Working Near Union Station - What's the Good, Bad and Ugly?

[Anonymous]

1057 again here. I would add that my office is a brisk 10 minute walk to gallery place (exactly, I've timed it); so if I really need more "shopping" or restaurants than this area provides, I would go there. if we were the opposite side of union station, I would think H st locales would be viable walk for food, at least on a nice day.

but, like most people I imagine, I don't do much down the line of shopping on a workday. I pick up a few necessities in walmart from time to time, and I grab lunch at the food trucks (which are varied and delicious). I can't really imagine why anyone would go to pret everyday! nothing against pret; but the food trucks are faster and more delicious (and for me, closer). There is a bank and a post office in union station, as well as the big post office next door. And . . . there's a cobbler in union station. so, there's that.

I hated it when we first opened here! now, I'm sad my office is moving - again - to the hinterlands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Food: No good sit down restaurants, but lots of fast casual options.

Shopping: Not great, but decent if you need a last-minute gift. L'occitane, MAC, Papyrus, The Art of Shaving, Victoria's Secret, Body Shop, Ann Taylor, more here - http://www.unionstationdc.com/directory

Commuting: Super convenient if you have a train or flight in the middle of the day or after work, as you can take your luggage with you to work and hop on metro/train.

I don't understand how this is "No lunchtime shopping whatsover. . . " Curious how much time above PP has for lunch.

Because all those stores are "gift" stores that are specifically set up for tourists to grab and go. Not real life stores. When working at metro center you have: macys, anhtro, j crew, banana, ann taylor, tj maxx, gap, ross, shoe stores, zara, h&m, forever21, cvs, walgreens, eyeglass stores, salons, banks. So at lunch, you say to a colleague: hey, let's run to tj maxx for twenty minutes. Or, I need a pair of shoes or new bed sheets so let's go to macys. At union station, you might as well be working in a strip mall in Herndon. Big difference, esp because most of the employers at union station are employers that used to be at metro center or K street -- so it's a step down in convenience for employees.

Signed, an employee who's about to go to Pret at union station for the 37th day in a row because au bon pain and sbarro are gross, and the line is insane at chopt and chipotle.

This is just odd to me, but I guess I don't feel like I have as much time to shop during my workday than you.

[Anonymous]

It's not a 10 minute brisk walk from union station to gallery place. I live in the city. I am about as "brisk" a walker as one can be. I used to go to Georgetown law and walk from gallery place every day for three years. That was probably 10 minutes. Union station is another 5+ minutes past there. I know because I often walk home from work in sneakers and I huff it. 15-20 minutes to the square by H and 7th streets. And that's "brisk" walking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also walk over to H street and there are some lunch options there. I like the Nando's and if I have time I like to take the free streetcar to the other side of H street to have lunch at Maketto's.

Zillow says that's an 11 minute walk from the front of union station. All the offices are west and south of there, so you're talking 15 minutes to walk to nandos. No one who works here goes to H street.

I work a block from Union Station and people here go to H Street . . . maybe not during a busy workday, but on nice Fridays, etc. Then again, we don't do tons of personal shopping on our lunch hour either, so I guess it evens out.

[Anonymous]

I worked on the NE side of Union Station, which meant closer to H St. than Union Station. Lunch options were about 5-7 minutes away in either direction. Food trucks were farther away. I took the metro from Virginia, which sucked bc it required a switch to the red line. If I could have taken VRE I would have - much easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not a 10 minute brisk walk from union station to gallery place. I live in the city. I am about as "brisk" a walker as one can be. I used to go to Georgetown law and walk from gallery place every day for three years. That was probably 10 minutes. Union station is another 5+ minutes past there. I know because I often walk home from work in sneakers and I huff it. 15-20 minutes to the square by H and 7th streets. And that's "brisk" walking.

I'm the pp you're responding to, I think, and we basically agree. that's where I work - next to Georgetown law. so, yes, 10 minutes from my office. Actually can do it a bit faster when I'm in a hurry. And it is about 5 minutes or less from there to union st. I didn't mean to imply that I work in union station!

[Anonymous]

OP here - this is all very helpful. I am coming from an area of town that has a lot more going on, so it's good to know what to expect. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By the way, I just had a salad at Thunder Grill in Union Station and it was fine.

Yeah, the rats don't like lettuce.

They have rats all over DC, including Dupont Circle, 14th Street, and Georgetown.

Do most restaurants have fines/violations from the Health Inspector? I will never set foot in that place, and I am used to DC rats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By the way, I just had a salad at Thunder Grill in Union Station and it was fine.

Yeah, the rats don't like lettuce.

They have rats all over DC, including Dupont Circle, 14th Street, and Georgetown.

