Help from local peeps -- NoVA/DC area???

[mlktwins]

I live in NoVA and am planning a field trip to DC tomorrow. I have taken the metro in the past, but would loved to drive for once. Any recommendations for parking garages? I'm looking to be in the middle of the mall area (Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian Castle).

 

Thanks for any info you can problem :D!!!

[Chris in VA]

Giving you a bump.

We park very far away, next to the Potomac River. We go all the way up that particular street to where there's an overpass--there's a free lot on the left that's never full.

[MariannNOVA]

Wow -- let me think.

 

there is a parking garage across the street from the natural history museum -- the ronald reagan building i think -- i park there.

[Alice]

We like to go early enough to get street parking. The metered spaces on Constitution are available at 9:30 so if you get there right about then you have a good chance. However, they are metered and only 2 hour spots. The street on the inside of the museums right next to the mall (I can never remember the street names, maybe Jefferson?) have spaces that are free and 3 hour spots. They open up at 10 am supposedly. The last time we went I tried to get there early (at about 9:45) and found that many people had already parked in those spots even though they say no parking until 10 am. We still got one right outside of Natural History but if I had it to do over I'd aim to get there around 9:30 and then sit in the car with a snack or something until closer to 10. If you want to stay all day that doesn't work well but my kids are usually done after about 3 hours.

[Farrar]

Arrive early, get street parking, move your car midway. That's my recommendation.

[Mom0012]

I park in the Ronald Reagan parking garage. It's $20, but well worth it. The new meter parking system in DC is a PITA. You have to set up an account on your cell phone and pay by credit card rather than putting coins in the meter and then you still have to move your car to a "new zone" every couple of hours.

 

Lisa

Edited May 31, 2012 by LisaTheresa

[AFwife Claire]

I park in the Ronald Reagan parking garage. It's $20, but well worth it. The new meter parking system in DC is a PITA. You have to set up an account on your cell phone and pay by credit card rather than putting coins in the meter and then you still have to move your car to a "new zone" every couple of hours.

 

Lisa

 

Yes--I totally agree with this. It is a huge hassle, and if you are going to be downtown all day, it is not worth it to deal with the meters. Just 2 hours--then it is okay. We did a quick field trip to the Nat'l Gallery of Art earlier this year, where we got there around 9:30, took our reserved tour starting at 10:00, and were done and out of there at noon. We did the metered parking then, although setting it up was a pain.

[MariannNOVA]

I park in the Ronald Reagan parking garage. It's $20, but well worth it. The new meter parking system in DC is a PITA. You have to set up an account on your cell phone and pay by credit card rather than putting coins in the meter and then you still have to move your car to a "new zone" every couple of hours.

 

Lisa

 

That's where we park. :thumbup:

[mlktwins]

Thank you ALL so much! We probably won't make it down there until 10 or 10:30. I think we'll try the Ronald Reagan Building. I'll have my boys and my 77 year old dad with me. Just want it to be as stress free as possible. $20 is much cheaper than taking 4 of us on the metro from Vienna. I'm going to print this to have for future reference though for when we know we will only be 2-3 hours.

 

Thanks again!!!

 

:lurk5: (Sorry, my son wanted me to add the popcorn :D)!!!!

[Tess in the Burbs]

Wow -- let me think.

 

there is a parking garage across the street from the natural history museum -- the ronald reagan building i think -- i park there.

 

Yeah, I tried this once. I don't recommend it. I pulled up and asked about public parking. They do a car search and send you down into the garage. There are no parking spots though. You circle and circle and finally ask the valet if he can help you. He offers to let you park there. :001_huh: Now you make note to get cash for valet. But it's darn weird to leave your keys with a stranger!!!!

 

When we went up out of the garage we didn't know which floor to get off. We saw a nice food court.....very busy for 8am. Then we were in a balcony thing. At that point we walked down the stairs. Apparently into a just about to open up conference thing in the lobby area. Me, kids, backpacks. Yes, security was all over us.

 

I finally found a door to get out after explaining to security I just parked there and wanted out of the building. Getting out of the building was almost 20 min experience. I am trying like crazy to make mental notes at this point on how to get back in for later.

