College age son wants to visit DC, where to stay

[Anonymous]

I hope the young men are extremely ‘street smart’. Things have changed here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was asking my mom for help I also would be telling my mom I wasn’t there to drink. They should just Priceline a room in DuPont/admo and have a fun few days. Easy access to everything

I understand your point and I don't have any issue with my kid drinking. He and his friends are completely against it. We had a young relative he looked up to who was killed by a drunk driver a few years ago. It left a mark.

Thanks for the advice about Dupont Circle.

Sorry to hear that - I do still think that the DuPont section is great. Metro anywhere for museums or honestly walking isn’t bad. Great food and fun people watching.

My apologies also…didn’t mean to minimize any tragedies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was asking my mom for help I also would be telling my mom I wasn’t there to drink. They should just Priceline a room in DuPont/admo and have a fun few days. Easy access to everything

I understand your point and I don't have any issue with my kid drinking. He and his friends are completely against it. We had a young relative he looked up to who was killed by a drunk driver a few years ago. It left a mark.

Thanks for the advice about Dupont Circle.

Sorry to hear that - I do still think that the DuPont section is great. Metro anywhere for museums or honestly walking isn’t bad. Great food and fun people watching.

My apologies also…didn’t mean to minimize any tragedies

Thank you and don't feel bad. I would have the same reaction.

Also I would not call my kid street smart. He and his friends attend a very small college in a small town. He's travelled with classmates on work study related trips. I used to work and play in DC but it was so long ago and little of my knowledge applies.

[Anonymous]

I’d look at Old Town Alexandria near the King Street metro. There are some nice hotels a block or two away from the Metro and a free shuttle that runs up and down King Street. Charming area with lots of restaurants and a short metro ride to downtown DC.

[Anonymous]

Check out Travel Zoo. They have a good deal on the Capitol Hill Hotel at 2d+ C SE. One block from Capitol South Metro. Great location. Aim for Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle or Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Stay around Crystal City if they are flying in. Easy access to metro. Sounds like they will be content to explore the immediate downtown area around the Mall with the museums and monuments and not venture into neighborhoods for adventure.

[Anonymous]

If they only have 1 night, don’t stay in Arlington unless the goal is to apartment hunt and hang out in Arlington for the kid moving to DC. Lots of interns and young people do live in Arlington because it’s cheaper - they live in Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, and Ballston.

For DC on a short trip, I’d stay at City Center or near DuPont / Farragut. I don’t know where young 20s people hang out. The late 20s people I work with hang out around H St and Logan Circle. I’m sure there are hipper neighborhoods that the college age kids hang out it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college age son wants to visit DC with 2 friends and spend one or two nights in DC or Arlington.
I'm looking for any suggestions. Is this the kind of thing a travel agent would want to manage?

They are all 21. The kids were looking at airbnbs. None of us know anything about the neighborhoods in DC. I've never used airbnb or vrbo and don't know if they'd rent to a 21 year old. I suggested a hotel because I'm concerned about airbnb scams.

For what it's worth, they aren't there to party. One will be starting an internship in DC and wants to visit before the internship begins. They also don't drink or drug.

ABNB close to Lincoln park or eastern market. Safe, beautiful, walkable, uberable.
But not past 14th st NE

[Anonymous]

imo besides the museums and monuments, the area around City Center is the only part of DC worth being in. It's also relatively close to the museums and monuments and metro access

[Anonymous]

GTFO. Your son is an adult. Land your helicopter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d look at Old Town Alexandria near the King Street metro. There are some nice hotels a block or two away from the Metro and a free shuttle that runs up and down King Street. Charming area with lots of restaurants and a short metro ride to downtown DC.

No reason to stay that far out. Stay in the city sine that is where they want to go. 21 year olds are not looking for charming.

[Anonymous]

I’d pick an Airbnb in foggy bottom near GWU. Tons of interns, relatively safe, easy metro connections.

For someone from a small college and small town totally unfamiliar with DC, I would not recommend Adams Morgan, u street etc because there are some parts that are just so dicey on a block by block basis. Do not listen to the person talking about eastern market and Lincoln park, even the area around Capitol Hill. for kids who are not street smart, I would not want them wandering into bad areas, which is very easy over there.

[Anonymous]

Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington. They can walk across bridge to Georgetown and take Metro from Rosslyn. Super safe. Can rent bikes and bike along Potomac. Quick UBer into DC.

[Anonymous]

Washington plaza. It’s kind of an odd location because the block around it is dead but a few blocks to the north is the 14th st restaurant scene which is very lively and a few blocks south is the White House and the Mall. Also has a nice pool if they are here in the heat.

[Anonymous]

It’s fun to stay at the YMCA!

But seriously, I had some great summer jobs and made a ton of money in college. By the time I was 19, I would book my own flights and visited friends all over the country with zero help from my folks. Zero. As in let your kid figure it out.