I don't know how I overlook this place each time I am near. I somehow just associate it with the…read moreMetro station and forget that it is its own standalone business. I think what happens is that I mindlessly walk through here as I use it as a passageway. I need to start paying attention to what is in here and keep note of it. Basically this is a mall. Like every mall just about everywhere, they are without some businesses. But, I will say this about the DMV area, even with some shops being empty, the malls still know how to draw people in. Even if it is just for the food options. This place has a ton of food options and some of the places in here are the only place in DC to find them, or at least a place where it is fairly easy to get to in order to visit the business. They got the run of the chains you would see in almost any food court. Charleys, Five Guys, Jamba Juice, Moe's, Panda Express, Starbucks, Subway, etc. But there are a lot of mom and pop stands mixed in. You can definitely find something for your lunch or a quick snack. This is one of the only places I have seen a Church's Chicken in the city. It can be a maze walking through here, especially if you arrive via Metro. But like I said, it is a great passageway to get yourself to areas without having to be outside. With the Spy Museum on the one end it's a great place to spend a day in the city. The Wharf not too far either. There are a few shops throughout as well. Mostly open during daylight hours if you need to grab a thing or two. Everything from a post office to a convenience type store. If you are lucky enough to work nearby, I am sure this is busy around the lunchtime hour.

A little confused what this is. I think it's a fancy train station/transfer hub, I guess. Anyway, I…read morefound out about it because I was staying at the hotel nearby. If you're staying at the Hilton, there's a direct connection to it from the hotel. So this place is helpful because it has several fast food options. Nothing to rave about, but when you're traveling access to quick, fast food is important. Many food places either seemed always closed when I went a few times or open at inconsistent times. The place also never seems busy. Kinda ghost town-ish. Panda Express seemed to be the main attraction here. All together tho, it was clean. I think the space has potential to be a more useful shopping space for people.

Super cute and plenty of nice stores. Loved all the different options, visited the illusions museum…read morewhich was fun as well. Worth going to the CityCenterDC for shopping and walking.

Cute, upscale area in DC. I love stopping by the gelato café after dinner, and the David Yurman…read moreboutique is conveniently right next door. There's so much to offer here. I'll definitely be back to try the Michelin-starred restaurants.

Huge super malls like this are becoming more and more rare…read more This one is massive - with about 4 floors and dozens of stores. It's impressive to see and walk around in and has almost every store and type of food you could want. I enjoyed Nordstrom, Dumplings, Ice Cream, White House Black Market, Macy's, Lululemon, etc. etc. They have all the usual chains (Victoria's Secret....) but some other boutique stores as well. Huge food court on the lowest level and a private entrance into the Ritz Carlton which is attached to the building. Super convenient if you are staying at the hotel, as I did, and I was here every day to people watch, get snacks, or just to walk the levels and get some exercise.

This might be the closest traditional mall within the DC-VA area. You can take the metro in DC and…read morego from different lines to the orange line/blue lines to get here. I love the different stores offered here. If driving, be sure to map yourself directly to the parking lot as it's only one side. The otherside will take you to a dead-end for permit parking only at a structure.

My favorite holiday market in DC, I love coming here every year! This market has grown over the…read moreyears with 50+ artisan vendors and more hot food and boozy vendors! There are lots of hand-made craft and unique gift items (ramen stall, truffle stall, cat & dog stalls, as well as plenty of jewelry, chocolate, candle, toys, ornament, and crafts stalls). I bought a Ramen bowl from Japan for hubby, Truffle butter @ Truffist, and dark chocolate Oreos (the dark chocolate pretzels aren't that good) @Capital City Jar, kudos for being a long-time vendor! I also got an overpriced $40 onesie @SOL, the material was very soft and made in the U.S. In terms of the hot chocolate stalls, the Truffle stall and the S'mores N More are my favorite. The Marshmallows are gigantic and should have mixed them in! I got a pack of 6 marshmallows and picked out the flavors - Rainbow, Cookies and Cream, and Toffee Marshmallows. The Racklette sandwich was delicious - you must try it! It was so fascinating to watch the melty swiss cheese get scooped off the big truckle cheese wheel and sandwiches into a soft baguette roll. The Churros with Dulce Leche filling are a must - I always get the every year! Kudos for being a long-time vendor! The Dirty Habit Chalet boozy is a bit gimmicky. I paid $17 for Whiskey and Cider, I wish it was served warm and the service was lukewarm. The air-fried Gnocchi from Carmine's was a complete miss and a total disappointment. The Gnocchi lacked the crispy edges and pillowy soft juicy center. The texture was completely off from the air fryer. Excited to go back next year for some more gifts and delicious goodies and sweet treats!

Since I have moved to the area, each year I tell myself that I am going to stop at the Holiday…read moreMarket. And each year I always end up bypassing it because after a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is be jammed in with a bunch of other people going from booth to booth. I finally took the time to visit here and probably picked one of the worst times to visit, during a hockey game. With the influx of people coming into the area for the game and the arena right there, it made navigating to and through a nightmare. The downside here, and it is probably the only downside, are the amounts of other people. They will do one of two things. One, forget about their awareness to where they are. By this I mean that they will forget they are not the only person here at the holiday market. Two, the other people will either push you along, or walk at a glacial pace. Jamming up crosswalks and entrances to the main area. Two things you cannot control and you just have to go with the flow here. I will say it is lively and welcoming. Once you do make it into the stall area you will have to take your time to sift through what there is to offer. From gifts to food, you can find it all here. Live music is a usual draw as well which lends to the magical feel that you are in the middle of a DC street and don't have to worry about a thing. All of the vendors are local, so this is a big shop small venue. Offering you everything you can think of as a gift for a special somebody. Definitely worth a look around the holiday season.

