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• 99% of tourists do not need a car in or around DC.
• It will be pretty hard to cross a highway (on foot?) unless you are intentionally trying to risk your life.
• The Hilton is an ~8 minute walk to the Anthem. Google Maps will get you there just fine, using the default directions.. Unless you are severely directionally challenged and/or vision impaired, you won't have a problem walking there.
• Getting to the Wharf is not complicated from either the Orange/Silver/Blue (L'Enfant Plaza) or Green Line (Waterfront). Stay pretty much anywhere you want that's metro accessible and you'll be fine.

This pretty much sums up everything you need to know

Skip the car, you don’t need a car in DC. Stay wherever you want. u/zwillium’s post is spot on. Personally, I’d stay somewhere besides the Wharf. Lots of fun hotels in the city.

Sadly the car has to stay in the picture 😅 my friend and I are coming up from southeastern VA so we have to drive there

I love the intercontinental. Their rooms are nice especially if you get a corner suite.

So do you expect to go to Disney or Madison garden and not have sky high parking fees? Why do people think they can drive into a small yet major city and just magically find free ample parking. I honestly don’t understand this. The reason parking is $60 is because there’s not acres of parking available in the city and there’s ample public transportation.

Someone please educate me on why people expect to park for free all over DC? I don’t expect to drive to baltimore or NYC, kings dominion, the airport etc and get magic free/cheap parking. Why does everyone think this exists on the city? Please help me understand.

Yea this is awesome.

If you're still looking at hotel options, I've had a couple of great stays at Canopy at the Wharf which is easily walkable to your show and keeps you in the Hilton family (if you're a points/status loyalst). Canopy also has a rooftop bar with nice views and pretty good pizza in the lobby restaurant.

I’ve definitely looked at this hotel but they have a check in minimum age of 21 and I’m only 19😭

Oh, that sucks. Must be a mini-bar in room thing or something. :/

The public garage at the Wharf is $38 daily rate, if that helps.

If that's still too $$, you might look to find a cheaper garage and metro to the hotel. Take a look around the airport.

https://www.ecolonial.com/park-with-us/parking-locator/ will give you locations and a daily rate.

Aw, but cut some slack here.

This poster likely just got a driver's license before everything shut down in a global pandemic. They don't have experience in how this works -- and likely missed out on a bunch of early adult experiences because of the pandemic. It sucks for young folks. Let's help them have some fun.

Drive to a Metro station that has multi day parking availability. Take the metro downtown to your hotel.

Idk what “across the highway means” as far as walking goes… you couldn’t cross a highway on foot. Pick your hotel, read reviews, stay downtown, then metro everywhere. Or Uber/walk/bike/scooter/crawl. Up to you!

Multi-day Parking Multi-day parking (also known as overnight or long-term parking) is available at four stations: Greenbelt, Huntington, Franconia-Springfield, and Wiehle-Reston East. Each of these stations has between 15 and 17 spaces allocated for multi-day use of up to 10 days. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no charge for multi-day parking beyond the regular fee. See the individual station pages for more details about multi-day parking at these four stations:

Greenbelt Huntington Franconia-Springfield Wiehle-Reston East

If you have a car you don’t have to stay at the Wharf overnight after the show. You could drive into Arlington (like Crystal City area) and rent a hotel there for the night?

You could try renting parking in nearby neighborhoods on apps like Spothero

You won't actually be crossing the highway if you stay at the Hilton. You'll be walking across a bridge. It might feel cutoff from the Wharf, but it's a 10-15 min walk. Additionally, the area the Hilton is in is closer to the Mall, in case you want to walk around the monuments or visit any of the musuems (most are free - I recommend the Hirshhorn as a must-see. Artechouse isn't part of the Smithsonian and you have to pay, but they sometimes have cool stuff).

Parking, unfortunately, is probably going to be pricey. The only downside of staying at the Hilton is that there are a lack of restraunts in that area. But if you are hanging out around the Wharf, there are a ton of options. If your hotel allows you to leave with your car and come back without paying again, you could drive to Union Market, H Street, or 14th/U Street and probably be able to find street parking. These areas all have a plethora of good food/nightlife options (well, Union Market doesn't have much nightlife).

Seriously, I feel for younger folks these days. $500 for a festival? $100 for a concert? I remember when Hfstival was $20 and gigs at 9:30 Club rarely exceeded $20-$35. That was only about 15-20 years ago.

I totally get being young and they should def have all the fun and experiences.

It’s not just this request. I have tons of people, friends of friends etc that all somehow think there is tons and tons of ample free parking in popular dc areas. My friends are not on the younger side and they still ask. I just figured I was missing something or maybe this is more common in other places. Where I get ho there’s hardly ever paid parking but it’s a more rural area.

I always suggest the metro or park somewhere out of town cheaper if possible then a combo of transportation options closer to town. I just figured I missed something along the way

I miss Hfstival ahhhh so much fun