Brochure of Washington, DC

Transcription

1 Brochure of Washington, DC

2 Overview of Financial Sector Issues and Analysis Conference: The Financial Sector after the Crisis May 17 May 21, 2010 Eugene Black Auditorium World Bank H building th St., NW Washington, D.C. WELCOME BROCHURE TO: FROM: Participants Conference Organization Team On behalf of the organizers, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Washington, DC. We hope that you will enjoy your stay here. Many of the questions that will naturally occur to you are answered by information contained in this packet. If you should have further questions after reading the enclosed material, please do not hesitate to bring them forward. This brochure contains the following: 1 World Bank Facilities and Social Events of the Workshop About Washington, D.C Transportation Tipping Banking Post offices Directory Assistance Entertainment Restaurants Drug Stores Selected Area Book Stores Shopping... 7 Attachments: World Bank Group Map

3 1 WORLD BANK FACILITIES AND SOCIAL EVENTS OF THE WORKSHOP 1.1 Conference Panels Location The conference will take place at the Eugene Black H Auditorium, which is on B1 Level of the H Building. The building s main entrance is located on th Street, NW, however, there is a side entrance that will lead you straight into the Auditorium, and this entrance is located on 1914 G Street, NW. 1.2 World Bank Facilities The World Bank has five buildings in the area. These are MC, IFC, H, I and J buildings (see addresses below and enclosed World Bank Map). Cafeterias are open Monday through Friday. Breakfast, morning breaks, lunch on Monday, May 17, and afternoon breaks will be provided at the set times as indicated in the agenda. 1.3 Telephones MC building H Street, NW IFC building Pennsylvania Avenue, NW H building th Street, NW I building I Street, NW J building th Street, NW Local calls may be made from the telephone located outside the Auditorium. 1.4 Social Events Monday, May 17, 12:00 pm 1:30 pm Lunch at the MC 12 th Floor Gallery Thursday, May 20, 5:45 pm 7:00 pm Farewell Reception at the MC 12 th Floor Gallery 2 ABOUT WASHINGTON, D.C. 2.1 Brief Introduction to Washington, D.C. Washington occupies 69 square miles (178 square kilometers) of the District of Columbia the federal zone carved from the states of Maryland and Virginia nearly 200 years ago. The layout of the city was designed by French engineer, Major Pierre L Enfant. The city is divided into four sections: Northeast (N.E.), Northwest (N.W.), Southeast (S.E.) and southwest (S.W.). The Capitol, the building that houses the United States Congress, is the geometric center of the city. If you are asking directions, it is very important that you know exactly which is the section referred to, so that you do not go, for instance to 9 th and G Streets, Southeast, if you are supposed to go to 9 th and G Streets, Northwest. 3

4 Streets running north and south are numbered; those running east and west are lettered (the letters J, X and Z are omitted, however). Houses and building numbers for each section start at the above baselines. For example, 1700 K Street is between 17 th and 18 th Streets on K. At the end of the first alphabet, the same system is followed with two-syllable names such as Adams, Belmont, etc., and then three-syllable names such as Allison, Buchanan, etc. In Northwest, the system continues with names of trees like Aspen, Butternut, Cedar, etc. Avenues named after the states of the Union cross the square patterns of streets. The avenues, and the numbered and lettered streets come together in circles (e.g., Dupont Circle, Washington Circle, etc.). 3 TRANSPORTATION 3.1 Public Transportation In Washington there are two major forms of public transportation, the Metrobus and the Metrorail, often simply called the Metro. The Metrorail is the underground subway system; the Metrobus is the public bus system. The metro rail stops closest to the World Bank buildings are Foggy Bottom Metro Station (orange and blue lines), Farragut West (orange and blue lines) and Farragut North (red line). The bus fare within Washington, DC is $1.25. Bus operators do not carry money and, therefore, cannot give change. Please have the exact fare when boarding a bus. Call for information on bus or metrorail schedules, location of stops, fares and routes. 3.2 Taxicabs Another convenient way to get around the city is by taxicab. Authorized taxicab drivers must have their credentials (certification, license) visible in the taxicab. Effective since May of 2008, the prices in Washington DC are based on meter readings with an initial charge of $3.00, with an additional $0.25 for each 1 / 6 of a mile, and a maximum fare within the District of Columbia of $ There are additional charges for extra passengers, long waiting times, luggage handling, telephone dispatch, etc. Taxi drivers charge an additional dollar during evening rush hour (4:00 to 6:30 PM) and also charge extra during snow emergencies (snow storms). The taxi driver should be given a tip of 10-15% of the total fare, and no less than $0.25 in any case. Below is a listing of some of the major taxicab companies in the city. Diamond Cabs Yellow Cabs Automobiles There are numerous car rental agencies (see Yellow Pages of the telephone directory) that have various rates by the day, week or month. A deposit is usually required. 4

