Category Archives: Life in the Capital

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District
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The Bridges Over The Canal C&O

Photo courtesy of
‘New Year’s Day Sunshine’
courtesy of ‘Karon’
This past Monday, August 24, marked the beginning of Operation: Remove, Restore and Replace Georgetown’s C&O Canal Bridges.  The project’s three targets, the 29th Street, 30th Street and Thomas Jefferson Street development bridges will be undergoing some serious work over the next 36 months.  Yup. That’s right. According to the DDOT, each bridge will take one full year to complete and DDOT is conducting the work on one bridge at a time.

The first on the docket is the 30th Street bridge, which as of Monday, will be closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic until July 2010.  Thomas Jefferson Street and 29th Street are the designated detour routes, the “open” part of 30th Street has two-way traffic, and the closure does not limit access to the business and residences located along 30th Street. Continue reading →

Dupont Circle, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District
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Mayor Fenty: King of Parks


Dog Park Turf by Max Cook

It seems as though Mayor Fenty is making a name for himself in this town by sprucing up or completely rebuilding some of our parks, and not without controversy.  These parks aren’t just getting some new grass and a drinking fountain.  They’re getting new landscaping done by the gold coast landscaper team, artificial turf, benches, fencing, ornate stone walkways, and additional lighting.  Oh, and drinking fountains.  Dog drinking fountains.

Continue reading →

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The District, We Green DC
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Revamp: Stoddert Elementary & Recreation Center

EEK schematic of proposed Stoddert entrance

EEK schematic of proposed Stoddert Elementary School

As WeLoveDC’s Georgetown/Glover Park resident reporter, I considered myself fairly well informed on the general neighborhood on-goings. However, I was completely stumped about a month ago when on my daily commute a passed the Stoddert Recreation Center fields to see them completely fenced off. I was even more confused when the only construction sign announced a “Geothermal Renewable Energy Project.” What the heck did that mean? And how would this project affect the adjacent elementary school and the playing fields that were now fenced in?

It turns out that both Stoddert Elementary School, built in 1932, and Stoddert Recreation Center are getting a much needed overhaul. The existing 18,000 square foot school, which provides pre-K to 5th grade education to approximately 300 DC children, will grow by about 46,000 square feet. The addition will include classrooms, a publicly accessible gym and multiple purpose rooms to service the neighborhood community. Grounds work will affect both the school and the accompanying recreation center with a new entry plaza, new trees, a 40-car parking lot; reconstruction of the existing softball and soccer fields (from a personal point-of-view, this is HUGE as the existing fields were a twisted ankle/busted knee waiting to happen), a refurbished playground and a new tot lot. While the construction is still ongoing, you can check out Ravenscroft’s offering to enroll your child the upcoming school year. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Kastles To Receive Key to the City


2009 WTT Champions by Max Cook

To honor the 2009 World TeamTennis Champion Washington Kastles, Mayor Fenty will be presenting the team with the Key to the City next Thursday, August 27th at 11am.  The ceremony will be held on the steps of the Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW.  The first 300 fans will receive a free Kastles WTT Championship t-shirt so be sure to get there early if you’re in the market for free stuff.  The entire Kastles team will be there including Murphy Jensen, Leander Paes, Rennae Stubbs, Scott Oudsema, and Olga Puchkova.  After the ceremony there will be a fan appreciation event across the street at Freedom Plaza with food and drinks, giving you a chance to catch up with the players and to give them high fives and such.  Can I get a “whooooaaaa Kastles”?!

Life in the Capital, The District, The Features
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Why I Love DC: Karl Johnson

Photo courtesy of
‘August Blue Hour over Potomac and DC’
courtesy of ‘ianseanlivingston’

Now that I’ve joined the ranks as an author here at WeLoveDC, it’s time for me to prove that I do, in fact, love DC. No more just talking the talk, it’s time for me to walk the walk (er, write the write?).

It’s a bit of a rarity in this area, but I actually grew up in the DC metro region; though not what you may think of as DC. I hail originally from the quaint little towns of Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry. That’s West Virginia. And while 70 miles out of the District, it’s still technically part of the DC metro. Full of natural beauty and more American history than you can shake a stick at, I grew up loving the outdoors and the history that surrounded me.

