I have a conference in DC next week that I cannot easily weasel out of. Therefore this might be a good time for better-informed readers to let me and other people in my position know exactly what to expect. For reference, I figure that the city will be on fire while Republican staffers run around and tell people to hold out for free market firefighting solutions. I am renting a car and I will stay with a relative in MD so my exposure to the flames whatever will be less than most, but I’m guessing that things will still be somewhat other than normal.
Thoughts?
lord karnage
it will be….quiet. the museums will be closed, as will much of the downtown area. national parks will be closed as well. business will be….quiet. why open a deli if the vast majority of customers won’t show up, eh? transit may run on a weekend schedule. it will feel like very early on a saturday morning in the downtown area.
superking
I live in DC, and I don’t expect much to be different. The museums will be closed and all my friends will be at home baking or–according to their stated plans–masturbating, but hopefully you won’t notice that.
brendancalling
i think you’ll be OK. It will be too early for the trash to have piled up, the traffic lights will still work, i’m pretty sure DC police and fire aren’t federal employees, and the restaurants and bars will still be open.
On the other hand, it’s DC so navigating around the abusrdly designed city will be a nightmare (as usual).
personally, I’d rather have my innards slowly pulled out of me with a butt-out than spend any time in DC. It’s an ugly hateful place and you can smell the politicians.
athena
Don’t plan to go to any museums or national monuments. They will be closed, if 1995 is any guide.
MikeJ
Last shut down was during the blizzard of ’96. Expect 6′ of snow in a town that shuts down for a 1/4″.
Or not.
Patrick
Park wherever you want:
http://pqinsider.blogspot.com/2011/04/no-parking-tickets-during-government.html
4tehlulz
@superking: So your friends will be cruising 4chan from home rather than work.
The Dangerman
Can’t call DC, but the CA papers are playing up the quality of Yosemite’s Falls right now (read: thunderous). So, of course, that would be the weekend the Park closes. Pity all the poor people in the portal communities that will lose that tourism revenue.
Failure, Inc.
DC is a shithole. You won’t notice the difference.
superking
Not all the museums will be closed, of course, just the ones run by the federal government. The Newseum and the Spy Museum will both be open. I hear the Newseum is worth it, but it costs $25 or something, and it’s all about how important the media is.
superking
@4tehlulz:
Is that some sort of troll attempt? It’s weak sauce, dude.
Efroh
Don’t think there will be much disruption for conventioneers (except for cultural things, such as the Mall museums) WMATA will be running a normal train/bus schedule (so they say).
More details at these DCist posts.
Common Sense
@superking:
Spy Museum is a bit morbid but interesting. I think most folks here would dig the Newseum. It’s a bit fawning but it definitely gives you something to chew over.
Max B.
The Newseum is pretty cool, once you get past the fact that they think the media is responsible for all awesome things that have ever happened.
Go to H St. NE. Go to Sticky Rice, The H St Country Club, and especially Granville Moore’s.
Max B.
Also, there is already a Facebook group encouraging Feds to dump their uncollected trash on Boehner’s lawn. So fun times there.
Stay far, far away from the Zoo, since there may be no collection of the special kind of trash that elephants and monkeys produce in great volume.
Valdivia
Hard to tell I’m assuming all the govt run art institutions will be closed but the great food joints will be open. Head to Arlington Virginia for Rays Hells Burgers. Cheap and incredible. Expect a line.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rays-hell-burger-arlington-2
If you’re there on Weds night head to Hudsons on 21st Street and M. Great cheap happy hour and live Sinatra night.
James Hare
Traffic will be light. Should be able to get a table anywhere. Bars will be deserted.
Chris
@Max B.:
Ah, excellent. I must join.
And here’s me living fifteen minutes away. Hope the smell doesn’t carry.
Tim F.
@James Hare: Why would bars be deserted? It seems like DC ought to be stuffed with people who suddenly have free time and a lot of venting to do.
aimai
Here’s what’s ticking me off–anyone remember the “Give the President a Clean Bill” argument last time around with Bush. I remember 24/7 hysteria about how a bill wasn’t “clean” enough–had too many amendments and too much extraneous stuff–for Bush to sign. The press were on it all the time. This budget bill is definitionally not a clean bill since it seeks to do an end run around the legislative process by defunding PP and others with no hearings and no separate votes. This is just like the ol’ “Demon/Deem and Pass” hysteria of the ACA. Why on earth aren’t the Dems hammering away at this stuff like the Republicans did? Its too little and too late to start yammering about “ideological differences.” The Democrats should have been screetching “Budget bill? This bill is about everything but the budget. Every single right wing talking point and personal enemy has been shoehorned into it. Its nothing but the Tea Party’s bill of attainder with some dollar signs attached.”
aimai
adolphus
Ditto what people said about museums. Only the federal ones will be close, which is admittedly most of them, but as they note the Newseum and Spy Museum will be open. There is also a cool, but small, science center attached to the National Academies that should be open. It is small, but it is targeted at adults and last I went was clearly a grown-up hands-on experience.
