CAMPUS GUIDEBOOK 5TH EDITION Wesley Theological Seminary Letter from the Office of Community Life Welcome Home! Whether you are a new student to our school or a returning member of our community, I am so glad that you are here. Wesley Theological Seminary is one of the largest protestant seminaries in the world-but we foster a small-community feeling. It is our hope that you feel the warmth of our community through diverse interactions and encounters with the student body, faculty, and staff as you discern your calling to minister to the world. I pray that every preparation made for your studies will help to be a blessing in your journey of theological education. As the Program Administrator in the Office of Community Life, it is my job to foster and facilitate communications and resources as you prepare for your seminary studies. This includes new student orientation, disability/accommodation support, and the Board of Ordained Ministry visits, etc. The Office of Community Life strives to strengthen community by ensuring that the inclusivity of all remains at the core of our community covenant. I love that my job offers me an opportunity to work with faculty, staff and students to provide the same support that was offered to me when I first arrived to the Wesley Community. I hope that this is the beginning of a similarly positive experience for you as you discern your journey of theological education. This booklet was created to be a resource for you as you are introduced to life here— in DC, at Wesley, and as a student. It was designed to assist with on-campus matters as well as local off campus matters, including information on where to get a nearby late night bite, or how to navigate the metro. I encourage you all to refer to this booklet, frequently, as you transition into our beloved community. If you have any questions about the information here or anything else, please don’t be afraid to stop by Trott 105, call or send an email. I love visitors! Sincerely, Ja’el Daniely Program Administrator, Office of Community Life & Executive Assistant to the Dean of Community Life [email protected] (202) 885-8694 2 Campus Map Wesley’s Main Campus address is 4500 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 20016 The Seminary was founded in 1882 and has been at this site since 1958. Campus is located in the Spring Valley neighborhood of the District. Nearby neighborhoods of Tenleytown and Friendship Heights offer many options for dining and shopping. 3 Wesley Downtown Campus Wesley’s Downtown Campus address is 900 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 20002 There are many educational, cultural and social opportunities in the neighborhoods surrounding Wesley Downtown including the Convention Center, blocks from the National Mall, the Smithsonian and the Seminary’s two partner churches: Mount Vernon Place UMC and Asbury UMC. Travel to the MVS campus by car, metro, bus, or even bike. Wesley Downtown is conveniently only 4.5 miles from the Seminary’s main campus. Driving during non-rush hour time’s takes approximately 20 minutes and parking is available at on-street meters or nearby parking garages. 4 Travel from Main Campus There are many ways to get from Main Campus to Wesley Downtown. This will help you choose whether to drive, metro, or bus. Driving/biking: When leaving Wesley’s Main Campus, turn right on Massachusetts Ave toward Ward Circle. You will follow Massachusetts Ave through four traffic circles before reaching the Wesley Downtown Campus. Be sure to leave yourself extra time if traveling during rush hour. Metro: Take the Red line from Tenleytown station to the Gallery Place-Chinatown station. Walk .5 miles from Gallery Place-Chinatown to MVS, or transfer lines toward the Mount Vernon Square station. If you transfer at Gallery Place-Chinatown, take the Green line toward Greenbelt or the Yellow Line toward Fort Totten or Mount Vernon Square. You can then walk roughly .3 miles to Wesley Downtown Bus: Take the N4 bus toward Farragut Square from in front of campus (Massachusetts and 45th street). Transfer at Farragut Square (the terminus)… o … to the G8 toward Avondale and get off at 11th & K Streets NW. Walk .2 miles to MVS. o … to the DC Circulator toward Union Station and get off at New York Ave & 9th Street NW. Walk .1 miles to Wesley Downtown.. There may be even more options for taking the bus to MVS than what are listed here. The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority’s website has a helpful Trip Planner Tool to assist you with directions for public transportation. You may find that the Circulator is less crowded than Metro bus, even though its fares are cheaper! 