Category Archives: Life in the Capital

Fashionable DC, Life in the Capital, The Features
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The Devil Wore Hose

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

It’s oppressively hot this week. A scorcher. Another record-breaker in a year unfavorably full of cruel weather. Some of you will be able to go about your work day in “summer business casual,” but for others, you’ll soldier on in full battle gear. And for many women in our unfairly unfashionably maligned city, that means pantyhose.

Ugh. Really?

Though sales of pantyhose have been on the decline since the mid-nineties, there are still offices that require them for women’s dress year-round. The excuse normally given for such a dress code is that they give the wearer a “polished, professional look.”  As they are more precisely termed actual underwear, I find it a bit vulgar to be told by anyone other than my mother that I should be wearing pantyhose. Wear hose when the garment requires it – something form-fitting and unlined, for example – but with a knee-length lined skirt? If one is well-groomed there should be no need.

And in disgusting 100-degree weather, there is no need to wear pantyhose other than to cover what is bare – which implies that it’s wrong to bare your legs in an office. Why? I’m by no means a radical feminist, but I can’t stand rules with no discernible logic, and especially not rules that are based on perceptions rather than facts. After all, it’s not so long ago that business women in this city were told never to wear pantsuits, only suits with skirts. What was the logic there?

Let’s step back for some history, a fun fashion tangent on clothing codes, before we shred more hose. For example, high heels. Did you know high heels started out as a male fashion necessity?  Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, We Love Arts
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Chuck Close at the Corcoran


All photos by Max Cook

It would be an understatement to say that the Corcoran Gallery of Art has had an impressive track record over the past few years, hosting art exhibits that have been inspirational, education, and just downright beautiful.  Between the Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, Edward Burtynsky, and Eadward Muybridge exhibits, I’ve walked away from the gallery with a sense of wonderment and a better understanding of the artist, not to mention a better appreciation of their art.

That’s not to say that I’ve been impressed with every exhibit on display at the Corcoran.  While I had high hopes in viewing the William Eggleston exhibit and understanding why his work is held in such high regard in the photography world, I was less than impressed.  My feeling was that he was an artist that did something first, but not necessarily best, and that is sometimes enough to carve a name for yourself.  In fact, even though Eggleston is known as one of the early adopters of color film, I found that I preferred many of his black and white photos to his color shots.

But if art was loved by everyone, none of it would be good.  This week I was fortunate to be part of a tour of the Corcoran’s latest exhibit, Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration, given by none other than the legendary artist himself.  While I found Leibovitz to be somewhat annoyed with the press and anxious to leave, Close was gracious, patient, and answered any questions that were asked of him.  I will always remember something that he said, and that is that we learn more from things that we don’t like than from things that we do like, which may mean that for me, viewing the Eggleston exhibit was more important that I had once thought.

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Life in the Capital, The District
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Why I Love DC: Rebecca

Photo courtesy of
‘Captured a taxi, despite all the rain’
courtesy of ‘KentonNgo’

They say when you meet the one, you just know. It’s the thrill. It’s the magic. It’s the joy. It’s the romance. It’s the respect you have for him, and he for you. It’s the way he makes you feel like the most beautiful creature in the world.

For me, DC is undeniably the one. I’ve flirted with Paris and set up house with St. Louis. I eloped with Brussels and begged for New York to have me. But it’s DC, my childhood home, that turned out to be the love of my life. Washington was the guy next door that took me by surprise and became my knight in shining armor.

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Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Music, The Daily Feed
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A WLDC Author + Columbia Heights Farmers Market = Win!

Photo courtesy of
‘CH Farmer’s Market Gelato’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

A new farmers market in Columbia Heights opened its grounds to the public June 5th at 14th and Park, across from Giant, Target, and Tivoli Theater.

Fellow WLDC author Donna C. filled us in on the delicious details including the market’s spread of  fresh veggies, fruits, meats, breads, cheeses, flowers and “beat-the-heat” gelato all grown and raised within 150 miles of DC.

If there’s anything I’ve learned since moving to the District it’s that we love to celebrate inaugural events — presidents, baseball teams, and in this case farmer’s markets.

What do I mean?

This is the inaugural season of the Columbia Heights Market Place and in honor of trying to get people out for the produce and neighborhood comradery, the market place group have grabbed local entertainment from around town to put on a show for you while you shop.

