When I moved to Washington DC, one of the first things I did was scope out all the cool coffee shops and cafes. I wanted to find where a place to hang out with and meet other cool geeks. These places had to have free and easily accessible wifi, good coffee (or other tasty beverages), and a chill atmosphere.
So far I have found and hang out at the following.
- Murky Coffee in Arlington, VA – Probably some of the best coffee in the DC area
- Ebenezers Coffeehouse in Capitol Hill By Union Station
- Marvelous Market in Dupont
Depending on my schedule, chances are that during the week you’ll find me at one if not all of these places engaging in some kind of computer geekery.
I think its important for DC to have these places where people can go at any time during the week and hang out with like minded individuals. It’s one step to creating the community and the culture of innovation that I think we’re all looking for.
Where do you go when you wanna relax and work on your side projects? Where do you go when you wanna go some CSS but get an injection of caffeine?
Oatmeal Stout - Justin Thorp's blog 
I like Busboys and Poets near U St., but I don’t know what the geek density is there. Also, Soho in Dupont. Both places offer good people watching too.
I think Murky at Arlington remains the Mecca of geek hangouts though.
@Joe, you’re the second person i know who really likes Busboys and Poets. I need to get up there and check it out.
Geeks shouldn’t be encouraged to gather in groups. They should be shunned and outcast whenever possible.