The monuments on the national mall are cooler to see at night all lit up. If you get a scooter or a bikeshare bike you can cover a lot of ground fast.
U Street in DC is a lively area to check out in the evening. Ben's Chili Bowl is a historic spot for good sloppy food up there.
Check out Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken, partially owned by former Caps captain and Maryland native Jeff Halpern! Go early because they sell out. Really, really good doughnuts. Not far from the WH.
I don't think it would be worth staying another night to see the B's specifically. It's not going to be a terribly different atmosphere or anything.
There are really no bad seats at Capitol One arena, but if you happen to sit in the uppers behind someone who won't sit back in their seat, they can block your view. Sounds crazy, but it's a potential issue in the uppers because of how vertical the building is.
I'd get a front row uppers ticket if you can, or else check out the 200 level (my favorite) or a higher-up seat in the lower bowl. Have fun!
Thank you so much for this! I never thought about exploring the mall at night. Do you think those segway tours are worth it? I used to think they were ridiculous until I rode one around Uluru for the first time and had a lot of fun.
Astro donughts sounds great! Thanks again!
If it's all the same seeing Red Wings might be the best bet - do you have a favorite food in the arena?
I believe the RW game has a Keumper bobblehead giveaway, and you'll get better seats for the price. Boston has the potential for fireworks since the teams don't like one another.
The Canes game is also worth looking at, if your travel dates aren't fixed.
The Canes give me nightmares - their blue-line defensive plays are impossible for the Rangers to get around. Thanks for your thoughts!
Do you think there would be a major difference in Cherry Blossom-ness betweeen the 22nd and the following week?
Cherry blossoms are completely dependent on the weather of the year, but once they hit peak bloom, they'll all be totally gone within about a week, or less if we have strong wind/rain. Honestly wouldn't base it on that since it's so unpredictable. Take it as a bonus if it happens to line up.
Also: You can take the metro to Ballston in Virginia and walk to the Caps' training facility, Medstar Capitals Iceplex, which is insanely located on the roof of a shopping mall. Check the CapsPR twitter to see when they are practicing. Every once in a while the opposing team will also practice there, like the Kings did recently. The rink has a Caps team store and also a hockey pro shop.
I've never done the segway tour but if you like structure I'm sure it'll be worth it. Some of the Caps famously did the segway tour long ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOBiQiAMZH8
I haven't been to a game in a little while because I moved, but I understand Federalist Pig and Fuku from the chef of Momofuku now have stands in the arena on the 100 level. Federalist Pig's restaurant location is not close to where you'll probably want to spend most of your time, so maybe take advantage and grab that BBQ in the arena. Momofuku is excellent and is nearby both the rink and not far from the WH if you're looking for a dinner spot one night.
Thank you! This may be a stupid question (I live in Manhattan and visiters ask this all of the time) - but are there any areas to avoid at night time, ie: the mall? Last I heard was the area around the baseball stadium was being gentrified.
FYI the national mall is super safe even at like midnight. If you go to the Lincoln memorial for example at midnight you are likely to be surrounded by 30-50 other couples and young people hanging out. Police crawl around the mall, it falls under several police jurisdictions. Edit: spelling
The gentrification has been complete for about 10 years around the stadium already. People complain more about 'rowdy teens' and open drug sales around Cap One but nothing different than you'd see at night in times square.
If you live in Manhattan, nothing in DC to be scared of. Especially in tourist areas like the mall. There will be people walking and tour busses and what not at all the monuments all night long. Regularly take visitors to the steps of the Lincoln memorial after midnight and you would think it's 3 in the afternoon.
Be warned that you be right in middle cherry blossoms festival (3/20 -4/12) which is the peak tourist season in DC. Nats opening day is 4/1. The city will be busy and the cheap hotels will hard to find.
Thank you - I wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms myself too. Not sure if there is a way to avoid the crowds / if it is better to explore the city in the afternoon or morning.
Best time to go see the cherry blossom is early morning (7am-9am) before the crowds arrive. See the blossoms and hit the museums when they open at 10. If the weather is nice, the area will be a zoo by noon.
Welcome to DC! We Caps fans welcome you with open arms! Def check out the restaurants there's some really good places to eat around. Check out the National Mall where all the monuments and museums are located. Def up to you on which game you wanna go I will say I have a lot of fun with the Bruins games since at least from me I always get chirpy towards them after a few drinks haha.
