(Continued in comments!) A little about DC.... Northwest DC is the nicest quadrant, specifically ALL areas west of Rock Creek Park. If you look at a map, you can see Rock Creek and the big green park area. Almost without exception, this is the safest part of the city. It is very liberal, Democrat, whatever- but serious street crime is pretty much nonexistent. There are few motels in NW I would not recommend or consider dangerous. Upper Georgia Ave, 5500 block and up has a few, but it's still safer than much of the rest of the city.
The New York Ave corridor (US Route 50) has a lot of motels but it is sketchy. Lots of people are permanent residents those motels and probably a lot of the drugs and shit we'd all like to avoid.
Arlington and Alexandria City are nice. Motels are decent, but maybe a little pricey in Crystal City, Rosslyn and Clarendon. These areas are a 10 to 15 minute drive across the river to downtown. 10 to 15 minutes further west there is a strip of motels on Arlington Blvd (Rt 50) in Falls Church. Safe area. Stop in Eden Center which is a nearby Vietnamese shopping center with about 2 dozen good restaurants. Most of the peeps there are supporters.
Tysons Corner hotels are a little pricier, but a safe bet.
AVOID- The eastern DC suburbs in Prince Georges County, Maryland aren't great, College Park, Hyattsville, Landover, Suitland have a lot of hoody areas. The one exception is National Harbor, where CPAC was held.
The northwestern suburbs of DC in Montgomery County, MD are mostly safe. Some public housing and a lot of libs, but no one should feel threatened there at all.
If you are coming in a camper or RV:
From the west- there are Walmarts about 30 to 40 minutes out of town where you can park overnight. Manassas, Gainesville, Fair Oaks, Fairfax City are all very safe places. You will probably be received well in the first two; the second two are more Dem but not places I would feel threatened.
From the north- if you are coming down from NY/NJ/PA/New England there is a rest stop in Jessup, MD where you can post up and camp. Technically, only supposed to be 2 hrs but this is rarely enforced, if is, it will be by MD State Police.and I've never heard them force a driver who needed a nap to drive... There are Walmarts off the 95 corridor, but the neighborhoods not as nice. The Walmart in Landover HIlls is one I would AVOID, as well as any of the ones in DC, which do not have much parking. There is a campground/RV park in Greenbelt, MD, not sure if still open but it's an easy 30 minute drive to downtown DC from there...
From the south- If you are coming up 95 from Carolinas, FL, GA etc look for the Walmarts in Kingstowne (best) and Alexandria (Richmond Hwy). Also some industrial parks where no one is going to bother you in Lorton, Shirley/Edsall Road, Ravensworh (Braddock Rd in Springfield). There are some other places to be left alone on Wheeler Ave and Eisenhower Ave in Alexandria City. Basically places that are active in the day, but then shut down after dark, No one will mess with you there.
IMPORTANT- There are several dozen different police agencies in DC.. You will encounter local, which is called Metropolitan Police Dept. Largely Black and from the area, these are almost always very decent folks who will not bust balls the way some people are used to cops doing. The ones who work in the tougher precincts see a lot of drugs and gunplay and crazy peeps. They are not sticklers who will start jacking people up for minor moving violations or other pettiness. You can basically smoke weed in the street and be left alone, but show these men and women RESPECT and they will mostly reciprocate..
There are also Park Police, Capitol Hill Police, Uniformed Secret Service and a slew of others much more numerous to name. These are all FEDERAL OFFICERS. They have to answer to much more demanding supervisors and they are far more apt to cuff and stuff people, especially if you misbehave around federal property. Every Dept in DC (Treasury,Education, Commerce etc) has some kind of police presence on site, some are private contractors. Again, I know were not Antifa, but just a caveat, it's much easier to get arrested by these guys than the locals.
Trying to think a little more to add but all I have is this for now. If you've been here a while, feel free to PM. Won't talk to newbies, sorry, and I can't advise on guns or anything crazy, will delete and ignore.
How is the Stanton Park area? Looking at an Airbnb 1 block south of. Thanks
Capitol Hill is gentrified. Lots of white libs- homeowners, not the nothingtolose Antifa type. Don't travel too far east on H St NE. It goes bad around 8th St and keeps getting worse as the street numbers get higher.
Thanks. I'll have a straight shot west on Constitution to the Festivities.
Yep, stay to the southwest of your address.. 8th and H is a shit hole, west on H starts to improve but probably not enough.
Thank you for the info, friend. I am bringing an rv, but have some friends that i will forward this info to.
OP great post. Other frens, if this gets to be a big thread, OP has two more very informative comments worth finding.
Fren i replied to, i originally upvoted you, but then removed the upvote so the OPs comments can stay near the top.
Cool by me. Let's keep the important stuff up.
Also from the DC area originally and having been mugged in the city I have another bit of advice. Stick to main thoroughfares. Don't look at a map and decide you'll take a shortcut and save a few blocks of walking
Agree. Hard to explain from the keyboard, but avoid the blindspots. If you don't know, don't go.
How is the Stanton Park area? Looking at an Airbnb 1 block south of. Thanks
Should also add that the metro is safe, unlike some other cities.
Yeah, I hate Metro, LOL but its a really good option for crowds like this. Orange/Silver and Red lines. Farragut Sq, Smithsonian, McPherson will get you close to the action.
How is the DuPont circle area?
Very liberal and quite the gay. Million dollar row houses that would cost a tenth in Cleveland, but safe. You may draw some attention w/ Trump gear in this area and there is kind of a trendy crowd- few street tweakers, but definitely opponents. If you get a Air BNB or something there, it will probably be fine.
Good thread good info
Thanks, locking down tonight and get lots of time to help
Any safe spots to park a big RV? (41')