<p>Interested in hearing about any great restaurants or stores in the Washington, DC area. I’m planning a trip there with D at the end of July. We’ll probably see some museums too, but I don’t necessarily need to see the big tourist attractions again. Is there a hip, cool area (think Williamsburg but in DC)? Any ideas much appreciated.</p>
<p>If you are talking hip in DC, you are talking Georgetown. It has been a while since I have been there, so I can’t give you specifics.</p>
<p>Down past the Capitol is Bullfeathers–great food (reasonable prices). Outdoor patio area is really nice. Very close to a metro stop.
A fun (and fairly new) museum is the Newsium. A museum about the news. Contains part of the original Berlin wall, front pages that are fascinating (Titanic, showdown at the OK corral for example). News footage of great moments of history. Totally fascinating. Tickets are good for 2 days in case you want to split up your visit. It’s on the mall.
The Spy Museum is another of the most fun and interesting museums to visit.</p>
<p>It’s been awhile, but Adams Morgan used to be (and I think still is) known for its multicultural restaurants and somewhat funky vibe. I ate my first Ethiopian meal there many moons ago.</p>
<p>If you haven’t been there, check out the Newseum (north side of the mall, private museum – not a Smithsonian). It is fairly new, so you may not have been there (so it wouldn’t have been something you would be seeing again). Oops – cross posted with gouf78. :)</p>
<p>We also really liked the Phillips Collection museum near Dupont Circle; you could probably find a good place to eat near there, too. I am not always a fan of modern art, but the Phillips also has quite a few nice impressionist works as well. And the neighborhood is pretty hip, I think.</p>
<p>The Marian Koshland Science museum is another smallish but nice museum not far off the mall.</p>
<p>Washingtonian magazine has good recommendations for tourists: [Washingtonian</a> Magazine - Dining and Restaurants, Shopping, Politics, Entertainment, Nightlife, Real Estate, News and Events in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia](<a href=“http://www.washingtonian.com/]Washingtonian”>http://www.washingtonian.com/)</p>
<p>I don’t think Georgetown is considered hip anymore. Probably the closest corollary to Williamsburg is the U Street area: [U</a> Street Corridor](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Street_Corridor]U”>U Street (Washington, D.C.) - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Another vote for the Newseum. I still like Georgetown, but it now has a lot of stores that you can find in a mall. If you do to Georgetown, Sequoia is a good restaurant with views of the water.</p>
<p>I would second Adam’s Morgan for night life.</p>
<p>Two restaurants I recently ate at for dinner that were excellent were 901 in Chinatown and Agora in Dupont Circle. 901 was probably Asian Fusion and Agora was Turkey/Mediterranian. 901 was a more modern and stylish decor, while Agora was more subdued. Two totally different dining experiences. I had a Wasabi Tuna at 901 and Agora was more of a Tapas restaurant, with too many to recall, but all excellent. The service at 901 was slow, but it was worth it for the food. Good Ouzo at Agora.</p>
<p>National Art Gallery is the main art gallery, and the Holocaust Museum is well worth the trip - get reservations, I hear - I didn’t need them. The Newseum isn’t worth the expense (around $25/person with Senior and Student discounts - considering that most places are free in DC. The part I liked best was the theatre that had the last 40 years or so of presidential TV commercials. The kids liked it (they weren’t paying). Saw George Will and Clarence Thomas
next to the the Newseum, coming out of the DC Grille - a restaurant frequented by pols.</p>
<p>Have you ever been to Wolf Trap?</p>
<p>It’s a sort of indoor-outdoor theater that hosts a vast variety of traveling shows all summer. It’s in a close-in Virginia suburb, and you can get there by Metro and shuttle bus if you won’t have a car with you (although a car is much easier, and parking is ample and free). </p>
<p>You might want to see what’s playing on the days you’ll be in DC and order tickets in advance if there’s a show that would interest you. Some things sell out, so it’s a good idea to order ahead of time.</p>
<p>[Wolf</a> Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts](<a href=“http://www.wolftrap.org/]Wolf”>http://www.wolftrap.org/)</p>
<p>I went to the Newseum recently and liked it, but the person I was with had free tickets.</p>
