What awesome things can 4 college students do the 30th in DC? (Yes, we know about the rally)
October 21, 2010 7:29 PM Subscribe
Awesome, secret, impossible-to-get-in-to things, Part II: 3 friends and I decided on a whim to drive out to D.C. for the Stewart/Cobert rally on the 30th. We'll be staying with friends (maybe in Philly, maybe in the D.C. area), so that's taken care of, but what else should we do?
I posted this question about Chicago, and now I have the same question about Washington, D.C.
We'll be driving out from the Milwaukee area around noon on Friday, and leaving D.C. sometime Sunday. We might make some stops to visit friends in Ohio, but otherwise we don't have much of a schedule. I'm guessing that D.C. will be pretty packed due to the rally, but are there some awesome/lesser known/impossible to get into things that four 20-somethings could see/do? If anyone has suggestions on stops to make along the way, I'd love to hear those, too.
I posted this question about Chicago, and now I have the same question about Washington, D.C.
We'll be driving out from the Milwaukee area around noon on Friday, and leaving D.C. sometime Sunday. We might make some stops to visit friends in Ohio, but otherwise we don't have much of a schedule. I'm guessing that D.C. will be pretty packed due to the rally, but are there some awesome/lesser known/impossible to get into things that four 20-somethings could see/do? If anyone has suggestions on stops to make along the way, I'd love to hear those, too.
Okay, you're gonna have to hear me out here... drive half an hour away from D.C., to... wait for it... wait for it... Silver Spring, MD. I KNOW, I KNOW.
However: Silver Spring is home to Kenny's Peruvian Chicken, a weird, dim little place with surly owners which serves some of the BEST Latin fare you will ever eat. The chicken is moist and amazing and cooked on auto-rotating spits in a weird, ancient-looking ceramic grill-thingie. The yucca fries are like little rods of manna. For real.
Also: when your belly is full, you can head across town to the AFI Silver Spring and see all sorts of awesome foreign/indie/repertory films... and BUY BOOZE IN THE THEATER. Afterwards, you'll be within walking distance of "downtown" if you wish to get your drink on further.
posted by julthumbscrew at 7:57 PM on October 21, 2010
However: Silver Spring is home to Kenny's Peruvian Chicken, a weird, dim little place with surly owners which serves some of the BEST Latin fare you will ever eat. The chicken is moist and amazing and cooked on auto-rotating spits in a weird, ancient-looking ceramic grill-thingie. The yucca fries are like little rods of manna. For real.
Also: when your belly is full, you can head across town to the AFI Silver Spring and see all sorts of awesome foreign/indie/repertory films... and BUY BOOZE IN THE THEATER. Afterwards, you'll be within walking distance of "downtown" if you wish to get your drink on further.
posted by julthumbscrew at 7:57 PM on October 21, 2010
Response by poster: HuronBob: I haven't been there, but one of my friends interned there for a year. And come to think of it, the remaining friends took a class trip there. Hopefully they can put up with me seeing all of the "must see" sights.
julthumbscrew: I'm going to have to check that out. I love quirky, out of the way things.
posted by niles at 8:19 PM on October 21, 2010
julthumbscrew: I'm going to have to check that out. I love quirky, out of the way things.
posted by niles at 8:19 PM on October 21, 2010
If you go to Silver Spring go to Side Bar. Great drinks, cool, laidback-yet-upscale 20-30 something atmosphere, and delish, sophis bar food (try the hot dog...seriously). And pool.
And Silver Spring is very close to DC. I live right next to the metro, work in downtown DC and rarely use my car. 20-25 minute ride and you're anywhere you want to go in downtown DC.
posted by 3FLryan at 10:06 PM on October 21, 2010
And Silver Spring is very close to DC. I live right next to the metro, work in downtown DC and rarely use my car. 20-25 minute ride and you're anywhere you want to go in downtown DC.
posted by 3FLryan at 10:06 PM on October 21, 2010
Or if go to the Quarry House Tavern if classic, cool dive bars, rock&roll, long lists of beer and whiskey and very, very short lists of un-sophisticated bar food is more your thing.
Or go to both.
posted by 3FLryan at 10:10 PM on October 21, 2010
Or go to both.
posted by 3FLryan at 10:10 PM on October 21, 2010
I know this doesn't sound much like an awesome, college kid thing to do, but if you've got the time before the rally, visiting the National Cathedral on a Saturday at 12:30, finding a bench in the Bishop's Garden, and listening to the Carillon recital is totally worth it.
If Saturday is out, and you're not too hungover, it's still worth a visit on Sunday at about that same time to listen to the Peel Bells that are rung after the Sunday service.
posted by ob1quixote at 1:31 AM on October 22, 2010
If Saturday is out, and you're not too hungover, it's still worth a visit on Sunday at about that same time to listen to the Peel Bells that are rung after the Sunday service.
posted by ob1quixote at 1:31 AM on October 22, 2010
Wow this pretty quickly turned into a what-to-do in Silver Spring thread. SS is awesome, no doubt, but I'd say if you're trying to "go out" in DC to definitely hit U-Street - walking around at midnight it really is one of the most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods in the city. If you want a real "secret, hard to get in vibe" I'd say make a reservation (as far in advance as you can) at The Gibson, a "speakeasy" sort of bar (you have to ring a doorbell on an unmarked door) in the neighborhood. The interior is all plush and dark and classic-american. Cocktails are incredible, but extremely expensive (over $12). I'd still recommend popping in for one round of drinks though if you want to go somewhere with a "top secret" feel.
Seconding the Quarry House in Silver Spring if you make it out that way. Amazing bar food, amazing beer list, and a true "locals" dive, which is hard to come by in a city with so many transients and tourists.
posted by windbox at 2:55 AM on October 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
Seconding the Quarry House in Silver Spring if you make it out that way. Amazing bar food, amazing beer list, and a true "locals" dive, which is hard to come by in a city with so many transients and tourists.
posted by windbox at 2:55 AM on October 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
H St. NE is the place to be, folks. Far, far hipper than Silver Spring. Frozen Tropics covers the area pretty well, providing links to most of the bars and restaurants. Skeeball and indoor, DC-themed putt putt? Surprisingly-explicit hipster burlesque? Custom cocktails? Dangerously-delicious pies? It can be a bit gritty up there, but it sounds like that's what you're looking for.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:11 AM on October 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:11 AM on October 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
I, honestly, wouldn't bother going out to Silver Spring - there's so much to do in the city, and if you're coming to DC, do you really want quasi-suburban Maryland?
I second the H St rec, and would add Little Miss Whiskey's (love the Yelp comment: "if you're finding us on yelp you'll hate us. we're neither a dive nor a speakeasy & we don't do mixology. we're boring w/ bad taste. flee!") and its friend bar, Jimmy Valentine's Lonely Hearts Club, which has a similar disclaimer. They are kind of hidden. All of MrMoonPie's recs are great (although I don't recommend H St Country Club's food particularly).
The Gibson is great but a little too pricey and a little too dressy for me. (Not that I've ever had anything but wonderful service and wonderful drinks there, though.) I would pick H St or U St for a night, and then just wander.
posted by quadrilaterals at 8:53 AM on October 22, 2010
I second the H St rec, and would add Little Miss Whiskey's (love the Yelp comment: "if you're finding us on yelp you'll hate us. we're neither a dive nor a speakeasy & we don't do mixology. we're boring w/ bad taste. flee!") and its friend bar, Jimmy Valentine's Lonely Hearts Club, which has a similar disclaimer. They are kind of hidden. All of MrMoonPie's recs are great (although I don't recommend H St Country Club's food particularly).
The Gibson is great but a little too pricey and a little too dressy for me. (Not that I've ever had anything but wonderful service and wonderful drinks there, though.) I would pick H St or U St for a night, and then just wander.
posted by quadrilaterals at 8:53 AM on October 22, 2010
Oh, and if you head to U St, you'll probably want to get Ben's Chili Bowl. It's great, and an institution, but I also recommend the delicious Oohs and Aahs for soul food. It's right by the U St metro and isn't as crowded, ever.
posted by quadrilaterals at 8:57 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by quadrilaterals at 8:57 AM on October 22, 2010
Seconding the Gibson if you like mixology/speakeasies. The price of cocktails ($12) isn't really out of line of what top tier places in Chicago, NYC, and Boston are charging.
However, I found the Columbia Room (behind an unmarked door, tucked away inside the back of the Passenger) to have more of a "hidden" & intimate feel ($54 per person including tax and tip for two custom cocktails and a small plate). More expensive but a really cool experience.
I enjoyed the Spy Museum but the beginning part is a bit ridiculous (where you have to "choose a cover identity" and "spot the spy" in different photos). The better parts include WWII espionage and the James Bond-esque gear on display.
posted by kathryn at 9:46 AM on October 25, 2010
However, I found the Columbia Room (behind an unmarked door, tucked away inside the back of the Passenger) to have more of a "hidden" & intimate feel ($54 per person including tax and tip for two custom cocktails and a small plate). More expensive but a really cool experience.
I enjoyed the Spy Museum but the beginning part is a bit ridiculous (where you have to "choose a cover identity" and "spot the spy" in different photos). The better parts include WWII espionage and the James Bond-esque gear on display.
posted by kathryn at 9:46 AM on October 25, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by HuronBob at 7:41 PM on October 21, 2010