The entertainment on tap for Saturday features: Cherae Mabry from Yoga on the Plaza (10 a.m.), Salsa dance group Conga Beat in between acts, Monty Wells (11 a.m.), the DoS Jazz Ensemble (12:15 p.m.), and then myself (1 p.m.) to close out the day!

Look forward to seeing you all there!

Note: If you’d like to support a worthwhile cause while visiting the market this Saturday, I will have two albums on sale. Proceeds from all albums sales will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation and Donate Life campaign to raise organ donation awareness in honor of my late father Steven Levitin who was a heart transplant recipient in 1999.

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Metro To Raise Fares Again Sunday

Photo courtesy of
‘2010:39’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’

Metro’s fare prices are movin’ on up yet again. The WMATA board of directors approved a package of fare increases Thursday as they aim to close the $189 million gap in its 2011 budget, according to this morning’s Express.

Fare increases begin Sunday on all rail and bus lines, including the MetroAccess service for disabled riders.

Sunday isn’t the only change looming for DMV residents who rely on Metro. The fare increase is scheduled to go into effect over the course of two phases – the first one Sunday and the second on August 1.

Among the annoyance of a continuing hike of daily ride fare prices, there is some shining bit of glory for some; the cost of SmarTrip cards dropped by 50 percent and are now available for the low-low price of $2.50. But for those of us who already have the cards who is that really helping?

At this point I’m ready to bang my head against the farecard kiosk. Who’s with me?

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
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New Street Artist Wants to Punch You with Love

Over the past couple of years I’ve been keeping an eye on the local street art in my neighborhood, getting to know the artists, and matching their work to their name.  I love seeing pieces by DECOY, DIABETIK, Gaia and of course Shepard Fairey, pop up overnight along 14th Street NW and the surrounding area.  Aside from adding colorful character to our drab streets, one of the biggest reasons I love street art is the inherent mystery.  Who did this and why?  What’s the meaning behind their art?  Who are they?

Those questions arose again earlier this week as some new pieces went up by an artist unknown to me.  The pieces have similarities to work by other artists, but they don’t quite match up to anyone in particular.  At this point I can only guess what some of the work is, but so far I’ve seen a dead flower, what I think is the “belly badge” from a Care Bear (c’mon, we all watched strange shows as kids), and pink brass knuckles with heart-shaped finger holes – all signs of a truly twisted imagination (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Is this person a goody two-shoes having a bad day, or perhaps a Debbie Downer trying to turn that frown upside down?  It’s hard to say, but I’m loving these new pieces and can’t wait to see what else crops up during the middle of the night.  If you know who this artist is, leave it in the comments!

Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District, The Great Outdoors, The Mall
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DC Crafts: Find Of The Day

Photo courtesy of
’10-4-4 – Cherry Blossoms – Warm Blossoms’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Last night’s premiere of TopChefDC, filmed in April, has me thinking back to the cooler days of spring when the city was infiltrated with tourists on their yearly pilgrimages to see the cherry blossom.  While I long for the chillier weather and the beautiful, cotton candy cherry blossoms, I’m good with our present normal levels of tourists.

Today’s DC Craft lets you add a little bit of cherry blossom to your abode with this reinterpreted cherry blossom vinyl wall decal. The wall decoration comes in 17 potential colors, and features a series of 4 birds perched on blooming branches.  Chose pink for the branches, and you’ve got a DC-centric piece of wall art.

Adventures, All Politics is Local, Entertainment, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, News, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District, The Hill
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Recap: 2nd Annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game

2nd Annual Congressional Softball Game

Yesterday at Guy Mason Park in Glover Park, female members of the media took on female members of Congress in the 2nd annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game to benefit Young Survival Coalition.

Both teams were stacked with a who’s who list of Washington pols and reporters, including Captains Dana Bash of CNN and Shailagh Murray of the WaPo, and Captains Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a principal organizer of the event, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years at the age of 41. MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced the game and kept the friendly banter going.Very entertaining.

