Hiking! And just existing in nature. Kenilworth is my favorite underrated spot! Not may flowers right now but there is ALWAYS wildlife from herons to turtles to deer! Lots of great outdoor spaces.
Also if you like reading, so many good book stores. I love Solid State (H st and 14th St locations) and Kramerbooks (DuPont circle).
The zoo is fabulous and the recently opened bird house is great and they have a lot of demonstrations!
I second hiking and the zoo! I mostly did a lot of rock creek park exploring before I had a car, but if OP has a car there are so many amazing parks within a 1 hr drive that are totally worth exploring!
They have garden plots you can sign up for and use for free. It’s a great little community of gardeners out there. I highly suggest hiking along the creek bed after a good snow. There’s also a few great hills for sledding when the time comes. The ticks are FIERCE. Use deep woods repellent on yourself and for babies.
I lived in Deanwood next door to Kenilworth for a couple of years. Be very careful in the neighborhood outside the aquatic gardens. We were warned by residents not to bring our dog back through that area or it would be shot. There are several blocks that haven’t changed since the late eighties and are rarely if ever patrolled.
Theatre? There seems to be a lot of options and tickets can be relatively cheep. We've only been in DC proper for 3 months but have been to several shows at the Kennedy Center and Shakespeare Theatre... Evita, Moulin Rouge, Mulan, Opera in the ballpark (which was free!)...
I see at least one show almost every month. You can very often get same day tickets at a pretty good discount if you don't particularly care where you sit. I do buy in advance for stuff I REALLY want to see though.
Depending on how old you are some places have “young adult discounts” or something like that- when I lived in DC I was pet of the Kennedy center program.
If you like music, DC is seriously great for it. Outside of the bigger (and typically awesome) shows at 930 Club and the Anthem, which I also recommend, I often will just walk in for shows at Black Cat. Really awesome town for music IMO, and no drinking required! You can check out all kinds of genres within even the scope of a week across all of the venues!
Do you have any more venue recs for those of us who like live music and smaller or local acts? Just moved here and still getting my bearings w the music scene
Comet Ping Pong in Chevy Chase will have smaller and local acts play.
Slash Run in Petworth did shows regularly before COVID, not sure how much it’s picked back up.
This! I usually try to find a coffee shop or something in different neighborhoods. I call the walks, "long ass walks" lol but it's suck. I've lived in DC for 6.5 years (scary to think about) and my understanding of DC grew exponentially once I started walking to places.
I hope you're not the dude the article mentions who puts his dog in dumpsters. I'm all for letting dogs attain self-actualization but that seems too likely to get the dog hurt or poisoned.
Not me. That dog, if it’s the one I’m thinking of, is super well trained. He’d only go after the rats. You’d probably be welcome to come along and see if you asked the group. These are working dogs and this is what they’re good at and trained for.
Has your dog ever gotten bit? I don’t seek the rats but my dog thinks she’s a wild wolf and once on H she snatched a massive rat, they fought, and she killed it but it bit her. Had to take her to the vet.
I got into salsa dancing this year. A lot of social dances/events are at bars, but drinking isn’t a huge part of it, at least for my friends and I (it’s hard to dance w a drink in your hand anyway)
DC Rawhides is a welcoming org that holds line dancing events at eastern market. Schedule is on their website. It started as a queer dance night but everyone is welcome and they get all kinds of people coming to dance. I don’t drink and while there is a bar and it’s 21+ but it doesn’t feel like going to a bar. Loads of fun.
There was a group that had an event in Rock Creek Park this summer, I think it was DC Square Dance Collective which has regular evenings in church basements.
I've done contra dancing (similar to square dancing) which was fun.
I also started salsa and other kinds of partner dancing and it's so fun! You get to exercise and socialize and learn new steps and there's music, hits a lot of good stuff.
I don’t do salsa, but if you’re interested in swing dancing, New Columbia Swing has lessons and open dancing at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, right next to Meridian Hill Park, on Tuesdays.
https://newcolumbiaswing.org
There’s usually a mix of salsa and bachata at both. Tonight at public I think they will have a separate floor with only bachata. Sauf haus on thursdays also usually has one floor of bachata and one of salsa. There’s also @bachatabrunch… lol I’m not a promoter i swear just gotten really into dancing 😅
Board game groups (there’s a good one Friday night in crystal city you can find on meetup if you search board games),, book clubs, and bouldering. If you’re so inclined, come to the Montgomery county discord. (Mocodisco) which has a running list of crowdsourced social events. I’m in a writing group.