Also, for less than the price of admission to any of these museums you could take a Marc train to Baltimore for world class art and history museums. You’d spend more time, but less money. I worked at a Baltimore museum during the last shut down and we did bang-up business from DC refugees.
PTirebiter
It might be a unique opportunity to stay at The Willard, or one of the other historic hotels. Hang with the ghost of Lincoln at a discount.
MikeJ
@adolphus: In Balmer don’t forget the aquarium.
meh
it will cut my commute from Rockville to Bethesda down 270 in half…other than that, a lot more parents at the playground in the middle of the day.
John Dillinger
Well, if the private museums like the Newseum and the Spy Musuem are being run in true Galtian fashion, expect entrance fees to triple, given the lack of competition from the Smithsonian, etc. One of my co-workers says McConnell lives in his neighborhood on the Hill, so maybe everyone could kill time hanging out there, do a little drinking, and enjoy the spring weather. Given the unpredictability, I hope lots of schools follow through on trips to DC, and when they are locked out of the museums, find their way to watch the House in action.
Don
Our site, We Love DC, will have discussion about what is and isn’t still available to do (we’re considering a feature on the museums & touristy things that will still be open) and between us and DCist and the other local blogs I don’t think you’ll have trouble sussing out activities.
As someone upstream pointed out, parking enforcement will be non-existent if/when the shutdown happens. I personally assume that means parking will be worse than usual though perhaps the diminished number of people coming into the city will offset it.
Any plans for a beer in town with some of us locals?
Valdivia
@Don:
Is your site the one linked to your nym?
Hermione Granger-Weasley
Be sure and pack your wand–the free market boggarts will be out in droves.
;)
SmallAxe
^ What they said, light traffic and empty bars. One other Museum suggestion, happened to have my Mom in town yesterday and played hooky and went to the America I Am exhibit at the National Geographic Museum (Private) so it will be open $12, just south of Dupont Circle. Cool exhibit:
http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/exhibits/2011/02/02/america-i-am-2/
Cool note: They had Tupac’s stuff (original Poem) in the same exhibit case as Satchmo’s trumpet, I thought that was a nice touch, two titans of music contribution being recognized.
adolphus
@MikeJ:
You are correct. I should have said “Art, History, and Science Museums.”
Plus you could take tours of where they filmed “The Wire” and “Homicide: Life on the Streets.”
Alan in SF
Drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.
Also, the Spy Museum. Even better, the Spy Musem on drugs.
Woodrowfan
I am expecting restaurants to be less crowded, especially if it looks as if fed employees won’t be paid for furlough time.
adolphus
@John Dillinger:
FYI: Only the Spy Museum is a Galtian for profit attraction. The Newseum is a non-for-profit soshulist conspiracy. The former will raise their prices. The latter will collect your contact information to bombard you with requests for donations.
catclub
@superking: “home baking or—according to their stated plans—masturbating, but hopefully you won’t notice that.”
There was a Sadly No! sub-thread on masturbation euphemisms,
I don’t remember baking, but it was probably there.
khead
There might be a few cherry blossoms left.
If the wind doesn’t blow at all between now and then.
chopper
If you are on the subway stay on the Red line between Union Station and Shady Grove, Maryland. If you are on the Blue or Orange line do not go past Eastern Market (Capitol Hill) toward the Potomac Avenue stop and beyond; stay in NW DC and points in Virginia. Do not use the Green line or the Yellow line. These rules are even more important at night.
MattF
You’ll have the opportunity to drive all the way around the beltway without encountering much traffic, but otherwise probably not much different from the usual.
Also, since the tourists will be missing, you’ll be able to get a table at some of the few restaurants near the Mall. There’s an OK little French-oid place across the street from Ford’s Theater.
superking
@chopper:
That is horseshit. What chopper is pointing out here are the areas that are predominantly populated by white people. He’s telling you to stay in those areas. The Red Line is perfectly safe from end to end. (I used to live on the end Glenmont end which Chopper is excluding.)
The Green Line has some of the best parts of town for night life–U Street, where all the jazz clubs are, and Columbia Heights, which has some of the best bars.
And I would recommend that you never, ever go to Virginia. It is a suburban wasteland with nothing worth seeing or doing.
