Sam Spade Memorial Visitor's Locker Room (Ticket talk, Restaurants, Fantasy Questions, etc)

[legionista]

Hi everyone. I'm headed to the game this Saturday vs. Lighting at Capital One Arena, I'm bringing both my boys, 7 and 12, they are very excited and would love to get an autograph from some of the players.
From the little that I know regarding this, I know the players come to the arena about 2 hours+ before puck drop and I often see them entering the arena between some barricades with fans around. Sometimes the players stop for pictures and autographs. Can someone in the know please tell me how I can make this happen for my boys ?

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Hi everyone. I'm headed to the game this Saturday vs. Lighting at Capital One Arena, I'm bringing both my boys, 7 and 12, they are very excited and would love to get an autograph from some of the players.
From the little that I know regarding this, I know the players come to the arena about 2 hours+ before puck drop and I often see them entering the arena between some barricades with fans around. Sometimes the players stop for pictures and autographs. Can someone in the know please tell me how I can make this happen for my boys ?

Not sure if you’re local or how long you’ll be here for but it’s much easier to get autographs at one of their practice sessions. They should have a practice around 10:30am on Friday at MedStar in Arlington.

 

[legionista]

Not sure if you’re local or how long you’ll be here for but it’s much easier to get autographs at one of their practice sessions. They should have a practice around 10:30am on Friday at MedStar in Arlington.

Thanks for the response, yes I live in MD and went to a practice session years ago (before my kids were born) and got a few autographs. With a hectic schedule and kids in school it's tough to plan a trip out to Arlington so was wondering how or if it's possible to meet any players at the games.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Hello, coming to DC this fall to see a concert at the 9:30. Any tips about the venue, places to go prior, ETC?

Thanks

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Hello, coming to DC this fall to see a concert at the 9:30. Any tips about the venue, places to go prior, ETC?

Thanks

Are you in for just the day/night? More of a bar/restaurant scene guy or looking for tourist stuff?

 

[usiel]

Hello, coming to DC this fall to see a concert at the 9:30. Any tips about the venue, places to go prior, ETC?

Thanks

U street has a lot going on. Not sure how much post covid but assuming it is still pretty lit. New 9:30 is pretty awesome. Basement bar is pretty cool especially for annoying openers and want to give your ears a break. Velvet Lounge used to be around might have been a pre show bar but its gone.

 

[vippe]

Swede checking in,

Made up my mind - I'll make another trip across the pond to see a few games (in New york that time around), last time I did it the Caps won the cup so maybe that's a good sign? hue hue

No matter, I've decided I'll go for a stretch of games on home ice starting with Wings then Flyers and topping it off with the Panthers in the second half of march. While it's not the perfect lineup for me personally it's 2 classic teams and the reigning champ. Could do a lot worse!

There's also a slight change of a specific record going down, now I dont think it'll happen during this stretch but it's not impossible.

So while I'm not on the strict budget, I probably want to respect that the value of the Swedish crown is shit tier so everything is gonna be more expensive than it was last time around. Do you have any suggestions to stay, non-hockey related things to do and see and perhaps some cool bars, heck perhaps even a Caps bar? etc.

Appreciate it!

 

[thebestnic]

Are you guys going to keep alternating between Lindgren and Thompson ? I have both and need to play only 1 this week. Thanks

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Are you guys going to keep alternating between Lindgren and Thompson ? I have both and need to play only 1 this week. Thanks

LT looks like he’s gradually taking hold of the #1 spot. Curious is he gets the next start….if not, still a pretty even platoon for now…

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Swede checking in,

Made up my mind - I'll make another trip across the pond to see a few games (in New york that time around), last time I did it the Caps won the cup so maybe that's a good sign? hue hue

No matter, I've decided I'll go for a stretch of games on home ice starting with Wings then Flyers and topping it off with the Panthers in the second half of march. While it's not the perfect lineup for me personally it's 2 classic teams and the reigning champ. Could do a lot worse!

There's also a slight change of a specific record going down, now I dont think it'll happen during this stretch but it's not impossible.

