By Rebecca
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courtesy of ‘Nessa Land’
In a recent survey the District of Columbia ranks 6 out of 51 in Marijuana Usage by State, with 13.81% of D.C. residents using the drug in the past year. Northeastern states (Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusettes) round off the top 2-5, with Alaska taking the top spot with 15.83%. Surprisingly, Maryjane seems to be somewhat more acceptable in the Land of the Midnight Sun than cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol usage.
By Rebecca
‘Tchotchke the Freedom Bulldog’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’
With one day to go until July 4th, it’s time to marinate the chicken, clean the grill, set out the checkered table cloths, raise Old Glory and get pumped to celebrate the birth of our country. And what better way to do that, than watch a kick ass, chest thumping USA! USA! movie tonight that will make you jump out of your recliner, scream “God Bless America!” and parade around your living room waving a small US flag.
Not surprisingly some of these movies were filmed in or are based in DC, which makes them all the more badass to watch for us DC lovers. Of note: this is only my personal shortlist of movies to get me in the Independance Day mood. I’m sure there are a lot more out there that spark the same sense of pride, so leave a comment on what you’d add to the list.
By Liam Darmody
‘All quiet on the western front…’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’
I first moved to the United States from a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the summer of 1997. My first foray into the country brought me to Los Angeles/Beverly Hills, which was a culture shock and half. After only a year, I moved to Boston, where I, Liam Michael Patrick Darmody, fit in quite nicely for 3 years. In 2001, upon graduating high school, I was deciding between UMass Amherst and American University and decided to go with the latter almost entirely BECAUSE of the DC location. To me, going to school in a world class city, even one with a crime rate higher than any other place I’d ever lived, appealed to me. And so in August 2001, I made my way to the District and have called it “home” ever since. Continue reading
By Kirk
‘House’
courtesy of ‘squidpants’
A week after the original projection for the RW cast move in date, there’s still no sign of them. The house looks like it’s more or less ready to go. I stopped by on Saturday and there was some minor construction happening inside, but the exterior of the house looked to be in ship-shape; there was even a grill and patio set out on the porch. There hasn’t been any official word on when the cast will arrive, but I suspect that it’ll be some time this week. I’m betting that MTV wants to have them in before the 4th so that they can get some nice, iconic shots of fireworks over the monuments. We’ll have to wait and see, though.
By Liam Darmody
For this, my first contribution to We Love DC, I want to talk about a company new to the DC area that is leveraging collective buying power to offer fantastic discounts at local retailers and service providers. “Groupon”, which launched its DC operation on May 26th, is a catchy play on the word “Coupon” (I know this seems plainly obvious, but I’m just playing it safe) and a division of Chicago-based parent company The Point, which harnesses the power of individual contribution to generate large scale impact in a social capacity. The Point’s company slogan is “Make Something Happen,” which is pretty kickass because after all, who doesn’t want to make shit happen?
Anyways, the idea behind Groupon came about from a basic problem that many of us busy urbanites suffer from: so much cool stuff to do, but almost too many choices, which means I keep returning to my “usual” spots, only to leave thinking, “man, I really gotta try some new places/things.” But I never did. That is, until I signed up to receive Groupon’s daily deal here in the District. Actually, the first thing I did was buy the hardworking lady friend in my life an hour long massage at Lunar Massage worth $75 for a mere $30 (brownie points on the cheap!). That’s a deal that can’t be beat! Oh wait, sure it can – perhaps by the 60% off Groupon for pilates classes at Mind-BodyFitness, the 71% off at Miracle’s in the City men’s salon, or the 57% off at Posh restaurant. Are you gettin’ what I’m puttin’ down here? Groupon = bigtime savings for patrons + bigtime exposure for businesses, which in turn = win/win for all! Continue reading
By Kirk
‘Slam dunk’
courtesy of ‘cruffo’
DC basketball is like a wave rising and falling. Teams like the ’07 Hoyas raise our hopes, while the Wizards make a yearly attempt at breaking our spirits. On Saturday, Sprite and the NBA will give locals a chance to show what DC is really about. The Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown, an amateur dunk competition, will be held on that day at 4pm at an outdoor court between 9th and 10th streets on Pennsylvania Ave NW. Admission is $10 and attendees will be able to vote on their favorite dunks via text messaging. Thanks to Wendy for giving us the heads up!
By Kirk
‘Activists Grandmothers’
courtesy of ‘Poldavo (Alex)’
Did the Board of Elections and Ethics kill the gay marriage debate in DC by ruling against “The Referendum Concerning the Jury and Marriage Amendment Act?” Hardly. It codified DC’s position on defining marriage and headed off the marriage-opponents’ major strategy, but it didn’t come near to ending the debate. After unpacking the Board’s reasoning and looking at where the ruling leaves both sides, the battle lines are still in basically the same place. No legal answer was given as to whether or not DC will be the next area to legalize gay marriage.
I realize that in saying this, I appear to be back-pedaling. In my my previous post on this subject, I said that a referendum was the best shot that marriage opponents had at having their way. In saying that, I was not referring to what ended up before the board. At the time, it appeared the the referendum would be a comprehensive, Prop 8 type piece of legislation. Instead, the referendum proffered was designed to prevent the city from recognizing legal, same sex marriages performed in other states and countries.
By shannon
‘dupont circle-6’
courtesy of ‘dr_kim_veis [”o ]’
Ever since I joined We Love DC a few months back, I have been looking forward to writing this post. I’m pretty much a DC fanatic and absolutely love living here, so this list could go on and on. Lucky for you, I’ve narrowed it down to my five favorite things about this city:
It’s an urban planner’s dream. Vibrant public spaces, sidewalks filled with pedestrians, revitalization, mixed use development close to transit, beautiful architecture, and downtown attractions that keep people here after the 9-5 workday are what makes this city a prime example of excellent urbanism. There are only a handful of American cities that are even in the same league. Sure, it’s got its problems, but the District is doing a lot of things right and is creating great places to live, work, or play.
