Short version: Chong’s place is small, but fully functional. He provides free off-street parking and a very convenient location. Stay there. You won’t regret it.
Long version: There’s a DC Metro stop just a 15 minute walk south of Chong’s place. However, he’s so close to the National Mall in DC that it’s often faster to walk there than it is to take the Metro. Also, there’s a streetcar line two minutes North that will take you to a Whole Foods and a Giant market. And the streetcar is free! We had no need to use our car during our visit. And, if you’re familiar with parking in DC, that’s a big bonus.
You enter Chong’s place through a private entrance via the alley, where your assigned parking is found. While we were there, the city suddenly decided to rip up the asphalt in the alley and replace it with concrete, more on that in a moment. Entry is via an electronic door lock. Worked perfectly.
The place is on the small side, with an “efficiency” kitchen that we found to be fully functional. There’s a microwave, toaster oven, and even a dishwasher. The induction cooker, teapot and rice cooker are in a separate area, but close enough that it all works. Meals require a bit of pre-planning, but that’s par for the course.
There’s a washer and dryer in the bedroom closet. But, it’s a big closet, so no issues with room to hang your clothes. The mattress was a bit on the hard side, but that’s the way we like it, so we slept very well.
Chong does a great job of keeping the place clean and tidy, and provides screaming fast internet.
Regarding the alley: This is when we discovered how exemplary our host Chong is. The city decided, at the last minute, to rip up the asphalt alley and replace it with concrete. Future guests will be very happy with the results, but the process would have trapped our car in the alley driveway long after we were scheduled to leave DC. Instead of panicking, or worse canceling, Chong applied for guest parking on the street. He advised us regarding the best location to move our car. And, once the alley was fully blocked by equipment and concrete trucks, provided access through his house to the street out front. Chong exemplifies the best in hosts. Thoughtful, flexible, and communicative. He made what could have been a trip-ruining situation into a trivial blip in plans. We can’t recommend him or his place enough.
Next time we’re in DC, this is where we’re staying.