DC is so full of history it hurts – in a good way! History that didn’t even take place here is still on display 24/7 and around every corner. When I go up on my building’s roof in Ballston and overlook the District and the national mall at night, I fall back in love with this city every time. The Monument, the Capitol building, the Lincoln, the Jefferson – this is why I love DC. And we’re just getting started. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Golds Gym Cuts Towel Service, Grossness Ensues

Photo courtesy of
‘GOLD’S GYM’
courtesy of ‘Leo Reynolds’

I’m a member of my friendly, local Gold’s Gym. I even say it in my “about me” authors profile. I have a gym crush on my Gold’s, and it’s the cheapest membership I can find in the locations I need my gym to be and I have the best personal trainer in all the land. But ya’ll, Golds is taking a turn for the seriously nasty, as they’re cutting their free towel service. Now, I realize we’re in a bad economy, and I realize that washing a bajillion loads of towels isn’t cost effective for their bottom line, nor is it very environmentally friendly. But the alternative? The alternative is bad.

Here is how I envision this working – I pop into the gym, and spot burly big men, sweating all over the weight machine, having nothing but paper towels to wipe it up with. You see where I’m going here? SWEAT, is nasty. Big burly man sweat? Even nastier. Paper towels? Very un-environmentally friendly, as people pull of yards of towels in one fail swoop. Here we have a sanitation, customer service, and environmentally conscious EPIC FAIL.

I get that I can go to Target and buy some wash cloths and bring them to the gym with me. I will do that, in fact. I hope EVERYONE at Gold’s will do that. But not everyone will (looking at you big burly sweaty paper towel loving man) and we’ll be stuck with a nasty problem. Also, I pay good money for my membership, and towels were included when I signed up. I also pay for my laundry, stupid coin operated apartment complex machine, and so it’s now an added expense. Sigh. What’s next? Taking out the water fountains and forcing us to bring our own or buy bottled?

Life in the Capital, Media, The District, WTF?!
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Editorial: Linking, Weblogs and The Health of the Newspaper Industry

Photo courtesy of
‘Film! – Canon A-1 – Headlines – 11-5-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Yesterday, the Washington Post published an editorial by Ian Shapira concerning some touchy subjects for those of us who operate blogs. Mr. Shapira penned a piece for the Post last week about a Generation Y consultant, which was then the subject of a Gawker.com story by Hamilton Nolan that made frequent use of the blockquote tag. If you’d like to take a second to read the articles linked herein, that would be fine, but allow me to sum this up in just a few sentences. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, Media, News, The Daily Feed
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The Only Way To Read The Hill’s Pretty Fifty

Photo courtesy of
‘The US Capitol from The Library Of Congress’
courtesy of ‘KrS-NrY’

Like clockwork, the Hill has released their 50 Most Beautiful People list. While this usually leads me to find a large bottle of alcohol and drink myself to sleep, and rant and rave about a sad commentary about our duly elected representatives, it also lets me wait in joyful hope for the coming of the snark, or, Jason Linkins’ hilarious metacommentary on the writing staff at the Hill. Don’t click through to the Hill, it’ll just make you want to take someone’s life. Between the bad writing, the horrific photography, and the human interest stories that will have you rooting for global warming, there is a beautiful opportunity for well-placed snark. This one’s a must-read.

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Safety & Training

Photo courtesy of
‘First aid kit’
courtesy of ‘Marcin Wichary’

Summer months in DC, with their high level of physical activity and tourism, often remind me of the importance of official training in basic first aid and safety.  Recently, for example, at a Saturday afternoon BBQ party, a friend of mine suddenly felt nauseous and woozy.  He sat down and promptly fainted. Even though it’s been 3+ years since my Red Cross First Aid and CPR certification, my training came quickly back to me.  Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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DC2NY Bus Company Enjoys 35% Growth in Last 12 Months

Photo courtesy of
‘DC2NY’
courtesy of ‘Luc Van Braekel’

Living at 10th and M, I’m right in the center of DC to NY bus travel, as Bolt Bus (owned by Greyhound), MegaBus, and Eastern Travel Company (now owned by CoachUSA-parent company of Megabus) all run their operation from the parking lot that now sits where the old convention center used to be. But it appears that I’ve been taking the wrong buses because DC2NY bus lines, which leaves from closer to Midtown/Golden Triangle reported yesterday that they’ve enjoyed a 35 percent growth in its business over the last 12 months with a weekly ridership of 2,500 passengers at an average ticket price of $26, according to Washington Business Journal.  This is pretty strong growth for a company that’s only 2 years old – especially in this economy. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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DC: Meet The Amazing Race

Photo courtesy of
‘uh, where are we?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

So you think you know DC? The city’s hidden gems, obscure facts, secret tunnels and back routes? Next Saturday, Aug. 1st, offers you a chance to put all that trivia valuable knowledge to good use.

