WT go to D.C with family were to stay?

[04sonicbeast]

want to go back to D.C next week with my wife, our 2 kids 3 and 3month old and my parents but having trouble finding hotels near the "mall" district or at least walking distance or a hotel outside with shuttle service to the metro. Want to go for 3-4 nights. Suggestions would be appreciated. Thnaks

 

[04sonicbeast]

I meant Where! Dang iPhone auto correct.

 

[Svtkidd23]

In all honesty... I live 45 min from dc and i have been maybe 10x in my life...

But uh there is a nice Hilton.. Really nice.. But man why dc? Lol.. Its a terrible area in parts.. Gas is same as CA prices. Dirty as all get out.

But there is the really nice areas. Like near the caps center...

The metro is terrible @ night time. Ive had a few close calls.. (fights and im not a instigator by any means)
My buddy got jumped for beats headphones last caps season.

But.. If you go.... Bens chilli bowl is amazing!
Dc. Zoo is fun
Dupont circle has alot of gays

Best restaurant is THE chop house

Uhm... And fudruckers next to caps center ROCKS!

BUT I personally wish you and your family a safe and fun trip!!

And also if i may.. Go to "downtown alexandria" that's a pretty area.. Awesome shops and its a blast to walk around.
Excorsist stairs are there i think(from movie)

Also Google maps app has a very good metro tab! I have to use it.
.
The spy museum is cool..
The air and space I want to. See
Along with natural history museum

 

[Mr. Mach-ete]

There is so much to see in DC. The Smithsonian museum, the new WW2 monument, White House tour, you can stay at the Watergate Hotel, tell'em Tricky Dick sent ya.

 

[EatonEggbeater]

A little clarification:

Dupont circle has alot of gays.

What would you expect: the circle is dedicated to a Rear Admiral. (Samuel Francis Du Pont - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Go to "downtown alexandria" that's a pretty area.. Awesome shops and its a blast to walk around.

Excorsist stairs are there i think(from movie)
He's right, it's a nice area; called Old Town Alexandria. The Exorcist Stairs are across the river at the beginning of Georgetown (also a cool place) there's a water taxi that'll take you from Old Town to the G-town waterfront.




The spy museum is cool..
The air and space I want to see.
Along with natural history museum
Add The Newseum to the list.

PM me if you're thinking about The Newseum.

 

[Too40gawlf]

Based on what your wrote, I would avoid actual dowtown if you are trying to save $$$ for lodging. Get a hotel in NoVa either on the Orange line (Arlington, Falls Church) or on the Blue Line (Alexandria, Springfield). Either metro line will give you a straight shot into DC to the main attractions (mall, musuems, monuments).

 

[LUBaseball2]

I second what Too40gawlf said... there are a ton of hotels in that area right off the orange line and they're only a 10-15 minute ride into DC on the metro... Svtkidd is right to some degree about "parts" of the metro but the orange line is very safe I used to ride it in and out of DC all the time. How much are you trying to spend a night? I know the area fairly well and could try to help you out.

 

[Too40gawlf]

I second what Too40gawlf said... there are a ton of hotels in that area right off the orange line and they're only a 10-15 minute ride into DC on the metro... Svtkidd is right to some degree about "parts" of the metro but the orange line is very safe I used to ride it in and out of DC all the time. How much are you trying to spend a night? I know the area fairly well and could try to help you out.

The metro is fine provided you keep your normal (heightened) SA about you and use reasonable judgment. If you're riding it during the day time, you'll be A-OK.

EDIT: I hate the metro and try to avoid it, but if you are in a situation where you can use it during 'off peak', its useful.

 

[04sonicbeast]

ok thanks, we have been to D.C before, but not with kids. we rode on the orange line I think from our hotel outside of downtown. I think it was in Alexandria, we really never had any issues. I do remember the bad areas of it near downtown. Hard to think the capital has its slums and has all these problems with burglary and prostituion.

