One of the first things I was told was in the form of a joke:
Q: How long does it take to walk from the White House to the Capitol?
A: They don't know - nobody's made it yet!

Can someone please explain why all the out of state cars are still parked on the streets at 5pm Monday-Friday when my father and I are trying to get home in the summer!!! :rolleyes:

But on another note, love DC, raised in MD, but the parents have worked there my whole life.

Getting ready to move to Alexandria myself in September after grad school.

Definitely hit up chinatown, that's where the spy museum and MCI center are.

Also, the mall has a lot of stuff during the summer, festivals, movies, etc. If you go for the 4th of july, be careful though, it can get pretty crazy!
:)

I was never in DC on the 4th. I was always with my nutso family for family reunions. I would love to experience a July 4th in DC

The first baby I ever held is getting married on Friday, July 1st. As mr. honeychile has never been to DC or Baltimore (!!), I've convinced him to visit our friends in Baltimore, then go to the Mall for the 4th. I can't wait!!

*Must check DC United's schedule to see if they're playing then!!

I think it depends on where you are. I've been to the mall on the 4th and it was fun, but not crazy. I was forbiddene by Mr. Jhujenn when I first moved out here to go to the mall on the 4th so the first summer after we broke-up I promptly marched myself down there with a cooler full of drinks and snacks for the day. My friends and I had fun, but I definately wouldn't call it crazy.

ditto on getting a local map, especially if you are going to be driving. And watch out for the circles. You can end up driving all day around the same area - lol.

Senusret, is Georgia Brown's still open? It has/had a nice Sunday brunch.

Yep. When my daughter attended Howard, they were told explicitly not to go out at night alone. And when you are walking hold your purse close to you in a way that the strap is not visible.

The area around Howard is a whole different thing compared to other parts of the city. I went to school about 10 blocks over and always felt very safe.

These are the very things that ADQTPiMel needs to know! When you've been there, you realize that the same street can do a 180 as to its safety between daylight and nightime. Or that the same street is good for 10 blocks, then becomes scary.

So dish it up, DC folk! We want to have her back with us, safe and sound, after this summer!

I've been in D.C. for the past 2 years and my experience seems to be different from many of the people here.

1. I lived in SE my 1L year. Granted, I lived by Eastern Market, not across the river, but I definitely would not say to "stay out of SE". I love Eastern Market and that whole area, there are tons of great shops and restaurants.

2. I think the metro is pretty safe at night. It is always clean now and I have never had a problem. My first summer I had no car and got home each night around 11:00pm. I then walked 5 blocks through SE to my house and never was bothered. I occasionally got catcalled at, but that happened more in the daytime than at night. Now, I am not suggesting that you go out at night alone on the regular, I always party in groups, I am just saying the DC metro is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY safer than many of the other NE coase metro systems (I just tried Philly's last weekend.)

3. The summer is full of rain! I am from Houston, so I know humid heat, that was not my DC experience. My experience was storm, after storm, after storm- followed by Hurricane Isabel that October.

4. D.C. is HELLA expensive- for a Southern or Midwestern girl you will find this to be true. However, look for a little thing called rent control! I rent a 1,000 square foot apt in the D.C. part of Chevy Chase (Connec. and Military) for under $1,000. That is less than $1.00/sq foot- that is cheaper than TX price!

5. TEAR THE CLUB UP! D.C. has a great night life, and guess what, its not all in Adams Morgan. Explore! Have fun, don't be scared of the city, embrace it!

6. The shopping is good at the afore-mentioned places. I would also try Mustard Seed in Bethesda, it is a great little vintage shop.

7. If you want something touristy to do, go on a bike tour of the monuments- I have heard its great!

8. Georgia Brown's is still open, try the shrimp and grits. From this soul food raised Southerner, its pretty good!

9. Also try Spices or Asia Cafe for sushi, Chicken Out for a quick, HEALTHY REAL meal (read baked chicken, veggies, potatoes, etc...), Bread and Chocolate in Eastern Market for desserts or Sunday brunch, Oceanaire for a ritzy seafood dinner (very pricey), and Armands for pizza buffet.

Hope this helps!

Just want to clarify:

I love DC. If I ever decide to leave MN that is where I would go!

I would definitely agree with this ;) .

Thanks for all your help, everyone!

Eh, I really don't think it's that scary down there. Maybe I'm just naive? I just make sure I'm aware of my surroundings and keep my head up and I've never felt scared.

Mel, I don't know where you're staying, but if it's near a Metro station, and your office is near a Metro station, just take the Metro. I hate driving downtown...a lot of roads all run diagonal and there are traffic circles and a lot of them aren't very well marked, and it's pretty easy to get turned around if you're not familiar with the area. I mean, if you have parking at your apartment, by all means bring your car, but it may not be best to depend on it for day-to-day travelling.

I don't know which complex I'll be in or whether I'll be in Arlington or Bethesda, but all the complexes have Metro stops right outside. Since parking spots cost about $250 to rent, I'm not planning on taking my car. I seriously heart the Metro.

I'm really not that worried about safety...I've been to DC about 10 times over the years, so I know a little about it.

Regarding the 4th of July in DC -- it's a must. But a lot has changed.

For one thing, there is no longer alcohol allowed on the mall the police is very very strict.

So the days of lounging with a cooler full of beer throwing a frizbee around are over.

They are trying to make it more family friendly I think.

It can get very very crowded so it's god to get there early but then once you're there the sun is blaring down on you and it's hot so plan ahead.

The fireworks are always great and it's so much fun.

DC is a great city.