+Arrgghh nooooooppppppeeeeeeeee * *way* * too many tourists here do not know this and crowd around everywhere willy-nilly. It's so annoying when there's a rush >_< I tend to avoid the tourist trap areas during the summer cause who really needs the headaches...
As a Londoner i know the pain as well. That and people who just stop while walking down the pavement without stepping to the side! They should just be rounded up and shot to the south bank with a cannon.
Reddsoldier I went to London about 25 years ago as a teen and I'm pretty sure I typified an idiot American teenager/tourist. Really fun times despite having nearly gotten hit by vehicles at the first couple of streets (whoops) :/ Lovely city just nobody really prepared us properly for it .....
Good one. Just wait patiently, they disappear as quickly as they appear. MPD and USSS don't want to sit around blocking traffic any longer than necessary.
Yeah, try driving in London or Paris.. Hell, Los Angeles becomes a parking lot most of the time because of the traffic.. I find DC's traffic much easier than those cities.
@Nextmagen Really? I thought DC had a daytime population of nearly 1 million people? 600k residents in the city and well over 4 million in the metro area? The subway is the second busiest in the USA and DC has the second highest office space in the nation behind NYC and at one time in the early 2000s, the DC area was only second after the Los Angeles area in terms of traffic and shopping malls.. How can DC now suddenly become the least populated city?
For your own safety, Don't get anywhere near a SECRET SERVICE motorcade! Just get the hell out of their way. You can be arrested and/or injured if you get too close. Also, just keep in mind that you are under surveillance from the moment you enter the city to the point you leave.
These are some really fantastic DC Don'ts. I hope everyone who comes watches it beforehand so they know not to stand on the left (and many other things)! Thanks for including me for a few of these. Looks like you really enjoyed your trip!
As someone who grew up in the DC area, it was a total culture shock when I first visited a museum in another city and they actually had the sheer, unmitigated AUDACITY to attempt to CHARGE ME MONEY to enter their fourth-rate tourist trap! Take that, MoMA, you sleazy roadside snake farm!
Don't eat at any museum food. $9 for a big mac meal in the McDonald in air and space museum. If you must find some food that is fast and quick, take the metro to either union station or Pentagon City because they both have a food court. 😎🤗🤗😎
Eric Nathan FYI there is a McDonalds one block away at 4th St SW and C. Also more food options at L’Enfant Plaza about three blocks away from Air and Space Museum.
Please keep in mind that it’s ridiculously insulting for outsiders to disrespect the culture of DC. I get extremely upset hearing non natives talk crap about historic HBCU campuses or live gogo music being played on street corners.
DC has no culture. I'm not a native, but I moved to Northern Virginia, and commute to DC. Nobody is from here, everyone just moved here from everywhere else. DC is entirely soulless.
You make a good point about the bus tours. I'm a local and on a lark, took a DC Ducks tour from Union Station, totally worth it. Drove around the city, went out into the river, saw planes landing close up by the airport at Gravelly Point, got to see the city from a whole new vantage point. Highly recommended.
Welcome to my adopted city! Spot on about everything, but you forgot one major thing, DC is full of nature! Don't forget to visit some of the natural parks (both National Parks beyond the National Mall and State Parks in Maryland and Virginia)! Rock Creek. The Nationa Arboretum, and Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens are great ways to enjoy nature in DC.
anthrowahine Don't forget the Great Falls & C & O canal! It may be technically be in "Maryland", but its right outside of DC and probably one of my favorite sights around here.
I live near DC, you can always tell the tourists from the locals, nearly every single tourist is either wearing a school uniform or a “I love DC” shirt.
Eggplant Eggs Eggplant Eggs maybe it’s circle because artists I’m around who are from DC wear I love dc shirts, or I’m from dc shirts, or etcetera here and there Tourists wear conventional stuff like what they get from that tourist spot across from the fbi building. And I am from DC. Usually the some who wear those shirts are people who want to perpetrate like they’re from DC.