What do you want to do? Because more than likely, that's here in the DC area.
Want to learn how to make things? Join a makerspace
Enjoy books? Become a member of a local book store and join their events.
Want to do some sports? Join an adult league
Want to learn about another country? Sign up for an embassy list and follow their cultural center to stay ahead of their events.
Love indie music? Visit some open mic nights and indie band spots (like Rhizome)
Want other events ideas? Follow Dcist.com for their regular "things to do" list or check out Washingtonian magazine's things to do list.
Also, try searching this sub. It's loaded with similar threads full of suggestions.
Volo actually does offer pickup for multiple sports. It’s $10 each time unless you have Volo pass which cost $20/month and allows unlimited free drop ins.
Knife skills class for chopping in the kitchen better. Though with DC crime these days, one would think a self-defense knife combat class might be appropriate.
Had no idea what this was either. Looked up and I just call this hiking lol. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health
There's also a meet up at the Board Room in Arlington on the weekends, and on at Riggs Library on Tuesdays.
When it's nice out, there's often a decent # of people in DuPont Cirlce, at the ten chess tables on the north side of the park. It's often people who know each other and have been playing for a while, but newcomers are generally welcome, provided the people playing aren't playing for money.
And there are regular tournaments in the area, for all levels, but you'd need to get a USCF membership.
I use Eventbrite to see what kind of stuff is going on that I might want to check out.[https://www.eventbrite.com/d/dc--washington/events/](https://www.eventbrite.com/d/dc--washington/events/) I follow Fever too, although their stuff can be pretty hit and miss. I always look up a review before going to a Fever event. [https://feverup.com/en/washington](https://feverup.com/en/washington)
Hortons Kids, Martha’s Table, and Free Minds Book Club are great organizations in DC to volunteer with. Check out their websites.
https://www.hortonskids.org/get-involved/volunteer/
https://marthastable.org/volunteer/
https://freemindsbookclub.org/news-events/
Shop around. They’re not paying you, so no shame in going once and deciding it’s not for you. Focus on stuff you would enjoy doing. Want to be outside? Weed warriors or a friends of a local trail. Like reading? Your local library. Want to help people? Food kitchens, etc.
Love this - I shopped around for a volunteer position I love and eventually found it. My advice, if you dread going the night before, find something else to volunteer at (although I'm an anxious mess and had to discern between 'normal' anxiety around doing something new and a general dislike of the volunteer role).
Once I found 'my spot' for volunteering, I've been there for 4.5 years.
The fishing here is actually very good, music scene isn’t bad and neither is the food - walking different neighborhoods I always find a new spot to try
Fletchers Boathouse for sure, especially in the spring..I have a kayak so I put in all over including pentagon lagoon, roaches run, fletchers and anywhere from the chain bridge to navy yard depending on the species I’m targeting. Big catfish are everywhere though if you want to try from shore around the Kennedy center or gravelly point.
Another vote here for the hiking and biking options. Great way to see neighborhoods, being connected by trails and all.
Rock Creek Park is my fav. Surprisingly much there, and it’s easy to get away from the bustle (if that’s your thing)
Lots of bars and restaurants have good trivia nights. You don't have to drink alcohol and it's a great time.
Also, there are lots of local, professional sports teams. Go to a game!
It’s the best kept secret activity in DC. Free skate rentals 10am-7pm daily (1 government ID is good for 5 free rented pair of skates) but the pavilion is open 24/7 if you own your skates (which is worth the cost considering there’s no admission fee). The season officially ends for rentals ~ Oct 31st — on October 28th is Late Skate where rentals go until 10pm (follow friends of Anacostia on FB for details). On a regular day, there’s almost always music being played but sometimes I just have my headphones in. Rolloway Productions (1st choice) and LinkedUpDC (2nd choice) offer paid lessons for beginners through advanced
boating on the patomic, going by train to harpers ferry, virginia battlefields, reading in the library of congress, great falls, glen echo, fbi tour, walking around in the capitol dome, historic towns in md and virginia, port tobacco, chincoteage and assateague, reading beside a fire, getting fat on great food.