Off the field, it was a politico convention. DC’s First Lady Michelle Fenty kicked off the game was the first pitch. Supreme Court Justice, and Yankee’s fan, Sonia Sotomayor hungout in the Congressional dugout and Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in the second inning. Also spotted at the event were Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Minority Leader John Boehner, Majority Whip Eric Cantor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, etc. Continue reading →

Business and Money, Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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DC Crafts: Find Of The Day

Washington DC Thermometer

courtesy of junquetart

The past week’s weather was a clear indicator that summer is in full swing in the DC metro area. Which makes me ponder how miserable living and working in DC must have been without AC. The image that immediately comes to mind is a large ice block in front of a fan. So today’s DC Crafts: Find Of The Day focuses on recording our sky high temperatures, and oddly enough today’s item is from circa 1950, when residential usage of AC was exploding.

Although today’s item, a pot metal Washington DC Thermometer, doesn’t accurately portray the layout of DC, I’m loving that it smushes the Jefferson Memorial, Capital and Washington Monument together to create a DC skyline. Also, always put a thermometer on the Washington Monument. Always. You gotta love this thermometer; it’s functional and design friendly piece that any lover of DC would love to add to their collection.

Adventures, Business and Money, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District
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Wonji Juice Comes To DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Juicing Apples’
courtesy of ‘tiffanywashko’

After Saturday night’s bender, my body and mind were begging me to consume something, anything really, that was nutrient-rich and healthy. With a frozen pizza and some left over chips my only pantry option, I dragged myself off to the nearby Whole Foods to fill my cart with leafy greens and organic goods.

When I arrived at the Georgetown temple of all things gluten and pesticide-free, I espied a new, and at that moment, perfect cure for my lingering hangover, a juice bar. Wonji Juice, the Annapolis started and based juice bar company, offers delicious and super-nutritious fruit, vegetable and superfood concoctions that address any therapeutic need (hangover, stress relief, skin health, etc.) that may be ailing you.

My cure was the Green River, which according to Wonji is a  “Vitamin and mineral dense greens for a nutritious blast! High in chlorophyll to improve blood quality and folate to help produce and maintain new cells.” I definitely picked the right juice for the occasion, and while I can’t say it immediately made my hangover go away, I could definitely tell that my body was thankful for the vitamin rich sustenance.

Dupont Circle, Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, People
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We’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

Photo courtesy of
‘Equality’
courtesy of ‘ep_jhu’

When DC’s first Pride event took place in 1975, there was no AIDS. There was no same-sex marriage. Rocks were thrown at windows of gay businesses. There were no laws protecting LGBT individuals in the workplace. My, how much has changed. As rights have been won and acceptance has grown, the District’s LGBT community has flourished and thrived, as this year’s blockbuster Pride celebration reflected. As the photos here document Capital Pride 2010, which ended yesterday, here’s a look back on 35 years of celebration, change and progress. Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Burgers, Wings & Beer; Georgetown’s latest additions

Photo courtesy of
‘Ted’s spicy wings’
courtesy of ‘rick’

This week two new restaurants open along Georgetown’s posh M Street and hope to fill some of the gaps within the neighborhoods food scene.

Opening on Thursday, the long time M Street Italian staple, News Cafe, re-brands and revamps its menu as Thunder Burger & Bar. According to Vox Populi’s exclusive interview with Thunder Burger & Bar’s GM Ryan Clarke, the establishment will offer “a fully rounded-out menu, but 95% of the focus will be on the burger.” Clarke hopes to differentiate the eatery from the  plethora of DC burger places by bringing “quality burgers back to a sit-down restaurant with a sit-down experience.” Not quite sure this is a winning strategy, especially with all the other nearby restaurants that offer fantastic burgers (J. Paul’s, Clyde’s, Martin’s, Rugby, etc.) but it will definitely be an improvement from News Cafe.

Further down the road at 3291 M Street, Georgetown Wing Co. has a soft opening this week, which features (not surprisingly) wings. The restaurant has a fantastic beer selection, because what goes better with wings than beer, and they’ll feature $1.50 Miller Lites and $3 Sam Adams Seasonal and Sierra Nevada bottles. According to their twitter profile, for Friday’s World Cup kick off, they’ll be expanding their menu to include Crêpe bunch, mimosa & draft specials. Nom.