Coach Trini We did alright! As far I know we didn’t make anyone upset... We weren’t even in the District half of the time (we also went to Charlottesville and Gettysburg), and it surprisingly wasn’t that crowded when we went to see the monuments and memorials. So overall, we did alright. xD
As someone who works and lives in metropolitan DC, you are right on point with everything you’ve mentioned in your video. I have a new level of respect that you really do know what your talking about. Listen to the man people. He’ll save you a lot of time and embarrassment. Thanks again for a great video
Thank you for mentioning the stand to the right on the escalator rule. I commuted to DC for work for 8 years and invariably would see this rule broken especially during the summer touristy months. It drove me crazy. I rank it up there with seeing someone walk like a zombie while starring at their cell phone (like a zombie). Awesome tips.
As a resident of the DC metro area - All of these are gold, especially #1. Please be mindful of the people around you. Extra tip - Don't bring any bags to the White House tour. Secret Service will not let you bring them inside.
Something to be aware of from a local. If you are driving to the city or metro there is free, yes FREE PARKING on sundays. I live in maryland on the red line and the best times to visit the city is on sunday, its way less crowded and much cheaper to get around.
Mark, thanks so much for doing this video. Washington is one of my favorite cities in the World. Love it! It's so clean, beautiful, it's safe at night (stunningly beautiful and relaxing), and sooooo many things are free. Too, we stayed at an airbnb for a very low price and could walk everywhere. I just love DC. I'd love you to do a video on North Carolina. I find it a very underrated state to visit. From mountains to coast, there are a lot of things to do and see and very beautiful. Thanks for these videos.
Great tips! I work in DC and the 2 things I always tell people are don't bother trying to drive or commute in during rush our and never stand on the left. Wish I knew you all were out here I usually wall the Mall at lunch and would have loved to say "hi" but it's been crazy hot with heat index over 100 ugh. One thing I do always recommend for cheap eats at lunch are the food trucks they are all over and usually really good. While you all are out here you should consider stopping over to the sailing capital of the world Annapolis MD, it's worth an afternoon day trip. Hope you enjoy your visit to the DC area!
I was in DC at the same time as yall!! We drove from Houston and go about every 4 years and it was great. The escalator thing can not be stressed enough!!! Stand on the right... walk on the left. Also don’t expect the bigger more popular smithsonians to be an hour, it takes more like 2-3 hours.
Oh, what a great find, this channel generally but specifically a vid about one of my favourite places! I had the great pleasure of living and working in DC for 12/13 years, and this has brought back some lovely memories. I lived in Foggy Bottom and walked to work and to the Mall and the monuments, etc. A really nice (free!) thing to do is to walk the towpath along the C&O canal in Georgetown. Cyclists use the same path but give you plenty of warning as they approach from behind. They call out to let you know which side they're passing on (so you know not to suddenly move into their way), which I wish they would do here in England. Here, you're lucky if they ring their little bell, let alone use their voice. One negative - something that probably occurs in many places, but I've only ever been subjected to this in DC, several times - is the smartly dressed street scammer. They approach you in a very friendly fashion and tell you how they're locked out of their vehicle and have left their wallet or briefcase, whatever, inside the vehicle and need a little cash in order to make a phone call and get help. This was in the 90s and probably doesn't play out exactly like this now, because most have cell phones. One woman actually asked me for money so that she could put gas in her car and visit her sick father in the hospital in Maryland. She was driving her car and stopped to ask me this, right in my own street. Also, one very professional looking guy, in a suit, shirt, and tie, even made the mistake of approaching me twice. The second time was a month or so after the first, and this time my parents were visiting from England. I just burst out laughing when this man said his piece (and of course I couldn't resist commenting on how careless he was to have locked himself out again), and my poor mother thought I was being really rude, until I explained. Anyway, DON'T be taken in by these scam artists and do enjoy this beautiful city, the city of trees.
Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and your videos. For those of us who may never have the opportunity to leave the U.S., your channel has been a fun way to experience many places abroad in a way that feels very personal. ALMOST like being there! Random question just for fun: If you were asked you to relocate you and your family from where you currently live to a different state in the U.S. , which state would you choose, and why? Job opportunities, health care, physical landscape, people, etc. Thanks again for all you do!