It’s the first-ever GO Urban Adventure Race, a nationwide series of scavenger hunts that kicks off here at home. Next summer, DC will host all winning teams in the championship race.

Here’s the deal — teams of two will receive clues via text message and will travel by foot, Metro or bus to a GOpoint. They must complete a physical or mental challenge to get their next clue and move on. Clues are tailored to DC’s unique make-up and history. After finding 12 GOpoints, competitors race to the finish — and a party, of course!

All proceeds benefit The Vallon Institute, which raises money for environmentally and health-friendly programs. And the race is green, with organic t-shirts and perks for doing planet-friendly deeds. Sign me up!

Food and Drink, Interviews, Life in the Capital, Penn Quarter, People, The Features
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She Loves DC: Jill Zimorski

jill and wine

Jill rushes up to greet me wearing a bright green cardigan and a cute black Ann Taylor dress. (I know, because I have it in pink!) She’s not what you expect in someone whose credentials boast “Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers” and “has completed the Advanced Certificate Course offered through the Wine Spirits and Education Trust.” Jill just looks like she could be any of my girlfriends, but with a totally rockin’ day job – beverage director for Café Atlantico, the popular Penn Quarter eat place that hides Minibar. She’s been with Jose Andres since 2006, and seen Cafe Atlantico through quite a bit. We sat down to talk about my favorite subject – DC, paired with my other favorite subject – food and wine. (Heavy on the wine, given Jill’s passion!)

Me: Name the best part of DC in your opinion?
Jill: I think it would have to be the endless variety of people who you can meet, and what you can do here. My list of things I want to do is long, and some of it you can do on your own and other things with friends. Continue reading →

Crime & Punishment, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Sexual Assault in Rock Creek Park

Photo courtesy of
‘Beach Drive tunnel’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

WUSA 9 reports that a female jogger was sexually assaulted as she ran in Rock Creek Park yesterday.  Police say that a man dragged her into the woods and assaulted her at around 7am.  While Rock Creek park is generally a safe place, please use caution while running there, particularly until this perpetrator is caught. Hopefully this isn’t something serial.

All Politics is Local, Life in the Capital, Music, The Daily Feed
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Health Care: How DC Stacks Up

Photo courtesy of
‘Health Care Rally for a Public Option in front of Senator Bill Nelson´s Office’
courtesy of ‘leoncillo sabino’

Interested in how the Health Care debate and potential reforms will impact the District?  For starters, try reading up on DC’s Health Care current status quo.  I’m not advocating for any specific plan (I’m still trying to edu-ma-cate myself) but the DC site has some stats that really bring the health care debate to the home front.  Here’s to hoping that our government can come up with a solution that’s both viable and effective.

Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed
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Georgetown Library to Reopen in Fall 2010

Photo courtesy of
‘The damage done’
courtesy of ‘

Three and a half years after a three alarm fire destroyed the Georgetown library’s roof and much of the second floor, the historic branch of the DC Public Library will reopen in the Fall of 2010.  The blaze occurred on April 30, 2007 just three hours after another DC landmark, Eastern Market, burned to the ground.  The library’s Peabody room, located on the second floor, housed numerous documents and artifacts detailing the history of the Georgetown neighborhood;  luckily 80% of these invaluable items were saved from the fire and quickly whisked off to the Library of Congress and various other institutions for restoration and protection.  Continue reading →

Entertainment, Life in the Capital, The District
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SynchroSwim @ Capitol Skyline Pool


DC Synchromasters by Max Cook

One of DC’s hottest scenes this summer has been the Capitol Skyline Hotel pool.  Like spring break on steroids, you’ll find all of the cool kids drinking, smoking, drinking and splashing around in the warm summer sun.  A DJ spins tunes, inflatable pool toys fly through the air, and six packs flex in hopes of a post pool hookup.  This is where real people hang out.  Real cool people.  This is the real world, or at least the real DC.

Despite not having a six pack, when I heard that the Washington Project for the Arts was holding a synchronized swimming contest at the pool in addition to experimental video projections by Connor Contemporary Art, I knew it was something I couldn’t pass up.  The contest, SynchroSwim, featured five teams competing in an unorthodox display of aquatic acrobatics.  Prizes were awarded for best performance, best visual spectacle, and crowd favorite.