So while I'm not on the strict budget, I probably want to respect that the value of the Swedish crown is shit tier so everything is gonna be more expensive than it was last time around. Do you have any suggestions to stay, non-hockey related things to do and see and perhaps some cool bars, heck perhaps even a Caps bar? etc.

Appreciate it!

What part of the city will you be staying in? Will you have a car? Traveling with kids? Any particular interests (nature/outdoors, music, art, history, non-hockey sports etc). There is a ton to do in the area so the more you can tell us about what you’re into the better.

Cherry blossoms should be in bloom that time of year, lots of monuments to walk around and check out in that area during the day (also cool to go at night)

Lots of art and history museums in DC are free, can definitely spend a few days at those without spending any cash.

like I said let me know what some of your interests are and where you’ll be staying and I can give you more specific recommendations.

 

[vippe]

What part of the city will you be staying in? Will you have a car? Traveling with kids? Any particular interests (nature/outdoors, music, art, history, non-hockey sports etc). There is a ton to do in the area so the more you can tell us about what you’re into the better.

Cherry blossoms should be in bloom that time of year, lots of monuments to walk around and check out in that area during the day (also cool to go at night)

Lots of art and history museums in DC are free, can definitely spend a few days at those without spending any cash.

like I said let me know what some of your interests are and where you’ll be staying and I can give you more specific recommendations.

Thanks for your reply.

I havnt even decided yet on where to live, I'm listening to the pros in here for suggestions =)
I'm wide open for suggestions! I'll travel on foot preferably or other means availible in the area, not going to rent a car.

Interests include;
Hockey (obviously, the main purpose of the trip afterall)
History
Craft beer - cool bars
Sports in general
Retro video games
Music & concerts

I'll be traveling alone or if I can get a friend on board, I'll leave the family home for this trip.

 

[Neil Racki]

1. Zoo/Woodley Park - free and very chill. You have to register online but just pop an edible, grab some fresh $6 pop corn and go for a stroll, some of the pathways go through forested areas, real chill .. pandas might be out as well

Hot n Juicy Crawfish - is a few blocks down from the Zoo. Im guessing you never had crawfish or real cajun/creole food. They do it as good Ive seen this far north of New Orleans. It is a group type meal though .. lots of beer, slow eating gettign messy

2. Georgetown - lots of shops and restaurants and people watching. vibrant, safe, high energy. Walk down to the canal area .. cobblestone streets .. beautiful views of the potomac river

3. Monuments and national mall - grab a Lime scooter, pop an edible and just whizz through open grassy fields looking at the monuments listening to your favorite tunes.

4. Churchkey - craft beer meca for DC .. chill, great selection .. go there make friends, pop an edible and wake up on a strangers bathroom floor the next morning

5. Rocket Bar - block from Caps arena ... grab some cans of natty boh and play some games .. its chill

 

[Kalopsia]

Thanks for your reply.

I havnt even decided yet on where to live, I'm listening to the pros in here for suggestions =)
I'm wide open for suggestions! I'll travel on foot preferably or other means availible in the area, not going to rent a car.

Interests include;
Hockey (obviously, the main purpose of the trip afterall)
History
Craft beer - cool bars
Sports in general
Retro video games
Music & concerts

I'll be traveling alone or if I can get a friend on board, I'll leave the family home for this trip.

I made this google doc a few months ago for a friend who was thinking of driving the family to see DC. It's a little kid-oriented (no recommendations on where to pop edibles) and there's stuff that's not easily reachable without a car but should be a decent starting point. DC's got amazing, free museums, so whatever type of history you're into there's gonna be a museum worth checking out. For music and concerts, the biggest dedicated music venues are the 9:30 club and the Anthem, which haven't filled out their spring calendars yet but get some decent-sized acts.