All Politics is Local, Crime & Punishment, History, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Area Corruptitude, Not DC

Photo courtesy of
‘corrupted fleur de lis’
courtesy of ‘dsb nola’

Our beloved DC is often lambasted for being full of corrupt pols and evil lobbyist bent on turning America into their own little self center, money making machine. However, despite our seedy reputation, DC is only the 36th most corrupt “state” in the union, according to the DailyBeast.

Sure we had the largest case of tax fraud courtesy of  Harriette Monica Walters, who serves as DC’s image in the poll, but we’re no match for southern neighbor Virginia, who ranks #2, just behind the most corrupt state Tennessee, or Maryland which came in at #23.

Life in the Capital, People, The Features
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Why I Love DC: Dave Stroup

Photo caourtesy of
‘The District’
courtesy of ‘william couch’

I could write this as a “how I learned to stop hating and love DC” post, but that would be too easy. It’s too easy to simply say you love or hate this city. Some of you may know me from my time over at Why I Hate DC. I never hated DC the way the previous writers had, so it was often a difficult gig. I tried to look at things a different way, focus on how to make those things we hate a little bit better. Eventually, though, the moniker and attitude that came with the site wore me down. I didn’t so much wake up one day and realize I loved DC–rather, I decided to come home to the city I love.

I came to DC eight years ago for school. I went home for the first two summers, but after that I stayed. Compared to some this is a short time, compared to others it’s an eternity. For me, it’s been long enough to realize why I love this city. I don’t love the city for it’s monuments or museums. I don’t love it for the trendy bars and restaurants, or the numerous festivals and events. All of those things are wonderful and add to the city’s charm, but I love DC because it’s where I grew up. I don’t mean in the sense of my childhood, but where I literally grew up.

Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Music, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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2010 Ibero-American Guitar Festival

Photo courtesy of
‘2010:53’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’

This evening the 2010 Ibero-American Guitar Festival kicks off at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. The festival showcases classical guitarists from the Iberia peninsula, Latin America and South America. You can grab a little taste of what’s in store with the beautiful strumming of Berta Rojas.

Shopping for your first instrument should be the initial step in a lifelong journey of learning and inspiration. It can also be confusing because all musical instruments come in so many different makes and models. If you’re buying your first guitar, you’ll face choices like what size guitar to buy, deciding between an acoustic or electric, or whether to invest in a new or used instrument. While there are many variables that might affect your decision, the most important thing is to find a guitar that sounds good, looks good, and feels good to play, check the next online website, they did a great review of Yamaha c40.

This year’s festival is dedicated to Manuel M. Ponce, the Mexican composer who passed away in 1948, but whose guitar compositions continue to inspire the world of international guitar. Tonight, the Manuel M. Ponce Quartet will give a talk/performance illustrating the influence Ponce has had over three centuries of music and the artist’s relationship with the great Andalusian guitarist Andres Segovia. Saturday at 2pm Leonora Saavedora talks about Ponce’s effect on Mexican traditional song.

If you can’t make it out to the festival, there’s also a live webcast of the events/performance that’s definitely worth tuning into.

Entertainment, Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, Music, News, People, Special Events, The District, We Love Music
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We Love Music: The 9:30 Club 30th Anniversary Concert

Bob Mould performing at the 9:30 Club 30th Anniversary concert
“Bob Mould” photo taken by author.

“The reason this is the best club in America is the people that work here. Trust me, most nightclubs are terrible places. You don’t want to go there.” – Neill Fallon of Clutch.

“I can not imagine a DC without the 9:30 Club. It is unimaginable. It’s just unimaginable” – Mark Noone of The Slickee Boys.

“I love the fact that I’m from DC!” – Henry Rollins

“Let’s kick on the way back machine and get this thing over with.” – Bob Mould.

One of the truly singular music events I have ever attended took place on Monday night at the 9:30 Club. It was a special free concert held in celebration of this legendary club’s 30th anniversary. The night was also a celebration of the people who work (and have worked) there, the icons who got their start there, and the wonderful music that has been played there over the last 30 years. The night was full of anecdotes and music from 13 bands and artists that have strong ties to both the old and new 9:30 Club locations. For some the evening was a living, breathing, crash course in DC music history; for others it was a fun and at times even emotional trip down memory lane.

