i am in dc! what should i do?

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Definitely happening:
National Archives (to look up some microfilm stuff in Department of State records, which is my main excuse for even being here...wish me luck, I fear getting yelled at by librarians and spending entire days doing paperwork or something)
Wandering around the National Mall and running around the city in the sunshine, it's spring here!
Museum of American History, a friend recommended an exhibit

Anything I should definitely do while I'm here? I'm staying until Sunday with a friend who works full time and is in grad school, so I have a lot of time on my hands for the next couple of days, which I should spend doing research but won't. Thanks for any suggestions!

― Maria, Thursday, 29 March 2007 00:57 (eighteen years ago)

You really need to post on the DC thread. In the meantime, take down the government.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 29 March 2007 01:35 (eighteen years ago)

the American History museum is closed until Summer 08

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:05 (eighteen years ago)

Maria you have to go here

http://www.npg.si.edu/

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:22 (eighteen years ago)

Also Maria the "Treasures of American History" is at the Air & Space Museum right now, it has stuff from American History museum

[Removed Illegal Link]

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:29 (eighteen years ago)

why is a smithsonian link illegal

http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=892

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:29 (eighteen years ago)

anyway thought i would be more helpful than good old gabbneb

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:29 (eighteen years ago)

also this is painfully obvious in spring, and Cherry Blossom peak isn't until April 1st or so, but the Tidal Basin this time of year is lovely, plus you should see the FDR Memorial if you haven't, it's right around there.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:34 (eighteen years ago)

One day I'll finally get back to DC myself. It's been...god, it's almost been a quarter century. My memories are somewhat colored.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:39 (eighteen years ago)

dude you should come visit! we're a fun bunch. spring is the best time here.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:40 (eighteen years ago)

plus we can talk library stuff.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:40 (eighteen years ago)

ADVICE: DON'T LISTEN TO GABBNEB, EVER, ABOUT ANYTHING.

also come hang out with dc thread people -- you may find us on the sandbox, here. we are all very friendly and probably better looking than the other regional threads.

― ghost rider, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:41 (eighteen years ago)

well at least that didn't take long

museums (assuming you've never been, even if this is unlikely)
national gallery - second best comprehensive museum in the country? special exhibits are where it's at. cafeteria facing the waterfall and the west wing garden court are nice spaces for eating and the east wing is a must-visit space.
corcoran - especially for american and contemporary art. great permanent collection, fun exhibits. my favorite museum in town.
smithsonian american art museum/portrait gallery - not a truly special museum, but a well-done, really pleasant place. the cafe on the balcony is nice if it's warm.
holocaust museum
air and space museum
phillips collection - major private collection museum (that i've somehow still never been inside)
national building museum - one of the best interior spaces in the city and exhibits of at best moderate quality that still may be exciting for urban planning/architecture geeks, plus excellent museum shop
library of congress - has temporary exhibitions that are usually poorly-presented but often relatively interesting, plus the architecture. take the tour in order to see the rotunda
hirshhorn - modern and contemporary art in a semi-monastic space. can be reverential or monotonous depending on mood/attention span.
national museum of the american indian - disappointing but worth a short visit. the focus is culture and history. the best crafts are in the downstairs gift shop.

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:49 (eighteen years ago)

i hope the collection at air and space is presented better than the stuff at the nmah was before the shutdown. not that that would be difficult.

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 02:52 (eighteen years ago)

we are all very friendly and probably better looking than the other regional threads.

Tsk. Well you won't be separatist forever when the sandbox SHUTS DOWN OH NOES.

I might well be in South Carolina in August. This being the case, visiting DC is a strong possibility...

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 29 March 2007 03:00 (eighteen years ago)

not as good looking as they used to be

― mookieproof, Thursday, 29 March 2007 03:02 (eighteen years ago)

Go to the Hirschorn - the light art exhibit they have right now and the warped phone booth are very much worth seeing.

― Hurting 2, Thursday, 29 March 2007 03:13 (eighteen years ago)

Also Library of Congress

― Hurting 2, Thursday, 29 March 2007 03:15 (eighteen years ago)

outdoor spaces
mall: aforementioned jefferson/tidal basin/cherry blossoms (go in late afternoon), constitution gardens (same), lincoln memorial and nearby areas of potomac park (sunset)
dupont circle/logan circle/meridian hill park (morning and after dark)
georgetown: campus, side streets, garden at dumbarton oaks, c&o canal, washington harbour (especially in late afternoon/early evening light, but you'll have to dodge all sorts of annoying traffic on M st and along the water; avoid at weekend)
mt vernon (if no car, take boat from gtown or bus from union station)
east front of the capital
bridges over rock creek park
national arboretum/kenilworth aquatic gardens
the ellipse
hillwood
national cathedral grounds/gardens

