D.C. Convention Center area Tips

[Ed Pettibone]

3rd Run

Made from a scouting trip on Oct 2006. FYI only writer not responciable for misinterprtations.

Information sheet for Washington D.C.
For meetings in June / July 2007

Metro Train Service

A Metro Day Rail Pass is $6.50 unlimited rides. It Can’t be used until after 9:00 a.m. A week pass is $32.50 unlimited, can be used anytime.

A SmarTrip card can be used for parking and, I believe, train fares. You don’t need this to get into the train station, but you need it to get out of the parking lot, unless you parked at a meter.

Many of the parking meters have limited use and hours, being reserved for rush hour traffic. Use only meters with gold tops. Parking at train station is free on weekends.

The SmarTrip card can be loaded with up to $300.00 at a time.

When you insert your tickets into the gate, make sure you have a green light, and don’t forget to take your ticket on the other side.

There is a Metro elevator at 7th and “M”. For the Yellow and Green lines. It is the Mt. Vernon Square Convention Center Station.

Calvary Baptist Church
Some meetings will be held here. This is the church where the Northern Baptist Convention was formed in 1907.

The closest Metro Exit is the Chinatown exit (Green and Yellow Line). There is a public parking garage attached to the church on the 8th Street side at “H”. Parking is $15.00 daily or $8.00 per hour.

Convention Center

The Convention Center is at 9th and Mount Vernon Place. It runs from 9th to 7th.

There is also a Green and Yellow line Metro stop at the convention center.

Convention Center Parking is across from the Mint. (Renaissance Hotel.) Public parking is $20.00 a day. 2-5 hours is $10.00. Event Parking is $15.00.

Places to Eat

When we were there, there were many places preparing to open, connected with the Convention Center.

In the basement level of the convention center, there was a large Multi-faceted restaurant (different types of restaurants). We were down there at 11:45 am, and they were not open, even though a convention was going on.

Acadiana Building: D/Lawsons Grill - order at counter, limited seating. Acadiana, sit down restaurant.

Capital City Brewing: very noisy. Sit down. They have small and large plates.

China Town: Fuddruckers; Chopsticks; Subway; Matchbox; Capital Q Texan BBQ, between 7th and 8th on “H”.

Breakwell’s Coffee and Tea: 9th and “M” across from CC. A few tables and chairs in front, sofas and chairs in back. Swamped from 6am until 11am.

Old Dominion Brew House (not open when we were there), at end of Convention Center.

Divine Cravings Bakery Café (not open when we were there), “N” street, at the end of the CC.

“Giant” Food and Drug Store At “O” Street and 8th.

AZI’s Café 9th and “O”.

Shiloh Baptist Church Café at 9th and “P”.

800 K Plaza, Food Court 7th and “K” and “I”. Larry’s Cookies and Ice Cream, What’s Your Yogurt: paninis; Plaza Deli. There is also a Post Office here.

Philips: breakfast and lunch. Between “K” and “J” on 7th.

President’s Sports Bar: Courtyard of 800 K Plaza/801 Building.

New World Café: 800 Block of “I” street.
Chinese, muffins, bagels, soup and salad bar.
Between Calvary Baptist and CC.

L’Enfant Plaza: 3rd stop south on the Green/Yellow line. Has Au Bon Pain; Everything Yogurt; Roma Pizza; Olympic Expresso; Larry’s Cookies; OH’s Place Café and Restaurant and a McDonalds. In the Potomac Food Court: sushi, fried chicken, gourmet sandwiches, breakfast Bar ($4.49 per lb. ); Salad Bar; Hot Food Bar ($5.49 per lb.). There are also clothing and Misc. Shops, a full service post office and a CVS pharmacy.

Starbucks “K” across from Mt. Vernon Square (800K Courtyard). Also one at “H” and 7th.

On 10th at Massachusetts, there is a Samuel Gompers Memorial Park, a place to bring food and eat.

There are also street-corner vendors.

Other Places and Notes of Interest

“Souvenir City” “K” and 10th

“Miller Copy Service”/Internet Res. Ser.” 7th and “M” across from CC.

“Fed Ex/Kinkos” 7th & “K” and Mass.

“Happy Cleaners” Alterations - 7th, near CC.

“BP Station” 9th between “O” and “N”.

“CVS Pharmacy” 7th and “H”.

Every “Walk” light means watch out for cars turning the corner.

Explore the Convention Center. There were a lot of things under construction or preparing to open when we were there. It is a very long building.

[Ed Pettibone]

Hey Ed, aside from the prefatory "3rd run", what is the difference between these two posts?

Haruo

Ed: None. The 3rd run was made simply to bring the material to the top as we draw closer to the appointed time. Their may be a 4th run in late May or early June.

[Ed Pettibone]

I am wondering if any of you used this guide? if so was it helpfull? We discovered on our
firs/tourist day that we had not made a copy for our selves Had a hard time trying to find the 800 Building food court. I had thought I would just reconize it, forgot that it is under a hotel loby. Some of our Upstae friends to whom we had given copies of the guide said indeed it was helpfull.