The 9:30 Club (original location) is the nightclub I cut my teeth on when I moved here in 1993. Within a few days of arriving I was catching my first show there (British twee-band Heavenly); and in the months and years after many, many more shows followed. I once took a date there to see The Boredoms and she left with a black-eye. My little brother did his first stage dive when I took him there to see Helmet. I was completely enthralled with industrial music after hearing Einstruzende Neubauten on the PA before the melodramatic, dynamite-strapped Sheep on Drugs brought the house down with their industrial-dance mayhem. And I was seduced along with everyone else in the crowd by Toni Halliday and the sounds of Curve. The old club opened my mind to most of the music that I still passionately love today.

The V st. location is without a doubt the best club-venue in the country. I’ve been to concert halls all over the U.S.A. and it always comes back to the 9:30 Club’s awesome sound-system (which I have written/gushed about at length over the years). Seeing a concert at the 9:30 Club is a sublime experience for a die-hard music fan. Perhaps none more-so than the amazing show that club-owner Seth Hurwitz treated dedicated DC music fans to on Monday night.

Continue reading →

Adventures, Business and Money, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Lax Bros/Gurls Are Taking Over

Photo courtesy of
‘Lax.com’
courtesy of ‘teamstickergiant’

This past weekend Maryland hosted both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA lacrosse semifinals and championships. The women’s Division I championship game at Towson University, saw Maryland take home the national title against Northwestern and, according to the Baltimore Sun, the match drew 9,782 people — the most ever to see a women’s lacrosse game in the US.

The mens’ games started on Saturday at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, continued through Sunday and culminated with the DI Championship game between Notre Dame and Duke on a scorching Memorial Day. Although attendance for the final game was low, a mere 37,126, the entire weekend’s turnout was 116,289, up from last year’s 102,601 turnout at Foxborough, MA. The games stay in Baltimore for 2011, go to Foxborough for 2012, and 2013 and 2014 are up for grabs.

While the increases in attendance are good reasons to keep both championships in the MD area, in recent years lacrosse has begun to grow beyond its traditional East Coast/Prep School roots. The game’s popularity on the West Coast, Colorado and the South has  been growing like gangbusters, with many footballers taking up sport in the off-season for fitness maintenance. The same is true for female athletes who need to stay in shape for fall season sports like soccer and field hockey.

The sport is also seeing a growth in popularity among the non-prep schoolers, as demonstrated in “City Lax” playing Thursday at Silver Spring’s AFI Silver. This documentary follows a sixth grade, inner-city Colorado lax team as they learn how to play the Native American team sport and take on the prep school crowd.

Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Music, Night Life, People, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: June Music Preview

Photo courtesy of
‘Earth Day Concert Dancers’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Memorial Day is over, we’re on to June, and that means outdoor concerts and music festivals galore! The District’s got them all this month: Jazz, Folk, Blues, Rock, Pop, Acoustic — even crafts, dance, and all the culture you can stomach in one day (or over the course of many).

Here’s a look at June’s top “tickets” to get your butt outside and reap the benefits of living in a city where the world’s cultures collide with a wide-variety of  well-established American traditions. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, People, The Features, We Love Arts
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Theater of Controversy

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

“Be sure that you go to the author to get at his meaning, not to find yours.” -Salman Rushdie

Recently I did something that I’ve rarely done in my life as a theater lover – I walked out of a production at intermission. Was I offended by a controversial subject? Well no, I did make it through Jerry Springer: The Opera after all. I was merely bored out of my mind by densely esoteric content. I didn’t become enraged and demand the play close, I merely chalked it up to a difference in artistic preferences. But I still left, and afterwards it upset me that I’d allowed myself to close my mind, and I started thinking about local theater controversy. As a former theater professional it was ingrained in me that we have a responsibility to open minds through art. But what happens when the audience won’t listen? Are DC audiences more likely to be vocal or take offense? How do theater companies handle that reaction, especially as its based on content and not value?

I set out to talk to three artistic directors of companies at various levels of development and experience with negative audience reaction to content- Allison Arkell Stockman at Constellation Theatre Company, Kate Bryer at Imagination Stage, and Ari Roth at Theater J – to get their thoughts. Not surprisingly, a common theme emerged, one which as a theater lover worries me greatly. When we move away from an audience’s desire to learn and instead towards its desire for safe entertainment, we’re in trouble as a society.

Continue reading →