The hotel clerk told us to not leave our rooms after dark, and to always leave in groups of two or more - into the hallways! Yes, we were warned to be careful of the hallway as well as going outside the hotel. At night, we heard all kinds of mayhem outside and a glance out the window showed punks walking around.
The next day I cut our stay short and went to the Georgetown hotel. A difference of day and night, with well-to-do whites and nice restaurants. Racist? No, a matter of life and death.
My daughter lives in Washington now and is an attorney there. On our last visit, we encountered women in sun dresses walking through Dupont and Georgetown at 10:30 at night. This would have been previously impossible in my experience. The story mentioned here is more indicative of 1972 DC and Hunter Thompson’s book about the Nixon campaign.
As you stated, in 1995, the hotels had signs telling you not to be out alone after dark. They were on the dressers and refrigerators in hotel rooms. In 1987, I stayed at the Washington Hilton, a huge hotel, and there was one side of it that went through a scary looking, desolate neighborhood. Apparently that neighborhood has come back to life and traveled to the front door. They need to clean that up, fast.
I love DC. Have worked and lived here, or near here, most of my life. But I would never, ever go out after dark. Ever.