Tips for Visitors to Washington DC

I lived in Washington DC for five years. These tips should help travelers see a bit more than the usual sites and have an easier time navigating the city.

1. Washington DC's museums are free. Visit them. The restaurant at the Air & Space museum is a good stop for lunch.

2. Washington DC can be very safe or very dangerous depending on where you are. The most caution should be shown if you venture out of NW or away from government or historical sites. For example, visiting the Capital is safe, but if you venture too far from it, it becomes less safe very quickly.

3. Washington DC is filled with colleges that often have lectures, arts presentations and other affordable cultural activities open to the public. Schools that are easily accessible to tourists include GWU and George Washington University - both of which have visitor centers where you can get a list of current activities. The Foggy Bottom metro station will get you close to both.

4. The monuments are better looking a night and generally safe to visit. Guards are on duty at most of them until at least midnight.

5. Washington DC's abs operate on a zone system instead of a meter system. The only thing to help you understand what your fare should be is the map posted in the back of the cab The more you seem like a native of DC, the less chance there is you will be overcharged. When you give an address always say the number street before the letter street (18th and H, for example). If you say it the other way, you're obviously a tourist.

6. Washington DC has the best hotdog in the world and it can be had from the stand in front of the Tower Records on 21st Street off H in Northwest.

7. Why Mongolian BBQ is so popular in Washington DC, I have no idea, but it is your friend. There are several excellent places in Chinatown.

8. For a folksy experience try Food For Thought in Dupont Circle. They often both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and often have live music. Dupont Circle is also considered the gay neighborhood, but everyone goes there for its many restaurants and book shops.

9. Bars generally close at 2, but many dance clubs are open after hours by not serving alcohol at those times. Be aware that some of Washington DC's more popular dance clubs are in dangerous parts of town, but all have direct lines to cab companies so that you may call for a car without going outside.

10. Try to go on a walking tour. Washington DC has a number of legendary ghost stories to it. There are several walking tours that focus on these, which are a great good time.

11. Visit Upper Georgetown to see great architecture and get a sense of the old city.

12. Remember you need to have your metro card to both enter and exit the Washington DC Metro system. In addition, remember that fares vary based on distances and time of day, and that trains are not 24 hours. Buses, however, do run 24 hours.

13. Visit Adams Morgan for wonderful ethnic food and a vibrant sense of how Washington DC'ers really live. Do keep your wits about you though. It's fairly safe, but not perfectly safe for someone not familiar with the area.

14. Wear comfortable shoes, as it's easiest to walk most places and you can cover 10 miles in Washington DC easily without noticing it, especially if you are visiting the monuments.

Have a great time!