5 Getting Around the City Getting around the city can seem daunting to the uninitiated. Here is a quick guide to help you orient yourself on city streets. Facts: The District is divided into four quadrants: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). The Capitol Building is the “center” of the city. That is, the numbers and letters of streets extend out from that point. Lettered streets run east to west, approximately parallel to East and West Capitol Streets. Once the lettered alphabet has ended, streets are named according to the alphabet and the number of syllables (Adams, Bryant, Channing, then later Aspen, Butternut, Cedar, etc.) Numbered streets run north to south, approximately parallel to North and South Capitol Streets. Broad avenues are named for states (e.g. Massachusetts Ave), and run diagonally across the city, connecting major points of interest. Where avenues intersect with each other or with streets, there are traffic circles and each circle in the city has a name (e.g. Ward Circle). The District is also bounded by diagonal avenues: Western Ave, Eastern Ave, and Southern Ave. Nearest to campus is Western Ave, once you cross Western you are in Maryland. Washington, DC is roughly 60 square miles. The city was designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant, based on plans of Paris and other European cities that Thomas Jefferson brought to America. The Washington Monument is the city’s tallest structure, though there is no law prohibiting buildings based on its height nor the height of the Capitol Building (despite popular belief). 6 DC Metro Metrorail Metro fare is determined by the distance and time you are traveling. Metrorail fares range from a minimum of $1.60 to maximum of $5.00, depending on your destination and the time of day (rush hour is more). Transfers are free for travel within Metrorail, and you can transfer to Metro bus at a discount when using a SmarTrip card. You must purchase a fare card at the station before boarding the train. SmarTrip cards are available at the Metro Center station, Giant grocery stores, select CVS stores, and online at wmata.com. Metrorail runs: Sunday-Thursday: 5:30am-12:00am, and Friday-Saturday: 8:00am- 2:00am Metro bus The N4, N6, and N8 buses stop on Massachusetts Avenue in front of the Seminary. The N4, and N6 buses run from Friendship Heights to Farragut Square down Massachusetts Ave. The N8 bus drives a loop, which begins and ends at the Van Ness Metro Station and stops at the Tenleytown Metro Station. The fare is $1.50 with a SmarTrip card and $1.70 with cash/coin. You must have the exact change or SmarTrip card. Transfers between buses in a two hour period are free when using SmarTrip. DC Circulator This bus system runs five select routes through the city with limited stops: Georgetown-Union Station, Woodley Park-Adams Morgan-McPherson Square Metro, DuPont Circle-Georgetown-Rosslyn, Union Station-Navy Yard, and Potomac Ave Metro-Skyland Via Barracks Row. Regular fare is $1. Transfers between Circulator buses or Metro buses are free within a two hour period and 50¢ from Metrorail. Metro etiquette dictates that riders should stand to the right and walk on the left when using escalators in the system. If you have a question about the destination or route of a bus, ask the driver, he or she can help you determine your stop. SmarTrip cards are permanent, reloadable fare cards and can be used on Metrorail, Metro bus, DC Circulator, and many of the bus lines in the suburbs. 7 DC Metro Map Bicycles are allowed on Metrorail from 7-10 am and 4-7 pm during weekdays and all day on the weekends and most federal holidays. They are not permitted during events when large crowds are expected. Those traveling with a bicycle should board through the end doors of a rail car. 8 Transportation to Area Airports Travel from campus to Dulles via public transportation takes approximated two hours; to BWI is approximately two and a half hours. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) Phone: (410) 859-7111 Take Metrorail to the Greenbelt station (green line) and take the B30 Metro Bus to BWI. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) Phone: (703) 572-2700 Take Metrorail to Roslyn station (blue or yellow line) and take the 5A Metro Bus to Dulles. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) Phone: (703) 417-8000 Take Metrorail to Reagan National Airport metro station (blue or yellow line). Ronal Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is commonly referred to as “National.” Airport Transportation Service Super Shuttle Phone: (202) 296-6662 (800) BLUE-VAN (800-258-3826) 9 Ground Transportation Trains Phone: 1-877-GO2-MEGA Amtrak 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Rental Cars and Services Union Station Washington, DC Enterprise Rent-A-Car Phone (202) 08- 8 Various locations MARC Train Zipcar Phone: 1-866-743-3682 Phone: 1-866-4ZIPCAR Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Taxis Phone: