Washington, DC: 10 Shocks of Visiting DC

Getting to the White House is easy if you take the Metro Blue Line to McPherson Sq. (get off there) and walk 2 blocks to the SW. Bring a camera!

As a tourist who visited Washington DC this summer. I was amazed by the museums. There are so many and they are beautiful. Regarding the distance to walk , the friendliness of people or the price of food. I found Washington to be better than Paris (I love Paris but the people there are not always friendly and the metro in Washington dc is much cleanerthan in Paris or New York)

Hahaha loved the note on Rob with Trip Hacks DC - yes he is very helpful!

I like DC, because it looks neat and has no skyscrapers. Many chic houses to see and envy. I found people friendly as well. But I don't think it is that interesting for foreigners.

Took a family trip this past March. It was fantastic. We stayed outside of the city in Maryland in a hotel which has free breakfast, kitchen, and sometimes served dinner. Brought lunch with us and ate on the Mall. Took the Metro to get to DC. Would love to go again.

Thanks for making the content - really appreciated. in DC NW for work. Yeah, you are SO right…. The SHOCK!!! $7 for a loaf of not great bread - everything is SO expensive. Everyone wants tips for non-tip stuff, such as Starbucks and some other coffee shops for counter service. Georgetown is beautiful. Went to a hand crafted chocolate place. $45 for a TINY box. My goodness, it is the MOST expensive place I’ve been in my life - much more expensive Han NEW YORK, LONDON, PARIS etc :) I do love DC though.

Thanks on the tip to annoy the locals on the metro when they see me I’d like to see the death stare will turn into excuse me, sir and I will respectfully move out of the way

Tourists will be shocked if they see the non-tourist/historical areas. The areas are and have always been total hood

I used to live in Maryland and occasionally drove for UBER in Washington, D.C. WHAT SHOCKED ME was one day when i was on Alabama Avenue and I asked my passenger what that Hi Tech Street Light was. He told me it was a SHOTSPOTTER, which the police use to monitor locations (like the one I was on then) for frequent gunshots. I was shocked and it was a quick drop off.🙏

Travel tip for DC. Our HR department which handles per diem and expenses has noted with the 50% increase in waiters/restaurant servers base pay in DC you should be tipping 10% to 12% now, and in early 2027 when full minim wage kicks, and servers no longer depend on tips to make full pay, you will not need to tip at all. Or just a couple of dollars if service is outstanding.

When I visited a few months month a woman was stabbed to death right around the corner from our hotel. DC homicide and violent crime have skyrocketed. When I was there for work in 2012 DC had 88 murders than year. Last couple of years they have averaged 210 murders per year. and DC is small population (640,000 people) so that is a vary high rate. Muggings are triple, most not even reported because of catch and release.

The thing that shocked me most was that PARKING DOES NOT EXIST. I took the subway but even there it was hard to find a parking spot. Mount Vernon and Monticello were very impressive.

Thanks for mentioning how there are many different Smithsonian museums! I've had so many friends come to visit me here and say they want to go to "The Smithsonian Museum" LOL I'm like- which one????

At the age of 40, I am finally going to the U.S of A, later this year. Flying from London Stansted, via Reykjavik to BWI. That first fact made me thump my table with joy. Can't wait to get Stateside!

Bro, A couple of points: All hotels have ac/heat available; it is a must. 2. I agree, mental issue is a city problem that may lead to homelessness. And finally, people are not kind; it is a fact. We're busy running the country and provide you with free museums 😂😂😂. Also, tell me a city which you have visited is free?

I spent 2 weeks in DC in September and the people there were friendly enough - no bad experiences at all. I agree the Metro is the best way to get around and IIRC you can also use your card on the bus routes too. DC is expensive mind but I thought what the hell just enjoy yourself and worry about it after you get home.

Other shocks are how many bars,clubs and vampires DC has...There are many types of scenes & levels of fun... Many brunches & roof top deck parties...People from all over the world decide to come and drive which is horrible.... Its best to ask a rideshare driver where they turn up at...Its conservative during the day but the freaks come out at night!!!! Drink $$$, cover$$$, prostitution $$$( I was told🙃) being friendly$$$ ... its what u do vs who u are... People are from everywhere! So! Get in where you fit in....

Unfortunately Washington, D.C. will always have a black problem. Those of us still remember the race riots of 1968. Yes, we are old enough to remember these events!

In DC the locals are not friendly, because THEY DON'T EXIST 😆

Biggest shock of all is encountering black anger. Blacks always blame white people for all their self-inflicted problems. Hey, my ancestors were never slave owners!

