Hey Reddit,
As a digital nomad I will be traveling to Washington DC later this spring and I am looking for places to work remotely during day time, preferably for free (or cheap). Not sure how it works in the US, but here in Europe there are plenty of public libraries where you could stay and get some quiet time.
I’ve been told that a week in Washington DC may be too long, I could consider spliting my time and travel somewhere else that’s not too far away.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
8 comments
Public libraries and coffee shops are both usually acceptable places to work. If you go to a coffee shop, buy a drink or a snack every couple of hours.
We also have libraries and coffee shops. Hotel lobbies are great for a few hours as well. You could easily spend a month in Washington DC and not see close to everything that there is to see in the area.
There is a ton to see in DC, but it’s also pretty easy to travel to other cities on the east coast. Baltimore is very close if you just wanted to see another city for a day (there is a commuter train that links the two cities), and Philadelphia or New York aren’t that far.
Try this out:
Check out the combined National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian American Art Museum. Access to wifi and they’ve got an amazing covered central courtyard plus cafe. Also a research center in the top floor that has tables.
Other idea: Library of Congress. You used to be able to get a research card and conduct research in the reading room. You would not necessarily need a card to get space at the law library.
I’m assuming you’ll have a work visa as without that, what you are doing could well be illegal.
The US in general and DC in particular is not a cheap travel destination. Think London prices, not Lisbon prices.
We definitely have public libraries here, but some of them may require a library card to access their services, or to do something like rent a study room. And most government services are based on residency. YMMV and the DC metro area has probably dozens of municipalities in it so you’ll need to look up the library system you’re wanting to work at and check to make sure you can use their services without a library card.
There’s no shortage of cafes and coffee shops, but IMO I think there’s a bit of a trend in some of these places starting to limit or even prohibit laptop campers. You’ll just need to judge the situation on a case-by-case basis, and if you do camp, make sure to buy something every few hours.
There’s tons of workspaces you can rent throughout the country, though that’ll cost you. But you’ll generally be around other professionals and won’t have to deal with the hussle and bustle of a coffee shop or a public library after the local middle school across the street lets out for the day.
A week for a full time tourist would be pretty long. You can hit most of the highlights of DC in three days really. Of course you won’t be able to see EVERYTHING, but a week would be more then enough time to see just about everything you want.
If you’re going to be working during the day though a week seems like a really good amount of time.
r/washingtondc
I’m not sure what you mean about a week being too long – DC is a fascinating city with a lot to see and do, you could easily spend a quality week here depending on your interests. The museums are world class, there’s a lot of history, and tons of great international cuisines, especially if you’re willing to make your way to the suburbs, that you might not have depending on where you’re from. The Washington DC subreddit is pretty active and a good resource for finding stuff to do.