Native born in the Metro area and worked in DC, and listen to him, this is all accurate! Also Arlington is in Virginia technically but it's right beside DC. Don't mix up the two.
Visit Great Falls in either VA or MD. The National Harbor is close to D.C and it has nice sights and things to do at night. I reccomend coming in fall it's the best time weather, low tourist flow, the changing of the leaves and people are just more nicer during this time.
Here are some tips: 1. Go for bike rides on the trails 2. Check out the arboretum 3. Go to the Portrait Gallery and then get dinner at one of the great restaurants immediately around it. 4. Do the Lincoln Memorial at night and then walk over to the Vietnam, Korean, MLK, and FDR memorials. You don't need to see the Washington Monument up close and skip the Jefferson, he was an ass anyway. 5. Maybe skip Georgetown but go to Alexandria or the Hill. 6. Get out to eat on U St, Dupont, or Adams Morgan for a taste of DC. Do 14th St between Rhode Island Ave and Florida Ave for the gentrified DC experience.
Go into Alexandria and go to waterfront and take the boat to George Washington's home, Mt. Vernon. Monticello is beautiful. Do not forget to go to Arlington National Cemetery. Take the hop on and hop off bus. You can ride all day for one price. Most 5th graders in the VA/MD area go to Williamsburg and Jamestown also for 3 days.
I Live in DC be prepared to walk ,walk and More Walking things are spread out in downtown so wear comfortable clothes and shoes make sure ur Phone is fully charged and bring ur charger just in case sometimes your phone will be searching for a signal because of the so many buildings u lose signal strength
Ugh, I avoid G-town like the plague. I went to school off MacArthur Blvd and have spent plenty of time in Georgetown, but it’s overcrowded and a pain in the ass to get through.
as a DC native , i agree with the fact of not driving during the rush hours . there will be many people trying to get to work and school in their vehicles and the roads get crazy and DC is already hard to drive in already
Dear tourists to my lovely hometown of DC, I live in the heart of DC, and I understand you want to be vocal, but please don’t yell or scream on museums, it can be frustrating... very...
As a local and someone born and raised here, VISIT THE MUSEUMS!!!! Most of them are free and they have some of the most interesting things and artifacts there. There always a new exhibit to see :) also during the weekdays check online or the website for museums you would normally pay for and they might even have a period of time you can come in for free 😇👌🏾
And remember never have your guard down cause in any busy area even down town and stuff like that there might be shootings there were multiple this year.
How i save money on hotels in dc is... Don't get a hotel in dc i always go stay at a hotel in rockville md or College Park MD save about 250 to $330 depending on hotel and always ride the metro marc or amtrak into the union station then go on different lines on metros depending where I'm going and always take the 24 48 hour bus they take you to all attractions and give history on there while riding along and if you take public transport like i do get your tickets 2 or 3 months ahead be way cheaper than when you buy that day or day before the trip and get way better seating if i order mega bus tickets from buffalo NY to dc tomorrow it'll be 75 one way if i order them for 3 months from now 25 one way $50 round trip compared to 150 around there for a round trip plus save the reservation at restaurants there's 99 + restaurants in the union station basement lol
Will StJjohn Yeah I live in College Park and the price difference from DC is HUGE, especially for alcoholic drinks! If you come to College Park again you can try looking for an AirBnb right by the CP metro station, but double check pictures of the neighborhood because you can usually tell safe neighborhoods/areas by how they are maintained. If you are with a group of people the price of an uber can be comparable to the price of 3-4 people taking the metro (during non-rush hour times). I'd also recommend stopping at a grocery store and grabbing snacks and water to bring to the hotel/airbnb and on tours because it gets expensive buying snacks and drinks. Hope you enjoyed staying in College Park! You can always walk around the University of Maryland campus which is beautiful! (I may be slightly biased because I'm a UMD student LOL)
I will say this: yes, the cherry blossoms do make things busy. But still come during cherry blossom season. This place is magical that time of year. The trees, the weather, everything is perfect
DC's Metro has to be one of the cleanest systems I've ever been on, it goes just about everywhere, and it's easy to use. I guess another don't for people used to other systems is DON'T throw away Metro pass card because you will need it to get out, in contrast to say Chicago. The same holds true in Paris and my French minor daughter didn't apparently pick up on this and got slapped with a €52 fine last semester.
