Category Archives: The District

The Daily Feed, The District
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Marion Barry surprised by Barry Administration streetcar plan

Photo courtesy of
‘Marion Barry’
courtesy of ‘cliff1066â�¢’

David Alpert at Greater Greater Washington has a great find regarding the never-ending streetcar debate. This week the DC Council passed emergency legislation authorizing the use of overhead wires for the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line. During the debate about the legislation, Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) brought up the “lack of planning” angle again, stating that all along he’s been surprised the H Street line has even been on the table. This was the same argument present back in May when the streetcar funding was temporarily cut. Barry back then, on May 26 said:

Our original plan was to go from Bolling Air Force Base down to Anacostia station. … Down Martin Luther King, up Good Hope Road, and maybe across the 11th Street bridge to Capitol Hill. All of a sudden I hear from somewhere that H Street is on the agenda.

Interestingly enough, however, planning for the H Street line has been in the works for over a decade. In fact, the H Street line appears in DDOT’s 1997 transportation plan, a report stamped with “Marion Barry, Mayor.”

Perhaps DDOT could be criticized for a lack of communication in the past, but the planning has been there. And within the last few years, there have been many community meetings and planning reports issued. It’s amazing to see members of the DC Council, and in the case of Barry–a former Mayor–ignore the years of work DDOT has done to make this plan a reality.

The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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Scenes from the City: The Naked Runner

Photo courtesy of
‘half-naked stampede’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

So there Tom and I were, in our car, a couple cars back from the light at Rhode Island Ave. & Brentwood Ave. NE, waiting to cross onto 13th. We see this guy (late teens, maybe) run across the intersection. He was looking over his shoulder, looking half-entertained, half-scared.

And then we saw who he was running from. A woman who looked to be in her early 20s came sprinting after him, clutching a t-shirt in her hand, looking pissed. But that’s not what we noticed about her first. What we noticed was that she was stark naked. Not a stitch. Sprinting, like a cross-country runner, barefoot down the sidewalk and gaining on the guy. Let’s just say I wanted to offer her a, um, restrictive garment, because it kind of hurt to watch.

And Tom and I wondered… what was the sequence of events that led to that moment? It seems to me like there are a finite number of scenarios that lead to a completely naked woman chasing a completely clothed man down the street in broad daylight. Your theories, DC? (The more outlandish the better.)

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 →

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.

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 →

The District, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Yves Klein – With The Void, Full Powers

Yves Klein during the filming of “”The Heartbeat of France” at Charles Wilp’s Studio, Dusseldorf, February 20, 1961. Copyright 2010 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris.  Image courtesy Yves Klein Archives.  Photo by and copyright Charles Wilp.

“I am the painter of space. I am not an abstract painter but, on the contrary, a figurative artist, and a realist. Let us be honest, to paint space, I must be in position. I must be in space.” – Yves Klein

Yves Klein (French, b. Nice, 1928 – 1962) was much more than just an artist, he was an innovator, a visionary, and most importantly in my opinion, a dreamer. Although Klein’s notorious career only lasted a total of 8 years [he suffered a heart attack at age 34], that was all the time it would take for him to turn the art world upside down. As one of the 20th century’s most influential artists, Klein reintroduced what art and nature could be, pushing creativity beyond the traditional notions of what was accepted.

Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers is the first major retrospective of the artist’s work in the US in nearly thirty years. Presenting approximately 200 pieces, the Hirshhorn Museum explores a full range of Klein’s work, examining a career that radically altered the world of art.

Continue reading →

Business and Money, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District, We Green DC
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Move That Hybrid Electric Vehicle!!!

Photo courtesy of
‘ups’
courtesy of ‘loop_oh’

United Parcel Service (UPS) is expanding its alternative fuel fleet and deploying 17 new next-generation hybrid electric delivery trucks in the metro DC area.  These vehicles are part of a 200 alternative fuel vehicle expansion taking place in DC, Austin, Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Long Island, Minneapolis and Louisville.

Whenever you acquire a solar PV system or an electric vehicle, the seller may provide you with an option to install a charging point in your residence as well. For electric vehicle owners, it’s possible to charge the vehicle at your house through the use of a home charging point. While charging both types of electric vehicles is a straightforward process, EV charger installation, on the other hand, isn’t so simple. According to electricians near Williamsburg, the charging process only requires you to connect the vehicle to an electricity source using a cable.

According to UPS’ press release, the new fleet will ” reduce fuel consumption by roughly 176,000 gallons over the course of a year,” and will “reduce the amount of CO2 gases released annually into the atmosphere by 1,786 metric tonnes. ”

This UPS “green” fleet uses a multitude of alternative energy technologies, such as hydraulic hybrid technology, regenerative braking (when energy generated from applying the brakes is captured and returned to the battery as electricity,) compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, electricity, etc. Learn more about electricity usage at Forbrukerguiden.no.

The new hybrid trucks, currently being deployed in DC, will look exactly the same as regular UPS trucks, except for the additional labeling identifying them as hybrid electrics. So keep your eyes peeled.

