to be in town around the 4th of July. I've been reading
through this thread and other books trying to get a feel where to stay,
but I'd love to have some local opinions...
While 4th of July in DC is great, it also gets extremely crowded. PBS hosts a free concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol, but it can get scary crowded.

Watching fireworks elsewhere on the Mall can put you in close proximity to loud and obnoxious unsavory types, although recent heightened security may have improved things a bit. If you can afford it, watch the fireworks from a leased boat.

Also, since you're a Californian be aware that DC is sweltering in July. Early April and September are probably the best times to visit DC.


Questions: Where should a couple stay for easy access to the obvious
sightseeing and tourism? Where should we stay for a more local vibe,
with galleries, small restaurants, bars? Is there a neighborhood that's
best for both?
For easy access to the popular sights, you'd want to stay in or near Northwest, in particular Dupont Circle, but the area is pricey. A cheaper and not so far off location is Alexandria, which is just south of Reagan National.


I'm hoping to stay in a small-ish boutique type of hotel on a tight budget.
Don't need any pampering, just a good spot. Specific names of hotels
would be greatly appreciated.
The Jurys Hotel in Dupont Circle is fairly good but inexpensive, and its location can't be beat.

I would encourage you to stay in the downtown neighbourhood of Penn Quarter. This neighbourhood is the cultural and entertainment center of Washington, DC and the entire region. No other area in the region has more theatres, museums, galleries, or zagat-rated restaurants than this neighbourhood. I recommend Hampton Inn Convention Center (901 6th Street, NW) (Tel: 1-202-842-2500). Although Hampton Inn is not technically in Penn Quarter, it is 2 blocks from all the action. While this hotel is not small, it is certainly not big. I've stayed there before. The average price during the week is around $150, but that rate goes down on the weekend, sometimes to around $89. This is also below the DC average rate.

This hotel will definitely give you the best of the national museums and the best of local DC.

For a more boutique experience, I recommend Georgetown Inn (1310 Wisconsin Ave NW) in the Georgetown neighbourhood of DC. You can expect rates around $129 per night. This is below the average DC hotel rate. This neighbourhood has a wonderful selection of restaurants, bars, and retail shops.

You can easily catch the DC Circulator bus from Georgetown to other DC hotspots.

Check out these boutique DC hotel websites:
http://www.10best.com/Washington,DC/Hotels_and_Lodging/Boutique_Hotels/index.html
http://www.georgetowncollection.com/

Good luck!

Unfortunately my vacation window is small, so it's the first week of July to the end of August. I presume August is just as sweltering as July? I'm coming from Sacramento where it gets up to 115°F, but there's about 0% humidity. So i guess it's a whole different beast.

Dupont Circle sounds like a great neighborhood. It's important to me that we stay close to the center of the city. What do you think about Downtown? I've read a lot of good things about the Penn Quarter area - so I was trying to chose between Dupont Circle and that.

Thanks for the hotel recommendation - I'll check it out.

edit: this was posted at the same time as the above. :)

i don't think the Monaco is anywhere near my budget - though it looks awesome. I tend to forgo hotel class and splurge on dining and other entertainment.

do you know anything about the Hotel Harrington (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-358161-harrington_hotel-i)? very mixed reviews, unlike Jurys, but i have a lot of love for the old places too.

Unfortunately my vacation window is small, so it's the first week of July to the end of August. I presume August is just as sweltering as July? I'm coming from Sacramento where it gets up to 115°F, but there's about 0% humidity. So i guess it's a whole different beast.

Dupont Circle sounds like a great neighborhood. It's important to me that we stay close to the center of the city. What do you think about Downtown? I've read a lot of good things about the Penn Quarter area - so I was trying to chose between Dupont Circle and that.

Thanks for the hotel recommendation - I'll check it out.

edit: this was posted at the same time as the above. :)

July and August are equally hot/humid. Being in DC on the 4th of July is a completely unique experience, but it's going to be more crowded (especially since the PGA tour will be here that weekend).
I'd say Dupont circle is part of the city's downtown, but it's not part of the tourist downtown. Its a quick Metro hop away from the Mall. You can also walk up Mass Ave from Dupont Circle to see all the embassies and take in the international atmosphere.

Sorry for the confusion, hellobubba. I took the Hotel Monaco out of my post to reflect what you were looking for! :-) You read it before I edited it!

Hotel Harrington is a low-cost hotel. It is in a central location. Close to the subway with easy access to other DC hotspots and close to the National Mall. It seems like a good pic if you don't mind being in the middle of the tourist crowd.

The boutique hotel experience would relieve you of that.

The Latham Hotel (http://www.georgetowncollection.com/latham_hotel/index.cfm) in Georgetown has awesome rates. Some nights during my time frame it's just $70 per night!! So now it begs the question - is Georgetown a good place to stay for a visitor? The photos i've seen look really beautiful. but it seems the neighborhood isn't served by the Metro? does the DC Circulator bus compensate well?

choices, choices... thanks for all the responses so far.

Yes, the DC Circulator is an excellent compensator for Georgetown not having a subway stop. The buses do come fairly regularly. You can take that bus to the Farragut North metro stop on the red line which is on K Street.

