Food and Fun for the Bored and Broke: Great Places in DC
April 8, 2010 by peetzies
Filed under Student Life
Do you know where to find authentic dim sum for under $8? A Sunday flea market where you can find antique pieces of art from the other side of the world, and lunch within a block? Do you know where you can have a pork dumpling and blintzes lunch within a block of St. Andrews after a Saturday sports practice?
According to wordpress.com, Washington, DC, was ranked among the top ten most visited cities in 2007, and it’s one of the more popular US destinations for foreign tourists. Anyone who has been on a crowded Metro car in late spring or early summer would know. So if there really is nothing to do here—why do so many people come? As the capitol of America, Washington is home to all branches of the government as well as the White House, national monuments, the constitution, and the zoo! This all fine and dandy, but after having your kindergarten teacher ram this stuff down your throat for the third, or even fourth time, it gets redundant.
Food:
Being a very multi-cultural city, DC has many options. On the Red Line alone, you can pick from Indian, Japanese, French, Afghani, Chinese, and even Ethiopian cuisine. All you have to do is hop on your computer for a few minutes, and you will find something.
If you know you are in the mood for Asian style cooking, Try Café Asia, where Nigiri is $1/piece and maki rolls are discounted and it is just off the Farragut West metro stop.
If you prefer Chinese, then you can head over to Chinatown and try Tony Cheng’s, where you can have authentic dim sum for under $8.
In Adams Morgan, you can grab Falafal, Jumbo Slice pizza, Julia’s Empanandas (Chilean), Afghani, or even Ethiopian.
If you are stuck in school for an SAT prep class on Satuary, or you have sports practice a small Russian food market opens up in Herbert Hoover Middle School between 11am and 2pm where you can grab lunch.
Sights To See:
There is much more to see in DC that the Smithsonian or the National Mall. Every Sunday from 10 am to 5pm on the Eastern Market orange and blue line stop, there is a massive flea market where you can check out local art, grab lunch, and buy antiques, handicrafts, and other things you probably have never even thought of.
Another treasure is the national Arboretum just off New York Ave. Despite the fact that it’s free, it remains relatively untouched by tourists, even during cherry blossom season. It stays relatively empty throughout the year, but/ there’s always something in bloom. This upcoming week the Japanese-andromeda, woodland wildflowers, and flowering cherries are in bloom. This is one of those places where you can spend hours walking through with family, a friend, or a date and rarely see another person. Admittedly, it is probably most stunning in late April early May.
If you wish to be more active, then you can grab a friend and bike down the C and O Canal and grab lunch in Georgetown; at this time of the year there will be no tourists, it will be warm, and you will have a breath taking view of Great Falls Park from the bike path, as the trees have not started budding yet.
A new take on something old would be to see the monuments at night. The Lincoln, Korean, and Roosevelt Memorial are particularly breathtaking. At night the water lights up at the FDR memorial, and the Korean War Memorial is lit in such a way that it is like being in a valley of ghost-like young soldiers.
DC is so loaded with food, culture, and art, that it’s nearly impossible for anyone to have “seen it all.” So what is there to do? The short answer is: a lot. What has been mentioned in this article barely even begins to cover it. If you want to know more, then grab your computer, it’s that simple. There are so many things you can do between now and the end of the weekend; with all of your friends from out side of school on their spring break, you should have no problem finding someone to explore the city with.
Links to items mentioned above and others:
http://washington.org/visiting/browse-dc/attractions/100-free-things-to-do
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/bestof/2008/artsandentertainment/
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