Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center

Great story: as you’ve no doubt read, my family loaded up the family minivan for two DC vacays when I was an adolescent.  First time we took Metro rail into the city, we thought we were doing quite good.  Nobody had yelled at us to “Walk to the left, Stand to the right,” we’d deftly acquired our paper Metro cards quite easily, and we were even navigating the street of DC without standing on the corner with map, looking like a bunch of doofuses.

Until, that is, we decided we wanted to visit the Navy Yard, which is located – as you may already know, dear readers – at approximately 9th and M Streets, SE.  Those last two letters must have escaped out attention, though, because we alighted at 9th and M Streets, NW.  At that time, the Walter E Washington Convention Center was but a twinkle in Anthony Williams’ eye.  Suddenly my Midwestern, suburban family found itself smack in the middle of an area beset by empty stoops, guys (and gals) carrying mysterious cylindrical containers in brown paper bags and a general feeling that we weren’t in Kansas Indiana anymore.

Dad does the uncoolest thing imaginable: he pulls out his pocket map (of which he was quite proud, I assure you).  “Ah!  This can’t be right.  We want SE…not NW.”  Ah!  We all quickly walk back to the Metro station and figure out our route to the Navy Yard.

Once I started living in DC full-time, that story became a favorite to tell visitors and locals alike.  But I never really thought about the actual geography of that adventure until a friend dropped me off at the Mt Vernon Square station the other day.  As I glanced around at the coffee shops, pet stores, and absolutely ginormous Convention Center populating this area, I realized all of the sudden that I was standing at 9th and M Streets, NW.  I had been in this vary place 20 years ago, terrified yet slightly excited at the trappings of a “real city.”  I’m sure the area wasn’t nearly as bad as we collectively remembered as a family, but it was definitely foreign territory.  I love that story.

My family definitely would not recognize this station now.

Station: Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center  Rating (1-10): 6

Ridership:  Curiously, there aren’t as many convention-going types as one might expect; most of them walk here from hotels in the Chinatown/Metro Center areas.  It’s usually a very quiet station, with neighbors walking over for their daily commute.

Pros: The DC Convention Center is literally on top of the entrance and you won’t have to fight for a seat on the Yellow Line, which originates here during rush.

Cons: Hmm…I guess I can’t really think of any, other than that the station itself is quite boring, aside from a lame piece of artwork at the top of the escalators.

Nearby & Noteworthy: First Cup Cafe – they make a decent latte and have chocolate croissants the size of your head.  And Warehouse Theater is still open, despite rumors of outside developers coming in to redo the whole block.  I was in a production there last year and let me tell you, this place strikes the perfect balance between grungy old black box and hip (but not too hipster-y) art space.

Latest Metro News: Remember all those delays I mentioned yesterday?  Nevermind!  Track work on Orange and Blue Lines is cancelled.  Red Line work is still on, though.