[Rick Lee]

The Alexandria Metro stations are King Street and Braddock Rd. King St. is much better, though the really cool parts of Alexandria are all the way down at the end of King St. by the water. If you go to the end of the Blue Line, you're at Franconia-Springfield and I don't think any of the hotels there are easily walkable from the Metro. Bear in mind that parking at the Metro stations SUCKS around morning rush hour. Crystal City is excellent, but parking there can suck too. 23rd St. is where the bars and restaurants are.

Rosslyn is a great choice, short drive to anywhere, short walk to anywhere. I don't understand the excitement about Georgetown. But if you haven't seen it, go see it and you'll know why it sucks. Traffic there is just unimaginable. They thought building a Metro there would let too many commoners in, so they didn't build one. Now the commoners (aside from the drunken students) come in and can't leave when the bars close, so the sidewalks are full and roads are jam packed with taxis. It's an overpriced, overrated, overcrowded nothing. Some cool houses, though, if you really know the back neighborhoods. If you want restaurant suggestions, let me know. Lots of super, off-the-beaten-path, unfancy ethnic places in the 'burbs.

If you take the Metro, bear in mind the local custom on the escalators is to stay right, walk left. I know, I know. But it's really strictly adhered to in DC and you stand out as a tourist for standing on the left side while the rat racers curse you under their breath.