Do most restaurants have fines/violations from the Health Inspector? I will never set foot in that place, and I am used to DC rats.

No, although I've heard that more of the popular places are secretly warned before the health inspector comes around so they can do some quick cleaning up before they get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also walk over to H street and there are some lunch options there. I like the Nando's and if I have time I like to take the free streetcar to the other side of H street to have lunch at Maketto's.

Zillow says that's an 11 minute walk from the front of union station. All the offices are west and south of there, so you're talking 15 minutes to walk to nandos. No one who works here goes to H street.

No, from my office it is at most 5mn. Sorry it is so far for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Food: No good sit down restaurants, but lots of fast casual options.

Shopping: Not great, but decent if you need a last-minute gift. L'occitane, MAC, Papyrus, The Art of Shaving, Victoria's Secret, Body Shop, Ann Taylor, more here - http://www.unionstationdc.com/directory

Commuting: Super convenient if you have a train or flight in the middle of the day or after work, as you can take your luggage with you to work and hop on metro/train.

I don't understand how this is "No lunchtime shopping whatsover. . . " Curious how much time above PP has for lunch.

Because all those stores are "gift" stores that are specifically set up for tourists to grab and go. Not real life stores. When working at metro center you have: macys, anhtro, j crew, banana, ann taylor, tj maxx, gap, ross, shoe stores, zara, h&m, forever21, cvs, walgreens, eyeglass stores, salons, banks. So at lunch, you say to a colleague: hey, let's run to tj maxx for twenty minutes. Or, I need a pair of shoes or new bed sheets so let's go to macys. At union station, you might as well be working in a strip mall in Herndon. Big difference, esp because most of the employers at union station are employers that used to be at metro center or K street -- so it's a step down in convenience for employees.

Signed, an employee who's about to go to Pret at union station for the 37th day in a row because au bon pain and sbarro are gross, and the line is insane at chopt and chipotle.

Are we living the same life? ARE WE GRABBING THE SAME SALMON AND VEGETABLE POWER BOWL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also walk over to H street and there are some lunch options there. I like the Nando's and if I have time I like to take the free streetcar to the other side of H street to have lunch at Maketto's.

Zillow says that's an 11 minute walk from the front of union station. All the offices are west and south of there, so you're talking 15 minutes to walk to nandos. No one who works here goes to H street.

No, from my office it is at most 5mn. Sorry it is so far for you.

Then you ain't that close to Union Station.

-NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also walk over to H street and there are some lunch options there. I like the Nando's and if I have time I like to take the free streetcar to the other side of H street to have lunch at Maketto's.

Zillow says that's an 11 minute walk from the front of union station. All the offices are west and south of there, so you're talking 15 minutes to walk to nandos. No one who works here goes to H street.

No, from my office it is at most 5mn. Sorry it is so far for you.

Then you ain't that close to Union Station.

-NP

NP here. You're wrong. Union Station is a huge building with multiple exits. I work in an office building that is literally connected to US by the walkway next to McDs. If I walk out the back door of my building, I'm at Second in-between G and H Streets, literally less than a 5 minute walk from Nando's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My firm moved here from metro center a few years ago. The general consensus from almost everyone is that union station sucks compared to where we used to be.

There are several lunch options at union station, but union station is a fair walk from any offices (versus metro center, where there is always a couple restaurants on the ground floor of every building). As others said, LOTS of homeless and panhandlers around, and so many tourists, and union station is so chaotic, so my colleagues almost never walk to get lunch there. A lot of people started bringing from home. Food trucks help. Other than union station, there's a Philip's café, Corner Bakery, Bistro Bis, Art & Soul, and everything else starts being a farther walk.

If you are on commuter rail or red line, public transportation options are great. I gather the drive from Virginia is pretty good. Driving from Maryland is terrible. I live near U street in DC, and finally gave up on public transport because it was often taking an hour (metro delays; and no bus routes that run diagonal in the city).

No lunchtime shopping whatsoever, save for the Walgreens in the basement of union station, a handful of small-scale stores in union station (ann taylor, victorias secret, mac and a few other randoms). Walmart is within walking distance. People think of that new development at K and 5th (safeway, restaurants etc) as being in the same neighborhood, but those 5 blocks are super long blocks and cross the highway, so it's either 20 minutes to walk to there or 5 minute cab. No hair salon, nail place, etc that you can just run down to for lunch. No banks, no other services.

In sum, getting here is okay. Once you're here, absolutely nothing to do. Unless people are going to the foodtrucks, most people don't leave their offices during the day.

let me guess- arnold and porter? their old location was way better, i agree.

[Anonymous]

We enjoy the Harris Teeter and now REI right near the NoMa station..