5 4 TIPPING The standard rate is approximately 18% of the total charge. This is the most common practice in restaurants, nightclubs, etc. You are not expected to leave tips at cafeterias or luncheon counters, nor do you tip theater ushers, store or hotel clerks. At hotels, there is no service charge added to your bill, so tips are expected for all special room or valet services. The person who carries your bag and escorts you to your room should be given a minimum of $1.00 per piece of luggage. Leaving a tip for the maid at the end of your stay is optional. 5 BANKING There are a number of commercial banks throughout the city that can provide you with regular banking services, if needed. Some of these are the following, usually open between 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday: Credit Union at the MC, 1818 H Street, NW, B2 Level Citibank, 1775 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Chevy Chase Bank, 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Bank of America, 2001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW First Union, 1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW 6 POST OFFICES There are two Post Offices located in the area Pennsylvania Ave NW Week Days 9:00AM 5:00PM Tel: M St., NW Week Days 8:00AM 5:00PM (entrance on 20 th St., NW) Saturday 8:00AM 2:00PM Tel: Please note that Post Offices do not handle telegrams in the U.S.A. Postal Rates Letter Mail as of June 2002 Letters within the USA $0.44 first ounce $0.17 each additional ounce (First Class) Letters to Canada $0.75 per first ounce Letters to Mexico $0.79 per first ounce All other destinations $0.98 per first ounce Postcards within the USA $0.28 Postcards to Canada $0.75 Postcards to Mexico $0.79 Postcards to other destinations $0.98 5

6 Note: One ounce (oz.) = approximately 28 grams 7 DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE Directory assistance (also called information ) provides telephone numbers. To call directory assistance using a public phone, dial the following numbers. You do not need to deposit a quarter: Directory assistance within the Washington area 411 Directory assistance outside this area 1-Area Code Directory assistance for toll-free numbers (any numbers beginning with 1-800) 8 ENTERTAINMENT Washington, D.C. is a great city for all kinds of entertainment theater, concerts, dance, movies, art exhibitions, festivals, and restaurants. To find out about current events, check the Weekend section of Friday s Washington Post newspaper, the City Paper (a free weekly newspaper that comes out on Thursdays look for the gray boxes on city streets), and the Washingtonian monthly magazine. Daily newspapers also list movies and other cultural events. A list of activities may also be retrieved from your hotel s concierge. 9 RESTAURANTS A list of restaurants in Washington can be retrieved from your hotel s concierge. When you eat in a restaurant in the US it is customary and expected that you leave approximately a 18% tip for the person who serves you. Since the tip is not included in the bill except when you are part of a large group, you need to add the tip to the total. For example, if your total bill comes to $20 before tax, you should consider leaving $3.60 for the waiter or waitress. The tip is usually left on the table just before you leave the restaurant or added onto your credit card form. 10 DRUG STORES Drug stores and pharmacies sell other things in addition to medicine, such as toiletries and cosmetics, film, household products, etc. CVS Locations Dupont Circle (open 24 hours) 19 th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., NW 20 th St. at the corner of K Street, NW 20 th Street at the corner of M Street, NW L Street between 2 nd and 21 st St. NW 11 SELECTED AREA BOOK STORES The World Bank Book Store World Bank publications J building, room J-1060, Entrance on Pennsylvania Ave., NW (corner of 18 th Street, NW) 6

7 Barnes and Nobles Bookstore 3040 M St N.W. (Georgetown) (202) Hours: Everyday 9:00 am 11:00 pm Books-a-Million 11 Dupont Circle, N.W. Phone: Hours: Everyday 8:00 am 11:00 pm Borders Books and Music (Bookstore/Café) 1801 K St., NW Phone: Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 9:00 pm (main entrance on L St., at corner of 18 th St.) Sat 10:00am to 9:00pm & Sun 10:00am to 6:00pm Reiter s Scientific and Professional Books (technical books) 2021 K St., NW, (202) Hours: Monday Friday 8:00 am 8:00 pm Sat 9:30am to 6:00pm & Sun 12:00 pm to 5:00pm 12 SHOPPING Beyond allure of historic monuments, Washington D.C. also provides extensive shopping opportunity at boutiques, antique shops, outdoor markets, and outlet malls. Malls and other shops await within the metropolitan area, many accessed by the Metro. The shops at Georgetown are the closest to the World Bank and have a wide selection of stores. They are located along M Street, NW and Wisconsin Avenue, NW. There is a shopping mall in Georgetown located on 3222 M Street, NW; the mall is open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Saturday, and from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Sunday. By metro you will be able to easily get to the Pentagon City Mall (Pentagon City Metro station) only minutes from Washington, DC in the state of Virginia. The stores are open from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm Monday through Saturday, and from 11:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Sunday. 7

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