Best Date Spots in Washington D.C.

With Valentine’s Day peeking its head around the corner, it seems fitting to discuss some of Washington, D.C.’s best date spots. Many have exhausted the cliché dinner and movie routine and are looking for new ideas. The good news is that you’re in the right city for fun and change. Whether you have a special someone or want to go out in protest of the Hallmark Holiday, the District has a variety of great spots to spend the night.

Right outside the city boundaries, Glen Echo Park serves as a historical gem in the Washington Metropolitan area. The former amusement park was transformed into a performing arts center in the late 1960’s, although they maintained the same architecture and décor, giving it a great old-timey feel. Glen Echo Park hosts weekly dances in its Spanish Ballroom where people tend to dress up according to era of music being featured that night. A few weeks ago, they had a live 14-piece big band and the crowd arrived in fashion honoring the roaring twenties. The dances typically begin with a brief dance lesson, after which the band will begin to play and you’re thrown into the fire to test your skills. It’s really a lot of fun and will only put you back about $20 per person. Keep in mind that drinks and food are not served anywhere in the ballroom, which is kind of a bummer because you will work up a sweat. A few steps away from the ballroom, however, is the Irish Inn at Glen Echo, where you can pop over to for a quick beer should you feel the urge.

Some may feel hesitant to embarrass themselves with their rusty dancing skills. If that’s you, then don’t resign to plopping in front of the television with a Lean Cuisine just yet. There’s still a lot more out there. CoCo Sala Chocolate Lounge & Boutique is a newer hot-spot in downtown D.C. Don’t let the name deceive you – only a small part of this place is a candy shop; the rest is a trendy bar and restaurant. CoCo Sala maintains a dark, intimate atmosphere. Happy Hour lasts from 4:00pm – 7:00pm and includes champagne and chocolate tasting. Though their menu has limited options, CoCo Sala offers some unique creations such the Creole Crabcake, Moroccan Swordfish Sliders, and Duck Confit Cigar Salad.

If you need some help in the conversation department, there are plenty of options that don’t put you directly across the table from someone with only the weather to discuss. Consider checking out the Capitol Steps, a hilarious comedy troop which pokes fun at current events and the overall population and culture of Washington, D.C. (Yes, that’s you, Hill-Staffer) Performances are held weekly at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, right off the Federal Triangle Metro stop. Before or after, you can grab some pizza at Aria Pizzeria and Bar, which has some pretty tasting food as well as plentiful outdoor seating, should our early spring weather endure.

Another fun idea is to go to a Washington Wizards game at the Verizon Center in Chinatown. Even if you’re not a huge basketball fan, it’s always fun to grab a beer and cheer on your home team, or the opponents, depending on where you’re from. With tickets starting out at $25, a Wizards game can certainly be an affordable date option. If you skip the junk food at the game and still find your date at least mildly tolerable, then head over to Proof for some drinks and dinner afterwards. Proof’s pride and joy is their extensive wine list, though they also maintain a rich menu. Some of their creative meals include Cassoulet of Crispy Pork, Duck Confit & House Made Sausage, Pan Roasted Morningstar Dayboat Scallops, and Napoleon of Crispy Tofu, Wild Mushrooms & Winter Vegetables.

If you find yourself boycotting Valentine’s Day this year, then head over to the H St. Corridor in Northeast, which has new bars and restaurants popping up left and right. Check out some live music or a Vaudeville show at the newly renamed Red Palace, which combined the former Palace of Wonders and Red and Black into one great big venue that hosts a variety of live performances. Red Palace is truly a unique spot in D.C., with a fun New Orleans theme to it. Red Palace serves food or you always could head across the street to Dangerously Delicious Pies before or after the show for a piece of their sweet or savory pie. Dangerously Delicious has a mouthwatering menu including Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie and Mobtown Brownie Pie. On weekends, they’re open until 3:30am for those who have worked up an appetite at the bar.

Introducing the New To D.C. Website

New To D.C. is excited to announce that our website is officially live! http://new-todc.com/ This is great news because Washington, D.C. has a significant turnover rate of residents – higher than anywhere else in the country. There is always a fresh batch of people stepping off the plane, trying to make new lives for themselves here and it’s anything but easy. So many factors go into preparing for the move:  packing, hiring movers, actually making the move, unpacking, settling in, acclimating to the new city, and more. If that’s not hard enough, many individuals don’t have solid contacts on the other end to consult for advice or guidance along the way. New To D.C. would like to help – we are your contact on the other end of the move, providing you with expert advice. Relocation can be a major life transition and no one should have to go through it alone.

It’s common for people to spend hours searching online for specific answers to their relocation questions, but this is a big waste of time. Not only can it suck up your time without returning the answers you need, but you can’t always trust the information that you do find. As relocation experts in D.C., we have the answers all in one place and offer credible information.

One way New To D.C. would like to simplify your move is with our Special Package Deal, which is designed to meet all your relocation needs. The Special Package Deal includes a detailed Relocation Assessment to determine your particular goals and needs, a Relocation Plan, communication with our relocation experts who can answer all your questions, and vital information on adjusting to everyday life here in D.C. The ultimate goal of the Special Package Deal is to streamline your move process, so that you can move on to more important things such as your family and new job as quickly as possible.  

If you’re moving to Washington, D.C. for an internship, we didn’t forget you. We love interns! Interns have unique needs and goals, which is why we have designed a special Intern Package Deal just for you. The Intern Package Deal provides you with support on critical matters such as preparing for your move, having a successful internship experience, making friends in the District, and more.

One factor that’s critical to your success as an intern is networking. Contrary to popular belief, networking is not necessarily intuitive. There’s a right way to do it just as much as there’s a wrong way to do it, but you won’t know the difference until someone’s taught you. Coming straight from college, many students have not yet developed these muscles and that’s okay! You have to start somewhere. Our intern networking workshop:  “Interning in D.C.: How to Network for Your Dream Job” provides you with the tools you need to take advantage of your limited time here and ultimately make your dreams soar.

One of the most difficult parts of moving to D.C. for both interns and career professionals is finding housing. It can be challenging because many people are unfamiliar with the neighborhoods here, making it hard to know which neighborhood would fit their needs. Plus, it can be tricky determining a frame of reference for price. Unless you’re moving from L.A. or New York, chances are that you’ll have sticker-shock to some degree. Housing in the District does not run cheap. But this doesn’t mean that you’ll end up living under a bridge; it just means that you will need to seek out assistance. New To D.C. has a wealth of information on this important topic and would like to help you reach the point of signing a lease or buying a home.

To help you reach that point, we offer a housing-vetting service that will serve as a tremendous asset to you. Sometimes new residents are unable to fly or drive out to D.C. before they move here and are forced to commit to housing, sight-unseen. But you really should know just exactly what you’re getting into, with more than just a small, grainy picture from Craigslist to go by. If you provide us with addresses of apartments or houses that you would like viewed, then our relocation experts will meet with the landlord or real estate agent to check out the property. We will take pictures of the inside and outside, report back to you on measurements, roommates if there are any, the surrounding neighborhood, and anything else you want to know. Although we have to charge for this service, it still has the potential to save you hundreds of dollars on plane tickets, gas money, and hotel charges that you would rack up on a housing-hunting trip out here. Save your time and money and let us do the work.   

The website also offers detailed information on sightseeing in the District, which is just as valuable for new residents as it is for tourists. One of the best ways to learn your new city is by sightseeing, which requires you to walk around, take public transportation, and even get lost. This is how you develop an internal map of the city. Plus, one of the great things about Washington, D.C. is just when you think you’ve done it all, there are new activities and sights that surface to keep you entertained.

I hope that you come to love this city just as much as we do. You have chosen to relocate to an incredible place and we look forward to helping you make this your new home!

Best of Washington, D.C. (Side Trips)

In these brutal winter months, it can be easy to get caught in the same old routine:  go to work, head to the gym, make dinner, sleep, wake up and do it all again. To prevent our lives from falling into step with the Billy Murray movie, Groundhog Day, it’s healthy to escape the city every once in awhile for a change in scenery. While there’s certainly no shortage of things to do in Washington, D.C., sometimes we can appreciate those things more once we’ve left the city and returned having explored other adventures.  

A great place to start your exploration is Shenandoah National Park, which is about 3 hours southwest of Washington, D.C. in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. With over 75 overlooks and 500 miles of trails, Shenandoah is the perfect place to clear your head. There are four different campgrounds located throughout Shenandoah, so pack up your camping equipment and spend several days touring the park. You’ll want to remember your camera too so that you can capture shots of all the wildlife you’ll see. Shenandoah hosts over 50 species of mammals, 51 reptile species, 200 bird species, and 30 fish species. This park is a gem on the east coast where you can experience nature, hike, camp, and return to the District feeling rejuvenated.

About 50 miles southeast of Shenandoah National Park is Charlottesville, Virginia, which you can knock out on the same drive to Shenandoah or make it a destination on its own. This city is packed with history having been shaped by founding father, Thomas Jefferson. His home, Monticello, offers daily tours for a fee where you can view both the grounds and the house. Not too far from Monticello is University of Virginia which was founded by Jefferson. The campus is beautiful, with traditional Greek architecture. I recommend grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning and enjoying a nice long walk around the quad. Another popular activity in Charlottesville is wine tasting. You’ll notice signs for vineyards plastered across the highway every few miles. Check out the Monticello Wine Trail, which offers four different routes you can follow for a day or weekend of wine tasting fun.

If you’re itching to get back to city life, another great side trip from D.C. is Baltimore, Maryland, which is about 40 miles northeast of the District. The great thing is that you don’t even have to drive to this spot; you can just hop on Amtrak. One of your first stops should be the Baltimore Zoo at Druid Hill Park. The Zoo has an impressive collection of unique animals, including some you may never have heard of or seen before such as an okapi, dik-dik, sifaka, and more. Surprisingly, the Baltimore Zoo hosts more animals, and more rare animals than D.C.’s National Zoo. While you’re in town, make plans to stop by check out the Baltimore Aquarium, which features a jellyfish exhibit, a dolphin show, a 4D immersion theater, and more. Be sure to snap some pictures of the blue poison dart frogs.

Another fun side trip from D.C. is Annapolis, Maryland, located along the Chesapeake Bay. It’s only about 32 miles outside of the District. Annapolis is home to the U.S. Naval Academy, and much of the city is structured around that. The Naval Academy even offers daily tours to the public. If you have kids, you’ll want to check out the Chesapeake Children’s Museum which has hands-on, interactive exhibits that will grab children’s attention. The museum’s menu of fun activities includes an interactive theater, construction site, nature trail, herb garden, and more. Because it’s on the bay, Annapolis has some water activities that you may want to take advantage of such as a boats rides or simply a long relaxing walk along the pier.

Best of Washington, D.C. (Traditional Sightseeing)

Although we’ve had a chance to discuss off-the-beaten path sightseeing, it’s important to have an idea of the traditional sights in Washington, D.C. as well. If you’ve recently moved here, you understand that it takes time to settle in and after that, it’s surprisingly easy to get caught up in the routine of life, forgetting all the gems that our nation’s capital has to offer. Instead of conceding to monotony in these dreary cold months, consider mixing things up by checking out one of the many entertaining, historical, and educational sights there are to see. The added bonus is that many are free (and indoors!)

Everyone wants a tour of the White House when they come to Washington, D.C. Tours of the White House can be secured through your Congressman’s office and requests must be made 6 months in advance. If you weren’t able to get tickets, don’t worry – you aren’t missing much. The “tour” is about a 15-minute self-guided walk through a few rooms on the East Wing. It’s highly overrated and often disappointing to many people who had high hopes of accidentally running into the President. Instead, consider stopping by the White House Visitor’s Center which would be better described as a museum than a visitor’s center because it provides a detailed overview of the White House, including architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, relations with the press and world leaders. Allow yourself 20 minutes – 1 hour to explore the exhibits. The White House Historical Association sponsors a sales area where you can pick up unique White House souvenirs. The Center is open seven days a week from 7:30am until 4:00pm and is located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets. Restrooms are available, but food service is not.