I loved watching this, but I have to say, I never encountered any rude people in DC at all. After only one crazy rude lady at LA airport, everyone I spoke to in the USA and mainly DC were the friendliest and nicest people I could have hoped to meet. The staff at the coffee huts in The Mall areas were always a highlight of my day because they were always so friendly. I was even given a free giant cookie for being patient. 😀
When I remember my holiday in DC, I always smile. 😀

So you talk non-stop about how amazing all the “free” stuff is without ever mentioning that none of it is “free” and that it’s all taxpayer-funded, but then you immediately talk about how expensive it is without mentioning it’s because of the outrageously high taxes everyone is forced to pay. Impressive lack of self-awareness.

👍🏾

As someone who's lived here all July... yes it's hot 🥵

Yeah definately dont stand on the left of the escalator, I lived in glover park and my only transportation was the metro and damn tourists just standing there killed me.

The death stares are real. Don’t stand on the left when on the escalators or you will hear about it.

Are there many car accidents? Here in my small town there was at least one major accident everyday in like 2019. Not exaggerating!!

Pretty good list!

I been to DC in April and it was cold and it snowed.

Just a quick fyi, the helicopter the POTUS flies in is Marine One, the jet is Air Force One. I’ve live in the area 30+ years. On Capitol Hill 10+. The helicopter traffic is impressive. I also find my newer neighbors to be less and less friendly.

I had the opposite experience in terms of how many people I saw in the national mall. Mid April it was PACKED with people.

Going to Ivy City just be careful

Lived in DC 7 years. I'm really surprised you said things seemed far away. To me DC is so small when you don't take the metro and see how close the downtown stops are, you can walk everywhere. The closest place to eat well by the museums imo is Penn Quarter. Thanks for telling people not to stand in the way of the escalators! DC is friendly on par with most east coast cities, but we have to put up with an extremely high amount of tourists and rowdy foolish protesters of all political varieties, many of which don't respect the locals by crowding sidewalks and metros with bad self awareness. Hence the coldness and yelling at escalator blockers. For anyone visiting - enjoy, but please remember this is our home not just a place for sightseeing and politics.

I've been visiting DC every Saturday for almost a whole year and still have plenty of places to go see.

One thing if you like ride a bike the metropolitan area of Washington DC have nice trails to bike. Capital Crescent Trail is one of the trail. You can bike from Georgetown Waterfront to Downtown Bethesda on the Capital Crescent Trail. The trail goes along the Potomac River and through some neighborhoods. If you never did. You are going to enjoy it. I recommend go from Georgetown to Downtown because you go down the hill. And in Downtown Bethesda you can take a metro to your hotel.

But Georgetown nowadays is back again. But if you know Georgetown it’s better to explorer other places. There a lot of new areas. But Georgetown on Saturdays and on Sundays still busy.

You are from Midwest. Nice. My husband is from Illinois 😂😂

And about people not to be friendly in DC I agree. Unfortunately nowadays nobody talk to each other in the metropolitan area of DC. I live in Downtown Bethesda. Even in the neighborhoods are like that. I am from Brazil. And this part I don’t like it. Because I like people and I like to talk 😂.

These tents of homeless showed up during the pandemic . I notice they do on propose to put these tents in areas that people can see. We can see the tents but you don’t see the homeless. It’s very strange. And Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia there are a lot of jobs. People comes from others states to work in the metropolitan area of Washington DC.

The National Mall I agree is not good to eat. You have other places to eat. I live Downtown Bethesda. And in Downtown Bethesda has a lot of restaurants to eat. And Virginia too there a lot places to eat.

In the pandemic the museums were closed and a lot of people were working from home. But nowadays early in the evening the National Mall is not empty. Even though the museums is closing 5:30 pm. But before the pandemic used close later.
And if want to see people in the National Mall in the end of the afternoon go to the Lincoln Memorial. At the Lincoln Memorial always have a lot of people after the museums are closed. And in the Lincoln Memorial also has restrooms maybe is the reason the People go to Lincoln Memorial. And also the sunset 🌅 from the Lincoln Memorial is beautiful. And after the sunset is also beautiful.

I live in Downtown Bethesda. I take advantage of this free museums we can go. The only problem nowadays is the park. Lol. You have to pay to park on the streets. Before in the museums area to park on the streets used to be free. And the gardens on DC, Maryland and Virginia are so beautiful too.

You should go to Black Lives Matter plaza. I’ve heard It’s one of the nicest places to take a s***.

Cash Carlton Brooks barowing a friends phone
Till know I got by fine on My own
How do I get you alone

Born and raised in DC.. The death stare is real😅😅

No, people in service professions aren't particularly nice. If you don't act like a jerk, residents will help you.
I'm a Midwesterner who has lived here for 35 years and there are a lot of nice people here.
I love that you showed my favorite Salvadorean restaurant, Las Placitas. Delicious!!!

Number 1 rule stand on the right side the right side lol

Your wife is stunningly beautiful 🌷

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