 

Location wise it was nice. Stress level was too high.

 

Getting back in required security. Walking through scanner and having bags checked. Interestingly those were not checking coming in or being let out of the building.....

 

And then we had to find our way back to the underworld of cars. The valet was nice and it didn't look like my car had been moved/driven that day :tongue_smilie:

 

And going home was nice compared to our other parking issue later in the summer.......

 

take the metro.

[MariannNOVA]

Yeah, I tried this once. I don't recommend it. I pulled up and asked about public parking. They do a car search and send you down into the garage. There are no parking spots though. You circle and circle and finally ask the valet if he can help you. He offers to let you park there. :001_huh: Now you make note to get cash for valet. But it's darn weird to leave your keys with a stranger!!!!

 

When we went up out of the garage we didn't know which floor to get off. We saw a nice food court.....very busy for 8am. Then we were in a balcony thing. At that point we walked down the stairs. Apparently into a just about to open up conference thing in the lobby area. Me, kids, backpacks. Yes, security was all over us.

 

I finally found a door to get out after explaining to security I just parked there and wanted out of the building. Getting out of the building was almost 20 min experience. I am trying like crazy to make mental notes at this point on how to get back in for later.

 

Location wise it was nice. Stress level was too high.

 

Getting back in required security. Walking through scanner and having bags checked. Interestingly those were not checking coming in or being let out of the building.....

 

And then we had to find our way back to the underworld of cars. The valet was nice and it didn't look like my car had been moved/driven that day :tongue_smilie:

 

And going home was nice compared to our other parking issue later in the summer.......

 

take the metro.

 

flashback! my son in law had a swiss army knife and they wouldn't let him back in when we were finished for the day. He stayed there at ground level and dd and i went to get our cars and pick him up as we exited the garage. Do.not.ask.what went.on.for.the.next.hour.or.so.

 

But, in spite of all that, it is a rather well located garage.

 

hope you all are well.:)

[Stratford]

When we lived in NoVa, we almost always took the metro (unless we were going to the zoo.) Now that we live in PA, I usually park at Union Station....a little walk from the mall but parking is reasonable (around $20) and there are always spots available. And no security search. And if you need a snack there's a nice food court.

[mlktwins]

Yeah, I tried this once. I don't recommend it. I pulled up and asked about public parking. They do a car search and send you down into the garage. There are no parking spots though. You circle and circle and finally ask the valet if he can help you. He offers to let you park there. :001_huh: Now you make note to get cash for valet. But it's darn weird to leave your keys with a stranger!!!!

 

When we went up out of the garage we didn't know which floor to get off. We saw a nice food court.....very busy for 8am. Then we were in a balcony thing. At that point we walked down the stairs. Apparently into a just about to open up conference thing in the lobby area. Me, kids, backpacks. Yes, security was all over us.

 

I finally found a door to get out after explaining to security I just parked there and wanted out of the building. Getting out of the building was almost 20 min experience. I am trying like crazy to make mental notes at this point on how to get back in for later.

 

Location wise it was nice. Stress level was too high.

 

Getting back in required security. Walking through scanner and having bags checked. Interestingly those were not checking coming in or being let out of the building.....

 

And then we had to find our way back to the underworld of cars. The valet was nice and it didn't look like my car had been moved/driven that day :tongue_smilie:

 

And going home was nice compared to our other parking issue later in the summer.......

 

take the metro.

 

Wow Tess! I'm sorry you went through all of this :-(!!!!

 

Thanks everyone for all the advice. We ended up parking at the Ronald Reagan building. Was a breeze for us. The trunk of the van was checked, but I had removed everything except my backpack and a little cooler. We found a great end spot plenty of space on either side of me. Getting back into the building later took 3 minutes tops. I even had 2 empty spaces behind me for backing out of my spot :D. Someone was smiling down on me today!!!

 

I did not like sitting in rush out to Gainesville much -- did that for 15 years before I quit work to stay home with the boys. Don't miss that AT ALL!!! I also wouldn't have like being on the metro in rush hour on the way home. At least the boys were happy watching DVD's!

 

Thanks again!