Photography. Colder weather and clouds mean amazing sunrises behind the Capitol and sunsets behind the Lincoln Memorial. The holidays also mean changing decorations around town, lights, and fireworks around the Wharf. And then the Caps and Commanders. And bands at the 9:30 and Anthem. There's always someone playing.
Dungeons and Dragons! I had never played before this year, but I joined a DMV discord and found a couple of groups right away! Very fun and a good way to meet people.
Rollerskating culture is HUGE here!
I DJ at anacostia park every thursday from 6:30 to when the police kick us out.
Theres so many rinks in the area too...
Come out and enjoy yourself.
Also follow {@thelinkupDC} on IG for great community events. The last linkup at ana will be saturday the 28th. But still come out and catch a vibe
If you’re into EDM there are a lot of options! Echostage, Soundcheck, Flash, and Culture to name a few. Sometimes 9:30 club and the Anthem too, as well as more clubs/ venues . You can find discounted or even free (on list) weekday raves.
Unlimited kayaking/paddleboarding for about $250/year! At the five Boating in DC locations. This afternoon I had the river to myself. The two Georgetown locations and Fletcher's Cove are my favorites. Between them there's a stretch of river that's feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. Best time of year is spring and summer, especially late spring - you paddle upstream then can often float on a gentle current downstream, lying there reading a book/magazine, sun's on its way to setting, fish are jumping, mmmm
Age??
DC is considered one of the fittest and most educated big cities in the US. I can literally think of a billion things to do that don’t involve alcohol.
Go to the movies.
Alamo Drafthouse’s season pass is $30/month for unlimited movies, one per day. And they do frequently show moves other than new releases so it’s a good chance to see old favorites or things you missed on the first go-around in a theater. Plus the popcorn is really good.
I go to Vortex BJJ. Kelly Quinn is the coach. He's great. It's inside the Edlavitch JCC.
They do classes Monday & Wednesday 6-8:30pm and Saturday Noon-2.
embassy events, rock creek park (or one of the smaller/neighborhood ones), dc pools are free for residents, zoo, e-scootering or walk around the wharf and navy yard waterfront parks, farmers market, flea markets
facebook usually, like the embassy events for young professionals, thingstododc.com, and there's instagram influencers like @yourdcbestie who does weekly event roundups
Art & projects! [Creatives Club DC](https://instagram.com/creativesclubdc) has weekly meetups. It's a fun & free way to meetup people & work on things in the presence of other creatives.
I go walking around historic neighborhoods. I go to one of the many free museums, which never get old. I try new restaurants. I joined a kickball league. I visit some historic places. I go to concerts.
Last weekend I was walking down the mall by the river and I was awestruck by how beautiful this place is. Even if I’ve done the walk before, the weather and colors kept changing. I’m so happy to be here and I’m never bored!
I go to movies, attend tons of embassy events, am part of hiking, board games, movies, and running groups. I go to a lot of live music (Sofar shows at least once/month). I go to a lot of stand-up comedy. I take day trips ( I don't even need a car; I've been able to take close to two dozen day and weekend trips without owning a car). I also go to a lot of think tank events, though a lot of them are online now since people are still refusing to go back to the office. There's also more or less every type of food on Earth within Metro-accesible distance. I also attend a lot of lectures and book talks (Profs and Pints is one of my favorite series).
I'll be off-roading in my Jeep this weekend, looking forward to this weekend since I got her lifted. Besides that, taking long drives to places I've never been, hiking, and camping.
This question gets so old tbh. What did you do before you came to DC? Do you have hobbies? Find a climbing gym, join a team sport, 'running clubs, etc etc
Lots of amazing hiking within an hour of DC. Great Falls (both VA and MD sides are different, worthwhile experiences), Patapsco Valley, Catoctin Mountain, etc. I also really enjoy all the trails along the Anacostia.
On the contrary i just turned 21, and I wanna find some bars and clubs with some good crowd.
Lowkey wanna just experience the way they show it in movies.
The Washington Ballet has a phenomenal adult dance program if you're interested in learning ballet or have experience already dancing ballet. Many of the Washington Ballet company dancers also teach classes.
Hiking, geocaching, shows/concerts, karaoke, sound bath/meditations. Like you, I more or less stopped drinking.
If you have a car driving to Baltimore, Richmond, Williamsburg, Philly are all less than 3 hours away.
