Tag: dmv

The Realities of Living in Washington, DC

M's Adventures

As I do for every place I’ve lived since I started this blog, I write a “realities” article where I talk about the downsides or less than lovely things about where I live (read about Rome here). This is about living in the greater Washington,DC, Maryland, and Virginia are (the DMV).

The traffic. The commute takes over an hour.

The prices. Everything seems to be expensive.

The politics. However one feels about politics, the reality is that this is a town based on it. So it is hard to ignore.

Seven dollars with tip.

Tipping: So much tipping and on EVERYTHING. 25 percent at some places.

The size. This is a spread out city. There are pockets that are cute, but in general it’s big.

The heat: In the summer, it is brutally hot and humid here. It is a swamp, after all.

The lack of authentic Mexican food: This is not really a problem for me, but for most gringos whom I meet around the world, this is a problem.

The Great Things About Living in Washington, DC

M's Adventures

I always try to share some of the great things about living wherever I live. This is my list of great things about life in the Washington, DC, area. (I will write about some of the “realities” of life in DC).

The historical sites: There is so much history here that one can visit for free. Most of the museums are free. There is a lot of history here even if it is not as old as in Rome.

Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria: These two small towns are part of the bigger town but they are old (for America) and were some of the first towns built in this area. They both retain that old time feel.

The national parks: So many of the parks are free.

The nature: So much greenery and nature available. There are trees everywhere.

Free things: Like the concerts at the Kennedy Center. There are many free events and that is a nice thing.

Transportation: Most cities in the United States do not have good public transportation. Washington has a metro system that is a combination of the subway and buses. It works (although slowly at times). Also, with Uber, Lyft, and Empower, it’s easy to get around without your own car. With three airports serving this city, it is easy to get a flight. National Airport is on the subway system (metro) and it is quite close to the downtown. Dulles is on the metro as well.

The immigrants: This area has some decent Ethiopian, Korean, Salvadoran, and Vietnamese food thanks to the immigrants from these countries.

The Internet: Decent speed and steady (most of the time).

Delivery: One can get almost anything delivered to one’s door.

The electricity: Same thing. Steady. Most of the time.

The water: It’s potable and most of it tastes okay.

The language: English is spoken by almost everyone.

Annapolis Tourist and a Time Traveler

M's Adventures

Annapolis is the capital of Maryland and makes for an easy tourist outing from Washington, located just 30 miles to the east. One day, we went. It was a perfect day with blue skies and light breezes.

The downtown is adorable. Parking is not. One of the main attractions is the Naval Academy.

Lots of shops and antiques to gasp at.

There are boat tours and water taxis.

We ate on the south side and while it was quieter, we did not think the food was anything special.

We did stop at a cafe, Curated, and that was lovely. A young golden haired youth was sitting at the next table reading a Torah, a copy of Milton’s works, and a notebook in which he was taking concise notes with an old fashioned ink pen. No cell phone in sight. I wondered if he was a wraith, a time traveler, dropped into our world by the fumes of my coffee… it turned out that he was studying the connection between Milton’s assertions about the role of poetry in the Torah. He was going to do a doctoral thesis on this. We talked briefly about poetry. Then he left us to our breakfast. A bit later, a very modern young woman, cell phone attached to hand, sat down next to him. She asked what he was doing. He told her. At the blank look on her face, he asked if she had heard of Milton’s Paradise Lost. She said that she thought she had. Clearly no spark there. She got up and left quickly after that.

I remarked to my friend that artsy young men like that one were so unusual in the greater Washington area but probably not so out of place in New York City.

From inside Curate cafe.

If you visit Annapolis, you might not meet any interesting scholars, but you can absorb the history anyway.

Meet Me at Rita’s

M's Adventures

As I have mentioned, I like old school places and there seem to be fewer and fewer of them in the greater Washington, DC, area. But, maybe I just need to look harder?

One day I was exploring up in the College Park area in Maryland. I had traveled for over an hour on the public transportation system taking two trains and a bus when I arrived at the location for my next bus. I was right in front of Rita’s Ice, Custard, Happiness. I decided to try out the frozen custard. Of the three offerings on the menu, ice indicates frozen ice cream types, frozen custard is an ice cream made with more egg yolks than regular ice cream, and happiness is the result of those two things.

I got a peanut butter milkshake as that is possibly the most “American” thing I could think of. It was thick and sweet.

Rita’s is the kind of place I would expect in a beach town but it is on a busy street (if one tries hard and closes one’s eyes, one can imagine that the traffic is the ocean?). Even so, they continue, so much so that they are now open all year round. To the side of the large parking area is a picnic area.

I asked a local if she had heard of Rita’s and she assured me that “everyone’s heard of Rita’s” which was sort of comforting to hear.

Urban Parks in Northern Virginia

M's Adventures

One of the things I like about living in the Washington area are all the parks and greenery. Having lived in Rome where there are lots of streets with no plants or trees, it is nice to live somewhere where there are plants everywhere, and lots of free parks.

Many of the parks have picnic areas and bathrooms. Many have parking lots. Plus the parks are free. Some are educational including signage about the history that took place along that road or about with information about the plants that grow along that path. Other parks are nature preserves and can be a bit “wilder” with hills, boulders, and forests.