1. Zoo/Woodley Park - free and very chill. You have to register online but just pop an edible, grab some fresh $6 pop corn and go for a stroll, some of the pathways go through forested areas, real chill .. pandas might be out as well

Hot n Juicy Crawfish - is a few blocks down from the Zoo. Im guessing you never had crawfish or real cajun/creole food. They do it as good Ive seen this far north of New Orleans. It is a group type meal though .. lots of beer, slow eating gettign messy

2. Georgetown - lots of shops and restaurants and people watching. vibrant, safe, high energy. Walk down to the canal area .. cobblestone streets .. beautiful views of the potomac river

3. Monuments and national mall - grab a Lime scooter, pop an edible and just whizz through open grassy fields looking at the monuments listening to your favorite tunes.

4. Churchkey - craft beer meca for DC .. chill, great selection .. go there make friends, pop an edible and wake up on a strangers bathroom floor the next morning

5. Rocket Bar - block from Caps arena ... grab some cans of natty boh and play some games .. its chill

A tip I always give for the Zoo is that if you're metroing there, don't get off at the Woodley Park metro stop even though the signs say that's the Zoo stop, get off at the next one (Cleveland Park). The Zoo's on a hill and the Zoo metro stop is at the bottom, while Cleveland Park is walking distance from the top of the Zoo. Get off at Cleveland Park, walk through the Zoo going downhill, then continue down to hill to the Zoo metro stop when you're done. Much easier if you're planning to do a lot of walking around DC and want to save your energy.

 

[NoVaCapsFan]

My one suggestion is Happy Hour at Hiya Izakaya near the arena.

 

[vippe]

Thanks for all the suggestions, very much appreciate it - Brining a lot of that with me.

Where's a good area to live at? Dont need or want a fancy hotel to stay at, just a bed, shower and roof over my head basically - but somwewhat close to where stuff is happening

 

[qc14]

Thanks for all the suggestions, very much appreciate it - Brining a lot of that with me.

Where's a good area to live at? Dont need or want a fancy hotel to stay at, just a bed, shower and roof over my head basically - but somwewhat close to where stuff is happening

Looking for a hotel or an airbnb/rented house or apartment? I'm partial to the Logan Circle area if you want to be actually in the city -- lots of great restaurants and bars and a very nice part of the city. While the downtown area is where most of the touristy things are, hotels there are generally more expensive and it's mostly offices so not quite as "authentic". The metro and bus system are both really good (and have been getting much better the last year or so) so anywhere close to a metro stop would be great. It probably would be cheaper (but a bit lest interesting) to stay in Crystal City in Virginia (right by National Airport) and just take the metro in to the city.

In addition to previous suggestions, I highly recommend all the Smithsonian museums, they're some of the best in the world and all free. The Portrait Gallery (right across the street from Cap One!) is my favorite. You should also definitely get some ethiopian food and arepas or pupusas while here!

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Anyone selling for tonight? Looking for 4 in the LL in the first three rows: A-C.

 

[vippe]

Looking for a hotel or an airbnb/rented house or apartment? I'm partial to the Logan Circle area if you want to be actually in the city -- lots of great restaurants and bars and a very nice part of the city. While the downtown area is where most of the touristy things are, hotels there are generally more expensive and it's mostly offices so not quite as "authentic". The metro and bus system are both really good (and have been getting much better the last year or so) so anywhere close to a metro stop would be great. It probably would be cheaper (but a bit lest interesting) to stay in Crystal City in Virginia (right by National Airport) and just take the metro in to the city.

In addition to previous suggestions, I highly recommend all the Smithsonian museums, they're some of the best in the world and all free. The Portrait Gallery (right across the street from Cap One!) is my favorite. You should also definitely get some ethiopian food and arepas or pupusas while here!

It doesnt really matter to be honest.

Location and decent price is more important than how I actually stay - Logan Circle, sounds nice by your description - far from downtown and the arena?

 

[Kalopsia]

It doesnt really matter to be honest.

Location and decent price is more important than how I actually stay - Logan Circle, sounds nice by your description - far from downtown and the arena?

Logan Circle's part of downtown. The metro map below isn't true to geography but it'll give you the general layout (the DC metro's inexpensive and really easy to use, so it's definitely your best bet for getting around). Logan Circle is basically the midpoint between the U Street stop on the Green Line and McPherson Sq on the Orange Line. From either of those stops you can get to Gallery Place (the stop for Capital One Arena) or the Mall very easily, like 10-20 minutes depending on how lucky you get with train arrivals.

I don't personally know DC area hotels very well cause I've never needed to use them, but generally as long as they're close to a metro stop you'll have no trouble getting around town.

 

[Random schmoe]

I'm not much of a microbrew beer pub guy, so others might need to back this up or refute it, but there is an Astro Beer Hall about 5-6 blocks from the Arena. I've only been to a different one just south of the city, but they had a ton of good microbrews.

Astro was originally just a chicken and doughnut place founded by former Cap (and current Lightning Assistant Coach) Jeff Halpern.

If for whatever reason you ended up in "Old Town Alexandria", "Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar" is a Caps bar that was founded by former NHL player Bryan Watson who played 877 career games, ending with the Caps in 1979. I'll assume you can Google to find specifics.

Much like @Kalopsia said - I can't help too much with hotels in the city. I only ever pay attention to them for large conferences I attend. They're generally pretty expensive for "good" ones.

The areas between Georgetown, "West End", and George Washington University have a lot of good places to check out, things to do, fun little bars. Maybe bonus (?) is that the Swedish Embassy is near that area.

I'll assume you have/can check out the resources the Embassy may have, as far as any travel advice, things to do, etc.

Borrowing the same map Kalopsia included, I added two black circles on the right side. Those areas you might find cheap lodging, but I would think twice before staying there. Obviously, this is very general, not perfect, and I may include an area that's fine. The city has improved a lot over the past 15-20 years, but there are still areas that might not be a lot of fun. Basically, areas to the east of the Anacostia River might be worth avoiding.

Last thought I have is that I took some extended British and Australian family, who had never been in DC before, to the International Spy Museum. They said it was the best part of the trip. It's a pretty cool place, if you have any interest in that kind of thing or in history of World War 1 and 2.

 

[usiel]

Rossalyn on the VA side is a pretty good spot to crash out as it probably will be cheaper than DC proper. One can walk across the bridge to Georgetown. Obvious metro right there to sojourn into the city if you want to go down the VA side of the potomac there is Old Town Alexandria and Crystal City though haven't been to the CC area since pre-covid so not sure how much the built up the the restaurant areas down there.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I'm not much of a microbrew beer pub guy, so others might need to back this up or refute it, but there is an Astro Beer Hall about 5-6 blocks from the Arena. I've only been to a different one just south of the city, but they had a ton of good microbrews.

Astro was originally just a chicken and doughnut place founded by former Cap (and current Lightning Assistant Coach) Jeff Halpern.

If for whatever reason you ended up in "Old Town Alexandria", "Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar" is a Caps bar that was founded by former NHL player Bryan Watson who played 877 career games, ending with the Caps in 1979. I'll assume you can Google to find specifics.

Much like @Kalopsia said - I can't help too much with hotels in the city. I only ever pay attention to them for large conferences I attend. They're generally pretty expensive for "good" ones.

The areas between Georgetown, "West End", and George Washington University have a lot of good places to check out, things to do, fun little bars. Maybe bonus (?) is that the Swedish Embassy is near that area.

I'll assume you have/can check out the resources the Embassy may have, as far as any travel advice, things to do, etc.

Borrowing the same map Kalopsia included, I added two black circles on the right side. Those areas you might find cheap lodging, but I would think twice before staying there. Obviously, this is very general, not perfect, and I may include an area that's fine. The city has improved a lot over the past 15-20 years, but there are still areas that might not be a lot of fun. Basically, areas to the east of the Anacostia River might be worth avoiding.

Last thought I have is that I took some extended British and Australian family, who had never been in DC before, to the International Spy Museum. They said it was the best part of the trip. It's a pretty cool place, if you have any interest in that kind of thing or in history of World War 1 and 2.

View attachment 930184

Astro is great. Good recommendation.