McPherson Square Metro Station

It’s a metro station… and it got me to where I was going hassle free so I’m giving it 4 stars (Metro Center receives just 1 star as the subway averages 45 minutes between cars).

This was my principal Metro Station for 3+ years. I both lived and worked nearby and used it almost every day. I got used to the poorly maintained escalators and broken ticket machines and turnstiles. I mostly stopped noticing the screaming and shouting from the people who live at the top of the Station, by the McPherson Square entrance.
It is only when traveling with friends and relatives from out of town, especially at night, that you realize how bad this Station is. Many of those camped out at the entrance are extremely threatening, shouting at women, screaming profanities and racial slurs, and making sure that any tourist dreads using the Metro. Because the Station is attached to the Veterans Affairs Department and is literally one block from Lafayette Park and the White House, it is easy to assume the Station is safe. It’s hard to feel that way at midnight when you’re being verbally harassed and threatened.
DC residents are lucky to have a generally high-​quality Metro service. This Station, and the DC authorities’ complete lack of interest in its appearance and safety, gives the wrong impression. Overall, I am glad this is no longer my primary Metro Station.

Escalators/​elevators totally out and this has been a on going situation. I’m becoming disgusted with metro partly because they do not take UN consideration that we as paying customers deserve the elevators to be operating.

I found the capital of the homeless in Washington. It’s McPherson Square. There’s a Metro station here as well, but I was walking today.
General James B. McPherson was a Union general who was killed in Atlanta during the Civil War.

Its close enough to metro center that I can get off and walk instead of dealing with the giant crowds that get on at Metro Center. Its also underneath a building so your safe during the rain, well one side is.

I’m fully prepared for the downtown metro stations to be dim and dingy. (In fact, now I hear that that was the original purpose of the design.) However, McPherson Square is one of the worst. It’s not too dirty, but it looks every year of it’s age. However, it is in the middle of everything, the most convenient stop to the White House. So it serves it’s purpose. I can’t recommend for it or against it, since you’ll only go there if you need to go there.

Speaker volume way too loud! Potential to blow out your ear drums. Bring earplugs.

Why would you review a metro station? They are designed to be exactly the same. I give it three stars, because the competition – other metro stations – are all the same, and therefore, this one is three stars out of five relative to all the others.
Unilocalers, I hope you also reviewed the restaurant you were headed to AFTER getting off the McPherson Square metro.

This was my stop for the Capital Segway tour.
It was an okay metro stop. My only comment is, SQUEAKY ESCALATORS! They’ve undergone quite some foot traffic & need some oil or something to reduce the squeakiness. Thankfully, it’s not to the level of nails dragging down a chalk board, but hearing the squeaking was quite a surprise.

Seemed like it use to be a nice park, but no more! It’s fenced up, and not very clean. I prefer walking down another block to Franklin Park. There is a lot more space, and it’s much cleaner!

Lots of local landmarks near this location.

OK — I’ve got some issues with the whole DC metro system which I’ll get into. This particular stop/​station was within walking distance from our hotel so it was definitely convenient. DC uses the color system for trains as opposed to the number/​letter system that New York uses which I actually think is easier to follow.
My wife and I took the Metro to the Nationals Ballpark. Here’s where it got a little tricky. We put enough money on one Metrocard for both of us to get to and from the stadium, but here’s the twist. They actually charge for the station you go to not a flat fee to ride. Also, each rider has to have their own card. You don’t swipe your card — you stick it in a machine, enter the turnstiles, and receive it when you exit. Unfortunately, this confused us and ended up costing us extra money. No fun. Not to mention, there’s no one there to help you or answer any questions.
For all you NJ/NY’ers, be warned and don’t make the same mistakes that we made. On a not so fun note, the metro was just as packed as the NYC subways. Oh well…

I like the location of this station coz it puts you right on K street and lots of businesses. It is also the stop for the White House so it is crazy busy during high tourist season!

Well, even before the Occupiers moved it, this was a godforsaken little plot of grass in an equally godforsaken part of DC — depressing would be a good word to describe it. So what happens? They renovate the park and it looks pretty good until the Occupiers move in and trample all the renovations to h*ll and back.
Now that they are gone, let’s start over again, OK???

Gone from great local square to health hazzard in the matter of months. This has become the number one park to avoid in DC. At some point I think we have to acknowledge that the occupy people aren’t there anymore and it has just become a homeless tent city. Let’s find these people shelters to stay in and clean up our parks once again.

It’s the center for Occupy DC… avoid at all costs unless you want to be attacked.

There is a porta potty set up in the park, the stench is incredible. It’s is crowded with makeshift ‘structures’ that are quite an eyesore, and the general hygiene of the park is quite poor. Definitely avoid this park in favor of Farragut square or pretty much anywhere else.

If you want to get to Logan Circle or U Street but don’t feel like getting your ass beat on the Green Line, then by all means depart from the train here and walk up fourteenth Street. It’s a pleasant walk that mixes old and new architectural styles, and is quite safe even after dark.
The stop itself has a Five Guys right above it with locked bathrooms.
Across the street is Franklin Square, which used to be a great place to hang with wino skid row bums back in the day, but now there’s food carts with poutine.

Yes, it is the forgoten step-​sister (grass and maintenance quality) to Farr Square next door and 2 Starbucks can be either a positive or a negative, but the ducks can seen as charming, the shade trees as lovely, and the many benches as useful.
Look closer, especially in winter or while walking around the edges, and you’ll notice recently renovated/​redone buildings on the SE corner and historic details on facades about ¾ of the way N on both sides. The CVS on the NW corner offers local artwork in the display windows as well.
Partial thought: Parks are luxuries some cities can’t afford.

I was meeting a friend for dinner at Georgia Brown’s and sat in McPherson Square while I waited for her.
I adore feeding birds (more specifically ducks)…but I have to admit, I was creeped out by the number of birds in this square that were running around, flying close over my head and nearly pecking at my ankles. Seagulls, ducks, pigeons, sparrows, etc… it was a bit much. And they kept going in swarms as the homeless would toss out more food for them.
Plus there was the scary guy who started yelling at me…
Ya, I don’t think I’d sit on a bench here again — I’d go back to Franklin Square, 1 block away.