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 03:15 (eighteen years ago)

Eat at Ben's Chili Bowl, unless vegetarian, in which case I hear that Soul Veg is the tits

― Hurting 2, Thursday, 29 March 2007 03:20 (eighteen years ago)

ben's 2nded. other food experiences i evangelize for (though i can't vouch for their current state)...
teaism
c.f. folks, a one-of-a-kind (around here) lunch counter - sit at a stool (or outside), order from the blackboard, and eavesdrop
anywhere the market-driven sidra forman has consulted/cooked, no matter the level of creativity or success in execution (best current choice afaik is vegetate, which also has good (recorded) music. note that the immediate area is relatively deserted at night.)
sandwiches originally by mark furstenberg at breadline (filled with gabby downtown/exec branch types) or premade at marvelous market (which also sells an addictive coffee cake)
equinox (again, i'm partial to this sort of seasonal (and here, regional) cooking; palena, which i haven't been to, is probably better and its cafe would be cheaper)
jose andres' restaurants
kaz sushi bistro
capital q, which hits my (recorded) music and food pleasure points simultaneously (but it's far from health food)

the clyde's group owns, in addition to the highly-regarded 1789, a couple of everyday places in dc where some seafood basics and burgers may be pretty decent and the menu will include a limited amount of seasonal stuff from local sources. i won't go so far as to rep for them, but for atmosphere first you might consider trying clyde's of gallery place or the old ebbitt grill or even the tombs, if you're willing to put up with at least somewhat noisy pregamers/tourists, downtowners/politicos and fratty undergrads, respectively.

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 06:03 (eighteen years ago)

air and space is for fifth graders

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 11:54 (eighteen years ago)

maria, please feel free to meet us out for a drink on friday if you can, we usually get together every friday after work.

also mr. que not otm re: fifth graders unless i am a fifth grader.

also: teaism? srsly? the last time i was at clyde's at gallery place to actually eat food, everyone at the table got sick, so please ignore that bit of gabbneb advice too.

the portrait gallery only just reopened fairly recently and was nice enough last time i was in there. the building museum is fun too though i'm not sure what their current exhibits are.

― the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Thursday, 29 March 2007 13:58 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, Mr. Que totally off base - since when does one's love of huge awesome flying things die in fifth grade?

― Hurting 2, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:01 (eighteen years ago)

if you are an old boring rich yuppie douchebag, many of gabbneb's suggestions would be perfect! though as he is simply listing every place he can remember, it would still be hard to figure out which ones are for you.

Hirschorn is prob otm. Re-opened portrait gallery is neat. Meeting us for happy hour drink on friday is v v otm.

Also i think the Electric Six are at the Black Cat on saturday night.

― ghost rider, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:02 (eighteen years ago)

look for John Waters in the room next to Thurgood Marshall in the portrait gallery!

― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:13 (eighteen years ago)

it was more of an insult directed towards gabbneb's list of "EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT DOUCHEBAG DC IN SIX EASY STEPS" versus an insult towards the museum.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:20 (eighteen years ago)

shh dudes it's cool let's keep it broish and helpful here. anyway maria yeah it would be totally radiquel to meet up at some point.

and i like teaism ;_; their food is pretty good and not excessively priced and they have beer that i drink at lunch :D

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:23 (eighteen years ago)

yeah sorry for the hatin i am lame

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:25 (eighteen years ago)

and ben's actually has very good veggie chili! i would also recommend taking advantage of at least a few of the seven million ethiopian restaurants here but primarily clustered around 9th and U.

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:25 (eighteen years ago)

don't be afraid of the archives - i used to work there, and the folks there are sometimes, you know, lol government - but it's one of the friendlier agencies actually and people are usually helpful. just don't act like one of those angry "YOU GIMME WHAT I WANT AND YOU GIVE IT TO ME NOW, PUBLIC SERVANT SCUM" types that they encounter on an hourly basis and you'll be fine.

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:30 (eighteen years ago)

one place i think is a waste of time (unless yr like really into diamonds or bugs) is the natural history museum. strenuous objection in 5, 4, 3...

also the sculpture garden near the archives is worth a walk-thru even if the tony smith(s) outside the east wing is(are) better

if you're willing to sit through 300, the Uptown is a great place to see a movie

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 14:53 (eighteen years ago)

Also i think the Electric Six are at the Black Cat on saturday night.
yes they are and i want to go

the natural history museum is good for photography, if you are interested in making your own art (as is air & space).

teaism's bubble tea is basically terrible and i hate them for it.

― the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

also, if you're going to come all the way to DC just to watch a movie in a "cool" theatre, avoid the uptown and go to silver spring to the AFI, or to the one on King St that serves drinks and will put you near tourist trappy but nice shopping Alexandria waterfront.

