I have a dear friend who moved from Phoenix to Tampa. I am well aware of rhe Tampan and Phoenician markets. The increases are shocking. More shocking in rhe sunnelt than DC. So you’re right that the sun belt has seen a sharper increase in rent versus the DC area. However, DC is still more expensive trust and believe.

Like Wale said “Come to DC and I’ll make you a believer.”

I had a flight last Friday @ 7:30am. It was pretty crowded - long lines everywhere. I left early and took an Uber but there was an accident so it took 50 min to get there instead of 15. The line at curbside was long and slow - by the time it was my turn, they said I was 3 min past cutoff and wasn’t allowed to check in my luggage.

Take Uber. But check for traffic beforehand to avoid this mishap I experienced.

Good for you .

10% max compared to the rate at non rent controlled appts, which is anything the landlord wants to charge. My rent controlled apt rose at about 4-5% a year. At the time non-rent controlled appts were raising 20-40%. Once rent freezes stopped after the shutdown some people were seeing increases above 40%. Rent control keeps rents to a manageable level & maintains affordable housing stock.

I have PreCheck and Clear. As such, I've regularly gotten to DCA 30 minutes before departure and been fine.

Last week, I had a 4 PM departure. I thought this would be a bit before the rush. Nope. PreCheck was winding around the rope line because DCA TSA is badly understaffed. (I don't know if TSA is trying to make a point to Congress, but I'd have thought they'd want their DCA operation to impress lawmakers.)

Anyway, TSA took 15 minutes, at which point I got to the gate with eleven minutes before departure—four minutes after the door closed. I begged and they let me on, only for the captain to complain to the gate agent for reopening the aircraft door to let me on (I was surprised too).

Now, I'm getting to DCA 50-60 minutes early like a normal human. At least until TSA staffs up.

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Schedule a cab through DC Yellow Cab. DC yellow cab has picked me up at 5 AM before and probably will be cheaper than Uber. Uber will rake you because you’re going to the airport.

There are a few that you can easily double up on Freer/Sackler (Asian Art) as well as the African Art are right there and smaller than some of the others.

The American Art and Portrait Gallery are in the same building and an easy two-fer. Get lunch/dinner over in China Town or on 7th Ave when you’re there.

Whenever you hit American Indian, get lunch at their cafeteria as they have the best cafe of all the Smithsonians.

The Air and Space on the mall is only 1/3 open right now but they have some stuff there. The bigger air and space museum is the Udvar Hazy center out by Dullas airport, it’s a ways out there but there’s so much it will take a good half day or more.

The zoo is a Smithsonian but on the edge of town. The Renwick Gallery is over by the White House.

Of course all that is less than half the Smithsonian’s, Still have the Postal Museum, Hirshorn, Natural History, , American History, Arts and Industry, African American History and Culture, The Castle, and the Anacostia.

The National Gallery of Art is not technically part of the smithsonian, but most assume it is as it’s an art museum right on the mall next to the others (and if you are interested in art they have a good large collection).

Keep an eye out as Air and Space, National Zoo, and I think African American History and Culture might still be doing timed tickets that you need to reserve in advance.

Pick the ones you want to focus on. If your’e a completionist, you can speed run a lot of the ones on the mall by just poking in and seeing one thing at the spots you’re less interested in so long as they’re not doing timed tickets.

My only issue with them this week is that they are trying to make me pay $130 for a bill even though I have proof that I don’t owe the money😂 aside from that, internet has not been down for me.

You can take a bus there. Buses run before the trains to National. I took one from Bethesda to National once. I think at about 5 AM. It does take quite a bit longer than the train as I recall.

Don’t forget the Anacostia Community Museum.

I know of four people who died in the Castle. James Henry (the first curator who lived there as well) his young son) who died before his father, Fielding Meek, paleontologist, who lived in the castle with his cat and a construction worker who fell to his death (I’m ashamed I don’t know his name off the top of my head, he’s just as important as Henry or Meek)

Cooper Hewitt and the other American Indian museum.

Not on a Thurs or Fri morning. That's prime families flying to Orlando time. (Learned that the hard way at BWI once.)

Depending on how far you have to go you and if you are traveling light you can take a capital bikeshare bike there... even early morning. its an amazing ride pre-dawn.

Yeah 16 minutes from Metro arrival to boarding is maybe a bit too close. You're relying on Metro to be very on time at that point. But it'd be interesting to see how long it actually takes you. My experience with the early TSA line at DCA is smooth even in the non-precheck line, and none of the gates are a long walk.

Edit: and especially since your plane isn't coming from somewhere else, there's no turnaround time for the plane to be cleaned and refueled. It's a high likelihood of leaving on time or even earlier.

Yeah I don’t have either so I’ll probably just have to get a car to the airport. Thank you

Ooh ok thank you I’ll look into it

Alright :(

Yeah unfortunately it departs at 6:30, so you’re right I should probably just take the uber

What Smithsonian is in NY?

If you have TSA pre-check and Clear you should be fine. I fly out of DCA frequently and can get from curb to gate in 30 minutes on most mornings.

The Curb app calls a cab, similar to Uber but in my experience a lot less expensive.

Yea that’s not a risk I’d take. Take an Uber unfortunately.

Similarly, the botanical gardens are part of Congress not the executive branch like the rest of the Smithsonian.