Nice walkable area with great stores and restaurants just north of Metro Center. Only been here…read moreonce to go to Yardbird during a conference at the Grand Hyatt surprisingly.

When we're in this part of DC (typically at least once during our 1-2 trips a year), I love walking…read morethrough to window shop and/or stop in shops to browse or actually make a purchase. The area is an open-air concept with offices, apartments, cafes & restaurants, and shops. The stores are luxury brand shops like Dior, Gucci, Hermes, etc. Everything about this area is high-end from the apartments to the restaurants. There are outdoor areas to grab a seat and sip a coffee while doing my favorite thing, people watching. I just love seeing all of the folks passing through in decked out in impeccable clothing and jewelry.

I have to admit that Union Station in D.C. is really the main train station I know well. I've spent…read morequite a bit of time at Denver Union Station, but never actually to catch a train, and the other major station I can compare it to is Penn Station in New York City. Obviously, Penn Station handles a completely different volume of people, so it's not exactly a fair comparison, but every time I travel through Union Station I'm impressed by how easy it is. First, there is SO much room. Even when it's busy, I rarely feel like I'm fighting for space. It's consistently clean, it's easy to navigate, and the communication around where trains are and where you need to go is clear. I also love that they actually use all that space. There are sometimes little markets in the huge open area toward the front, and there's also a room off to the side that doesn't have a restaurant or anything in it, but people seem to use it as a quieter place to sit. It's just more space, which is something I really appreciate in a train station. The food options are also surprisingly good in terms of variety. You can have a sit-down meal upstairs, grab something reasonably priced and fast-casual on the main level, or head downstairs for the cheaper fast-food options. There's even a post office, which is incredibly convenient if you need to get an errand done before leaving town or while you're passing through. Overall, I'm always impressed by Union Station. It's spacious, clean, efficient, easy to understand, and has enough food and other amenities that you can actually spend some time there comfortably before your train. As someone who really appreciates not feeling crammed into a train station, the amount of space might be my favorite part.

I'm updating my review since Union Station has been making an effort to make some changes. But, I'm…read morenot giving up other malls or restaurants. I had a good time visiting lots of stores during the day. I always use a cross body bag whenever I'm downtown. When I use the red line at night, I take Chinatown's metro stop. The streets are well lit and I have less unsavory characters to deal with. The police have a presence at Capital One Arena and the convention center. There are new businesses on the Mezzanine level that are interesting. A case study is whether Wolfgang Puck's Bar & Bites will stay. A pop art installation has replaced Ann Taylor on the mezzanine level. The space that housed Victoria's Secret is still empty (rip). My Swatch store (rip) is where Amtrak passengers wait for trains. H&M is now on the lower level (where Borders Books was located). Walgreens is hanging in there too. Chipotle is always a favorite (but the 4th St location is closer). The main hall is a beautiful event space. All that marble floor used to have benches where DMV residents & visitors could sit and visit. It is one of the reasons I don't hang out inside that gorgeous building as often. Most of the seating is gone. The Amtrak gates are just gates. All of the seating was removed after homeless people caused injury to Amtrak employees. Union Station is beautiful. We used to visit more often. I loved trying items in the food court. The vendors change over more frequently. Wendy's is gone. Taco Bell is hanging in there. Raising Cane's is there (as of 9/26). We attended the grand opening of Halal Guys. I'm happy they are still in business. The "suggested rule" for dining in the food court area is staying for 30 minutes. I have never been asked to leave when visiting with friends but we're usually in Chinatown where places are open after 8pm. The food court shuts down promptly at 8pm. If you are lingering after that time, all the other tables and chairs have been stacked and moved. Wok a Holic was a disappointment but meat eaters can find a dish (just don't order fried rice). Unos was a big loss (rip). We loved having pizza or pasta and two floors of places to dine. The main purpose for visiting Union Station is taking Metro, Amtrak, a bus or the Marc Train. The loss of the Circulator buses is another reason I don't visit frequently. Enterprise Car Rental has taken over dozens of spaces in the parking garage. The expansion project fell apart & was halted. The Postal Museum is across the street and worth a visit. If you park in Union Station you can still get a few dollars off of your parking by validating your ticket at the bus entrance level.