― the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:07 (eighteen years ago)

heres a buncha restaurant suggestions i made to an intern at my office

vietnamese/thai/burmese
mandalay (silver spring)
suporn thai (wheaton)
miss saigon (georgetown)
saigon grill (georgetown)
simply home (15th and U NW, also a furniture store!)
eden center (vietnamese shopping ctr in falls church, best in USA some say?)

chinese
hunan palace (VT and K NW, GREAT $6.25 lunch buffet)
mr chen's organic chinese (woodley park)
A&J (rockville/annandale) (BEST DIM SUM AROUND)
joe's noodle house (rockville)
harmony cafe (georgetown)
hollywood east (wheaton)

korean
java green (19th and K NW)
yi jo (in the college park days inn!)

bagels/delis
max's kosher deli (wheaton)
bagels, etc (dupont, best bagel in DC)
the greek deli (19th and K NW)
the italian store (arlington, SO GOOD)
brooklyn bagels (arlington)
so's your mom (adams morgan)

pizza
pizzeria paradiso (dupont/georgetown)
2 amys (wisconsin and macomb NW)
coppi's organic (15th and U NW)
pizza boli's (adams morgan - best jumbo slice in DC)

indian
bombay palace (20th and I NW)
nirvana (18th and K NW - vegetarian, great buffet)
udupi palace (langley park - vegetarian)

random restaurants
taberna del alabardero (18th and I NW - spanish food, great for restaurant week)
bistrot du coin (CT and FL NW - french, really great food, nice atmosphere)
matchbox (chinatown - pizza/mini-burgers, but in a nice setting)

my favorite restaurant around!
layalina (arlington, syrian/lebanese food - OMG AWESOME)

ethiopian
addis ababa (silver spring)
meskerem (adams morgan)
dukem (u street)
etete (u street)

― 69, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:26 (eighteen years ago)

one place i think is a waste of time (unless yr like really into diamonds or bugs) is the natural history museum. strenuous objection in 5, 4, 3...

ok trying real hard to stay broish here but the natural history museum is just about the coolest fucking thing in this town and i will not - NOT - hear ill spoken of it. and yes, i'm like really into diamonds (BLOOD DIAMONDS) and bugs. i'm also into dinosaurs, awesome natural phenomena, ancient cultures, and the radical newish mammal exhibit. i went there nearly every month between the ages of 4 and 10, and it's still one of my favorite places in the world. so...yes, go to the natural history museum.

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:26 (eighteen years ago)

I would add to that list

west african
bukom cafe (adams morgan) (live reggae later in the evening)

beer/burgers
brickskellar (dupont)

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:37 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, I should admit to bias wrt the nmnh because I saw the amnh first

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

i will try to stay borish by walrus's example, but brickskellar runs out of beer all the time and it's a pain in the ass.

also this is so funny:

i'm like really into diamonds (BLOOD DIAMONDS) and bugs.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:41 (eighteen years ago)

I bet people who aren't from DC probably just go the the museums they're interested in or the ones they can find without a map.

just saying. arguing about the dc museums, if this town had a new yorker we'd wind up in one of those Talk About Town how-quaint-ha-ha self-hating hatchet jobs

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:42 (eighteen years ago)

if i gave you DIAMONDS AND BU-UHHHGS

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:42 (eighteen years ago)

the brickskeller is not a place I would go for burgers or beer unless it was about 1pm on wedensday

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:43 (eighteen years ago)

five guys is OTM

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:44 (eighteen years ago)

anyway maria I am at home doing jack of shit like a pensioner do you want to hang out use e-mail

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:45 (eighteen years ago)

you know what else is kind of OTM is potbelly's, and order a milkshake, just for all the yelling

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:46 (eighteen years ago)

One day I'll finally get back to DC myself. It's been...god, it's almost been a quarter century. My memories are somewhat colored.

SO MANY AWFUL JOKES RE: DC/COLORED/LAST CENTURY/ETC

― HI DERE, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:48 (eighteen years ago)

yeah natural history is pretty awes dudes - big animals imax etc

― 69, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:48 (eighteen years ago)

natural history has the CHON MOVIE

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:52 (eighteen years ago)

when I get a field recorder I am sending xtian on a mission to get the whole loop
do you think you can get the chon movie on dvd?!?!?

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:52 (eighteen years ago)

[Removed Illegal Link]

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re5Ae5pz1tM

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago)

brickskellar runs out of beer all the time and it's a pain in the ass

yeah, it helps here to have a handful of potential orders when they're out of your first or second (or third) choice. but there are a lot of choices.

also, two local beer lines worth checking out - dominion (quite good; you can find one of their beers at old glory in gtown; just sold themselves so future might be questionable) and foggy bottom (not quite as good but more widely available)

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:07 (eighteen years ago)

east front of the capital

i meant the west front. uh.