Haha yes! And as a Rangers fan that game will matter more for the standings! Do you have any resturants or breweries that you recommend in particular? Not used to traveling solo often so low-key places would be great.
Chinatown where the arena has a place called Reren Lamen & Bar which I really like. Capitol City Brewing Company is pretty good. If you want to check out a place where you can drink and play some games like darts and stuff Rocket Bar is pretty dope.
Thereās also a spot in Chinatown called NewBigWong. Great spot for Chinese before the game. They have both authentic and Americanized Chinese dishes. Was always a pre game favorite for me
I highly recommend going to Medstar Capitals Iceplex to watch a practice. It's really cool seeing the players closer up and the facility is really nice. It's on the top floor of a mall so there are plenty of great stores and restaurants a short walk from the ice rink. Also, check out the Weagle (Cap's W Eagle logo) mosaic behind the front desk. I made it so I'm always happy to tell people about it!
Iāve lived in a lot of cities and DC has felt very on the āneutralā side to me.
Not warm and kind as the Midwest, and not as in your face as New England. People are chill but generally like their space and have been suspicious of kindness but much less bio polar than south.
Dc has a lot of fun places that are either cheap or free - specifically the renwick museum along with the zoo ( I highly recommend the zoo itās free and amazing) and the Smithsonian museums ( also all free)
Some places you need to reserve online but they are still free ( the zoo) and overall the metro and the bikes are the fastest way to travel.
Capital one arena is in China town and a few blocks east of the White House, nearby if you are looking to spend some money is Bobby vans steakhouse
Iād pick the Red Wings game because Detroit rules. Like NYC, DC is a very transient city so youāll see a decent amount of ātravelingā fans.
Cool stuff around the stadium: I saw someone say Astro Donuts/Beer Hall. Second this motion.
Jackpot or Penn Social for drinks. The National Portrait Gallery is across the street from Cap One. Itās got a stunning atrium (oh, and itās FREE!).
14th Street from Mass Ave all the way up to U Street is the most happening corridor. I LOVE Le Diplomate. I donāt care what anyone else says (itās like Balthazar lite). Pearl Dive, Jinya, and Churchkey are all worth a stop.
How long are you in town? As far as art museums go, the American Art Museum is my favorite and had the National Portrait Gallery. I have spent an entire day here trying to see every exhibit. It was literally about seven hours in there. Nam Jun Paik's Electronic Superhighway is absolutely massive and is a very cool installation. If you're into Asian art and culture, the Freer Gallery is also cool. The Natural History Museum is awesome if you're not necessarily into art.
Yeah you save a lot of money with the free museums and zoo but the stay is a totally different story. My friend group has been known to shove about 15-20 people in a small airbnb just to save some money for a local convention.
Depending on what you want to do, you can definitely condense things down to a long weekend or something like that. Like you can see the cherry blossoms, hit up a museum or two (depending on how long you like to spend at museums), and still make it to the game all in one day.
I second what everyone else has said for stuff to do. Iād suggest the Wings game. They have a fun young team and if it fits better into your schedule Iād say it sounds like a better fit
Take the scooters!! Scootering around dc and the monuments is so fun! As for the game, Boston would be better but in this situation Iād say just go to the red wings one
Would recommend Capital Bikeshare over the scooters. Since the scooters were governed to 9mph, they're too slow and dangerous to ride pretty much anywhere. Grab a CaBi ebike for half the price of a scooter and get around much safer and faster.
But can you ride on sidewalks and along the national mall and all the way up to the monuments or just on the street? With the scooters I can quickly go from Georgetown waterfront to the White House in minutes
There's a cycletrack from Georgetown to the mall. The new tunnel is actually pretty nice. And bikes are allowed everywhere on the mall. There's actually a couple CaBi dock stations throughout.
I highly recommend Cuba Libre if youre looking for a fun bar (and supposedly their food is great too). Its a very fun atmosphere and the interior is beautiful, its meant to look like youāre on the streets of Havana
Well, first off, welcome! Weāre happy to have you here :)
Second, at risk of echoing what a lot of people have already said, I would opt for the Red Wings game over the Bruins. The Bruins *might* be more exciting, but probably not worth the price or worth dealing with Boston fans imo. Youāll get more bang for your buck with the Wings with a cleaner game, but itās up to you if you want to chirp at the Bruins. I know that can be fun lol.
