Getting Around
Do you need a car in Washington?
Almost certainly not. Here is what sits within a few blocks of each home, which Metro station you will use, and what to do with a car if you bring one.
Walkability is the single thing guests mention most. Across 298 reviews it comes up in about a third of them, ahead of any amenity in either house. That is not an accident of wording: both homes were chosen because you can leave the car alone and get on with the trip.
The short answer on cars
You do not need one. Washington's center is compact, the Metro is clean and direct, and both homes sit on quiet residential streets within a few minutes of a station. Most of our guests park once on arrival and do not touch the car again until they leave.
Where a car does earn its keep is getting here, and getting out again: Mount Vernon, Great Falls, Annapolis, the Shenandoah, or simply not paying for four airport transfers. Both homes have parking sorted either way, which around here is worth something. How the parking works.
The Metro
From Foggy Bottom: the Foggy Bottom and GWU station is a six minute walk, on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines. That is a direct ride to the Smithsonian station on the National Mall with no changes, and a direct ride to Reagan National on the Blue line.
From Capitol Hill: Union Station is a ten minute walk, which gives you the Red line, Amtrak and the intercity buses. Capitol South, on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, is a little further and puts you straight onto the Mall.
Buy a SmarTrip card at any station, or add one to your phone before you arrive. If you use one app while you are here, make it Citymapper: it reads the Washington system better than the alternatives and will tell you which end of the platform to stand at.
Groceries, on foot
Sixteen percent of our guests mention the kitchen and a similar share mention groceries, which tells you how many people cook at least once. Here is what is nearest.
| Foggy Bottom | Distance | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Whole Foods Market | 8 minute walk | 2201 I Street NW |
| Trader Joe's | 10 minute walk | 2301 M Street NW |
| Safeway | 12 minute walk | 2100 P Street NW |
| Capitol Hill | Distance | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Capitol Hill Supermarket | 3 minute walk | 241 Massachusetts Avenue NE |
| Giant Food | 12 minute walk | 300 H Street NE |
| Whole Foods Market | Short drive | 600 H Street NE |
| Trader Joe's | Short drive | 750 Pennsylvania Avenue SE |
All the delivery services work at both addresses if you would rather not carry anything: Instacart and Amazon Fresh for groceries, the usual apps for meals.
Dinner within a few blocks
These are places we actually send guests to, not a directory.
Near Foggy Bottom. Tazza Cafe for something casual at about seven minutes. Farmers Fishers Bakers on the Georgetown waterfront at ten, which is the one to book if you want the view. Bluestone Lane for Australian-style coffee and brunch at twelve. Boulangerie Christophe at fifteen for the French bakery. Old Ebbitt Grill at about eighteen minutes, which has been feeding Washington since 1856 and is worth doing once.
Near Capitol Hill. You are unusually well served here, with three good options inside two blocks: Nostra Cucina for neighborhood Italian, Cafe Berlin for German comfort food, and Bistro Cacao for a French bistro dinner. Pupatella is three blocks for Neapolitan pizza, The Monocle about six if you want the classic Capitol Hill steakhouse, and Ted's Bulletin a longer walk for an all-day-breakfast diner the children will like.
Restaurants change. If something on this list has closed by the time you read it, message me and I will tell you where we are sending people instead.
If you bring a car
Foggy Bottom has a private off-street space behind the house, reserved for you, with a Level 2 EV charger included. It takes full-size SUVs, Sprinters and Suburbans without drama, which is the question we are asked most.
Capitol Hill sits in a residential permit zone, which would normally cap a visitor at two hours. We handle it: a short vehicle form before you arrive, and we register your plate with the District at no charge. Nothing to display, no meter to feed.
If you end up with a second car, the commercial garages around both neighborhoods can be booked ahead through SpotHero, usually for less than the drive-up rate.
Everything else
- Capital Bikeshare has docks near both homes and is the fastest way to cross the Mall.
- Scooters from Lime and Bird are everywhere, and are a good way to cover the long axis of the Mall without walking it twice.
- Uber and Lyft both operate normally. Expect surges around the Mall on event mornings.
- Amtrak runs from Union Station, ten minutes from the Capitol Hill door. A great many of our guests arrive from Philadelphia and New York this way rather than flying.
- Airports. Reagan National is the closest and the easiest, and reachable by Metro. Dulles and BWI both work but take longer.
Luggage, before check-in and after checkout
Check in is after 4:00 PM and check out is by 11:00 AM, and both are flexible on request depending on the cleaning schedule. If your flight or train leaves a gap, Stasher lists short-term luggage storage across the city, including near both neighborhoods. Ask me first though, because more often than not we can simply hold the bags.
Common questions
Do you need a car in Washington, DC?
No. Both of our homes are within a short walk of a Metro station, and most guests park on arrival and do not use the car again until they leave. A car is useful for getting here and for day trips out of the city, not for getting around it.
Which Metro station is nearest?
Foggy Bottom and GWU is a six minute walk from the Foggy Bottom home, on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, with a direct ride to the National Mall and to Reagan National airport. Union Station is a ten minute walk from the Capitol Hill home, giving you the Red line, Amtrak and the intercity buses.
Is there a grocery store within walking distance?
Yes at both. Foggy Bottom has Whole Foods at eight minutes, Trader Joe's at ten and Safeway at twelve. Capitol Hill has the Capitol Hill Supermarket three minutes away and a Giant at twelve, with Whole Foods and Trader Joe's a short drive. Delivery services work at both addresses.
Where can I eat near the house?
The Capitol Hill home has three good restaurants inside two blocks: Nostra Cucina, Cafe Berlin and Bistro Cacao, with Pupatella for pizza three blocks on. Near Foggy Bottom, Tazza Cafe is about seven minutes, the Georgetown waterfront restaurants about ten, and Old Ebbitt Grill about eighteen.
Can I store luggage before check-in or after checkout?
Ask first, because we can usually hold bags at the house. Failing that, Stasher lists short-term luggage storage near both neighborhoods. Check in is after 4:00 PM and check out by 11:00 AM, both flexible on request.