<p>My best friend and I accompanied our daughters, along with their h.s. criminal justice class to D.C. several years ago and had such a wonderful time. We ended up breaking off from the class for a great deal of the time because we felt they were going to slow, preventing us from taking in as much as we could. We bought three-day passes for the Metrorail and got more than our money’s worth from it. As much as we saw and did, the one thing that made the biggest impression on me was the Holocaust Museum. There are so many free things to do there, so be sure to take advantage of those things. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant where we ate in Chinatown. It was so good, we ate there twice! Although I guess everyone feels they should do it while in D.C., we felt the biggest waste of time was the tour of the White House (very few rooms open to public) as it just wasn’t very impressive (IMO).</p>
<p>HAVE FUN!</p>
<p>White House tours take some pre-planning these days to get tickets. As do tours of the Capitol. I was fortunate enough to see the White House and Capitol many eons ago when you actually got to see something.:)</p>
<p>I want to mention that the food court in the Newseum (run by Wolfgang Puck, I believe) is fabulous, and their macaroni and cheese is a life-changing experience. If I worked in the area I’d buy an annual membership just so I could eat lunch there every day.</p>
<p>It’s fairly touristy, but my family loves the southern cooking at Georgia Brown’s–she-crab soup, fried chicken, fried chicken livers–yum! </p>
<p>I’ve never been to Old Town Alexandria, but it’s on my agenda for my next trip to DC since, with a D attending college there, we’ve “done” much of the rest of the area.</p>
<p>I’d recommend seeing a show at Ford’s Theater. A lovely venue, and of course oozing with history. Bistro D’Oc across the street has great duck confit.</p>
<p>(Oh dear, I think my post needs a warning about fat and cholesterol content…)</p>
<p>Hey MommaJ! We’re on vacation–forget the cholesterol at least for a couple days!</p>
<p>If the Nationals are in town Nats Park is a gorgeous ballpark and you get a chance to see both an exciting young team and Bryce Harper.</p>
<p>Ben’s Chili Bowl, 'nuff said.</p>
<p>These are all great ideas! Thanks everyone. Last question: what’s the weather like that time of year? I’m convinced nothing is more disgusting than NYC in the summer, but maybe I’m wrong…</p>
<p>Plan on hot and humid and be pleasantly surprised if you get otherwise</p>
<p>Old Town Alexandria has great shops and Potomac water front restaurants and is a short ride on the yellow line. The Torpedo Factory is now art studios and galleries.</p>
<p>Our favorite attraction is Mount Vernon, Washington’s estate, about five miles from Alexandria. House tour is wonderful, farm out-buildings are interesting, a very large tract of fields, animals & and walks to the river’s edge. Great if you are in need of fresh air and calm after downtown D.C. </p>
<p>There is a colonial style restaurant (reservations needed) and also a family food court near the huge gift shop.</p>
<p>Ditto the Newseum recommendation. Also consider the renovated Portrait Gallery/Museum of American Art combo near Gallery Place metro. It’s free and security is minimal (so easy in/easy out) very pleasant, and has some real treasures. Nearby are many lively restaurants in this revamped neighborhood around the Verizon Center: Zaytinya, Proof, and Rosa Mexicano, for example. If you’re there on a Friday or Saturday night, consider seeing the Capitol Steps show in the Reagan building. ([Capitol Steps - Live!](<a href=“Capitol Steps - Live!”>http://www.capsteps.com/live/</a>)) Ever-changing, witty, and a hit with young people who know even just a little bit about current events and some of the people in the news. For more hipness, eat up the street at Ceiba before the show.</p>
<p>There’s a visitors’ center in the Reagan?Commerce? building, catty-corner from the White House with lots of White House stuff, no lines, no charge, and air conditioned. DC is always miserably hot and humid. And the museums on the Mall are usually mobbed.</p>
<p>Newseum is fun but pricey, the view from the terrace is spectacular, though. Library of Congress is a great inside visit, the American Indian museum is great…we have always liked paddleboats over by the Jefferson Memorial but it has to be the right weather for that. Hands down the most memorable things we’ve done is visit Mt Vernon (lines to get in the house can be long, but there are millions of paths to walk around on your own) and the Holocaust museum (which I recommend tickets). </p>
<p>Library of Congress has a great cafeteria/eatery in the Annex. The Postal museum up by Union Station also is fun and there are lots of local places to eat over there, as there are by the Building Museum on the way to Georgetown.</p>