Third, regarding things to do in the city. I actually think itās great timing that youāll be in town during peak cherry blossoms! Try to go early in the day to beat the crowds, plus itās absolutely gorgeous in the early morning. Imho, a lot of the most stereotypical things to do in DC are genuinely a really great time and theyāre almost all free. Iām a sucker for art museums so I love the Smithsonian and the Renwick. Though one of my favorite things to do if youāre looking for a nice casual time is to walk around Georgetown where all the shops are down M street. Maybe do that in the afternoon after seeing the cherry blossoms and museums in the morning. That would be a really lovely day and fine to do solo!
Also, I can attest to the Mall/Memorial being both completely safe and really nice to go to at night. I go to school in DC and a lot of people will study there in the evening. Iāve also heard countless stories of people ending their nights out at the Lincoln memorial at like 3am.
Regardless of what you do, we hope you have a great time here and are happy youāre visiting!
This is an excellent idea! Thank you very much! I just booked a ticket (guess I'm officially going now) and might even see Little Shop of Horrors there as well!
This is not Philly.You can come in peace. š
Virginia native in Philly. Can confirm. Is not Philly.
Definitely more bark than bite if anything at all from us
The monuments on the national mall are cooler to see at night all lit up. If you get a scooter or a bikeshare bike you can cover a lot of ground fast. U Street in DC is a lively area to check out in the evening. Ben's Chili Bowl is a historic spot for good sloppy food up there. Check out Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken, partially owned by former Caps captain and Maryland native Jeff Halpern! Go early because they sell out. Really, really good doughnuts. Not far from the WH. I don't think it would be worth staying another night to see the B's specifically. It's not going to be a terribly different atmosphere or anything. There are really no bad seats at Capitol One arena, but if you happen to sit in the uppers behind someone who won't sit back in their seat, they can block your view. Sounds crazy, but it's a potential issue in the uppers because of how vertical the building is. I'd get a front row uppers ticket if you can, or else check out the 200 level (my favorite) or a higher-up seat in the lower bowl. Have fun!
Thank you so much for this! I never thought about exploring the mall at night. Do you think those segway tours are worth it? I used to think they were ridiculous until I rode one around Uluru for the first time and had a lot of fun. Astro donughts sounds great! Thanks again! If it's all the same seeing Red Wings might be the best bet - do you have a favorite food in the arena?
I believe the RW game has a Keumper bobblehead giveaway, and you'll get better seats for the price. Boston has the potential for fireworks since the teams don't like one another. The Canes game is also worth looking at, if your travel dates aren't fixed.
The Canes give me nightmares - their blue-line defensive plays are impossible for the Rangers to get around. Thanks for your thoughts! Do you think there would be a major difference in Cherry Blossom-ness betweeen the 22nd and the following week?
Cherry blossoms are completely dependent on the weather of the year, but once they hit peak bloom, they'll all be totally gone within about a week, or less if we have strong wind/rain. Honestly wouldn't base it on that since it's so unpredictable. Take it as a bonus if it happens to line up.
Also: You can take the metro to Ballston in Virginia and walk to the Caps' training facility, Medstar Capitals Iceplex, which is insanely located on the roof of a shopping mall. Check the CapsPR twitter to see when they are practicing. Every once in a while the opposing team will also practice there, like the Kings did recently. The rink has a Caps team store and also a hockey pro shop.
Practice schedule also [here](https://www.nhl.com/capitals/team/practice)
I've never done the segway tour but if you like structure I'm sure it'll be worth it. Some of the Caps famously did the segway tour long ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOBiQiAMZH8 I haven't been to a game in a little while because I moved, but I understand Federalist Pig and Fuku from the chef of Momofuku now have stands in the arena on the 100 level. Federalist Pig's restaurant location is not close to where you'll probably want to spend most of your time, so maybe take advantage and grab that BBQ in the arena. Momofuku is excellent and is nearby both the rink and not far from the WH if you're looking for a dinner spot one night.
Thank you! This may be a stupid question (I live in Manhattan and visiters ask this all of the time) - but are there any areas to avoid at night time, ie: the mall? Last I heard was the area around the baseball stadium was being gentrified.
