The Intern’s Guide to Washington D.C.

June 29, 2010 5:00 pm     Posted in College, Internships, Reality  Jasmine R. g+ page


By Jasmine R.

[You got a big, bad internship this summer? Living in a big, bad city? Not a clue what to do? CollegeCandy's got you covered. We've got ladies in all pockets of the U.S.A. and we're gonna be your private guides to the biggest internship destination cities around: New York, Chicago, D.C. and Los Angeles. If you're looking for the best place for a deal, the best weekend excursion, or best bars to drink (with a fake), stick with us.]

Welcome to Washington, D.C.! It’s a truly awesome, magical, fulfilling place to live for a summer (or, if you’re like me, you come for the summer and end up staying indefinitely…) D.C. is packed with fabulous food, great bars, and tons of free activities. So when you’re not interning, studying, stalking the White House hoping for a glance of Michelle, or (particularly if you spend any time on Capitol Hill) swooning over the guys in suits doing their best to channel Don Draper, check out this guide to our nation’s capital.

Cure That Sweet Tooth – If you’re a cupcake whore like me, you must try Hello Cupcake. It’s located right next to the Dupont Circle metro (red line). Their lemon cupcake is TO DIE FOR and for a limited time, they have a strawberry cupcake that will change your life. Curbside Cupcakes is a mobile cupcake truck that you can catch all over the city (and they accept credit cards!)

And if you’re totes over cupcakes, D.C. does a great donut. I know, donuts are not particularly fashionable these days, but in Silver Spring (red line), there is an adorable, unassuming store called Fractured Prune that has the absolute best donuts I’ve ever tasted (Krispy Kreme, what?). Their donuts are totally gourmet, made-to-order pieces of perfection with flavors ranging from lemonade to strawberry shortcake to chocolate cherry. You can also create and customize your own, selecting your glaze, type of sugar, and toppings.

Best Place for a 50 Cent Taco – Lucky Bar (Dupont Circle). Monday nights, this divey sports bar has $.50 tacos and free salsa dancing. Right next door is Julie’s Empanadas, which has delightful meat, vegetarian, and dessert options for your cheap consumption (I love the spinach mozzarella/ricotta and the strawberry/cream cheese options).

Best Place to Work Out for Free – The National Mall. (For clarification, this is the huge chunk of DC that includes the Capitol, the White House, and the monuments, not Victoria’s Secret or Express). It’s a great place for an early morning or evening run/people-watching/scoping out glistening shirtless men…

Alternative Evening Activities: DC has amazing late night bookstores, particularly Busboys and Poets near U Street and Kramerbooks in Dupont Circle. Books, food, live entertainment, and alcohol? Hello, heaven on earth.

If you want to get out of the heat and into a cool, air conditioned movie theater, try The AFI Silver in Silver Spring. They offer a mix of classic and current films that span from domestic to foreign. The theater is so lux with huge comfy chairs and in addition to the typical concessions, offers alcohol. Tres elegant. It is (surprisingly) rarely crowded, and it’s surrounded by a ton of ethnic restaurants and shopping, so definitely stroll down Colesville, Ellsworth, and Fenton.

Best Neighborhoods to Bar Crawl – it depends on your mood. If you want a familiar college town vibe, Adams Morgan is the spot, though you can also find clubs and bars that are Latin-influenced and Euro-influenced. U Street is right next door and provides a distinctly funkier vibe. Here, you’ll find more lounges, and places more likely to spin reggae and go-go, DC’s interpretation of “crunk” music. The H Street Corridor tends to be forgotten, as it’s not metro accessible and was once considered very sketchy. However, it’s definitely been revitalized recently, and there’s a ton of places to eat, drink, and be merry. Granville Moore’s has the best food, and really creative bartenders. The Rock and Roll Hotel is also not to be missed. The atmosphere is fun, quirky, and crazy (read: ideal vibeage for a weekend night prowl).

And if You’re Underage – In my experience, DC really is not the place to try to get away with this. I’m legal, look my age, and I’ve still had my card excessively scrutinized. Maybe some under-21 DC ladies may have heard rumors of establishments where they allegedly don’t care about ID?