For general information, in terms of orientation, the city is divided into four quadrants with the Capitol building at the center, and the directional Capitol streets running out from the building. North Capitol St. runs north, East Capitol St. runs east, South Capitol south, there is no west Capitol because the National Mall is there. The lettered streets run east-west and the numbered streets run north-south. So, the intersection of 14th and U Streets NW is fourteen blocks west of North Capitol street. 14th street NE is 14 blocks in the other direction. If you are driving north on a numbered street, after you get to the end of the alphabet, the streets are still in alphabetical order, and the number of syllables in each street name increases as you get farther away from the capitol. So, Harvard Street is about 26 blocks north of H St. The streets with state names run at crazy angles, and if you don’t know them, they can be difficult to understand.
chopper
@superking:
jesus, you people have short memories. seriously, anybody?
Fuck U6: A More Accurate Measure of the Total Amount of Duck-Fuckery in the Economy
chopper: I’m assuming that you are an easily frightened white guy from the ‘burbs.
Tim F: Both the Newseum and The Spy Museum are stupid theme park museums. Go to Dumbarton Oaks or the Phillips Collection. You could go to Brookside Gardens if the weather is nice, and they can’t physically roll up the Mall and put it away, although it is a bit dull after 10 min (unless you have a frisby or are a part of WAKA).
SmallAxe
@chopper:
Absolute BS this is.
You friggin coward, you can’t ride on public transportation with people unlike yourself, that’s basically what you are saying about the Yellow and Green Line…
I’m casper ghost white and ride both regularly, you pansy.
SmallAxe
@Fuck U6: A More Accurate Measure of the Total Amount of Duck-Fuckery in the Economy:
Dead on re: the Phillips, and Dumbarton, great sites.
chopper
@SmallAxe:
here’s a hint. take my earlier post and paste it in teh google.
christ, kids these days, they can’t remember shit.
superking
@adolphus:
Also, in terms of private museums in DC, the Corcoran usually has rotating exhibits and may be worth it. The Phillips Collection is also very good. It has a bunch of impressionists, but the best is the Luncheon of the Boating Party. They also have a room dedicated to Rothko.
I am not a huge fan of DC’s food scene, but we have some of the best coffee around. Check out Peregrine Espresso at the Eastern Market stop on the Orange/Blue line. Best in the city, but other good places are Mid-City Cafe, Big Bear, and Tryst.
If you’re up in Maryland, see if there is anything you want to watch at the AFI Silver Theater–it is literally the best theater I have been in, maybe the best in the country. You can catch a film and then get dinner at Quarry House Tavern which has excellent burgers, a gigantic beer list and an equally large whiskey list. And live rockabilly on Saturday nights.
DC is a good place for burgers, really. Other choices are Ray’s Hell Burger out in VA. I know, I said don’t go to Virginia, but this is about the only reason to go. Also, Good Stuff Eatery on the Hill.
I like DC. I could probably keep going, but I should do some work.
SmallAxe
@chopper:
Right the Sarcasm, missed it sorry, Teabaggers guide to DC is your reference, get it now, my bad
mclaren
You going to stay with a relative in Maryland, eh?
Omar back!
chopper
tim, go out to arlington to get some pho. stop in clarendon and see a show at iota or get a drink at galaxy hut.
other than that, stay in the district.
HyperIon
@Fuck U6: A More Accurate Measure of the Total Amount of Duck-Fuckery in the Economy:
or the national cathedral.
superking
@chopper:
Gotcha chopper, sorry. I actually don’t remember that at all. Probably never heard the story. So, it came across as serious to me.
ET
Well for the most part you should be OK. Metro may be less full and slower because feds won’t be commuting and traffic during rush hour bands should be lighter for the same reason.
Since you don’t have to worry about getting into federal building (I hope) or going to museums you won’t have to deal with that.
DC wise – the biggest annoyance will be lack of trash pick up but big facilities use private contractors that won’t impact you.
One thing – depending on why you were coming down and who was going to be there, if there is a shutdown government workers will not be allowed to events on official business, so if it was official business type event there may be less people. Don’t know how/if this would work for contractors and their possible attendance.
Elizabelle
Rent a bicycle and bike, bike, bike around the closed national monuments AND the smaller local monuments. There are some absolutely beautiful spots in “Constitutional Gardens” (new to me!, per Google Maps, near the Fed) and on the National Mall.
Bike from DC to Old Town Alexandria, if you have the time. Beautiful ride along the Potomac.
Be sure to eat in little restaurants and delis that will really appreciate your business.
Bike to Capitol Hill. Be sure to have spitballs in hand if you see anyone from the GOP leadership.
They deserve them.
Elizabelle
Also, there’s a great larger than life bronze statue of Albert Einstein on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences. Constitution near 22nd.
Should be surrounded by flowering trees and makes for a good picture. With you in it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein_Memorial
Used to live in DC, and out of town visitors always LOVED this memorial.