Union Station is about what you would expect for a large metropolitan train station…read more It is relatively similar to an airport, only smaller and more run-down. There are plenty of small shops and cafes or restaurants that you can stop by and grab something to eat or drink before you begin your trip. Overall, this station is good, it serves its purpose.

I heart old architecture, so I made it a priority to visit Central Station that opened in 1907. I…read morewas amazed at how grand Union station is when we exited our Uber ride. I felt safe here since there were national guardsmen strolling the station. There are 30 eateries here and we ended up having lunch at Shake Shack, indulging in ice cream at Van Leeuwen, chocolates from Laderach and coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee. I like how the station also has 30 retail shops. Happy I visited Union Station and I recommend seeing this architectural marvel.

This is one of my "go to" metro stops. It is near the Portrait Gallery, restaurants and movies. I…read moretake minimal items with me. I use a cross body pack or purse. I like walking by the arch in China town. If there is a game or show at Capital One Arena, the area is crowded.

Gallery Place pandemic changes should be verified. Inside I…read moresaw Regal 14, Clyde's and AT&T open. Haagen-Dazs is open 12-10pm daily. Smoothie King is also open daily 7am-8pm. It is actually addressed Capital One Arena but access is via outside Gallery Place alley across from Clyde's. McDonald's is just a few steps away on 7th Street for the adventurous. Lucky Strike has been closed for a while. Bar Louie, Thai Chili and Arosto Pizza are also now closed. Broken escalators, neglected sanitation and nighttime urban grittiness continue. I note with sadness the closing of Gallery Place in Baltimore Inner Harbor. Tough economy everywhere.

I guess this is the place to go for lunch and snacks at the Navy Yard. Been here a few times but…read morehaven't been to all the places yet. Your choices are limited but at least it's variety. RK Cafe, Sbarro, Rice King, Freshëns, and NEXpress convenience store. Subways and Dunkin Donuts are in another building.

The food section of the Navy Yard Town Center (aka Admiral Gooding Center - aka Building 33) is…read moreundergoing a major overhaul with name brand restaurants coming in to replace the old vendors. I will update this review when those are available. There have also been renovations elsewhere in the building so this will cover those. SHOPPING NEXpress - The only NEX on the Yard that non-military can shop in. The Starbucks that had been here is now gone. There is hot coffee, but no frills. The shop has plenty of food options, drinks and some shirts/items for purchase that say Navy. As it is an NEX, it is tax-free! This is the place I probably visit the most in the building. Temptations - The Navy Officer's Wives Club runs this cute little gift shop when you enter the Town Center. Not much is really Navy/Marine Corps focused but usually some cute seasonal crafts, beautiful scarves and bags. You can occasionally get a good sale. SERVICES MWR Services - Military, Military Dependents and DoD Civilians can use the MWR to order tickets for a number of attractions, events and shows. They do a great job at getting you a good price on most everything worth seeing or doing. It is always worth asking about things even if you are unsure you qualify, they will help you out. NEX Barber Shop - I haven't used the barber shop on base, as I am a girl, but they always have a number of uniformed military, non-uniformed military and civilians in the shop. They have some rules about front of the line service for uniformed military during certain hours, but I never really paid close attention. They seem to do a good job. Gym - The gym is great. They regularly have classes that they change monthly (both type and times). There is no fee to use the gym for military and DoD civilians, but there is a charge for Contractors. If you want to take classes (such as cycling, yoga, or zumba), DoD Civilians and Contractors are required to pay, but it is only a few dollars for the class or you can buy a discount card. The facilities are well maintained. The gym was updated in late 2013/2014. New machines and everything is nicer. Clean towels. And the instructors will push you as hard as you are willing to push yourself.

I'm not a Nordie's Rack enthusiast. In fact, for many years, I worked near the Rack on 21st St. NW…read moreand frequently stopped by. Despite my expectations before each visits, and despite scouring the 75% of the racks, I bet I bought fewer than 10 items in all that time. Partly, I have been very spoiled with stores like the Rack, but much better. I'm from Boston and spent many hours at the inimitable but defunct Filene's Basement. As well as at TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and Loehmann's. I very seldom see anything at the Rack. I find their clothes, etc. to be overpriced. And the stores are so disorganized and messy. I would love to be able to say I love Nordie's, but I am always disappointed.

Let me start by saying; "customers had stuff all over the floor"... they don't return them how they…read morefound them. And the isles are very tight, so much so, I was cluster-phobic. Also their security staff did a great job, didn't make me uncomfortable unlike the security staff at 'Saks on 5th Ave.'. Their floor staff was amazing, they answered all questions my wife had and they were very helpful.

Georgetown Waterfront Park is one of the best urban parks in DC. It's on the Potomac overlooking…read moreRosslyn in Arlington, VA. There are plenty of walk ways and benches to enjoy the water and a sunny day. They also have informational signs throughout explaining the history and purpose of eco-friendly innovations found in the park. Just off the park is a bridge that reminds people of Seattle. Under the bridge, you can find a coffee shop, a theater, and a few restaurants. Pro-tip: Walk a few blocks to Baked and Wired for DC's best cupcakes.

What's not to like at this lovely park by the Georgetown waterfront?…read more The benches are strategically placed throughout the park in such ways that you get shades from nearly every seats. That's great news because it gets unpleasantly hot and humid in DC this time of the year. I also appreciated how much shades are available in general at this park. This made it easy to walk dogs like cavalier spaniels who tends to do terribly in hot humid weather. Many of the good restaurants such as Fiola Mare is available right from the steps of the park. You can also hop on the DC tour boat and some allows for wining and dining on them. Perhaps the only gripes I have are finding parking and not being able to find dog waste stations easily. No big deal for the most part but mildly annoying nonetheless.