Gorgeous Water Views – Though D.C. does not have any beaches in super close proximity, you can catch amazing views of the Potomac River in Georgetown (accessible via the DC Circulator, which does accept Metro Smartrip cards). On K Street, you’ll find a ton of bars and restaurants. Sequoia is my favorite spot – their mother of all meatballs is orgasmic. For a less pretentious (read: HECKA CHEAPER) experience, head to the SW Waterfront (green line), where the Potomac and Anacostia rivers meet (also, where you will meet a lot of hot Capitol Hill staffers). Cantina Marina has bomb nachos and salsa, and their crab cakes are delightful.

Best Place to Spend a Hungover Lazy Sunday Morning – Eastern Market (orange/blue). This neighborhood offers a farmers market and flea market, not to mention tons of great little local coffee shops and restaurants (I’m very partial to Port City Java and Market Lunch.)

Get Your Shop On - Though DC is definitely not a fashion capital, there are several places to feed your couture addiction, from the Mazza Gallerie and The Shops at Wisconsin Place (Friendship Heights, red line) to the Shops at Georgetown Park (M Street, accessible by Circulator). If you don’t mind venturing out further, and hopping on a Metrobus, Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (take J2 bus from Silver Spring) and Tysons Corner in McLean (5A bus from L’Enfant Plaza via green, orange, and blue) are the premier malls in the area. Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is perfect (ie, has a Sephora and Forever 21) and is two steps away from the Pentagon City metro stop (yellow and blue lines).

Miscellaneous – Remember to stand on the right, walk up the left when you’re on Metro escalators. Don’t be afraid of the suburbs – DC proper is pretty small, and can get kind of suffocating, so day trips out to Maryland or Virginia are refreshing and fun. HIT THE NATIONAL ZOO! It’s free and oh my god, giant pandas! And don’t flash your intern badge unless you’re at work or are cashing on an intern deal (half-priced burgers and sandwiches at lunch!). People in DC love to hate on interns, so maintain classiness, not cockiness.

21 Comments on "The Intern’s Guide to Washington D.C."

  1. E says:
    Tue, 29th Jun 201012:29 pm 

    Go to school in DC. For underage kiddies, there are a few 18+ places – Ultrabar, Hawk and Dove, Tryst in AdamsMo, U Street Music Hall, etc. Should you possibly have say, an older sibling's ID…try Third's, the Guards, Public Bar, Lucky Bar, Madam's Organ. Avoid VA normally though – that's for the actual adults :)

  2. Emily says:
    Tue, 29th Jun 20102:12 pm 

    I go to school in DC too…

    Another 18+ is My Brother's Place (aka Brother's) but check, because it depends on the night. Same with Hawk & Dove.

    As for cupcakes, Georgetown Cupcake on M Street (…in Georgetown) is AMAZING! And, if you become a fan on facebook, they release the name of a "Secret Cupcake" every day, and if you go and ask for it by name, it's free! They're the ones who are in the brand spankin' new TLC reality show, DC Cupcake!

    Another movie theatre is in Gallery Place/Chinatown (red/yellow/green lines) and they run specials with California Tortilla some nights, it's like $13 for a burrito, drink and movie ticket!

  3. Sara says:
    Tue, 29th Jun 20103:10 pm 

    Yeah I can't believe you mentioned cupcakes w/o Georgetown Cupcake!! The line wraps around the block.

    And there's great food in DC- Ben's Chili Bowl is super famous (Bill Crosby's fave) and is down the street from the U street metro.

    Also Pizzeria Paradiso and Bodega on M st. in Georgetown are delissshhh.

  4. grace b says:
    Tue, 29th Jun 20103:25 pm 

    I was introduced to Fractured Prune when I was in OCMD working a brief bit this summer, very delish. I'm wishing I was interning in DC this summer, currently home in Baltimore about an hour away (a bit more by MARC) but I did the Washington Semester last fall and omg do I miss DC!! Spending the day there later this week and will hit some of these things up! (was so busy last fall didn't have a chance to do all that much) Nice list!!

  5. Becca says:
    Tue, 29th Jun 20103:40 pm 

    I go to school at The University of Maryland (right outside of DC). For those underage kids, the bars in College Park (Green Line to College Park, then take College Park bus to campus) are pretty easy on IDs. You'll still need one to get in, but that fake you got for 80 bucks will work just fine.

