Where to stay in DC?

[calamari kid]

So Mrs C and I are thinking about hitting the John Stewart and Stephen Colbert rally on the mall Oct 30th. Where might we find reasonably priced accommodation? Any suggestions for travel in the area?

[Gahread]

Damn, but you're quick! Wish I was somewhere east of the Mississippi back in the US right now, because I'd be headed there with you.

It's amazing how this whole thing has taken off. Somebody has an idea in the middle of the night, writes a "Wouldn't it be cool if..." random post on Reddit, and comes in the next morning to find thousands of "HELL YES!" replies.

Then it gets turned into "If you're really serious about this, donate to DonorsChoose.org, one of Steven's favorite charities, to prove that it's more than just an Internet petition." Aaaand suddenly there's almost ten times as much money raised for it as any drive in the history of the charity. Their servers were crushed beneath the sudden wave of people coming to donate money.

Now it's actually going to happen. Freaking awesome.

[Jaeger]

Aw FUCK. I'd say you could crash with us, but we're gonna be out of town that weekend.

How long you gonna be in town? I'm assuming you'll be renting a car? My suggestion is this: there's a very nice hotel here in Reston right next to the highway (and close to Dulles Airport). They have very nice and (relatively) inexpensive rooms on the weekend (they primarily exist for business meetings during the week).

CLICK HERE FOR RATES, ETC.

I suggest that unless you can stay with friends in DC that you expect to stay outside the district and drive/Metro in. Otherwise you WILL get raped on the hotel prices.

--Jaeger

[Davros]

I have 2 couches here at the shop. With a shower for toiletry necessities. Close to the Metro, etc...
Not luxury accommodations but ...

[mtne]

I have 2 couches here at the shop. With a shower for toiletry necessities. Close to the Metro, etc...
Not luxury accommodations but ...

...... it does feel like home.

[dozer]

I've got crash space in Baltimore, bout 40 minutes outside of DC, but that way you're closer to brunch (and me!). Also will likely have a car/motorcycle for you to borrow, ifn ya need it.

[Jaeger]

Yeah, honestly, if Davros can provide that's prob your best bet. Avoiding trying to get in/out of the city (especially during a big rally) can be a real bitch.

Free lodging in the District is just about as good as you'll find.

--Jaeger

[calamari kid]

Thanks all for the info and offers. No solid plans yet, I expect we'll be flying in late fri and heading out sun. It'd be great to hook up with folks if time and schedules allow.

I have 2 couches here at the shop. With a shower for toiletry necessities. Close to the Metro, etc...
Not luxury accommodations but ...

Oooo, would I get to see the dalek? I just have to figure out how to sell the wife on couch surfing.

[12ci]

well, here is the tea bagger's guide to washington dc:

Herein a visitors' guide. I will be updating it daily. Please post any issues you want addressed or researched.


I am told (but did not check) that hotels are very full. If one stays at interstate hotels (try those along the Richmond Highway in Alexandria or Fairfax County) you can get a room for $40-80 a night. But you will be dependent on driving into DC, not using a subway or bus, as you will be beyond the public transit system's reach.


So this is mainly a list of free, cheap, good, bad, and safe or unsafe things.



Free


One can get free wifi access in many parts of DC: any Starbucks (and often any restaurant adjacent to Starbucks); most Barnes & Noble bookstores (which usually contain a Starbucks); Caribou Coffee (another chain, though it restricts your access to "adult" sites including some FaceBook functions); Illy's (at New Hampshire Avenue and M Streets NW), which also has the best coffee.


Cheap


Silver Diner

3200 Wilson Bouelvard

Arlington, VA

and other locations see: www.silverdiner.com

[Clarendon metro stop, Blue and Orange line)


Pete's Diner

212 2nd Street SE

Washington, DC

(Good reasonably priced food on Capitol Hill; eat with the Congresscritters' staffers; across a side street from the Library of Congress)

[Capitol South metro, Blue and Orange Line]


Tandoori Time

1140 19th Street NW

Washington DC

Lunch buffet all you can eat (Indian) $7.99 plus tax

(downtown business distict)

[Dupont Circle metro, Red Line]


Pasha Bistro

1523 17th Street NW

Washington DC

tasty hamburgers and middle eastern food; free wifi; indoor & outdoor seating

(Dupont Circle, gay area)

[Dupont Circle metro, Red line]


CVS is the DC area drugstore chain and most carry simply hardwares and basic groceries (milk, bread, canned soup, TV dinners)


Trader Joe's

1101 25th Street NW

(25th and L)

Washington DC

Competitively priced food and wine, underground parking garage free to customers, free sample counter in back cooking up a different treat every day

