Originally Posted by
darthbimmer
I have made periodic visits to D.C. for 25 years. I find that the standard big-city precautions are fine.
In addition, as everyone else has already said, it is best to skip using a car if your aim is to visit downtown D.C. Driving can be frustrating with traffic, construction, security closures, and one-way streets; and parking is expensive and often hard to find near tourist attractions.
When I visit D.C. for a day or two I often stay in the Rosslyn and Crystal City neighborhoods across the Potomac River in Virginia. On weekends they are much cheaper than staying in downtown D.C., and by picking a hotel near one of the Metro stations I can travel from my room to the National Mall in 25 minutes.
I was surprised I had to read down this far to see the Crystal City/Rosslyn recommendations because that's what I came here to say. We often come down from Baltimore for the weekend and spend Saturday night in the DC area to cut out two train trips. We almost always stay in Arlington and occasionally in Rosslyn for 1/2 or less the price of DC hotels. Just be sure to check a map and find something close to a Metro stop, with the Pentagon City and Crystal City stops being my favorites.