Depending on what time you go and which park you choose, the traffic can get busy. On the paths that are split down the middle, you have to walk on the side with the traffic going in your direction (counter to when you walk toward oncoming traffic) and you will hear the “on your left” or “passing” as the cyclists whizz past you.

My Favorite Restaurants in the DMV

M's Adventures

Now that I have lived in the Washington, DC, area for over a year, these are my favorite restaurants. They are not in any particular order.

The hamburger meat at Franklin’s is locally sourced and tastes like real meat.

Franklin’s, Hyattsville, MD: American food in an old mercantile. The restaurant owns several shops and a tiki bar. It’s a whole day outing. Serves locally sourced meat.

Ruthie’s All Day, Arlington, VA: Southern food. They have excellent “white sauce” wings. Outdoor seating.

Woodmont Grille, Bethesda, MD: American food. Dark wood and they ask you not to speak too loud. Classy place.

Penny Royal Station. Mt. Rainer, MD: American food. Another secret place.

Caphe Banh Mi, Alexandria, VA: Vietnamese food. Serve banh mi with liver pate. One of the few places that still serve have this “classic” style.

Mandu Erang, Annandale, VA: Korean food. It’s an old school place in a tiny house in the middle of a parking lot.

Mum Aroi, Baileys Crossroads, VA: Thai food. Best authentic place we’ve found so far. “Mum aroi” is “it’s tasty” in Thai.

Le Diplomate, Washington, DC: French food. Busy, but the cheese balls and the seafood tower are worth the crowds.

L’Ardente, Washington, DC: Italian food. Best “cesare” salad evah!

IndoChen, Alexandria, VA: Indian Chinese food. Stick with the Indian food. The chicken breast marinated in yogurt is a weekly food for me.

Y Noodles, Falls Church: a new place that serves authentic (no tea served here!) spicy noodles and other Chinese food from Chongqin.

Cielo Rojo, Takoma Park, Maryland: High class, world class, cosmopolitan, Mexican food. Also includes a vegan menu. Really good food.

Where Have All the Hole-in-the-wall Places Gone?

M's Adventures
Taco Ssam surrounds the Pho and Grill place — they have a restaurant and take out on either side of the grill

Living in the DC area, I rarely go to a hole-in-the-wall. Even the famous ones are… famous. For example, Blue & White Carry Out in Alexandria is still a small “shack” but it is well known. And some say the prices are getting a bit too big for their britches.

Inside the grill. Lots of room.

Often, when invited to happy hours, the location is in DC, super crowded, and the appetizers cost $20. Recently, I went to a much less fancy happy hour. Actually there are two places, cantinas, in the Culmore strip mall. The one plays latin music at a slightly lower level. There were mostly guys enjoying a pail of 10 beers before going home… one guy was asleep on the table. But, no one bothered us.

Inside Taco Ssam.

The prices were good too. One place is called a grill and the other is a Korean taco chain (they have two locations). I’d go back. A the grill, they have pupusas from El Salvador and pho soup from Vietnam. No, it’s not like your Vietnamese grandma’s soup. But they figured that they could make a clear soup and their customers like it. America is a melting pot, remember?

Happy hour prices are a bit cheaper than the regular prices but not by much.

I’ll continue my search. Recently, I went to Table Talk, a local diner in Alexandria. It was really old school. But not a hole in the wall.

Where to Eat When Everyone Else Is Asleep – 24/7 Restaurants in the DMV

M's Adventures

Washington, DC is a city that goes to bed early. Most restaurants are open all day and many serve dinner as early as 4 pm. There are even restaurants that close at 9 pm! But if you get here in the middle of the night and need to eat, here are a few places open all day, all night, every day of the year, 24/7. Most of these places are not on the Metro line, but then again, the Metro does not run all night.

Tortas y Tacos Chiquita, 2911 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia. It is a Mexican place located about a mile from the Pentagon.

Mexican place on Columbia Pike.

Kabob Palace, 2315 S. Eads Street, Arlington, VA. This is a well known kabob place near National Airport.

Yechon, 4121 Hummer Road, Annandale, VA. This Korean barbecue restaurant is large and humming at 3 am.

Tosokchon, 7031 Little River Turnpike #21D, Annandale, VA. A Korean restaurant hidden in the strip mall behind Shilla Bakery.

Steak ‘n Egg (24 hour on Saturday only), 4700 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC. Located way above Georgetown, this all day breakfast place is famous. After a renovation, they now have a bit more seating.

Bob and Edith’s is a diner that has various locations.

Ihop is a fast food pancake restaurant. All day breakfast and pancakes piled like cake available all day.

McDonalds. Some are open all day but in the DC area, this tends to be the ones out on the highways.

Denny’s is a breakfast chain that also serves food throughout the day.

Subway is a sandwich chain. Most do not have too much seating.

And a few others on this list from Eater that include Gom Tang E out in Centreville.

Fun Food Places in the DC Area

M's Adventures

Truong Tien to test out your new knees while sitting on a stump and slurping food from Hue. Kudos to them for miniaturizing and taco-izing the crepe. Go for that alone.

