I am looking for a phone and a plan. I live in VA - Washington DC
(zip: 22180) and am ok with signing a contract. I currently have
Sprint but am not in a contract with them. I don't need to keep my
number but would like to keep it along with the 202 area code but
AVIOD continuing to pay the DC taxes on cell phones (very high).

What am I seeking? Probably the most important thing in addition to
being able to call long distance and travel around the (mostly) east
coast with no roaming costs is EMAIL. I really want to be able to
pop3/SMTP (or at least pop3) and leave messages on the server.

I talk very little, so I can get by with 200 or less anytime minutes a month. 

Also, a camera would be a nice plus, along with being able to get my
outlook contacts into the phone. Being able to instant message on AIM
and/or MSN would also be nice.

So, what is a good carrier/phone combination? So far I sort of like
the Nokia 6800 but Mr. Howard Chou (www.howardchou.com) says it's not
so great for email. I'm *ok* with Sprint as a carrier but find them to
be expensive. Heard bad stuff about t-mobile and sort of like
Cingular's unlimited data with their version of the sidekick.

To get around the DC tax, have your bill rendered somewhere other than
DC.  If you live in DC and work in VA or MD, have your bill sent
there, then you'll only pay the taxes for that jurisdiction where the
bill goes.

Yes, you can have a phone in a DC area code (or a VA or MD one) even
though you are being billed in a different state.  One simple reason
(which can be given) for doing so is to ensure anyone in the metro
area can call you as a non-toll number.  If you have a Rockville or
Silver Spring number, some VA phones will be hit for a Verizon toll
charge that they would not be if it's a DC number.  If you have a
Dulles number, some phones in MD will be hit for a toll charge that
would not be if it was a DC number.

They used to have a plan that gave you free nights based on the time
of the number where the phone was issued from, so a lot of people in
New York were getting 808 area code phones.  That's right, Hawaii.  As
a result their 'night' plan, which ends at 7 am in Honolulu, would be
working until 11Am in New York.  Suffice to say that capacity is no
longer available.  :)