Over in Chinatown, you’ll find one of the District’s newer museums, The International Spy Museum, which is home to the world’s largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever displayed to the public. This is a great museum for kids because it’s highly interactive. The tour begins by you choosing your alias and committing it to memory. The fun continues with videos, activities, unique artifacts, and stories of espionage that will blow you away. Adults love this museum just as much as kids. It’s a pretty big though, so I’d encourage you to carve out at least 2 hours for it, maybe more if you’re particularly interested in the topic. Because it’s not a Smithsonian, there is an admission fee of $20 for adults and $14 for children, so you’ll want to stay long enough to get your money’s worth anyway.

If you’ve always wanted to hear a case argued before The Supreme Court, then you’re in luck – as long as you are in town while the court is in session. The Supreme Court usually hears two cases a day beginning at 10:00am October – April. Only a limited number of people are allowed in each day, so it is necessary to get in line early to reserve a spot. If you’re in town during recess, then you can still go on a tour of the court Monday – Friday at 2:00pm. The tour is fascinating, with a wealth of interesting information, though I would not recommend it for young children because there’s nothing much for them to do besides listen.

Right next door to the Court, you’ll find The Library of Congress which is the largest library in the world. It was originally built to serve as a resource for Congress, but now the public has access and you shouldn’t miss it. The library’s pride and joy is the Gutenberg Bible, which is the first book that was printed by the printing press. There are a number of other exhibits and daily talks that you can take advantage of. Public tours are offered daily on the hour. I recommend taking the tour versus wandering around by yourself because the tour guides do an excellent job of providing a mix of history and narrative that you would otherwise miss.  

Heading over to the National Mall, you’ll find The National Museum of Natural History, which features the Hope Diamond, a 45 ½ carat jewel. You can also see a life-sized model of a blue whale, an enormous prehistoric white shark, and an 80-foot dinosaur skeleton. Kids love this museum! They are bound to run into familiar topics that they’ve studied in school. Plus, The National Museum of Natural History is very interactive and can hold kids’ attention for an extended period of time.

If you’re a fan of the National Treasure movies with Nicholas Cage, check out the National Archives where you can catch a glimpse of the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. You cannot miss this vital part of our nation’s history. Viewing the National Archives only takes about 30 minutes assuming you miss the line. If you know what day you’ll be visiting, you can make reservations online for a tour which occur Monday – Friday at 9:45am. Admission is free.

Right across the Mall is another popular sight, the Air and Space Museum. Here you can see the Wright 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia, and a lunar rock sample that visitors can touch. This museum is very hands-on and great for kids. There’s even an I-Max theater where you can rest your feet for a bit and catch the museum’s latest feature.

Another fun stop is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Public tours are given every 15 minutes 9:00am –10:45am and 12:30pm – 3:45pm. The 40-minute guided tour includes a video and viewing of the production process where you will actually see money being printed. Free tickets are required for all tours. You can obtain same-day tickets at the ticket booth located on Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th Street). The ticket booth opens at 8:00am Monday through Friday and closes when all tickets have been distributed.

If you need a break from the museums, stop by The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts to see a performance or hear some music. Make sure to take advantage of the free performances at 6:00pm daily on the Millennium Stage in the Grand Foyer. The Kennedy Center also provides free tours 10:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday and 10:00am – 1:00pm on weekends. Tours depart from the parking plaza on Level A and feature the Hall of States and Hall of Nations, the Center’s main theaters, as well as paintings, sculptures, and other artwork.

If it’s a nice day outside, tie up your walking shoes and head over to Arlington Cemetery which serves as the resting place for casualties of war, veterans, and their spouses from the Civil War to the present. Make sure that you catch the changing of the guard of the unnamed soldiers, which is a military ritual that takes place every hour on the hour. You’ll also want to see the Memorial Amphitheater, which is where memorial services are held. You can reach Arlington Cemetery by Metro or Tourmobile. It is open 8:00am – 7:00pm April 1 through September 30 and 8:00am – 5:00pm October 1 through March 31.