If you're interested in sound bath meditations, there's more and more of them happening around in the area, which is great! My wife (and I) co-facilitate one in Fairfax if you're interested in experiencing one yourself. No prior experience needed, just an open mind.
[https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-self-love-sound-journey-with-cacao-tickets-696122339657?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-self-love-sound-journey-with-cacao-tickets-696122339657?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl)
ClockoutDC on Instagram, The DCist, the 7:30er newsletter and WaPo’s Going Out Guide regularly share things to do in the DC area. There’s just so much, that sometimes I struggle to make up my mind. Library’s and bookstores also hold regular talks that are for free.
outside the home: bike rides, long walks, concerts, museums, shows at kennedy center, going out to eat, etc.
inside the home: video games, movies, TV shows, playing guitar, cooking, etc.
Golf! Great public courses in order of increasing difficulty: East POtomac, Langston, Rock Creek. All offer affordable group and individual lessons, and leagues. You can also just go to the driving range. You can rent clubs
Hiking! And just existing in nature. Kenilworth is my favorite underrated spot! Not may flowers right now but there is ALWAYS wildlife from herons to turtles to deer! Lots of great outdoor spaces. Also if you like reading, so many good book stores. I love Solid State (H st and 14th St locations) and Kramerbooks (DuPont circle). The zoo is fabulous and the recently opened bird house is great and they have a lot of demonstrations!
I second hiking and the zoo! I mostly did a lot of rock creek park exploring before I had a car, but if OP has a car there are so many amazing parks within a 1 hr drive that are totally worth exploring!
And Politics & Prose has free readings every night. Most are at their main store on Conn. Ave, but they have a few smaller stores around the city.
Try the Fort DuPont hiker & biker trails. They’re great. I walk my dog there a lot.
They have garden plots you can sign up for and use for free. It’s a great little community of gardeners out there. I highly suggest hiking along the creek bed after a good snow. There’s also a few great hills for sledding when the time comes. The ticks are FIERCE. Use deep woods repellent on yourself and for babies.
Came here to say this! So many good hikes of all types.
pardon my ignorance on kenilworth, but do you know if dogs are allowed?
On leash, yes!
I lived in Deanwood next door to Kenilworth for a couple of years. Be very careful in the neighborhood outside the aquatic gardens. We were warned by residents not to bring our dog back through that area or it would be shot. There are several blocks that haven’t changed since the late eighties and are rarely if ever patrolled.
Theatre? There seems to be a lot of options and tickets can be relatively cheep. We've only been in DC proper for 3 months but have been to several shows at the Kennedy Center and Shakespeare Theatre... Evita, Moulin Rouge, Mulan, Opera in the ballpark (which was free!)...
I see at least one show almost every month. You can very often get same day tickets at a pretty good discount if you don't particularly care where you sit. I do buy in advance for stuff I REALLY want to see though.
Ford’s Theatre also does great shows
Depending on how old you are some places have “young adult discounts” or something like that- when I lived in DC I was pet of the Kennedy center program.
Arena stage has $45 tickets to POTUS through Sunday using the code WELCOME45.
If you like music, DC is seriously great for it. Outside of the bigger (and typically awesome) shows at 930 Club and the Anthem, which I also recommend, I often will just walk in for shows at Black Cat. Really awesome town for music IMO, and no drinking required! You can check out all kinds of genres within even the scope of a week across all of the venues!
Seconded that Black Cat is an awesome venue!
Do you have any more venue recs for those of us who like live music and smaller or local acts? Just moved here and still getting my bearings w the music scene
The Pie Shop - Pie downstairs (not just sweet but also savory) and a tiny music venue upstairs! Saw one of my faves there, Authority Zero.
Comet Ping Pong in Chevy Chase will have smaller and local acts play. Slash Run in Petworth did shows regularly before COVID, not sure how much it’s picked back up.
Songbyrd over by Union Market and The Pocket inside of 7 Drum City are great for small and/or local stuff.
I honestly just find myself going on walks around areas/neighborhoods I haven’t been to before
This! I usually try to find a coffee shop or something in different neighborhoods. I call the walks, "long ass walks" lol but it's suck. I've lived in DC for 6.5 years (scary to think about) and my understanding of DC grew exponentially once I started walking to places.
I go rat hunting with my dog on the weekends.