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Night Life, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Washingtonian Best Of Party In Review

Washingtonian Best Of Party 2009

Young Washington was out in full force last night at the 2009 Washingtonian Best Of party. Packed to the gills with preppy twentysomethings, DC’s best restaurants put on a show in the National Building Museum. Open bar, small samples from nearly 100 restaurants, we were certainly busy making the rounds. Who shone? Who flopped? Who ran out of food? Who hugged me? Click on through to find out. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, The Features
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This is Why You’re Fat

Photo courtesy of
‘Typical Beltway traffic’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

This past week, Time Magazine ran an article on why southerners are so fat.  The article was in response to a new report showing Mississippi as the state with the highest rate of obesity for the fifth year in a row.  The top five heaviest states are all in the south: Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama, Lousiana, and South Carolina.  The typical causes of obesity are all there: southerners tend to be poorer, so they have less money to buy nutritious food; southern food is greasy and fried; it’s too hot to exercise outdoors; the list goes on.  But this article also included the fact that many southern towns lack access to public transportation, that many places lack sidewalks, and that there are few safe places to bike.

It’s refreshing to see a national publication tie the physical environment to obesity.  Suburbs and more rural areas have typically been home to more overweight residents than central cities: by driving everywhere, you’re not getting the exercise you would be by walking to the bus stop, or biking down the block.  Suburbs also have fewer destinations within walking distance: going to the grocery store or heading to the movies require car trips, rather than bike or walking trips.   We’re lucky in the District that we have a great public transportation system, lots of sidewalks and crosswalks, and a growing system of bike lanes and paths– things that encourage us to lead more active lives.  Because of that, we’re on average about 6 pounds lighter than our exurban counterparts.

Continue reading →

Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The District, The Features
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Frozen Treats: DC’s Best Creameries

Photo courtesy of
‘Saturday Road trip’
courtesy of ‘gregoirevdb’

They tell me the first step is admitting you have a problem. So here it goes: I am shamelessly, hopelessly, horribly in love with ice cream. Now, I say ice cream, but in actuality, ice cream is a pretty generic term for what I really mean – frozen treats. I don’t care if it is gelato, custard, actual heavy-cream ice cream, or even italian ice. As long as it is sweet, and frozen, it qualifies. My partner in crime for ice cream loving is my friend Melissa, who has the genius idea to host an ice cream bar at her wedding. She’s the only one who truly understands my love. We’ll talk about going to a Nat’s game, and the first thing out of our mouths will be “OOOOH DIPPIN DOTS!” It’s a passion, not just a hobby, people.

So when I was informed that July is National Ice Cream Month, well, then, fine. That sealed it. I had to share with you, my dear We Love DC reader, my favorite ice cream (loose term) eateries in the city.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Night Life, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Features
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Second Look: W Hotel Washington (Now, With Pictures!)

Photo courtesy of
‘P7130052’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s green eyes flash with amusement as I launch into a tirade of questions about the DC food scene. Jean-Georges is holding a plate of appetizers during a tray-pass reception at the downstairs Wine Bar at the W Hotel Washington. I’ve captured his attention for a few minutes, battling other reporters and bloggers with notepads and cameras out, much like myself.

“So with all the celebrity chef steakhouses in DC, what sets yours apart?” I ask coyly. “Only half our menu is steak,” he responds quickly, “and our appetizer list is like a best-of from all my restaurants.” “So why DC, what made you choose DC?” I ask. “My relationship with the W, they approached me, it seemed like a fit,” Hmm, I thought, I wonder how he views DC, if this wasn’t a concept he came up with on his own. “So the DC food scene, has it arrived or is it on it’s way?” I ask. “Oh, Komi rivals any restaurant in New York!” Vongerichten responds, making a plug for his old friend from France. And suddenly Jean-Georges has a second reporter touching his arm and he is pulled in another direction. He shoots me a grin, and with that he’s off. (He returns later to pointedly offer me a mini-mini burger, only to dash off again.)

And so there I am, in the crowded basement of the W, sipping cocktails, ruminating on the hotel and making conversation. I’m here to try all of Vongerichten’s food, but also to check out the scene on the deck at POV, attempting to answer all the questions Jenn asked in We Love DC’s first post about the W, written when Jenn visited before it opened. What is the scene going to be? Jenn pondered, saying it will only be answered when the bar is filled with people. And last night, it certainly was full to the brim with all kinds of people, food and fanfare. Continue reading →