And it’s right across from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. And near the Lincoln Memorial too.
And there are ducks and ducklings in the ponds on the Mall.
Dang I miss DC at this time of year.
Elizabelle
Clarendon VA has great Vietnamese restaurants AND an Apple Store.
Original Lee
@chopper: You know, I take the Green Line at night all the time and the surveillance camera coverage and security guard presence are excellent. I think you would do better to warn about Simple City.
Fuck U6: A More Accurate Measure of the Total Amount of Duck-Fuckery in the Economy
HyperIon: And, of course, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
You can also see the exterior of the Frances Perkins Labor Bldg, before Congress renames it the WalMart presents the Scott Walker Labor Bldg.
Original Lee
Depite being owned by Gaylord, WTOP is the go-to radio station for info about the shutdown.
Per this morning, Metro will run a normal schedule but with shorter trains. DC government will be almost entirely shut down, so no parking enforcement employees but police will be encouraged to write parking tickets if they have the time. Traffic will be lighter than usual. Smithsonian museums will be closed, also other national monuments and attractions. DuPont Circle area and Georgetown should be fine. Both the Newseum and the Spy Museum are excellent. Also the National Building Museum will be open.
adolphus
On the museum front, I can’t believe I forgot the US Holocaust Memorial. I believe they are a private 501(c)3 and should be open. (It is amazing how hard that is to verify even on the intertubes) But then if they are they will be absolutely packed with tourists and 8th Grade Field trips since they will be pretty much the only action on the mall.
There is also the Building Museum which is a lot cooler than it sounds.
schrodinger's cat
Get down at Dupont Circle and walk to George Town. There is also a tour of older houses and their gardens in George Town, should be interesting if you are into that sort of a thing.
Many good restaurants in the Dupont Circle too. I like the Indian one, I think it is Heritage India or something similar.
Steven desJardins
Yes, the name is Heritage India, and it is excellent.
The DC Film Festival begins tomorrow, and runs all next week.
Origuy
@Original Lee: You missed the explanation. Chopper was quoting the advice given to teabaggers going to DC for one of their Million Moron Marches.
James Hare
@Tim F.: No money.
adolphus
If you are going to be in Georgetown there is also the National Pinball Museum.
Definitely open and all machines are operational.
http://www.nationalpinballmuseum.org/
Suffern ACE
@Fuck U6: A More Accurate Measure of the Total Amount of Duck-Fuckery in the Economy: I second the Philipps Collection, as it is a small treasure that is often forgotten in the rush to get down to the mall. National Geographic should be open. Dunbarton Oaks as well, and there should be blooms. Anderson House (home of the Society of Cincinnati) will be open as well.
Suffern ACE
Oh, and I forgot. If you are up in Maryland north of the City, Brookside Guardens in Weaton is also worth a visit.
Snarla
@chopper: I remembered, chopper! Good one.
Richard W. Crews
WARNING!! There will be radar traps right at the border with Maryland. In Maryland by 100 feet. Watch out – don’t speed in Maryland – watch the border.
Alan in SF
@adolphus:
Someone told me last year George Stephanopolous was broadcasting his Sunday morning fluff fest from the Newseum, and I figured, there goes any chance of ever taking the Newseum seriously.
Alan in SF
@adolphus: Second the Building Museum, but it’s federal, no?
alwhite
Last time I was in DC there was a noodle shop in China town that had a guy making noodles in the window. If you have not seen this done it is magic BTW. The food there was great!
Other than that you are on your own.
melathys
@superking:
You can get Hellburgers at Rays the Classics across the street from the AFI Silver Theater! Just sit on the bar side, not the steak house side.
sherparick
Traffic will be light, shops will be uncrowded, but I expect there will be demonstrations, and I expect they will build up during the week.
Isaac
I lived in DC through the last shut down (I was in High School). It was quiet and odd. Lots of people who didn’t want to be on vacation were on an ersatz vacation.
In the meanwhile… this is a beautiful time to be in DC, while it’s warm and sunny but before it gets muggy. Sadly, most of the museums will be closed, but there are non-public museums (particularly The Philips and The Corcoran) that I believe will remain open. If you’re a fan of Rothko, The Philips is a must.
One thing a lot of people don’t know about DC is that it is a great theatre town. New York overshadows it, but DC has a lot to recommend about it.
I would highly recommend you check out the solo show THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS at Woolly Mammoth (there’s a great restaurant across the street you can get dinner at before hand). Mike Daisey is a brilliant performer and monologist and the show is his one man investigative look into both his own love of mac products and how they’re made. He even went to the plant in China where mac products are manufactures under cover to research the show. He’s amazing. I think you’d love it.
Eli Rabett
The H Street corridor btw 3 and 15th NE is booming with new bars and restaurants.