New DC Resident - What do I need to know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Moved already. Been here a month. I went to school in DC (GW), so I'm familiar with the city, the metro (including walking on the left - used to drive me crazy when people didn't), being smart about crime, etc. But I've been in suburbia for 20+ years and I have kids now (and it looks like I need a DC1 card to enroll them in the school lottery) and a lot has changed (including technology - wow). But I did once get a ticket for parking within fill-in-the-blank feet of an intersection. They filled in 40. So I guess that hasn't changed.

We're near Fort Totten, BTW.

Thanks for all the tips. Which Metro app do you recommend? There are several.

I like the Transit app: http://transitapp.com/

It tells you all transportation options from the point where you're standing, when the next Metrobus, Circulator, train or Uber will arrive, gives you a walking map to the nearest stop or station, and a real time map of where you are on your commute so you can know where to get off. It also shows locations for Capital Bikeshare and car2go, and bike paths in the city and suburbs. (this is REALLY handy)

What really makes it invaluable is that it's available for cities all over the world: http://transitapp.com/regions

I'm not a shill, I just think it's really great.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea what a DC One card is. I've always just used my DC driver's license to access rec centers, etc.

I actually like WMATA's Next Bus and Next Train sites.

Know where your local police station is, because if you ever have a guest, you can get a temporary parking permit. You can also get those signs that people use to reserve curbside parking for moving trucks, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Moved already. Been here a month. I went to school in DC (GW), so I'm familiar with the city, the metro (including walking on the left - used to drive me crazy when people didn't), being smart about crime, etc. But I've been in suburbia for 20+ years and I have kids now (and it looks like I need a DC1 card to enroll them in the school lottery) and a lot has changed (including technology - wow). But I did once get a ticket for parking within fill-in-the-blank feet of an intersection. They filled in 40. So I guess that hasn't changed.

We're near Fort Totten, BTW.

Thanks for all the tips. Which Metro app do you recommend? There are several.

DC resident with school aged children here. You do not need a DC1 card to enroll in the lottery. DC 1 cards are given to school aged children so that they can ride the metro for free (bus and train) and it also acts a library card. I believe they can also use it to access the rec center pools. Getting one is the easy party, your child's school will provide one, registering it is the hard part. The instructions are not clear cut and there always seems to be some snafu. I personally do not know any adults who have and use a DC 1 card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Moved already. Been here a month. I went to school in DC (GW), so I'm familiar with the city, the metro (including walking on the left - used to drive me crazy when people didn't), being smart about crime, etc. But I've been in suburbia for 20+ years and I have kids now (and it looks like I need a DC1 card to enroll them in the school lottery) and a lot has changed (including technology - wow). But I did once get a ticket for parking within fill-in-the-blank feet of an intersection. They filled in 40. So I guess that hasn't changed.

We're near Fort Totten, BTW.

Thanks for all the tips. Which Metro app do you recommend? There are several.

You do not need a DC One card to enroll in the school lottery. I'm not sure where you heard that. You will need to present proof of residency when they enroll, but many schools will give the kids a DC One Card.

[Anonymous]

From myschooldc:
"An ID number is only required if your child currently attends a DCPS or DC public charter school. If you don’t know your child’s ID number, call our hotline at 202-888-6336."