 

[Svtkidd23]

Branch Ave... To what caps center is a TERRIBLE line what ever that is.

But day time your all good

 

[Riddick]

Branch Ave... To what caps center is a TERRIBLE line what ever that is.

But day time your all good

This is the green line you are talking about. You are right I think this is the worst one out of all of them, lol.

 

[Svtkidd23]

This is the green line you are talking about. You are right I think this is the worst one out of all of them, lol.

By far... That's the one I'm always leary on...

I wouldn't kids on it especially at night

 

[FISHTAIL]

Yup, Green line. But even that isn't THAT bad. My wife, son and I use it fairly frequently to get into town, and I've never had any issues. My father rides it everyday to work, and he has likewise never had any problems.

And for me, that includes when I was dating my wife, and would ride the metro back from bars and stuff later at night..I still never had any problems. Although you do need to make sure you mind yourself, especially when you get down around annicostia, and those area's. But I doubt you'll be riding all the way out to branch ave like I do anyway, so you shouldn't have to worry about it. I imagine you'll be on the orange or red line's most of the time. There are definitely bad parts of town, but if you stay around the mall area, near the museums and such, you'll be perfectly fine. I had some friends come in from out of town a couple of years ago and we were walking around the monuments at 2am (since that was the only time they had to go look), and we still had no issues with anyone bothering us.

I wouldn't be hunting for a hotel downtown, so much as I would be looking for one near a metro stop. Riding the metro is easy, and in-expensive. Just try to find a place that's a reasonable ride distance from whatever you want to see. There are some cool hotels down near the warf, and over near the Kennedy center. I don't typically stay in town though because I can drive there in 25 minutes, or I can get there in 40 if I ride the train (which is what we usually do, because I HATE driving in town).

 

[JohnnyRocket4v]

Any hotel in nw DC you will be fine I work on elevators all over DC and its pricy to stay but worth it in my opinion. If money is no problem look at the j.w Marriott right on Pennsylvania ave

 

[lOOKnGO]

If money is no issue stay at The W Hotel. it over looks the white house up on the roof top bar. Otherwise go to the burbs like Vienna Va. with a straight shot into DC via. Metro.

 

[usmotox]

Dc

If money is no issue stay at The W Hotel. it over looks the white house up on the roof top bar. Otherwise go to the burbs like Vienna Va. with a straight shot into DC via. Metro.

You can stay in Manassas or Fairfax or Vienna and hop the metro pretty easy park and ride deal--assuming you are doing the daytime museums zoo stuff like that

 

[DaleM]

L Enfante Hotel. Walking distance to lots.of stuff. The construction around the hotel is a detractor but ask for a room away from it.

 

[ScreamingFast]

Stay in Alexandria VA, awesome little area and you can catch the Train into to DC

 

[steeltoe]

There is so much to see in DC. The Smithsonian museum, the new WW2 monument, White House tour, you can stay at the Watergate Hotel, tell'em Tricky Dick sent ya.

I work at the Watergate and they have an office that is still the way it was durning the break in. And the building wasn't the hotel it's an office building. The hotel you are thinking of is across the street and is now a dorm for GWU.

Branch Ave... To what caps center is a TERRIBLE line what ever that is.

But day time your all good

That's green line and is also why I walk a half a mile to the Capitol South metro station instead of using the Navy Yard Station which is 2 blocks from me.

I've walked to work from my apartment to the Watergate at 430ish am and I've never had a problem.

 

[RDJ]

the trick to survival in DC is to walk around like you belong, and not looking like some ****ed up tourist that is afraid he will get mugged.

I hung out in some of the worst areas of DC on the weekends becasue there were some awesome clubs there. as the lone white guy in the club I never got ****ed with. never had any issues walking around at 1-2am either.

OP, as has been said, find something in the burbs that is on the metro. if you are going to be there 4 days you will have enough time to see an amazing amount of stuff.