Washington D.C. Travel Forum

Two questions ...

First, is is safe to walk (with my husband) from the Folger Shakespeare Theater to Union Station after dark? If not, would another station be better?

Second, what is the best way to get back to the DuPont circle area from the Georgetown/Washington Harbour area on public transportation? I tried using the metro authority trip planner and didn't find anything very conclusive. Would I be better off taking a cab?

Thanks in advance for your help, Tracy Fox

There is no direct METRO access to Georgetown as it is out-of-the way. I think taking a private car or taxi is a good idea.

Happy Trip!

Hi Tracy- Try going to the Circulator website. http://www.dccirculator.com/ They have buses in Georgetown, along K street in NW DC and Union Station. You could also download the map and schedule for the D2 bus.
I would have no problems walking around most parts of DC at night. I think you should be fine around Union Station, I actually wouldn't walk around Georgetown at night. If its daylight then its find to walk from Georgetown to Dupont but after dark I wouldn't.
Good luck! I love DC. Ingrid

From Folger to Union Station should be fine, though it's a bit of a hike. Try going to Eastern Market or Capitol South stops, then transfer at Metro Center to Dupont; they're closer. Just stick to well-lit streets. The area is heavily patrolled by U.S. Capitol police and other police agencies, since it's in the greater Capitol Hill area.

From Georgetown, you'll have to hike up M Street and Penn. Ave. to the Foggy Bottom Metro Station to get back to Dupont, unless the Circulator Bus is still operating at your time of night. I don't think walking Georgetown at night is that dangerous, since mostly you get tipsy college students and other 20-somethings, plus many tourists as well as locals, all of whom generally are harmless; not many street thugs there, since it's always very busy and crowded.

Cabs in D.C. are ubiquitous. Hail one and you'll be fine if you don't want to, or can't, avail yourself of public transport. Historical note: the reason Metro (subway) doesn't go to Georgetown is b/c when the system was planned in the 1960's, the liberal elites who live there were all for it, in their best noblesse oblige tradition, to serve the downtrodden workers, but they didn't want the same unwashed masses having easy access to their exclusive part of town, so Georgetown and the wealthy Upper Northwest D.C. areas remain "subway-free" to this day, a full generation later.

Another alternative transportation to G'town is the Blue Bus. It has a stop by the DUpont Circle metro (I think it's the South exit - the same street as Krispy Kreme store) and the Rosslyn metro, and has various stops in G'town. See http://www.georgetowndc.com/getting_here/shuttle. It cost $1.50 per person. $.35 with a Metrorail (not Metrobus) transfer.

As for a cab, I'm not sure if they use meters now (I think they postponed it but I'm unsure). Before, however, when it was a zone-system, it shoud cost you around $8.00 (2 zones) for one person ($1.50 for each addt'l person and $1.00 for rush hours) to get to G'town from Dupont.

Let me know if you have more questions.