As far as Georgetown, it is an excellent choice to stay in order to get a local feel for DC. It also has an international feel with plenty of boutique stores and boutique galleries. You can also have quiet romantic walks along the C&O Canal Towpath which is very near that hotel. Washington Harbour, with all its popular restaurants on the Potomac River, is a five-minute walk away!

I am glad you took a look at that website. A lot of people, locals included, don't know that you can get these types of hotel rates in the city.

Also, the Latham Hotel is right there at the DC Circulator bus stop on M Street! They charge $1 per ride.

$625 total for six nights. i think we found a winner there. and it doesn't sound like staying in Georgetown is any inconvenience as far as access to the downtown areas.

All you locals be sure to drop any restaurants and bars to hit while i'm in town. :cheers1:

thanks for the tip on the concert. sounds like a huge event, but appropriately so.

$625 total for six nights. i think we found a winner there. and it doesn't sound like staying in Georgetown is any inconvenience as far as access to the downtown areas.

All you locals be sure to drop any restaurants and bars to hit while i'm in town. :cheers1:

thanks for the tip on the concert. sounds like a huge event, but appropriately so.

I'd recommend you stay away from Washington Harbor. I ride by there on my bike all the time. It's filled with, but not limited to, yuppies, guidos, and gold diggers. It does provide a good laugh though after an exhausting 30 or 40 mile ride.

I'd try for end of August then. The last couple weeks of August can always be hot, but the chances they will be hot and humid are much less than in July, which is by far the worst month. The middle of July is awful.

I thought being there for the 4th celebration would be cool. I'm so unfamiliar with humid heat - does it suck to even walk around? How are the Metro stations? Do they smell like a hot piss?

HAudidoody - do you mean the neighborhood surrounding the Latham Hotel in Georgetown is to be avoided? or specifically the Harbor? sorry, i'm still learning the locations here..

Being around for the 4th of July celebrations are "cool". And, the "warm" evenings in the summer months of DC are even better.

As for the Metro stations, they are kept quite clean - all year around. Metrorail is one of the cleanest in North America.

$625 for a week sounds like a winner, hellobubba, especially for such an interesting neighbourhood!

I thought being there for the 4th celebration would be cool. I'm so unfamiliar with humid heat - does it suck to even walk around? How are the Metro stations? Do they smell like a hot piss?

HAudidoody - do you mean the neighborhood surrounding the Latham Hotel in Georgetown is to be avoided? or specifically the Harbor? sorry, i'm still learning the locations here..

Oh no no, the neighborhood is great, I'm just not a fan of the people who hang at Washington Harbor proper. I'm not being too serious though.

As far as humidity, if you don't mind being drenched in your own sweat, it shouldn't bother you.

It's not as if every day is terrible though.

Whoops, one other comment. The fireworks display in DC is rather subpar compared to other cities. Don't show up JUST for that.

Being around for the 4th of July celebrations are "cool". And, the "warm" evenings in the summer months of DC are even better.

As for the Metro stations, they are kept quite clean - all year around. Metrorail is one of the cleanest in North America.

$625 for a week sounds like a winner, hellobubba, especially for such an interesting neighbourhood!

yeah the neighborhood was looking pretty good to me. i'm getting way too excited about this trip - being 3 months away and all. haha.

I thought being there for the 4th celebration would be cool. I'm so unfamiliar with humid heat - does it suck to even walk around? How are the Metro stations? Do they smell like a hot piss?

HAudidoody - do you mean the neighborhood surrounding the Latham Hotel in Georgetown is to be avoided? or specifically the Harbor? sorry, i'm still learning the locations here..
HAudidoody is just being facetious. Almost all of Georgetown is wonderful to walk around in. The only downside to G'Town is that it lacks a Metro stop, but it has both a Circulator and a G'Town to Dupont Circle bus (Blue bus).

If you're only going to be in DC for 3 days, then you might not have a chance to explore further afield, but Old Town Alexandria is another very popular tourist spot. It's sort of like G'Town, but a little slower and a little less urban. Take the Yellow Line from L'Enfant Plaza to Alexandria if you want to see Washington's skyline from a slightly different perspective; just be sure to sit on the right side of the subway.

I bike every few weeks from Alexandria to G'Town via the Mt. Vernon Trail. Awesome views to say the least.

The Latham Hotel (http://www.georgetowncollection.com/latham_hotel/index.cfm) in Georgetown has awesome rates. Some nights during my time frame it's just $70 per night!! So now it begs the question - is Georgetown a good place to stay for a visitor? The photos i've seen look really beautiful. but it seems the neighborhood isn't served by the Metro? does the DC Circulator bus compensate well?
The DC Circulators are fantastic looking buses, but they're nowhere near as regular as Metro trains; however, the DC Circulator travels above ground, which is a major plus for a tourist.

Since you'll be staying at the Latham, you might want to check out Citronelle. VERY expensive, but incredible. Crystal City in Arlington also has some restaurants with incredible views of DC.

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$625 total for six nights. i think we found a winner there. and it doesn't sound like staying in Georgetown is any inconvenience as far as access to the downtown areas.

All you locals be sure to drop any restaurants and bars to hit while i'm in town. :cheers1:

thanks for the tip on the concert. sounds like a huge event, but appropriately so.
My favorite restaurant in DC is Jaleo. If you like Tapas, this place is great.

For more expensive food, check out the Prime Rib. You'll probably see someone who runs the country there while eating. Not worth my money though!