[Foggy Bottom metro, Blue and Orange line]



Good


Libertarianish Virginia economics professor Tyler Cowen extensively explores and reviews restaurants, especially Northern Virginia Asian fare, at http://tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/


Adding my own "bests"


Westend Bistro

1190 22nd Street NW

Washington DC 20037

www.westendbistrodc.com/

DC outpost of Manhattan restauraunteur Eric Ripert. Slightly pricey but the complicated market salad or the spaghetti bolognese can be enjoyed for under $20. Nancy Pelosi, Alan Greenspan, Andrea Mitchell, Clint Eastwood, and other notables, good and evil, local and visiting, may be spotted.

[Dupont Circle metro, Red line, or Foggy Bottom metro, Blue and Orange lines]


Willow

4301 North Fairfax Drive

Arlington, VA

http://www.willowva.com/

Happy hour prices much cheaper than many DC area restaurants. $5 glasses of very good wines and $5 appetizer plates. The quality of the food is similar to posh downtown DC see-and-be-seen places that cost 2-3 times as much. Outdoor and indoor seating.

[Ballston metro, Blue and Orange line]


Jaleo

480 7th Street NW

Washington DC

http://www.jaleo.com/

Really near the Mall and monuments and close to a variety of metro stops. Tapas/Spanish.

[Chinatown metro, Red line]



Safety and Mores


DC's population includes refugees from every country, as the families of embassy staffs of third world countries tend to stay in DC whenever a revolution in their homeland means that anyone in their family would be in danger if they went back. Most taxi drivers and many waiters/waitresses (especially in local coffee shops like the Bread and Chocolate chain) are immigrants, frequently from east Africa or Arab countries. As a rule, African immigrants do not like for you to assume they are African Americans and especially do not like for you to guess they are from a neighboring country (e.g. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia) with whom they may have political or military tensions. It's rare to meet anyone who gets really offended, but you can still be aware of the issue.


Many parts of DC are safe beyond the areas I will list here, but why chance it if you don't know where you are?


If you are on the subway stay on the Red line between Union Station and Shady Grove, Maryland. If you are on the Blue or Orange line do not go past Eastern Market (Capitol Hill) toward the Potomac Avenue stop and beyond; stay in NW DC and points in Virginia. Do not use the Green line or the Yellow line. These rules are even more important at night. There is of course nothing wrong with many other areas; but you don't know where you are, so you should not explore them.


If on foot or in a cab or bus, stay in Bethesda, Arlington (preferably north Arlington), Crystal City, Falls Church, Annandale, or Alexandria, or in DC only in northwest DC west (i.e. larger street numbers) of 14th or 16th streets, or if on Capitol Hill only in SE Capitol Hill (zip 20003) between 1st and 8th Streets, not farther out than 8th (e.g. 9th, 10th etc). (Or stay on the Mall and at the various monuments.) Again there are many other lovely places, from the Catholic University of America to Silver Spring, Maryland. But you don't know where you are so you cannot go, especially at night, unless you take me with you.



Bad


Nancy Pelosi's condo

Washington Harbour

3030 K Street NW

Washington DC 20007

(30th and K Streets NW)


Harry Reid's condo

Ritz-Carlton

1155 23rd Street NW

Washington DC 20037

(23rd and M Streets NW)


Bob Bauer/Anita Dunn

4413 Stanford Street

Chevy Chase, MD 20815


Tom Daschle's house

2830 Foxhall Road NW

Washington DC 20007


(Feel free to protest!)

pretty much just do the opposite of what it says above...



i'd offer space if i had any...
unfortunately the home improvement project shows so signs of completion, so the house is a wreck...

[12ci]

so, how do you feel about camping?

[Davros]

Thanks all for the info and offers. No solid plans yet, I expect we'll be flying in late fri and heading out sun. It'd be great to hook up with folks if time and schedules allow.

I have 2 couches here at the shop. With a shower for toiletry necessities. Close to the Metro, etc...
Not luxury accommodations but ...

Oooo, would I get to see the dalek? I just have to figure out how to sell the wife on couch surfing.

Well, you would get to see some parts of the dalek. I haven't had time to work on it recently.

But, even if the idea of spending the night in a scootere/motorcyclee shoppe doesn't appeal to your wife, there isn't any reason not to stop by anyway.

[rc26]

You still coming into town for this?

[calamari kid]

Nah, we decided to bag it. The cost to time in city ratio just wasn't working for us. Most of our travel dollars and vacation time are tied up in xmas this year. We'll be at the satellite rally in Seattle though.