Now that you can only use the plastic SmarTrip cards on Metro rather than the old paper tickets people are a lot less likely to throw them out, so that's a plus.
If you are an aircraft or aerospace nut don't forget to visit the Smithsonian Udvar Hazy museum by Dulles airport. Way less crowded than Air and Space on the Mall and a fantastic place to visit.
One thing he kinda touched on, but didn’t quite go too far into detail is the big don’t of the Arlington Cemetery. If you go to the tomb of the unknown soldier DO NOT do anything to piss off the Tomb Guards. When you’re they’re just keep your mouth shut, or whisper if you must talk, stay behind the rails, and stand whenever they call for it and don’t sit until their ceremony is complete.
Smith hah you bout clueless as a mug young. It dont take away no crime. Foh. You can't take the hood out a city just by gentrifying it. So mind ya own business and live inna suburbs.
The Holiday Inn by the Capitol is really good location, everything walkable, no trains, buses nothing, easy walks everywhere. The Nat'l Art Museum, basement, best prices! and the food is wonderful, buffet service of selections and all were happy, beautiful water window wall. Best kept secret. NEVER leave w/o Mt. Vernon. Food and service impeccable too. Worth the whole day to view, so much there and all food made w/organic garden on grounds, breathtaking.
Don’t be fooled into thinking, the Lincoln Memorial is just right there. It looks close because of it’s size. From the Capital to the Lincoln Memorial, it is a good 2 mile walk!
I was wondering if you'll ever visit Romania. It's a beautiful country with looks of things to see, like castles, medieval architecture, amazing traditional food and many others
DC resident here. I swear, when you started to say "the one thing DC residents want you to know," I IMMEDIATELY thought "NO STANDING ON THE LEFT OF THE ESCALATOR!" 😂😂😂 It's so true!!!
Buying a ticket for the metro; not so simple. When I saw a local banging on the ticket dispenser in frustration, I knew I was screwed. Another local walked up and said,”where ya going”? Without a word he got our tickets. I thanked him and he just said “been there”
Monticello is easily 2-2.5 hours away from DC. Williamsburg and Busch Gardens are more like 4 hours away, so don't expect those to be day trips. For food options in DC, check out Tom Sietsema and Tim Carman of the Washington Post.
Just got back traveling to Washington! I am from florida and I enjoyed it! I am really into american history and it was just amazing. This helped ALOT.
A little out of topic, but I wanted to ask your wife if she travelled while pregnant? If yes it would be awesome if she could do a video with tips/tricks about it? 😄
Piscoandmartinis I did! Your doc will warn you not to travel toward the end and most airlines won't let you fly in the last 2-3mos. I found travel the 1st trimester do-able but exhausting. Traveling in the 2nd trimester is easy, you feel good, have lots of energy and aren't uncomfortably large yet. Staying hydrated is important and if you plan to go to exotic locales check with your doc about any health concerns.
As a DMV, NOVA, native driving from near DC to Williamsburg or Monticello is NOT a short couple hour drive going to Monticello could be a day trip but DC to Williamsburg isn’t something you’d want to do twice in a day.
The Metro used to be cleaner. I believe it has to do with funding, or lack thereof, for maintenance and upgrades. My first time was in 1984, and the concrete still smelled new, and whole thing was quite clean and nice.
Don't try to get into the Metro through an out gate. Use the gates with the green arrows, not the red circles- most of the time, going through an out gate will not work.
The National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museums are both in the same building and the hours are different from Mall Museums as they are open past 530pm.
