paytonc

...to the right bathroom stalls? [tappity-tap] This was all I could think of when I saw fleets of young suited conservatives wandering around Woodley Park when my conference was next to CPAC. Too bad few of them were worth tap-dancing with.

DC will not be anything like Montreal; after all, it is a government town and thus has to be somewhat dull (ever been to Ottawa?); after all, excitable bureaucrats are not to be trusted. DuPont, perhaps more than most gay ghettoes, has seen much of the edginess gentrified away but will still be the most central location.

I liked the Westin Grand on a stay a few weeks ago, although in the summer that 10-minute walk to DuPont might get sticky.

BlissWorld

There's nothing gay about the Embassy Row

Try Kimpton's Palomar DC. It's in dupont circle I believe. Book one of their spa rooms, that's about as exciting as it gets

Seriously though, i find Georgetown to be charming, but you can get through it in about half a day. There are some things to do in DC---sight seeing, museums, etc. If you are an aviation geek like most of us, be sure to visit the air and space museum at Smithsonian to pick up some toys, and also the one next to IAD airport.

Personally, DC is quite boring IMHO, but if you have never been there, there are definitely things to occupy you for a few days. Now whether you'll want to return is a different story

districtRich

Wow I'm starting to feel a little defensive for my home! Has anyone commenting about DC who is not from here ever left the confines of Dupont Circle? I wouldn't suggest the Palomar at all. It's on the west side of Dupont and if anything, things have moved east. I think some people are still clinging on to some 1990s sense of Dupont. The city is very diverse, very gay-friendly, and full of gay nightlife options and restaurants. We have the second biggest leather contest in the country here in January for Mid-Atlantic Leather, and soon to re-open is Secrets which is a gay "strip" club where they don't wear anything but socks on their feet! We had a few of those clubs, but the new baseball stadium replaced them. Sure these are extreme examples, but it just shows you that there is a lot more to DC than what you read in the tour books and see in Dupont Circle. Try getting out to Adams Morgan, U Street, 14th Street next time.

There is a lot more to DC than politics and people in ties.

19103_aa

Inlogan, THANKS for this update on DC nightlife. I am not a huge nightlife guy, but I've always enjoyed my visits to DC. There's indeed something for everyone, and your posts reflect that. The only thing I see missing from your report is the spot to go on Sundays. I can't remember the name of it.

To the OP, one of the issues of DC can be the transient nature of the residents (there for school, there to work for a member of congress or administration, etc.). Having said that, folks are intelligent, cultured, and come from all walks of life. Outside of traditional gay venues, you have unrivaled museums and excellent dining. I'm sure you'll enjoy your time in DC.

Added: Many of the folks head to Rehoboth for long weekends in the summer. I'm not sure when your work begins there, but that's also something to consider.

districtRich

Well on Sundays the first thing that I think of is $2 Skyy highballs at JRs, but there used to be Lizard Lounge in the evening at the Saint and then 1223. The promoter closed it for a while because he said the smoking ban was going to kill business (long drama story), but I think it's started again at a new club downtown called Lima.

danielmadrid07

Mind you its been about four or five years, but I once spent a few months during the Christmas holiday visiting my father there, and managed to have a blast, I really miss DC, and that's from someone who normally lives in Madrid, a city that has a scene offering just about everything non-stop.

This could also be because I'm the type of guy that prefers to find a few good spots and go there constantly, rather than going to a whole bunch of places in one night.

I would mainly go to JR's which I would say is the DC classic. Lots of fun, great music, upstairs you can play pool and cruise, etc.

I also really liked the upstairs bar at the DuPont Italian Kitchen. Great drink specials, good crowd (always packed), and karaoke on some nights.

Cobalt was lots of fun too, in a more disco type of way.

Also, no one has mentioned this yet, if you are into the bathhouses, the Crew Club has got to be the nicest, cleanest one I have ever been in. The interior looks more like a Grand Hyatt than a bathhouse LOL
Usually a pretty good crowd.

Safety wise, I don't really remember the streets being as danger ladden as people always have made DC out to be, I think if you use common ¨big city¨sense you will be ok.

Parking, from what I remember, is a ....., and I accumulated 4 or 5 parking tickets during my 3 month stay.

98103

You must have been in some really disgusting ones. Went to Crew Club once. <<shudder>>

ironmanjt

Emphasis on the personally and IMHO IMHO

I'm not into the rah rah patriotism of the DC scene, but there's certainly plenty here/there to occupy most tourists. DC is far from boring. Granted, most of the attractions are not my speed, but to call it a boring town is far from the truth.

This includes the gay scene. It has something for everyone, from pretentious club queens to the leather scene as well as the typical "heavy drinking bars." Somehow I've managed to tolerate the city for 18 years now, so it can't be too terrible.

BlissWorld

Well DC is indeed far from boring for those who grew up in cities like Columbia, Charlotte, Charleston, Greenville, etc However, for someone who grew up in LA and SF....DC is, lets just say, not up to par

districtRich

What does a city need for you to consider it to be not boring?

chtiet

OK, so I mostly lurk these days, but after reading this, I need to chime in.

DC is perfectly fine, you'll have a great time here. The city is fairly liberal, so you'll find bars & other spots all over. Sure, it has its nasty areas, but you would never venture there without a precise reason. And, IMO, it doesn't lag behind other US cities in any way - clubs, restaurants are no better and no worse. Also, another nice thing about DC is its large ex-pat population due to the embassies and international organizations here, and all the events hosted & facilitated by their cultural departments.

A strong word of advice - DO NOT stay at the National Harbor. It is a new complex (I haven't been there yet), and I'm sure it's nice, but it is located outside the beltway, south of the District, in Prince George's county, on the Maryland side of the Potomac, nowhere near a train, and impractical to any of the airports. If you want to be able to easily go out at night, DO NOT stay there.

19103_aa

Normally I don't involve myself in such back-and-forth commentary, but you're way off base. While the folks from CA spend there time driving around concrete aimlessly, folks can hop on the metro or heaven forbid walk conveniently from place and place in DC and enjoy themselves. But, to each his/her own.

holtju2

IMHO there was nothing wrong with the scene in DC when I have visited there couple of times. Maybe it is just not as racially diverse as west coast.

DCTomD

Huhhhhhhh......
DC has world class art museums (most are free), the worlds most comprehensive aviation museum (downtown and IAD buildings), an improving and now well regarded restaurant scene with truly global cuisine options . Plus a lively gay community with significant Out populations in Dupont/Logan, Capitol Hill, Arlington, Alexandria and parts of Montgomery County MD. Yes it is true, we don't have Disneyland or anything much like it, and the only tar pit seems to the Republican Party's HQ. But from the bike paths along the Potomac to the diverse nightlife, you'll have a great time

You'll find alot to do, and likely make a new friend or two
Ohh, and Mr. Bliss why not give us another try, perhap you'll find yours

Enjoy!

KENNECTED

I would stay at the Westin Embassy Row, it's greatly improved over the last year. I've also stayed at the Westin Grand and Westin City Center. I've done several reviews, check the Starwood forum

I can recommend the following restaurants.
Urbana
Butterfirled 9
Grillfish
Nora's - free range/organic
Georgia Browns - Brunch is off the hook
The Diner or Annie's - for late night after the bar eats