OT: Moving to D.C.

[UGHV]

Not sure if this is the best forum to post in, but I will be moving to D.C. shortly. Just looking for any tips/suggestions/recommendations on the best places to live/eat/drink/visit; places to watch cuse games etc.

Thanks in advance and Go Orange!

 

[Shark58]

live in NW or the Burbs (MD/VA)

don't live in SE

F GTown

 

[Hoo's That]

The traffic in Northern Virginia (NoVa) is nothing short of horrendous. If you are working in DC itself, look for places near Metro rail if possible.

 

[Shark58]

The traffic in Northern Virginia (NoVa) is nothing short of horrendous. If you are working in DC itself, look for places near Metro rail if possible.

couldn't find Gleebe or Veitch with a gun to my head, but whenever I get lost in NoVa, I end up on one or the other

 

[SoBeCuse]

- I spend a couple of weeks in DC every summer. I would look into Columbia Heights. Obviously DC is very expensive. Columbia Heights has a nice neighborhood scene and it's far enough from all the diplomatic/embassy/corporate buildings and tourist vibe but still feels very urban. I really like DC. If I could afford a big place there I would choose Dupont Circle or Georgetown (gasp) but it is too freaking expensive there.

- Meridian Pint in Columbia Heights (11th St.) is hands down one of the best beer bars serving amazing bar food (lots of local food) I have ever been to. The prices are very unlike DC. A real gem.

- El Chucho is almost across from Meridian Pint. Awesome mod mex spot. Great food. Killer mezcal selection.

- Hank's Oyster Bar- As good as it gets for oysters, very good seafood in a relaxed setting. Hank's has one of the best oyster happy hours anywhere. Good cocktails too. I like the Dupont location but any of them are great. Pearl Dive is also good for oysters. They have a good happy hour too. That's on 14th St. not too far away.

- Le Diplomate- 14 Street also. A DC classic French style old school brasserie. Always solid and reasonable prices. Excellent service.

- Jack Rose Dining Saloon- Top 5 single malt scotch/bourbon bars in the world. Their single malt list is a 37 PAGES! Small print too. They have tons of rare BlackAdder series and such. Adams Morgan area.

- Toki Underground- H Street, Atlas District. One of the best ramen spots anywhere. Always packed. Sort of hard to find.

- Ben's Chili Bowl- U Street. Right nestled in that party zone there. U Street was called the 'Black Broadway' back in the day. It's the famous chili dog spot. Worth it late night after a bender. It's prob $2 too much for the dogs but whatever. They are good! The original half smoked dog is what you get there.

- Jose Andres is the big restaurateur in DC. I personally think his regime is quite overrated. Really pricey, miniscule portions, etc. But, Zaytinya is excellent. It's a big, always busy, modern Mediterranean spot. Go for lunch.

- BlueJacket Brewery- Navy Yard area. Very close to the Nationals stadium on the water. Really good beers. Cool space.

I have plenty of more intel but that should get you started. I really haven't done the Cuse scene there since Iverson was there. There are Cuse bars around. The area around the arena has changed quite a bit. It used to be a really bad area. Now it's cleaned up but very sterile, imo. It's all corporate crap and condos around there. Chinatown is pretty much gone unfortunately. The restaurants suck around the arena. Mostly chain garbage and a very overrated Jose Andres spot called Oyamel. (Although some pretty awesome mezcals/tequilas there.)

 

[jr4750]

It definitely depends on where you will be working. I live in Kalorama, which is great, between Woodley Park and Dupont. I echo the sentiments above. Be near a metro line. Logan Circle, Shaw, Dupont are the hotter spots, and more expensive, as they are closer to a bulk of the best locations (14th St. U St., etc.) Capitol Hill is cool, and as you get further out, Eastern Market, etc., it gets cheaper. Georgetown has a lot going on, but it is isolated (no metro) and expensive. Plus its freaking Georgetown. The GW area is pretty cool, and kinda between Georgetown and Dupont.

 

[orangefog]

I don't know much about DC, but I bet an up and coming area is the swamp, I heard it has recently been drained.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

live in NW or the Burbs (MD/VA)

don't live in SE

F GTown

LOL...my father lives SE...block and a half from the Capitol...unbelievable area with convenient access to everything...

UGVH, you might want to disregard what Shark says...

 

[Bayside44]

How old are you and where will you be working?

 

[SoBeCuse]

It definitely depends on where you will be working. I live in Kalorama, which is great, between Woodley Park and Dupont. I echo the sentiments above. Be near a metro line. Logan Circle, Shaw, Dupont are the hotter spots, and more expensive, as they are closer to a bulk of the best locations (14th St. U St., etc.) Capitol Hill is cool, and as you get further out, Eastern Market, etc., it gets cheaper. Georgetown has a lot going on, but it is isolated (no metro) and expensive. Plus its freaking Georgetown. The GW area is pretty cool, and kinda between Georgetown and Dupont.

Yeah, I like the GW area too. Foggy Bottom Metro stop. Good call.

 

[Eric15]

Not sure if this is the best forum to post in, but I will be moving to D.C. shortly. Just looking for any tips/suggestions/recommendations on the best places to live/eat/drink/visit; places to watch cuse games etc.

Thanks in advance and Go Orange!

We live in Howard County, MD now about 40 minutes away, but prior to this we lived in Silver Spring just over the DC line. If you're trying to balance affordability with great access to the city, I would strongly recommend Silver Spring.

