1. The Geography of Washington
Folger Shakespeare Library is located on East Capitol Street between Second and Third Streets, SE, two blocks east of the Capitol Building, home of the U.S. Congress and the focal point of Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for Washington. Converging on the Capitol are North Capitol Street, South Capitol Street, East Capitol Street, and (where West Capitol Street might be expected to be) the Mall, a green area that stretches from the west steps of the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. In this way the city is divided into four quadrants. Therefore, it is critical to know whether the address you are looking for on Fourth Street, for example, is on the Fourth Street of the Northeast or the Southeast quadrant. Examining a map, you will notice that streets that run north and south are numbered, while those that run east and west are named in order with the letters of the alphabet (and in sequence thereafter with alphabetical listings of words of two syllables, then of three syllables, and finally of flowers and trees). Superimposed upon this grid system are avenues that run on the diagonal (and across quadrants) that are named after U.S. states.
The Northwest quadrant, the largest of the four, encompasses the Mall, the majority of the museums, the National Zoo, Rock Creek Park, Georgetown, The Shakespeare Theatre, downtown, Dupont Circle, Adams-Morgan, most hotels, and extensive residential areas. The Northeast quadrant is primarily residential but also includes Union Station (an Amtrak and Metro station), the Dirksen and Hart office buildings of the Senate, and the Supreme Court. In the Southeast quadrant are (besides Folger Shakespeare Library) the Library of Congress, the Cannon and Longworth office buildings of the House of Representatives, the Capitol South Metro station, Eastern Market, and, across the Anacostia River, more residential areas. In the Southwest quadrant, the smallest of the four, are the waterfront area, West Potomac Park, L’Enfant Plaza, and the Arena Stage.
2. Getting Here: Trains, Planes, and Airports If you are traveling to Washington by train, you will arrive at Union Station ( www.unionstationdc.com), which is a 15-minute walk (or a short cab ride) to the Folger Shakespeare Library. You may feel more comfortable using the taxi stand directly in front of Union Station if you arrive after dark. Washington, DC is like any major city, and it is always in your interest to be aware of your surroundings when walking.
Washington is served by three airports: Reagan National (DCA), Dulles International (IAD), and Baltimore-Washington International (BWI).
Reagan National Airport ( www.metwashairports.com/National/index/html), by far the closest to the Folger, is located just across the Potomac River between Alexandria and Arlington. It can be reached by taxi, bus, or the Metrorail system (blue or yellow lines). The least expensive way to travel from National Airport to Folger Shakespeare Library is by Metro. The fare varies depending on time of day, but will not exceed two to three dollars. A cab from National may run up to $17. It is also possible to take the SuperShuttle, a door-to-door, shared-ride minivan from National Airport to downtown Washington. SuperShuttle operates out of the Washington Flyer kiosks, located at each terminal of the airport. To travel from the airport to downtown DC, you generally do not need a reservation. The cost varies depending on your destination, but is $12 one-way to the Folger. To travel back to the airport at the end of your visit, call 1-800-BLUEVAN to make a reservation and arrange for pick-up.
Dulles International Airport ( www.metwashairports.com/Dulles), located on the western edge of Fairfax County in Northern Virginia, is some distance from the city. It can be reached by either taxi or airport bus. From Dulles Airport it is possible to take a taxi to the District of Columbia for between $45 and $60 one-way. The SuperShuttle service costs about $36 one-way. Dulles is also served by the Washington Flyer Airport Coach Service, which runs between Dulles and the West Falls Church Metro station every twenty minutes or half-hour, depending on time of day. This trip costs $9 one-way or $16 roundtrip. From Falls Church, it is possible to continue your journey by metro or by taxi. The trip from Dulles Airport to Washington takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Baltimore-Washington International ( www.bwiairport.com), located just south of Baltimore, can be reached by taxi or shuttle. A cab from BWI to the Folger runs between $65 and $80, while the SuperShuttle costs $35. You can also take the Amtrak or the MARC Penn line trains (Maryland’s commuter rail line), which share a station connected to the airport by a free shuttle bus. The MARC fare is $6 one-way to Union Station, but it does not run on weekends. The Amtrak train is $17 one-way in coach to Union Station. Contact Amtrak ( www.amtrak.com) or MARC ( www.mtamaryland.com) directly for schedule information. You can also use the Metro at BWI by boarding bus B30 to the Greenbelt Metro station. From Greenbelt take the Metro to Fort Totten, switch lines, and continue to Union Station for a total of $6.45, one-way. More information, and Metro's Trip Planner, can be found at www.wmata.com.
3. Getting Around Town: Metrorail and Metrobus The Metrorail stations closest to the Library are Union Station, on the red line, and Capitol South, on the orange and blue lines. Fares increase according to the distance of your trip and are higher during peak hours, from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. To travel on the system you must purchase a farecard that, inserted through a till at both the beginning and end of your journey, will automatically subtract the value of your trip and can be reused as long as it retains value. If your farecard has too little value for your desired ride (but at least $1.35), you can enter the system with the card and then use an “exitfare” machine at the end of the station to add the exact fare needed to that destination.
Buses that pass within one block of the Folger can take you across town to Georgetown (where there is no Metro station). On buses you may use cash (exact fare) or transfers from the Metro system, or, for daily or weekend/tourist travel, passes. Route maps and instructions for the buses may be requested by calling the Metro office at (202) 637-7000 or by visiting their website at www.wmata.com.
4. Getting Around Town: Cars and Parking The Library discourages readers from bringing cars to Washington, as street parking is limited and public transportation is convenient. The District police are rigorous in their attention to parking violations on Capitol Hill.
The Library has no parking to offer visitors or readers. On-street parking in the neighborhood around the Library includes metered parking and time-limited parking. Meters have a maximum of two hours; you cannot avoid a ticket by feeding the meter all day. Time-limited parking is also restricted to two-hour stays; moving your car after two hours to another space in the same residential parking zone can still result in a ticket.
Obtaining a temporary parking permit for the duration of your residency is problematic (if not impossible); further information is available on the District government website. Should you decide you need occasional access to a car, for trips to the suburbs or further afield, you may want to consider a flexcar and/or a zipcar. To find out more, visit www.flexcar.com or www.zipcar.com.
5. Getting Around Town: Taxicabs Washington cabs are comparatively inexpensive, and it costs less and saves times to hail a cab on the street instead of telephoning for one, especially during rush hour. In June 2008, DC taxis switched from using a zone system to using a regular meter to compute fares. If you have a disagreement with a cab driver over a fare, do not argue. Get the driver’s name and license number (which should be posted in the cab) and call the cab company. As of April 2008, the DC Taxicab Commission will be switching from the zone system to metered fares.
Washington cabdrivers are notorious for their ignorance of the city. You must be armed with knowledge of the quadrant that you want, and it is helpful to know landmarks. If you wish to take a cab to the Folger, for example, it is always useful to mention the Supreme Court or the Library of Congress.
N.B. You should also know that Washington cabdrivers are allowed to pick up other passengers (and to charge each separately) if their destinations do not take the original passenger more than several blocks out of his or her way.
