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Buying iPad in Washington?
- Thread starter Sigurd18
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Why stay in Georgetown? Inconvenient metro access if you don't have a car.
The most convenient Apple Stores in the metro area are Clarendon (on the orange line) and Pentagon city (on the blue line). There are no Apple Stores in the district itself.
The most convenient Apple Stores in the metro area are Clarendon (on the orange line) and Pentagon city (on the blue line). There are no Apple Stores in the district itself.
There are several Apple stores in the DC area, but, yes, so far none in the District itself. (Yet!) Since all of them are in the suburbs, if one doesn't have a car, yes,the best bets are the two that were mentioned in the post above, Clarendon and Pentagon City. I believe Clarendon is the larger of the two and might have more stock. If one does have a car, then there is Tysons (at Tysons Corner Center in Vienna, VA) and there is Montgomery Mall (Bethesda, MD). Tysons is the largest in the immediate area, it being the "flagship" and the first Apple retail store on the East Coast. Further out there are additional Apple stores in Reston and Fair Oaks.
The Tyson's location wasn't just the first on the East Coast... it was the VERY FIRST APPLE RETAIL STORE. Might want to correct that.
Although there are no Apple stores in DC proper, I doubt you'll have a lot of trouble finding an iPad in the DC metro area. In addition to the Apple Stores listed above, there's also Reston and I think Fairfax city, if you have a car; more importantly, there are about a million Best Buys, which typically have them in stock as well.
The only bad news is that you probably can't walk to a store that sells iPads from Georgetown (at least not in a reasonable amount of time - it would be more like a hike). And as someone else pointed out, Georgetown, while very nice, is kind of a dead zone for the subway system.
The only bad news is that you probably can't walk to a store that sells iPads from Georgetown (at least not in a reasonable amount of time - it would be more like a hike). And as someone else pointed out, Georgetown, while very nice, is kind of a dead zone for the subway system.
Awww, come on. Clarendon's not that far! Besides, even if you're not interested in hiking it, a cab from G'town to Clarendon would be within a few bucks each way of the cost of taking Metro from somewhere else in the district.
Personally, my recommendation would be the Hotel Helix on 14th and Rhode Island though. Not in G'town, but close to metro and great bar.
During rush hour it costs $1.75 each way on the metro between Foggy Bottom and Clarendon. Cabs typically start around $2.50 and charge $.40 / mile. 3 miles from Georgetown to Clarendon brings the total cost of the trip to and fro to around $10 compared to $3.50.
Plus walking through the city in the dead of May is not going to be pleasant.
Thanks for all advice. The reason for Georgetown is that the group I will be traveling with will book a hotel there I have absolutely no clue at all where to stay in DC. I might get back when I know which to ask for more advice. But why is walking in the city in the middle of May unpleasant? Because of the weather?
Not as unpleasant as August, I guess, but it gets fairly hot and muggy starting around mid-May.
It's not. Don't listen to these pansies. It's an easy walk from Georgetown to a nearby metro station. Just hop on the orange and go to Clarendon or something.
Most Best Buys still have them in stock also. One off of RT1, Richmond Highway, in Arlington/Alexandria has over a dozen last time I asked (two days ago).
Now I know that I will stay at 1111 30th Street in Georgetown and would thus appreciate any advice regarding where to find an iPad in the near (or not too far) neighborhood. Oh, and how likely am I to find the 3G iPad available?
Cheers
Cheers
A slight backtrack but walk about 6 blocks east to the GWU/Foggy Bottom Metro stop.
Pentagon City Store:
From there get on the blue line to Franconia. Get off at Pentagon City. Walk left when you exit the station to the mall. Go up the escalator and walk straight to the next escalator. Go up one more level you see the Apple Store on the opposite side. (There is also a BestBuy store in the mall across the street. Worth a shot maybe if the Apple Store is out).
Clarendon Store:
Get on the orange line to Vienna. Exit Clarendon and walk east on Clarendon. You'll come to a strip mall (urban village)
Apple store will be facing you.Tysons Corner Store:
Talk orange line to Vienna. Exit West Falls Church. Find MetroBus to Tysons Corner. Apple Store is in the Bloomingdales wing. Tyson's Corner is the biggest volume store in the area.
There are also stores further out in the burbs and in MD but PITA to get to w/o a car.
At this point it is very hard to get a 3G at retail. Wifis are becoming available. The Apple stores have an online reservation system. Perhaps a week before you come go online and put in a reservation. They will send you an email when your name comes up. Being an out of towner they might hold one for a small number of days. Or you could call the store and ask for the business rep; I know they would hold one for you.
Or, why not offer a premium, pay cash and tempt one of the MR members in DC to buy a few and bring them down to you? Throw in dinner! Given that address you're staying in the Georgetown Suites Hotel I would guess. Citronelle is always nice.
Well I live in the Northern Virginia area and I can tell you from days of calling every Best Buy and Apple store in the area, that there are no 3G versions to get from just walking into the store. I have tried. hehe I ended up just going to a local Apple store and putting in an in-store reservation. From what I heard that should be quicker than ordering it online.
As far as the WiFi only version, I have came across a few Apple and Best buy stores that have a few in stock. Apple stores will not hold one for you if you call the store, but Best Buy stores will hold you one if you call.
As far as the WiFi only version, I have came across a few Apple and Best buy stores that have a few in stock. Apple stores will not hold one for you if you call the store, but Best Buy stores will hold you one if you call.
All the individual Apple Store info is on the U.S. Apple store site. Just click the retail store link at the bottom of the front page. If you need a zip code use 22201.
Closest BB is the Pentagon City location I mentioned. There is also one in Tenleytown in DC on the red line. Most of the others require a car to get to w/o wasting a day. I would make BB my 2nd line of defense. Likelihood of them having them in stock when the Apple Store does not is slim.
I've had a reseration for a 16 GB 3G at Clarendon since May 1st (12 days and counting) and they still have not contacted me. If you got a 3G just by walking in off the street I think I'm gonna scream...
Well, to be honest it was a little bit more complicated than just walking in from the street and buying one. On Monday morning, there was no stock at all, so I reserved a 64g and also a 32g Wifi model. Luckily enough, on Tuesday I got an e-mail saying that my 64g had arrived. Fortunate, as I went home to Sweden on Wednesday. So - no 3G and no just walking in from the street. Finally, Washington was a lovely city and I look forward to coming back there with my family.
Cheers
Cheers
Congrats on getting it, and I'm glad you like DC. Lived here for 6 years, then moved away for 5, now I am back in DC again (2 years and counting). DC is a great spot for family vacations because almost every attraction in town is FREE. All of the Smithsonian museums (which is, what, over a dozen? And not tiny, but huge ones mostly). National Gallery of Art. You name it. You don't pay an admission fee at any of them. Find me any other city in the world where you have museums of this quality that are unlimited, free admission. Hotel & restaurant prices are high but honestly probably not much higher than any other big tourist city (and perhaps lower than at least some). So a great deal. Oh, and virtually everything one might want to see is easily accessible via the (very good, clean, and safe) metro train system, and once you metro to the national mall area (as its called) virtually all of those attactions are all within walking distance.
Anyways, being as this thread was supposed to be about iPad availability, I suppose I should end my unpaid promotional advertising for DC Tourism now (lol). (And no, I don't work for the tourist industry or for any official entity associated with the city!)