Stuff to do in DC in late July

[lawyerdad]

. . . besides sweating a lot. I'll be in DC (near Union Station, if that makes a difference) the last week in July. I know the obvious tourist stuff and am planning to catch a Nationals game, but if there is anything seasonal (concerts, exhibitions, etc.) worth checking out in the evening, I'd appreciate any recommendations.

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

. . . besides sweating a lot. I'll be in DC (near Union Station, if that makes a difference) the last week in July. I know the obvious tourist stuff and am planning to catch a Nationals game, but if there is anything seasonal (concerts, exhibitions, etc.) worth checking out in the evening, I'd appreciate any recommendations.


Be prepared to be totally unimpressed and let down by the Nat's new stadium... thing looks like a bunch of random bleachers pieced together without a real view of the monuments, like they kept saying it would have, or a view of the river behind it.

Anyway, with the heat of late July, be sure you take a lazy evening trip to the Round Robin Bar and have a mint julep.

 

[amerikajinda]

If you're a classical music fan, you could head over to Wolftrap on July 31 to catch the National Symphony Orchestra and pianist Joyce Yang perform Beethoven's Best, including the "Emperor" Piano Concerto and the choral Finale ("Ode to Joy") to the Ninth Symphony: http://www.kennedy-center.org/calend...nt&event=ZIWTH Emil de Cou will be conducting.

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

. . . besides sweating a lot.

Crap, you beat me to it. That's the first thing that popped into my head.

You could check out the Friday evening jazz in the sculpture garden at the National Gallery. I think that's all summer. Here's the link.

If you have a car, you could go dancing at Glen Echo Park. Everything from zydeco, to waltz, to swing.

b

 

[gumercindo]

I second the Wolftrap nomination. It's a pain to get there if you don't have a car, though. If can manage a trip out there to check out a concert, it's worth it - great place to hear live music (it's an open air ampitheater).

 

[Nouveau Pauvre]

I know it's touristy but the Hirshhorn museum has always been one of the top DC destinations for me. (I'm out in the DC suburbs)

It's a really great mix of older and contemporary art, and the scultpture garden is absolutely awesome. Check out the website, for some upcoming events and the current collections

Also come visit some of your styleforum compatriots at the Denim Bar! The Arlington location is just past National's stadium, over the Anacostia river.

 

[life_interrupts]

All good suggestions. I'll at checking out the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage. Free concerts each night til Labor Day, http://www.kennedy-center.org/progra.../schedule.html. They're outdoors over looking the Potomac. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

 

[modsquad]

There is a play called Busted Jesus Comix at the DC Fringe Festival playing that weekend that you could check out .... ;-). It's kinda raunchy, though, may not be to your taste. If you want dance parties, DJs and indie bands, I find the Nightlife Agenda column of the Washington Post, which updates every Thursday, very useful.

 

[NoVaguy]

Originally Posted by Roikins

Be prepared to be totally unimpressed and let down by the Nat's new stadium... thing looks like a bunch of random bleachers pieced together without a real view of the monuments, like they kept saying it would have, or a view of the river behind it.

Anyway, with the heat of late July, be sure you take a lazy evening trip to the Round Robin Bar and have a mint julep.

yeah, it's basically a rip-off of every other stadium built in the past 15 years. the food is better (and more expensive) than it was at RFK, though.

 

[Manton]

The most sensible thing you can do in DC in late July is leave town.

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by NoVaguy

yeah, it's basically a rip-off of every other stadium built in the past 15 years. the food is better (and more expensive) than it was at RFK, though.
Try out the "Senator's Sausages" food stand, run by Larry Craig.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Your best bet is to go to the washingtonpost.com website and type in "going out gurus" in the search box. They have a blog and a weekly discussion of things to do in DC every Thursday from 1 PM to 2 PM EST. They enjoy taking questions like yours from out of towners.

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by RJman

Try out the "Senator's Sausages" food stand, run by Larry Craig.

Haha, my friends and I had to take a photo of that sign. That definitely had to go under the "WTF were they thinking" category.

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by NoVaguy

yeah, it's basically a rip-off of every other stadium built in the past 15 years. the food is better (and more expensive) than it was at RFK, though.


Yeah, a poor rip-off too. It's like they tried to take the best elements of stadiums only to create a horrid mishmash. The food was definitely great though, which I guess distracts you from the team losing out on the field.

 

[Joe E Taleo]

A couple of things to do would be catch a free concert at Fort Reno Park. Don't worry about feeling like you won't blend- Indie hipsters get old too, and they like to bring their kids to the free shows.

Also catch the Eero Saarinen exhibition at the National Building Museum. Yikes, I'm running out of time, I'll have to check this out soon, too.

I also think DC is a great city to walk around, barring the recent random shooting. Having spent a lot of time in NY gives me a whole new appreciation for how not like NY DC is, in good ways and bad. The National Mall is just a totally unusual thing. It's also lovely walking on the paved trails on the Virginia side of the Potomac and looking over at the memorials and monuments. It's a nice walk over the Arlington Memorial Bridge.