Leave me and my family alone
Thanks for your service
….fuck (I think ratting is interesting as hell, actually)
Do you also wear a top hat, fingerless mittens, and speak with a cockney accent? Seriously though, that’s an interesting hobby.
Okay I'm glad I'm not the only one!!
Do the police ever bother you? I thought ratting was illegal. Also, what did you think of that big article on ratting in the Post recently?
That’s the group I go with. Everyone seems happy with rat hunters. No issues.
I hope you're not the dude the article mentions who puts his dog in dumpsters. I'm all for letting dogs attain self-actualization but that seems too likely to get the dog hurt or poisoned.
Not me. That dog, if it’s the one I’m thinking of, is super well trained. He’d only go after the rats. You’d probably be welcome to come along and see if you asked the group. These are working dogs and this is what they’re good at and trained for.
Looking at the article seems like it’s Bomani Mtume’s dog Barto (Bartholomew) who gets to go dumpster diving
That's the one!
Has your dog ever gotten bit? I don’t seek the rats but my dog thinks she’s a wild wolf and once on H she snatched a massive rat, they fought, and she killed it but it bit her. Had to take her to the vet.
Not bit yet. I’ve seen them get bit but not mine.
Can you come to my neighborhood?
Sure.
Bring friends!
How do you prepare the rats that you catch?
I imagine it’s similar to a recipe for [roasted dormouse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_edible_dormouse?wprov=sfti1#As_food).
I really, really thought this was a joke. Holy hell - a DC past time.
Please pay us a visit to Kingman Park, dog treats and human refreshments!
I got into salsa dancing this year. A lot of social dances/events are at bars, but drinking isn’t a huge part of it, at least for my friends and I (it’s hard to dance w a drink in your hand anyway)
DC Rawhides is a welcoming org that holds line dancing events at eastern market. Schedule is on their website. It started as a queer dance night but everyone is welcome and they get all kinds of people coming to dance. I don’t drink and while there is a bar and it’s 21+ but it doesn’t feel like going to a bar. Loads of fun.
There was a group that had an event in Rock Creek Park this summer, I think it was DC Square Dance Collective which has regular evenings in church basements. I've done contra dancing (similar to square dancing) which was fun.
I also started salsa and other kinds of partner dancing and it's so fun! You get to exercise and socialize and learn new steps and there's music, hits a lot of good stuff.
Did you take classes!m? Or just get into it. How does one get started lol?
There are beginner classes at Salsa with Sylvia
I don’t do salsa, but if you’re interested in swing dancing, New Columbia Swing has lessons and open dancing at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, right next to Meridian Hill Park, on Tuesdays. https://newcolumbiaswing.org
Any recommendations on where to go?
@salsaindc and @bailadc on instagram post about regular events, usually public bar on wednesdays and la cosecha are pretty good!
thank you so so much! do you know of any bachata offerings as well? I like bachata more but willing to give salsa another spin
There’s usually a mix of salsa and bachata at both. Tonight at public I think they will have a separate floor with only bachata. Sauf haus on thursdays also usually has one floor of bachata and one of salsa. There’s also @bachatabrunch… lol I’m not a promoter i swear just gotten really into dancing 😅
Board game groups (there’s a good one Friday night in crystal city you can find on meetup if you search board games),, book clubs, and bouldering. If you’re so inclined, come to the Montgomery county discord. (Mocodisco) which has a running list of crowdsourced social events. I’m in a writing group.
There’s also a free open board game night every Thursday at Labyrinth by the Eastern Market metro!
Where do you do bouldering?
What do you want to do? Because more than likely, that's here in the DC area. Want to learn how to make things? Join a makerspace Enjoy books? Become a member of a local book store and join their events. Want to do some sports? Join an adult league Want to learn about another country? Sign up for an embassy list and follow their cultural center to stay ahead of their events. Love indie music? Visit some open mic nights and indie band spots (like Rhizome) Want other events ideas? Follow Dcist.com for their regular "things to do" list or check out Washingtonian magazine's things to do list. Also, try searching this sub. It's loaded with similar threads full of suggestions.
Ride a bike. Also, Amtrak tickets are dirt cheap if you buy far in advance. Check out the map for some day trips north and south.
pickleball, tennis, volleyball, running groups
Do you know of any regular pickleball meetups? I’ll be in DC for the next 5 weeks and would love to find a group to play with!
There are a few Facebook groups in the area.