    The easiest bar to get into is without a doubt The Thirsty Turtle. (It usually seems like the majority of the people in there are in fact underage). Your other options are Cornerstone and Bentleys which tend to house more of the 21+ crowd, but I am not quite 21 and I have never had a problem getting in.

  6. grace b says:
    Tue, 29th Jun 20103:49 pm 

    P.S. I just about fell over when I read about that California Tortilla/movie ticket special! Thanks for the heads up, Emily! I'm a big big fan of California Tortilla (I have the Burrito Elito card, not gonna lie….)

    Holy cow this list makes me miss DC!

  7. Jenny says:
    Sat, 3rd Jul 20106:21 am 

    This list is great! :) I'm moving to DC in two weeks for work (and grad school for the bf), so the timing is perfect. Thanks! :D

  8. JessicaLeeG says:
    Sat, 3rd Jul 20107:30 am 

    I live in Bordeaux (France) but this list definitely makes me want to visit Washington ! Thank you for this inspiring article, keep it coming.

  9. M says:
    Sat, 3rd Jul 20108:44 am 

    Also keep in mind that there's lots of fun, free stuff to do in D.C. over the summer, for the cash-strapped intern.

    Here's a list of 100 free (or nearly free) things to do in DC: link. Here's another list focusing on top 10 things to do in DC in the summer: link.

    Also, D.C.'s City Paper is a good source for fun events going on from week to week. It's free and can be found at local businesses like coffeeshops, but here is the online version.

    Finally, I thought I'd mention two of my favorite things I've done in D.C. : Screen on the Green and Kayaking on the Potomac (there are other boat rentals places in DC, but this is the one I used when I was there).

    Enjoy!

  10. CapitolBites says:
    Sat, 3rd Jul 201011:42 am 

    Are you looking for ways to eat well in DC on a budget?

    Check out http://www.capitolbites.com

  11. Ali says:
    Tue, 6th Jul 201011:25 am 

    Baked & Wired is better than Georgetown Cupcake! You get more for your money.

  12. stacy says:
    Wed, 7th Jul 20109:23 pm 

    way to leave out ALL of georgetown, the best place in dc for basically anything. the shopping is WAY better than everything you listed…what should also be included is the chevy chase collection just down the street from mazza. in short, LIST FAIL, from a true washingtonian.

  13. Taylor says:
    Mon, 12th Jul 20101:49 pm 

    Agreed with Stacy. I go to Georgetown University and first of all, it's near impossible to get into Georgetown Cupcakes half the time… the line is always at least a block long. Georgetown also has amazing shopping and a pretty sweet nightlife (what with all the college kids bar-hopping, etc on the weekends)… pretty surprised Georgetown didn't make even one of the lists, because I do agree with you on a lot but felt like it should've been mentioned if anything.

  14. Kayley says:
    Thu, 22nd Jul 201011:36 pm 

    Thanks for the guide! I'll be going to D.C. next year, and while I am and will remain alcohol-free, there was still some other useful information in your post. I agree about Georgetown Cupcakes: they even have a TV show now! :)

  15. Lucy says:
    Sun, 25th Jul 20108:53 am 

    I go to school in DC and I'm kinda glad Gtown wasn't mentioned because the area is really pricey and pretty pretentious. Adams Morgan, U Street and Dupont areas are still nice and fun to go out in but you meet people from all over the city. Everytime I go to Georgetown and I say I go to school somewhere else in DC people are usually pretty snobby.

    Definitely go to AdMo but only if you're 21 because when i was under 21 i had 2 IDs taken (at Madame's and Town Tavern). My Brother's Place is my favorite dive bar and they have great food if you go to dinner there. frequented by GW and Catholic university students…also the infamous kickball league in the summers. Mcfadden's on pennsylvania (off the GW stop) is one of my favorite bars..the bartenders get so drunk they take bottles and pour liquor down patron's throats, it's hilarious

    also go to screen on the green on monday nights (ends august 2nd) and there is live music in the park by the hirshhorn on friday evenings around 5, always a good time

  16. Nicole says:
    Sun, 5th Jun 20118:32 pm 

    Georgetown Cupcakes is HIGHLY overrated! Baked and Wired is the best kept secret in Georgetown and something everyone MUST experience…followed by Sprinkles, and Georgetown Scoops…as a student in DC ive had them all and I would sat Gtown Cupcakes are the worst

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