Adventures, Business and Money, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, The District
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Georgetown Moby Dick’s Expanding

Photo courtesy of
‘my moby dick’
courtesy of ‘cdrummbks’

Moby Dick’s House of Kabob is tasty. Nom falafel. Nom Kebob-E Kubideh. Just Nom. Too bad their small, cramped Georgetown location at 1070 31th NW does not particularly invite sit down enjoyment of Moby’s tasty Mid-eastern fare.

Then comes word and construction permits that Moby’s is expanding the Georgetown location into the adjacent, now-defunct, laundry/dry cleaning shop.  This is a much welcomed development for those of us who wanted a dine-in experience to accompany our hummus.  Hopefully, construction will lead to a Moby’s similar to the Dupont Circle location at 1300 Connecticut Avenue.

News, The Daily Feed, The District
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DC in Bond Rating Trouble?

Photo courtesy of
‘Edward Sawyer, Boy Scout, 1918’
courtesy of ‘UA Archives | Upper Arlington History’

The Times has a piece this morning that has some concerning numbers about city spending and the state of the reserve fund. Once at $1.5B, the fund could be drawn down as low as $600M by the end of 2012, with no immediate plans to help avoid further draws on the fund. While this may sound just like rainy day spending, Wall Street, which sets the District’s credit ratings, may not be so fond of a city that’s just spending away its reserve with no plan to replenish. Currently, the District maintains a very good rating (A+, A1, A+) but should the city continue to spend down its reserve, that may not continue, costing the city in higher debt service costs.

So, in times of economic difficulty, how do you cope with a declining reserve? There are a couple options that are before the Council now: raising taxes (there’s a proposed income tax increase on all residents earning more than $200,000), cutting spending (which some coalitions argue has been cut too far in social services already) or both. It’s not a pretty picture, but it is a time for the mayoral candidates to better explain their positions.

All Politics is Local, Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, Media, The Daily Feed, The District
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U.S. Census Workers To Hit The Streets Starting In May

Photo courtesy of
‘Census #3’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

If you haven’t yet filled out your 2010 Census form, starting in May chances are you’ll be getting a friendly knock on the door from your local census worker. The U.S. Census staffer will be asking you the same questions that are on the census mail form with the hopes of upping the 69% DC’s current response rate.

The big question is, how do you know who is a legit census worker and who might be scamming you. Well, fortunately the good census folks have put together some fantastic informational videos, including what to expect/look for from a real census employee.

YouTube Preview Image
Dupont Circle, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, People, The District
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Legends of DC: Diego D’Ambrosio


Jack Evans, Diego’s Wife, and Mayor Fenty by Max Cook

About five years ago, shortly after I moved to DC from Philadelphia, I was in search of a place to get a haircut as everyone does when they move to a new city.  Those of you who know me are aware that it doesn’t require a great deal of effort to cut my hair, just some electric clippers and a straight blade.  But as a kid, my dad and I went to the same barber for years, and despite not having as much hair as I did when I was eight years old, it’s a tradition that I still enjoy today.  As a resident of Dupont Circle, it didn’t take me long to stumble upon Diego’s Hair Salon at 19th & Q Street NW.  Little did I know that I’d stumbled upon one of DC’s legends.

Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, Business and Money, History, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District
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America The Beautiful Quarters To Feature Local Sites

Photo courtesy of
‘two hundred two-bits’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Starting in 2010, the United States Mint will issue 56 quarter-dollar coins featuring designs depicting national parks and other national sites as part of the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

The first regional quarter will be for Fort McHenry National Monument representing Maryland in 2013.  Followed by Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park in 2014, Delaware’s Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in 2015 and West Virginia’s Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in 2016.  DC rounds out the pack with Frederick Douglas National Historic Site located in SE in 2017.

Each year, the public will see five new designs depicted on the tails side of America the Beautiful Quarters.  The quarters will be issued in the order in which the honored site was first established as a national site. This year the quarters will feature Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.

All Politics is Local, Business and Money, Essential DC, News, The Daily Feed, The District, We Green DC
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Zipcar Acquires The UK’s Streetcar, Car Sharing Across The Pond

Photo courtesy of
‘zip’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Zipcar, the world’s largest car sharing service, announced it has acquired Streetcar, the UK’s fastest growing car club. The acquisition will benefit both Streetcar and “Zipsters” (Zipcar members) by offering more vehicles, a greater variety of hybrid and other green cars, and more locations, and give members access to both networks’ vehicles located in cities in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

Zipcar currently offers hundreds of cars in the Metro DC area that members can rent out by the hour or day.  Car sharing services, like Zipcar, are a fantastic way to get the benefits of having a car without all of the associated costs.

Business and Money, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District, We Green DC
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DC Chef Talks Sustainable Seafood On CNN

Photo courtesy of
‘Anacostia Fish Market #34’
courtesy of ‘andertho’

Barton Seaver, executive chef at Northwest DC’s restaurant Blue Ridge appeared on CNN today to speak about the realities of seafood sustainability and ways that Americans, and the world for that matter, can make their menus more sustainable when it comes to seafood.