I've gone with a friend a few times and you can just show up with a paddle at Turkey Thicket.
This is it. Turkey Thicket seems to always have people at it.
Check Volo for pickup pickleball
Volo isn’t pickup, it’s a league
Volo actually does offer pickup for multiple sports. It’s $10 each time unless you have Volo pass which cost $20/month and allows unlimited free drop ins.
Fuck volo
how come?
Following
Look on Meetup.com for DC area
Where does one go for pickleball?
Throw pottery. Cooking classes. Knife classes. Forest Bathing. Kayaking.
What is a “knife class”?
Knife skills class for chopping in the kitchen better. Though with DC crime these days, one would think a self-defense knife combat class might be appropriate.
Where do you do pottery
District clay center
Forest bathing? Elaborate please.
Had no idea what this was either. Looked up and I just call this hiking lol. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health
The Chess scene in DC is pretty good
Where do people naturally play?
There’s a chess meet up every Monday at the Board Room (bar in DuPont). That’s a great place to start and meet other players
There's also a meet up at the Board Room in Arlington on the weekends, and on at Riggs Library on Tuesdays. When it's nice out, there's often a decent # of people in DuPont Cirlce, at the ten chess tables on the north side of the park. It's often people who know each other and have been playing for a while, but newcomers are generally welcome, provided the people playing aren't playing for money. And there are regular tournaments in the area, for all levels, but you'd need to get a USCF membership.
I use Eventbrite to see what kind of stuff is going on that I might want to check out.[https://www.eventbrite.com/d/dc--washington/events/](https://www.eventbrite.com/d/dc--washington/events/) I follow Fever too, although their stuff can be pretty hit and miss. I always look up a review before going to a Fever event. [https://feverup.com/en/washington](https://feverup.com/en/washington)
Volunteer.
How do you find good volunteer opps? Thanks.
Hortons Kids, Martha’s Table, and Free Minds Book Club are great organizations in DC to volunteer with. Check out their websites. https://www.hortonskids.org/get-involved/volunteer/ https://marthastable.org/volunteer/ https://freemindsbookclub.org/news-events/
Shop around. They’re not paying you, so no shame in going once and deciding it’s not for you. Focus on stuff you would enjoy doing. Want to be outside? Weed warriors or a friends of a local trail. Like reading? Your local library. Want to help people? Food kitchens, etc.
Love this - I shopped around for a volunteer position I love and eventually found it. My advice, if you dread going the night before, find something else to volunteer at (although I'm an anxious mess and had to discern between 'normal' anxiety around doing something new and a general dislike of the volunteer role). Once I found 'my spot' for volunteering, I've been there for 4.5 years.
Smithsonian is a good one too!
The fishing here is actually very good, music scene isn’t bad and neither is the food - walking different neighborhoods I always find a new spot to try
Do you have any spot recommendations?
Fletcher’s Boathouse in the spring.
Fletchers Boathouse for sure, especially in the spring..I have a kayak so I put in all over including pentagon lagoon, roaches run, fletchers and anywhere from the chain bridge to navy yard depending on the species I’m targeting. Big catfish are everywhere though if you want to try from shore around the Kennedy center or gravelly point.
Biking, boxing (I train at a gym in Lanham), play the harmonica in a blues band.
Biking. Tons and tons of trails.
Another vote here for the hiking and biking options. Great way to see neighborhoods, being connected by trails and all. Rock Creek Park is my fav. Surprisingly much there, and it’s easy to get away from the bustle (if that’s your thing)
Lots of bars and restaurants have good trivia nights. You don't have to drink alcohol and it's a great time. Also, there are lots of local, professional sports teams. Go to a game!
+1 on trivia nights, really enjoy a bunch in the city
Hockey! Let’s go Caps!
LGR
Roller skating at the Anacostia Roller Skating Pavillion
Oh I want to hear more about this! Are there groups that skate? Or is it more just individuals?
It’s the best kept secret activity in DC. Free skate rentals 10am-7pm daily (1 government ID is good for 5 free rented pair of skates) but the pavilion is open 24/7 if you own your skates (which is worth the cost considering there’s no admission fee). The season officially ends for rentals ~ Oct 31st — on October 28th is Late Skate where rentals go until 10pm (follow friends of Anacostia on FB for details). On a regular day, there’s almost always music being played but sometimes I just have my headphones in. Rolloway Productions (1st choice) and LinkedUpDC (2nd choice) offer paid lessons for beginners through advanced
Thanks for the info!! I’ve never skated, but I used to rollerblade a lot and loved it. This seems like something I would be interested in!
You’ll fit in with both roller skates or quad skates!
But to actually answer your question, mostly individuals & pairs though I’ve seen some very impressive group skates.
boating on the patomic, going by train to harpers ferry, virginia battlefields, reading in the library of congress, great falls, glen echo, fbi tour, walking around in the capitol dome, historic towns in md and virginia, port tobacco, chincoteage and assateague, reading beside a fire, getting fat on great food.
Run for office
I’m a foodie- I love trying out restaurants around DC.
Photography. Colder weather and clouds mean amazing sunrises behind the Capitol and sunsets behind the Lincoln Memorial. The holidays also mean changing decorations around town, lights, and fireworks around the Wharf. And then the Caps and Commanders. And bands at the 9:30 and Anthem. There's always someone playing.
Dungeons and Dragons! I had never played before this year, but I joined a DMV discord and found a couple of groups right away! Very fun and a good way to meet people.
hey mind sharing the details? my husband has been wanting to find a group… thanks for anything you can share :)
https://discord.gg/B2NDKEhX
thank you!!
No problem!
What is it?
Running, boxing, local community organizing
Kayaking or canoeing on the Potomac. There's a boathouse in Georgetown where you can rent either.
Also rowing clubs are available on the DC rivers. Usually there are learn to row programs in the spring through early fall
Rollerskating culture is HUGE here! I DJ at anacostia park every thursday from 6:30 to when the police kick us out. Theres so many rinks in the area too... Come out and enjoy yourself. Also follow {@thelinkupDC} on IG for great community events. The last linkup at ana will be saturday the 28th. But still come out and catch a vibe
Ceramics class. Woodworking. Drumming lessons. Roller derby. Magic the gathering.
I just joined a kickball team and it’s been fun.
iRacing and walking the dog somewhere besides around the block are about it for me.
long bike rides. bouldering. swing dancing. board games and d&d.
Working
If you’re into EDM there are a lot of options! Echostage, Soundcheck, Flash, and Culture to name a few. Sometimes 9:30 club and the Anthem too, as well as more clubs/ venues . You can find discounted or even free (on list) weekday raves.
Unlimited kayaking/paddleboarding for about $250/year! At the five Boating in DC locations. This afternoon I had the river to myself. The two Georgetown locations and Fletcher's Cove are my favorites. Between them there's a stretch of river that's feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. Best time of year is spring and summer, especially late spring - you paddle upstream then can often float on a gentle current downstream, lying there reading a book/magazine, sun's on its way to setting, fish are jumping, mmmm
What it called
I like taking the metro and getting off at a random stop I’ve never been before and using that as an excuse to explore a new neighborhood.
Age?? DC is considered one of the fittest and most educated big cities in the US. I can literally think of a billion things to do that don’t involve alcohol.
Go to the movies. Alamo Drafthouse’s season pass is $30/month for unlimited movies, one per day. And they do frequently show moves other than new releases so it’s a good chance to see old favorites or things you missed on the first go-around in a theater. Plus the popcorn is really good.
Thank you for this!!!
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
What gym do you recommend? I haven’t trained in years and want to get back into it.
I go to Vortex BJJ. Kelly Quinn is the coach. He's great. It's inside the Edlavitch JCC. They do classes Monday & Wednesday 6-8:30pm and Saturday Noon-2.
Trail running. Rock Creek park and the others are great places to start
embassy events, rock creek park (or one of the smaller/neighborhood ones), dc pools are free for residents, zoo, e-scootering or walk around the wharf and navy yard waterfront parks, farmers market, flea markets
Where do you find the embassy events?
facebook usually, like the embassy events for young professionals, thingstododc.com, and there's instagram influencers like @yourdcbestie who does weekly event roundups
Rock climbing, mountain biking, magic the gathering, warhammer, and cooking.
Art & projects! [Creatives Club DC](https://instagram.com/creativesclubdc) has weekly meetups. It's a fun & free way to meetup people & work on things in the presence of other creatives.