TeaDM Plus for the clubbing cool cat feel during the day while drinking boba.

High Tea at the Willard so you can test that pinky finger. Other places like the Ritz also serve British style tea.

Capital Grille for the old boys or old gals club feel. One of the few places where an all American dude can sound like a British butler.

Arlington Cinema and Draft House for a show and popcorn. You might even meet a comedian. There are new chains of drafthouses but this is the old one.

Perry’s for the drag show and sushi. Sashay you stay!

King Spa because nothing is so relaxing as eating with a towel around your neck.

Oegadgib for all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue. Sometimes you just want meat, meat, meat! There are other places but this one is a not flashy and new.

10 Walks in Washington, DC

M's Adventures

So you have done all the touristy things… now what?

Clamber the rocks and walk on the Billy Goat trail. My favorite in this area because it is rocky and yet you are so close to the city.

Walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island. Find the trail at Key bridge.

Walk along the canal in Georgetown.

Watch the mighty Potomac crash through Great Falls. It is magnificent without being strenuous. Great Falls is on both sides of the river but the better walk is on the Maryland side.

View the monuments by night with friends. The monuments are lit up at night and it is completely different than visiting during the day. And cooler (if it is summer).

Walk in Arlington National Cemetery. Available by Metro. It is quiet and hilly. Great view of DC.

Walk in Rock Creek Park.

Walk in the Arboretum. See pretty plants and Greek columns.

Explore a local trail. There are many that one rarely notices. One example is the Arlington Loop, map here.

Walk along the George Washington Parkway, or along the river on the Virginia side. Take the trail from Memorial bridge. Walk all the way to Mount Vernon if you… bike! It is 18 miles from Theodore Roosevelt Island (see above) to Mount Vernon.

A view from the car of the Washington Memorial across the river.

Join a walking group. Or find other walks in this list from Town and Tourist.

The Oldest Farmers Market in America

M's Adventures
Turnips of many colors.

Supposedly George Washington sent produce from Mount Vernon to be sold at the Alexandria Farmers Market (I presume the “Old” came in later). The Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market has been on the same spot since 1753. Yes, you read that right. There is very little in the USA that has that sort of age (insert pun here).

Fall brings fall veg.
In the downtown square of Old Town Alexandria.

A friend told me about this market and I had “been” many times when talking with her while she was walking there. But I finally went.

Apples of all types.
Veg forward food.

At first I was a bit so so about it because it seemed more like just a bunch of tents set up. But then I became alright with that. Not every market can be alleyways in a souk. This market was sunny and cool on this crisp fall day.

The pie line was too long.
Pumpkin is a thing in America in the fall.

Lots of people selling all kinds of things from fresh milk, apples, pies, pastries, artwork, coffee, chocolate, dumplings, cider, vegetables, hummus, and veg-forward food (vegetarian).

The sausage breakfast sandwich making factory.
Good but not going to stand in line good.

I had read about the breakfast sausage sandwich from Hog Heaven. I stood in line for 30 minutes for my breakfast sandwich. It was good but not something I would stand in line for again. I guess I wish that all breakfast sandwiches were so good that a sandwich like that was the norm.

Samples are a great way to make sure you like it.

On the other hand, Coulter Farms is my new crush. Their fresh milk is so creamy and delicious that I drank a gallon (3.75 liters) in two days. They also sell cheese, yogurt, kefir, chocolate milk, chilli, meat, and granola. But, it’s about the milk. I ask them if they made cream and clotted cream and was told, “Only when there is leftover milk.” Well, I can see why there isn’t. I would drink it all.

The yellow of the butter warms my cockles.

I reached out to Coulter Farms to see if we could visit their farm in Pennsylvania. Eeeek! I got a friendly email from Ma Coulter saying that they will be opening a B&B soon. So excited!

See the crowds?

Anyway, the Old Town Alexandria Farmers market is open every Saturday, rain, shine, hot, warm, freezing, from 7-12 noon. Yes, even in the winter. Get there early.

It is on the sign — every Saturday!

Good Things About Living in Washington, DC

M's Adventures

As I did in Dhaka, Bogota, Lima, and Rome, I will write a couple of articles about the good and not so good things about living in the Washington, DC, area. First, some of the good things.

Free drinking water. You can drink the tap water.

High speed internet.

International cuisine. I will write more about this later, but in the DC area, one can get good Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Salvadoran, Japanese… you get the idea.

International people. Many embassies are located here.

Public transportation. Between the train, bus, and light rail, you can get many places for 3-10 dollars.

Availability of things – Amazon is sometimes delivered the next day or faster, and some shops are open 24-7.

Free museums, free concerts, free meetings, and free libraries. The Smithsonian is a collection of 21 museums and almost all (I think only the one in New York charges an entrance fee) are free to enter.

National Airport (DCA). Having an airport on a metro line and within a mile of DC is gold. Dulles is also on the metro but 25 miles away.

People like dogs. Oh, wait, that’s not just here. But I still think it’s a good thing about being here.

Often the dog treats are free.