Seaver recommends switching out mainstream choices such as tuna, swordfish and salmon, which have been seriously over fished and over eaten, with smaller, plentiful species like mackerel, sardines, clams, catfish, oysters, and my personal favorite, anchovies. Another practical and healthy suggestion is for restaurant and home chefs to use more vegetables in their dishes. And with the DC farmers market season ready to kick into gear, it’s the perfect time to incorporate produce from local sources into our cooking.

These simple and implementable cooking choices, according to Seaver, can have a measurable impact on depleted fish populations and can help in comprehensive efforts of seafood sustainability.

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, People, The Daily Feed, The District, The Great Outdoors
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Help Send A DC Kid To Summer Camp

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

The  Ernest W. Brown Summer Camp, located in Scotland, MD and operated by MPD officers and staff of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, is in need of donations from the DC community.

The camp makes it possible for children to escape the stress of inner-city living for one week during the summer to experience camp in the country.  For some of these children, it is their first experience outside of the city.

Although The Boys and Girls Club pays for all the costs of the camp, it cannot cover the $100 individual registration fee and due to the economy and layoffs this year, there are more children than ever who cannot afford the registration fee.

You can assist in this effort by making a donation to either sponsor a child ($100), or several children or whatever contribution you are capable of. You can make checks out to the Joseph K. Smith Memorial Summer Camp Fund (a 501C3 tax deductible organization) and mail them to Samantha Nolan, 2940 Northampton Street, NW Washington, DC 20015. All contributions will be acknowledged with a letter for your taxes and will be gratefully received.

Downtown, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, Special Events, Technology, The Daily Feed, The District, We Green DC
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Flowers for Phones, April 13-14

Photo courtesy of
‘ting’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11-2pm drop off your used cell phones at either Farragut Square Park or Triangle Park and you’ll get a free potted flower to take home and a chance to win one of many cool prizes.  Collected phones will be recycled as part of the Golden Triangle’s Clean, Green & Golden week to make the District’s central business district look better than ever.

In addition to receiving some flower power, cell phone donors will be automatically entered awesome prizes from Eye Street Massage Therapy, Public Bar, Green & Blue, Taberna del Alabardero, etc. Show up at noon on Tuesday and hang with Ward 2 DC Councilman Jack Evans and possibly snag one of four $50 gift certificate for BLT Steak.

Make sure your phone has been deactivated from service, there aren’t security or privacy concerns. All makes and models of mobile phones, pagers, and PDAs are accepted—along with batteries, chargers, and other accessories. For more details on what can be recycled visit Earthworks, the Golden Triangle BID’s partner responsible for recycling the phones. Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed, The District, The Mall
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Reflecting Pool Upgrade Scheduled To Begin In 2010

Icky Pool
Photo by Hilary Levitin

The Reflecting Pool could be closed for up to two years due to a face lift scheduled to start after this summer’s tourism season, according to the Washington Examiner.

Paths surrounding the pool were eroded over time due to an exorbitant amount of tourists and residents alike passing by on a daily basis. Plus, let’s face it, the water floating around is a less-to-be-desired cesspool at this point.

Building plans for the renovation project include adding a paved, 13-foot-wide walking path on the pool’s perimeter  and changes to the pool’s water system.

Adventures, Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, The District, The Great Outdoors, Tourism
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Tourism: Dumbarton Oaks

Photo courtesy of
‘Stairs’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

If you’re looking to escape from the Cherry Blossom hoards and find your own little piece of Washington DC for a few hours, the Dumbarton Oaks house, gardens and museum have your name on it.

In 1920, U.S. Foreign Service diplomat Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss purchased a large portion of land and a 1801 Federal style house in the northern most section of Georgetown. The Blisses made significant architectural renovations and additions, such as the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection (DORCL) structure, which includes the 1963 Phillip Johnson designed Pre-Columbian Pavillion.  And more recently DORCL has welcomed a new library in 2005 and an extensive renovation of the house and museum was completed in 2008.

The museum houses, amongst other things, the significant art collection amassed by the the Blisses during their State Department life overseas.  This includes two fascinating collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts, as well as displays of tapestries, sculptures, paintings, and furniture dating from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, which can be seen in the Music Room.  Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, Business and Money, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District
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FEMA To Redraw DC Flood Maps

Photo courtesy of
‘Potomac River Floods Washington Harbour’
courtesy of ‘brownpau’

Yesterday, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced , they’d be revising flood maps for Washington, D.C. over the next six months.  Per FEMA’s flood map database, the most recent DC flood maps are from 1985, so I’d say DC is in good need of some updating.

The maps help local officials and residents identify known flood risks, and assist in making insurance and development decisions. Maps are updated, per Congressional guidance and direction, to provide communities with solid information on how to mitigate and insure against the risks posed by floods.

DC home and business owners who purchase flood insurance should talk with their local insurance agent to discuss how revised flood maps may affect their options and rates. More information on flood insurance is available at www.floodsmart.gov.