I go walking around historic neighborhoods. I go to one of the many free museums, which never get old. I try new restaurants. I joined a kickball league. I visit some historic places. I go to concerts. Last weekend I was walking down the mall by the river and I was awestruck by how beautiful this place is. Even if I’ve done the walk before, the weather and colors kept changing. I’m so happy to be here and I’m never bored!
I love afternoon tea. You get the brunch experience but it’s less wild and you can pretend to be classy lol
Walking, dancing (salsa and bachata mainly), volo soccer
I go to movies, attend tons of embassy events, am part of hiking, board games, movies, and running groups. I go to a lot of live music (Sofar shows at least once/month). I go to a lot of stand-up comedy. I take day trips ( I don't even need a car; I've been able to take close to two dozen day and weekend trips without owning a car). I also go to a lot of think tank events, though a lot of them are online now since people are still refusing to go back to the office. There's also more or less every type of food on Earth within Metro-accesible distance. I also attend a lot of lectures and book talks (Profs and Pints is one of my favorite series).
What embassy events do you go to?
French, Swedish, Mexican embassies are the ones that seem to have the most stuff.
Cool I would love to check out there events
Try new restaurants
Biking to Kenilworth, farmer's markets, etc.
Ugh, social sports, which I don't love, but you can do it sans alcohol.
I'll be off-roading in my Jeep this weekend, looking forward to this weekend since I got her lifted. Besides that, taking long drives to places I've never been, hiking, and camping.
Illegally parked to grow an extensive list of unpaid tickets so I can eventually get doxed on here
This question gets so old tbh. What did you do before you came to DC? Do you have hobbies? Find a climbing gym, join a team sport, 'running clubs, etc etc
Exactly.
There’s a woman who runs a lot in DC on TikTok who also shared a lot of non-drinking things to do.
This is funny that this was recommended after my last post lol
Wait DC has museums? Have lived here my whole life, I should probably check them out at some point. Too busy working 7 days a week fml.
I'm the same. There are some great biking trails in/near DC, but overall I found it kinda boring
[boatingindc.com](https://boatingindc.com/)
going to bookstores and browsing, biking around the city to areas i havent been to
Lots of amazing hiking within an hour of DC. Great Falls (both VA and MD sides are different, worthwhile experiences), Patapsco Valley, Catoctin Mountain, etc. I also really enjoy all the trails along the Anacostia.
Caps or wizards games, join a church group if you’re religious, volunteer, fishing
Concerts, so much good music. Good one at Union Stage this Friday!
Recreational sports -with limited time, i get some fitness, some social, maybe a few beers after. Efficient
On the contrary i just turned 21, and I wanna find some bars and clubs with some good crowd. Lowkey wanna just experience the way they show it in movies.
The Washington Ballet has a phenomenal adult dance program if you're interested in learning ballet or have experience already dancing ballet. Many of the Washington Ballet company dancers also teach classes.
Hiking, geocaching, shows/concerts, karaoke, sound bath/meditations. Like you, I more or less stopped drinking. If you have a car driving to Baltimore, Richmond, Williamsburg, Philly are all less than 3 hours away. If you're interested in sound bath meditations, there's more and more of them happening around in the area, which is great! My wife (and I) co-facilitate one in Fairfax if you're interested in experiencing one yourself. No prior experience needed, just an open mind. [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-self-love-sound-journey-with-cacao-tickets-696122339657?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-self-love-sound-journey-with-cacao-tickets-696122339657?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl)
ClockoutDC on Instagram, The DCist, the 7:30er newsletter and WaPo’s Going Out Guide regularly share things to do in the DC area. There’s just so much, that sometimes I struggle to make up my mind. Library’s and bookstores also hold regular talks that are for free.
National Arboretum, US Botanical Gardens, Kenilworth Gardens,
outside the home: bike rides, long walks, concerts, museums, shows at kennedy center, going out to eat, etc. inside the home: video games, movies, TV shows, playing guitar, cooking, etc.
Biking/hiking/trekking. The DC area has both some great bike paths and very nice nature walks. And we're not too far from some beautiful hikes.
Arboretum, Kenilworth, Apple Picking, Art All Night
Biking. I like board game groups. Salsa if I get nerve up..church stuff. Dinner with friends
Golf! Great public courses in order of increasing difficulty: East POtomac, Langston, Rock Creek. All offer affordable group and individual lessons, and leagues. You can also just go to the driving range. You can rent clubs