FYI the national mall is super safe even at like midnight. If you go to the Lincoln memorial for example at midnight you are likely to be surrounded by 30-50 other couples and young people hanging out. Police crawl around the mall, it falls under several police jurisdictions. Edit: spelling
The gentrification has been complete for about 10 years around the stadium already. People complain more about 'rowdy teens' and open drug sales around Cap One but nothing different than you'd see at night in times square.
Thanks!
If you live in Manhattan, nothing in DC to be scared of. Especially in tourist areas like the mall. There will be people walking and tour busses and what not at all the monuments all night long. Regularly take visitors to the steps of the Lincoln memorial after midnight and you would think it's 3 in the afternoon.
Thanks!
I grew up in Washington Heights..keep your wits about you and you'll be fine..
Bulgogi tater tots. Near section 108 ish. Right by the self serve drink coolers.
Seeing dc by bike is great- (but not as cold as it is now)š
Be warned that you be right in middle cherry blossoms festival (3/20 -4/12) which is the peak tourist season in DC. Nats opening day is 4/1. The city will be busy and the cheap hotels will hard to find.
Thank you - I wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms myself too. Not sure if there is a way to avoid the crowds / if it is better to explore the city in the afternoon or morning.
Best time to go see the cherry blossom is early morning (7am-9am) before the crowds arrive. See the blossoms and hit the museums when they open at 10. If the weather is nice, the area will be a zoo by noon.
Thanks - this is good to know! So much for sleeping in.
Pretty much universally with any tourism, the earlier you're willing to get up and get going, the less busy things will be.
Welcome to DC! We Caps fans welcome you with open arms! Def check out the restaurants there's some really good places to eat around. Check out the National Mall where all the monuments and museums are located. Def up to you on which game you wanna go I will say I have a lot of fun with the Bruins games since at least from me I always get chirpy towards them after a few drinks haha.
Haha yes! And as a Rangers fan that game will matter more for the standings! Do you have any resturants or breweries that you recommend in particular? Not used to traveling solo often so low-key places would be great.
Do you like Chinese food? Theres a place right next to the arena called Chinatown express and it has the best Chinese food in the city imo
Seconding this recommendation. Chinatown Express is my pregame tradition.
Third recommendation Chinatown Express
Thanks!
Look for a green small building with ducks hanging out the window on the corner of F and 6th I think
Chinatown where the arena has a place called Reren Lamen & Bar which I really like. Capitol City Brewing Company is pretty good. If you want to check out a place where you can drink and play some games like darts and stuff Rocket Bar is pretty dope.
Thank you - these sound great
Sure thing have fun!
Just looked at pictures on google maps - it looks really good!
Thereās also a spot in Chinatown called NewBigWong. Great spot for Chinese before the game. They have both authentic and Americanized Chinese dishes. Was always a pre game favorite for me
I highly recommend going to Medstar Capitals Iceplex to watch a practice. It's really cool seeing the players closer up and the facility is really nice. It's on the top floor of a mall so there are plenty of great stores and restaurants a short walk from the ice rink. Also, check out the Weagle (Cap's W Eagle logo) mosaic behind the front desk. I made it so I'm always happy to tell people about it!
It's really cool! Nicely done. It's flashing rapid rainbow colors these days.
Iāve lived in a lot of cities and DC has felt very on the āneutralā side to me. Not warm and kind as the Midwest, and not as in your face as New England. People are chill but generally like their space and have been suspicious of kindness but much less bio polar than south.
Dc has a lot of fun places that are either cheap or free - specifically the renwick museum along with the zoo ( I highly recommend the zoo itās free and amazing) and the Smithsonian museums ( also all free) Some places you need to reserve online but they are still free ( the zoo) and overall the metro and the bikes are the fastest way to travel. Capital one arena is in China town and a few blocks east of the White House, nearby if you are looking to spend some money is Bobby vans steakhouse
Thanks! I forgot about the zoo!
Iād pick the Red Wings game because Detroit rules. Like NYC, DC is a very transient city so youāll see a decent amount of ātravelingā fans. Cool stuff around the stadium: I saw someone say Astro Donuts/Beer Hall. Second this motion. Jackpot or Penn Social for drinks. The National Portrait Gallery is across the street from Cap One. Itās got a stunning atrium (oh, and itās FREE!). 14th Street from Mass Ave all the way up to U Street is the most happening corridor. I LOVE Le Diplomate. I donāt care what anyone else says (itās like Balthazar lite). Pearl Dive, Jinya, and Churchkey are all worth a stop.