There wasn't a lot of interesting smaller stores. The food court was OK. It wasn't too crowded. It…read morewas just kind of empty with several of school-age kids walking around (keep my judgment to myself) and a few security guards. It was a nice retreat from the heat so just a leisurely stroll. The mall in general was fine. It was just the one empty mall in every town. The parking lot is full of inattentive drivers.

I haven't been to this mall in so long - but I was glad that this was a place that I decided to…read morewalk through after stopping in Target. It's all connected so you have free-range to walk wherever - to the food court, Rainbow, DTRL, etc. There's a lot of stores in the mall if you need an outfit for tonight or just want to browse around. I'm already planning to go back later as I recall in past retail-days that I this mall keeping a lot of inventory in stock which of course is appreciated!

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'm going to be honest, I had no idea there was a mall in this highway triangle. I thought the…read morespace between where I-270 and I-495 met had nothing in it. I've only seen the area from the highways that are tree lined. I am quite amazed by how out of touch I was for this area. This mall is quite expansive. The one thing I love about the DMV area is that the malls are still thriving. Not to the point where every single store is filled, but no where near dead mall territory. I had some time to kill before I had to head back home and wanting to pick up some items. Parking here had me. I wasn't sure where would be the best place to park. I ended up in the outdoor lots and didn't even want to mess with the parking structure. As a note, early here means you will encounter a slew of parents with their children in tow. Be careful and mindful in the parking lot as they will be everywhere. The mall had a bit of everything in here. The typical anchors and national chains you would expect to find in a mall. Food court area was jammed with eateries and customers. I opted to not eat here. Would definitely come back. Especially on a lazy day. Good people watching, enough stores to grab whatever you might be thinking of getting, and ample parking.

11.22.25 Love their…read moreholiday decorations which make for great photo opps. Also I appreciate that they have an abundance of seating areas throughout the mall. Unlike my local mall in Howard County, they have nicer, reputable retailers. It is currently my favorite mall in Maryland.

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.

I've been here before and came again on a recent trip to the DC area ... we came specifically for…read moreUniqlo. This mall is large -- three stories plus the food court area on the Metro level. Easy to get here from the Metro's Pentagon City stop .. when you get off the Metro and exit the turnstiles, just follow the signs at the "T" for Fashion Centre. There's a mix of regular and high end stores here, so you're sure to find a store that has what you're looking for. The food court has a number of fast food options, but you'll need to walk around nearby for better-than-fast-food. The one thing that annoyed me was no directory! None of the boards that should've been directories displayed any kind of map. And no, I do not have any interest in scanning a QR code to pull up something on my phone: in a public place like that, I have no idea if it's legit or not, or if it's a fake one that will hijack my phone or wallet. PUT THE MAPS BACK.

This is a large mall in Pentagon City. Four floors of shopping with tons of options. I wanted to…read moreget out of the heat in the summer so we decided to enjoy some indoor shopping. It was very crowded with high school kids hanging out and playing games in the area. I was able to go around and check out the different stores. On the bottom floor there are several food options. I was able to pick up some food at Harleys Sandwiches. You have your usual fast food options available. Afterwards you can head out and catch the metro nearby. It is easy to get to from DC or Virginia. I enjoyed coming here to get out of the heat and relax for a while.

Woodmore Towne Centre is my little piece of food, shop heaven! Selection is everything! Value of…read morethe place to me is worth the drive. Service varies at every entity! Security is present. The perks, there is a Copper Canyon! Y'all know I love a Copper Canyon! Nothing Bunt Cakes is here! Roaming Rooster made its way here! Cold Stone! Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, you know....the important venues. Nordstrom Rack! A Silver Diner! Nike! At Home, but I wonder will it close. It's always empty when I go. A Navy Federal! I mean for me, it's a one stop shop and I can do all things that serve my soul at this shopping center. Love it! I'm here often.

Being new to the area, Woodmore is the perfect place to get everything done and then some. Wegmans…read moreis a great store with an outstanding selection. The convenience of having a UPS store with great customer service and an optometrist's office all in one area is incredibly valuable.

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.