Home - The Point at Silver Spring I'm the guy on the home page doing yoga in the courtyard with those hot girls. (just kidding)

 

[SU94]

Not sure if this is the best forum to post in, but I will be moving to D.C. shortly. Just looking for any tips/suggestions/recommendations on the best places to live/eat/drink/visit; places to watch cuse games etc.

Thanks in advance and Go Orange!

Old Town Alexandria is terrific and you can feel the history around it.
Capitol Hill area is great too if you are okay with living in a smaller space.

 

[UGHV]

How old are you and where will you be working?

I am 30...office will be in NE.

Thanks all for the tips!

 

[suttree]

Not sure if this is the best forum to post in, but I will be moving to D.C. shortly. Just looking for any tips/suggestions/recommendations on the best places to live/eat/drink/visit; places to watch cuse games etc.

Thanks in advance and Go Orange!

Congratulations! I lived in DC from '90 to '94 and have huge nostalgia for that period of my life. One of my all-time favorite world cities. Traffic really was a nightmare when I lived in Northern Virginia and commuted to Rosslyn, but it got much better (though more expensive) when I lived in NW at Military & Connecticut (very close to Chevy Chase), because the Metro was close by. I spent several months living there without a car, long before the era of ride-sharing, and I did just fine.

Since I've been gone so long, I unfortunately don't have much to offer by way of places to live or things to eat. I was back there a few years ago and so much had changed. I will, however, put in a vote for the Texas Five-Way chili at the Hard Times Cafe (multiple metro locations, but I think the original is on King Street in Old Town Alexandria). They serve the chili over spaghetti. Don't ask questions. It's fantastic. You will smell like it for hours, and maybe even days. Rejoice, and add a few beers.

Enjoy the hell out of that city. Fantastic museum scene, great green spaces, and major cultural and policy events happening all the time. Don't miss out!

 

[Bayside44]

I am 30...office will be in NE.

Thanks all for the tips!

A bunch of us live in Alexandria but are older and married.

If you're single the city is your oyster...how far into NE is your office?

 

[UGHV]

A bunch of us live in Alexandria but are older and married.

If you're single the city is your oyster...how far into NE is your office?

I am married as well...the office is on V St. right near the Maryland line.

 

[Bayside44]

I am married as well...the office is on V St. right near the Maryland line.

OK - that's a bit off the beaten path.

If you want to go Alexandria in or around Old Town or Del Ray (Del Ray is / was a starter family area) you can do that, commute over the WW Bridge and hit 295 to get to your office.

This is way too hipster for me (most things are), but to shorten the commute in an emerging area Brookland is a thing and you will be close to work.

 

[Eric15]

This is way too hipster for me (most things are)

Bayside I was told that you rock skinny jeans like no other.

 

[Bayside44]

Bayside I was told that you rock skinny jeans like no other.

Stop talking to Chip

 

[OttoMets]

Given your office location, I'd agree with the Brookland recommendation. It's come a long way since I lived down there, and it's an easy red line hop to many places you'll want to go. I worked near Fort Lincoln for about six months in 2006 and 2007. Nothing was out there, but that's not the end of the world - it's fairly easy to get around on that side of the city.

For food, it's a great area. Go with SoBeCuse's recs (except for Ben's Chili Bowl...sorry, just can't stand their food) and look into Tom Sietsema's column in the Post to stayed tuned into the local food scene. He's one of the best.

I think Sign of the Whale is still a Syracuse bar. Down between Dupont and Foggy Bottom (both still fairly fun neighborhoods, not totally Disney-fied quite yet).

Museums are great (Holocaust and the National Portrait Gallery are two of my favorites) and there are a lot of terrific public greenspaces. The arboretum and Congressional Cemetery are both not too far from your workplace and very much worth a visit.

Also, golf at the public NPS courses is very inexpensive. Langston is close to your workplace. Kind of a quirky course, and it's next door to Springarn High School, alma mater of Dave Bing and/or Sherman Douglas.

Fun town. I thought the summertime heat and humidity was miserable, but it was a great place to live otherwise. Though Metro has been grossly mismanaged and might be in a death spiral...

 

[Chip]

Stop talking to Chip

People ask my opinions. They get my opinions.

 

[orangefog]

People ask my opinions. They get my opinions.

In 90 words or less, what is your opinion of Georgetown?

 

[Chip]

In 90 words or less, what is your opinion of Georgetown?

They don't look good in skinny jeans. No matter what time it is.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Given your office location, I'd agree with the Brookland recommendation. It's come a long way since I lived down there, and it's an easy red line hop to many places you'll want to go. I worked near Fort Lincoln for about six months in 2006 and 2007. Nothing was out there, but that's not the end of the world - it's fairly easy to get around on that side of the city.

For food, it's a great area. Go with SoBeCuse's recs (except for Ben's Chili Bowl...sorry, just can't stand their food) and look into Tom Sietsema's column in the Post to stayed tuned into the local food scene. He's one of the best.


Ha! I only have had one item at Ben's a few times. Just that signature smoked chili dog. I would never order anything else and it's a strictly post-bender situtation since U Street gets crazy and good people watching late at night. Yeah, the heat and humidity in the summer can be brutal for sure.

 

[orangefog]

They don't look good in skinny jeans. No matter what time it is.

While I agree with your opinion, one could argue that although they don't look good, it is appropriate attire for them.