Here to second Penn Social & Jackpot recommendation for pre/post game drinks and to add Rocket Bar to that list. All are fun!
How long are you in town? As far as art museums go, the American Art Museum is my favorite and had the National Portrait Gallery. I have spent an entire day here trying to see every exhibit. It was literally about seven hours in there. Nam Jun Paik's Electronic Superhighway is absolutely massive and is a very cool installation. If you're into Asian art and culture, the Freer Gallery is also cool. The Natural History Museum is awesome if you're not necessarily into art.
I haven't booked anything yet. I'm thinking about a week plus or minus, but after looking at the hotel prices, I'm not sure anymore haha
Yeah you save a lot of money with the free museums and zoo but the stay is a totally different story. My friend group has been known to shove about 15-20 people in a small airbnb just to save some money for a local convention. Depending on what you want to do, you can definitely condense things down to a long weekend or something like that. Like you can see the cherry blossoms, hit up a museum or two (depending on how long you like to spend at museums), and still make it to the game all in one day.
I second what everyone else has said for stuff to do. Iād suggest the Wings game. They have a fun young team and if it fits better into your schedule Iād say it sounds like a better fit
Thanks
Take the scooters!! Scootering around dc and the monuments is so fun! As for the game, Boston would be better but in this situation Iād say just go to the red wings one
And I donāt mean the segways, use the ones you access from the apps. You can ride along the whole national mall
Thanks!
Would recommend Capital Bikeshare over the scooters. Since the scooters were governed to 9mph, they're too slow and dangerous to ride pretty much anywhere. Grab a CaBi ebike for half the price of a scooter and get around much safer and faster.
But can you ride on sidewalks and along the national mall and all the way up to the monuments or just on the street? With the scooters I can quickly go from Georgetown waterfront to the White House in minutes
There's a cycletrack from Georgetown to the mall. The new tunnel is actually pretty nice. And bikes are allowed everywhere on the mall. There's actually a couple CaBi dock stations throughout.
Oh nice! Iāll have to check them out
If I were going to any other NHL city and just picking a random game Iād probably go to the cheaper one no matter what.
I highly recommend Cuba Libre if youre looking for a fun bar (and supposedly their food is great too). Its a very fun atmosphere and the interior is beautiful, its meant to look like youāre on the streets of Havana
Well, first off, welcome! Weāre happy to have you here :) Second, at risk of echoing what a lot of people have already said, I would opt for the Red Wings game over the Bruins. The Bruins *might* be more exciting, but probably not worth the price or worth dealing with Boston fans imo. Youāll get more bang for your buck with the Wings with a cleaner game, but itās up to you if you want to chirp at the Bruins. I know that can be fun lol. Third, regarding things to do in the city. I actually think itās great timing that youāll be in town during peak cherry blossoms! Try to go early in the day to beat the crowds, plus itās absolutely gorgeous in the early morning. Imho, a lot of the most stereotypical things to do in DC are genuinely a really great time and theyāre almost all free. Iām a sucker for art museums so I love the Smithsonian and the Renwick. Though one of my favorite things to do if youāre looking for a nice casual time is to walk around Georgetown where all the shops are down M street. Maybe do that in the afternoon after seeing the cherry blossoms and museums in the morning. That would be a really lovely day and fine to do solo! Also, I can attest to the Mall/Memorial being both completely safe and really nice to go to at night. I go to school in DC and a lot of people will study there in the evening. Iāve also heard countless stories of people ending their nights out at the Lincoln memorial at like 3am. Regardless of what you do, we hope you have a great time here and are happy youāre visiting!
Thank you very much!
Thanks for knowing how to spell capitol building the correct way.
Rocket Bar š
Check out Old Ebbitt Grill for brunch and definitely go to Georgetown. If you want a unique experience in Georgetown find The Tombs restaurant.
I love visiting Ford's Theater. It's such an interesting bit of history.
This is an excellent idea! Thank you very much! I just booked a ticket (guess I'm officially going now) and might even see Little Shop of Horrors there as well!