It’s that time again, and GM will today provide (and slightly update) his annual Intern’s Guide to Georgetown, the first since Covid:
As year-round Washingtonians know, it’s that time of year again. Eager young interns will soon arrive in earnest droves to fill those couple inches on their resumes between their GPAs and their “other interests”. Many of these interns will be drawn to live and/or play in Georgetown. GM publishes the below crash course for interns each year:
To Live:
There’s a movement to pay interns more, in order to allow a wider swath of the population to participate in career enhancing experiences. But that said, if you’re an intern you’re still probably living on little to no pay. Can you afford to live in Georgetown? Maybe. But you’ll have to look hard. You’re young, so you probably can’t even remember a time before Craigslist, so no need mention that. But there are other places to look too. The City Paper still has decent listings, but for the short term rentals that you’re probably looking for you may try off campus housing listings like you’ll find here. GM has also heard good things about Facebook Marketplace. Good luck.
To Eat:
The Safeway should be on your weekly checklist. You can load up on groceries without going totally broke. For some variety, go to the newly re-opened Whole Foods in Glover Park, or the Trader Joe’s just up the block from the Safeway. Or you could sign up for Carsharing and head out to Costco at Pentagon City to really make your dollar go far.
Restaurants in Georgetown get a bad wrap. But there are plenty of relatively cheap options for a weekly night out. Here are some of GM’s old reliable options:
- Mexican – Los Cuates
- Falafel – Falafel, Inc.
- Pizza – Pizzeria Paradiso
- Spanish – Bodega
When your parents come to visit and are paying the bill, make a reservation at Chez Billy Sud or, if you’re a traditionalist, 1789.
To Work:
There are over twelve bus lines that go through Georgetown. They all come pretty frequently, particularly during rush hour. The main crosstown corridors are Q St. to Dupont and M St. to Foggy Bottom. Get yourself a Smartrip Card and put on about $70 month and you’ll be set.
Georgetown also has nine different Capital Bikeshare stations around the neighborhood. Of course there are now dockless bikeshare and e-scooter options too. (The best way to browse them all is to install the Transit app.) The best thing about bikeshare is that unlike riding your own bike, you don’t have to worry about getting the bike home at night. You can ride to work in the morning, then go out drinking as interns are wont to do and you can walk or take a cab home.
To Play:
GM doubts you need much advice from some barely-still-a-30– sadly 40-something where to find intern-friendly bars. You’ll find them. The only advice GM has on that account is to branch out from Georgetown. Although nowadays even that is advice that 20-somethings hardly need to hear from some middle aged guy. That said, if you are looking for tips for places beyond Georgetown, the obvious locations are 14th St. (GM recommends Bar Pilar, Churchkey, and Etto), Shaw (Dacha is a fun beer garden, but really crowded, GM also recommends the Passenger, and Right Proper), and H St. (hit the Pug). Finally, check out the new Wharf development, especially the Anthem.
Beyond booze, there’s plenty of fun stuff to do in Georgetown. Check out these ideas:
Rent a Boat – The Key Bridge Boat House on K St. below Key Bridge will rent you a canoe or kayak for a cheap price. Grab a picnic and head over to Roosevelt Island for lunch sometime. Thompsons Boat House is another option. They offer rowing shells on top of kayaks and canoes. If you’re experienced, they’ll let you rent them. If you want to learn, they offer week-long classes after which you’ll be certified to row. But you need to be an early riser!
Play Some Sports – There are tennis courts all over Georgetown. Try Volta Park (34th and Q), Rose Park (27th and O), or Montrose Park (Avon Pl. and R). The newly renovated Montrose Park courts are definitely the nicest, but the Rose Park courts are also in great shape, but both of them can get crowded. The Volta courts are less crowded but not nearly as nice. Beyond tennis, Volta Park and Rose Park both have basketball courts and small ballfields. Finally, go to Volta Park to cool off in the pool.
Hang out – The Georgetown Waterfront Park is a great place to spend an afternoon. Bring a book and a Frisbee and spend a few hours here. Also, make sure to stop by Dumbarton Oaks at least once this summer.
To Read:
Of course you should read the Georgetown Metropolitan for all your Georgetown news. But since you probably don’t know what an ANC is, you may want to branch out to the links on the right for other Georgetown and DC blogs. DCist is a must!
The Georgetown Metropolitan 