― gabbneb, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago)

brickskellar also runs out of 80% of their food items on the menu regularly, as well. again, not recommended unless you are going fairly early in the day on, say, wednesday or thursday. never on a friday or a weekend.

but what do i know, i mean i only live around the corner from the place.

― the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:14 (eighteen years ago)

dominion just opened their own brewpub by the new convention center. fairly easy to get to and they have all these beers, plus brewpub food, that won't make you feel vaguely sick (if go to clyde's GP, go to clyde's gp on off nights, and have beer, definitely not seafood)

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:19 (eighteen years ago)

BIRRERIA PARADISO, FUCKERS

Brickskeller SUCKS. I love beer and I live half a block away and I only go once or twice a year.

Dominion beers are not exceptional, but some are good.

Foggy Bottom brewing went out of business last year (thank god).

Also, all museums rule. Huge modernism exhibit just opened at the Corcoran. Light show at Hirshhorn OTM.

Friday happy hour 8080.

― I DIED, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago)

oysters at Clyde's are very good, TOMBOT!

― I DIED, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:39 (eighteen years ago)

yeah my advice is to just listen to brian (I DIED) because he's probably way better at living in DC than the rest of us

― ghost rider, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:39 (eighteen years ago)

living=drinking

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

MR QUE OT FUCKING M

― ghost rider, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

ARREST THE PRESIDENT

― deej, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago)

oyster's at clyde's are not cooked, I DIED!
raw bar probably safer than their kitchen IMLE

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:44 (eighteen years ago)

i think we scared her off ;_;

― ghost rider, Thursday, 29 March 2007 20:57 (eighteen years ago)

8080

― the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Thursday, 29 March 2007 20:58 (eighteen years ago)

i hope she's not at the national archives getting yelled at by librarians after i told her not to be worried about that

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:06 (eighteen years ago)

LIBRARIANS DONT YELL EVER JESUS CHRIST

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:13 (eighteen years ago)

true, but these are technically archivists

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:15 (eighteen years ago)

THERES A HUGE DIFFERENCE JESUS DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE DICTIONARIES ARE IN THIS LIBRARY

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:15 (eighteen years ago)

i mean one of the ones i used to work with (the gray ghost, as we affectionately knew her) legitimately believed people were shooting "rays" at her and threatened to kill herself one day by jumping from one of the 10-foot high stacks and would randomly ask "do you have the time?" and scare the shit out of you because you hadn't realized she was following you around silently for god knows how long and was terrified of using her access card to get into the stack areas so she would stand blankly at the door until someone else opened it, wait until it was closing, and then make a mad sprint in. she used to a highly-placed member of the national security council.

― pretzel walrus, Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:19 (eighteen years ago)

hahaha yeah librarians are awesome! she was probably afraid of her own watch.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:24 (eighteen years ago)

Come visit Georgetown and eat at the Tombs.

― Nathan, Thursday, 29 March 2007 21:31 (eighteen years ago)

Wow! Thank you for all the suggestions. I had to take a bus to Maryland to find the stuff I needed at the archives, but librarians did not yell at me and I found lots! I also went to the Botanical Gardens and wandered around outdoors a lot.

When and where is your meetup tomorrow? If my friend doesn't have anything in partcular in mind for when she gets out of work, it would be fun to show up :)

― Maria, Friday, 30 March 2007 01:34 (eighteen years ago)

Tombot OTM re: the CHON movie.

Uptown also OTM - not only is it a cool theater but LOL SCREEN IS HUEG.

I think the best "ethnic" cuisine to eat in DC is probably Ethiopian, because there's actually a very large Ethiopian population. I don't remember ever having Thai or Indian that was as good as in the NYC area, but it's been a while.

There's a good inexpensive pasta/wood-oven place I used to really like called Il Raddichio - you basically get bottomless pasta and just buy different sauces to try, which is fun. It was started by Roberto Donna, the chef from Galileo, but I'm not sure if he still owns it. It has a couple of locations, I believe.

― Hurting 2, Friday, 30 March 2007 02:18 (eighteen years ago)

LOL SCREEN IS HUEG AT THE OTHER ONES I MENTIONED TOO, ALSO WAY COOLER THEATRES IN WAY COOLER AREAS LOL

― the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Friday, 30 March 2007 15:14 (eighteen years ago)

xxp - awesome, you went to archives 2 in college park? that's where i used to work.

― pretzel walrus, Friday, 30 March 2007 15:27 (eighteen years ago)

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