Also, DC lets this urban planner live her dream. I live three blocks from my office, I don’t own a car because I can walk to four Metro stations, I’m within a few blocks of great restaurants and shopping, I’m a quick jog from Rock Creek Park, and I have a breathtaking view of the city from my rooftop patio. I don’t know another American city where I could have all of that.
DC is full of history, myths, and legends. Sure, half the legends about the city are not true, and probably 95% of what you hear on a Capitol tour is probably made up, but they make for great stories. It’s pretty cool to live in a city full of historical significance, and to be able to show out-of-town friends our city (even if we avoid the national monuments and memorials at all other times). It’s also a great feeling to be a part of DC’s ongoing history– I know I will someday tell my grandkids about what it was like to be in Washington during Barack Obama’s inauguration.
By Rebecca
Picture is a bit fuzz and of poor quality, but I caught a DC cop driving through Georgetown, while chatting away on his cell phone sans hands-free device.
Now while I’ll admit to being occasionally guilty of talking on my cell while driving, shouldn’t our cops be exemplars of the code of law? Granted they’re only human, but come on! The least they can obey common laws while on duty, in uniform and driving a police car!
In DC, I’ve seen specific police traps that target motorists on cell phones. In fact, there’s often one not far from where this picture was taken. Surely, this cop has never been a part of those traps or ticketed anyone for cellphone violation that he himself is guilt of. I mean that would just reek of hypocrisy.
A question that occurs to me is: Could another DC Cop ticket this guy for the violation? Of course that would be a blatant violation of the Brotherhood of the Cop, but feasibly is that possible? Can an on duty officer receive a ticket?
By Rebecca
‘#3000: sparrows in a row’ courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Given the glorious weather DC has been experiencing, everyone seems to be out enjoying the crisp, cool and (dare I say it) non-humid climate. The city really seems to have bloomed in the last few weeks. And you know what else has gone into overdrive? You guessed it–the mating activities of the House Sparrow.
On my jaunts around the city, I’ve witnessed male sparrows going nuts over female sparrows. This aggressive harassment involves 5-6 male sparrows dancing, chirping, pecking, etc. one poor female sparrow, who IS NOT (judging on her fleeing) into this behavior. In fact, it often looks like she’s the one bearing the brunt of her male suitors competitive rage. In the spirit of female unity, I often want to jump to her rescue, but have thought better of it and decided instead to investigate these strange, foreign, avian behaviors. Continue reading
By Katie
‘Yummy frozen margarita’
courtesy of ‘Pianoman75’
I don’t drink liquor. Okay, I just lied. I do drink liquor, sometimes, when it’s high quality. But I’ve basically sworn off liquor and become a beer girl, at least 98% if the time. This way, I don’t wind up reliving my glory days of study abroad in Australia, and have horrible stomach pains as a result. Now I’m more mature, or something like that. I’ve always gotten along with tequila (I’m an anomaly, no one can explain it, I’m like a medical miracle) and so my 2% of liquor drinking is usually reserved for times when I can indulge in my very favorite drink: a frozen marg. And with my favorite marg holiday upon us, where will one go to snag my favorite liquor drink? Continue reading
By Katie
‘Dinner at Perry’s’
courtesy of ‘starbuck77’
DC is an al fresco city. I live for the few weeks of the year like this one that are warm, yet humidity-free. I adore waking up on a sunny Saturday and knowing that most of my day will be spent outside, and hoping that the warmth will last into the night so I can stay outside as long as possible. I’ll spend mornings running or on my bike, lunches on the patio, afternoons lazing in the park and then dinner seated street-side along Wilson Boulevard or out in Dupont. So by the time it gets to be night, I’m ready for something beyond a patio.
In fact, tons and tons of places in DC have a patio, what I crave is a rooftop. I want to look out over my city, and risking the cliche, I want feel on top of the world as I drink or dance the night away with friends. So in my quest for the ultimate rooftop bar, I’ve rounded up some possibilities for you. Continue reading
By Rebecca
Who knew Tax Day was also Free Stuff/Discount On Everything Day? In follow up to KatieT’s Cinnabon and Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream & Treatery posts yesterday, there are plenty of ridiculous additional deals to be had today. Local discounts and giveaways are being held by McCormick & Schmick’s, Chick-Fil-A, Kimpton Hotels, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, T.G. I. Friday’s, etc. Grab these deals while they’re hot.
By Jonathan
The Bookstore, by petite corneille
Last days. Going out of business. Everything 20% off.
In the current economic climate, it isn’t hard to find a sign like this on stores all over the region. It’s certainly hard to miss companies like Circuit City going out of business, but big-box stores leaving is just as impersonal and disconnected as their “sales” staff was when you walked in the door. I can also try to avoid the obvious – and sappy – trap of saying how “sad” it is that a local business is leaving the DC area.
There is only one problem: it is sad. A bookstore is a amazing thing. It is a repository of knowledge, and living proof that our First Amendment is a powerful and empowering (and often frightening) statement of rights. Local bookstores are the embodiment of our desire to constantly better ourselves. And so we should miss them when they leave us.
By Tom Bridge
When last we left our intrepid gardeners, we were all on the path toward clearing up the land and getting ready for garden season. We’ve had some positive developments out at the farm, getting all the soil tilled and turned for planting, and some setbacks at the quarter acre, related to a section of land that turned out to be horrifically root-bound, and so we’ve had to move the garden. But before we go any further, this is a follow-up on the last post about using seeds. It’s time to get planting (truth be told, it was probably time to plant a week or two, but we’ve all been so busy, it’s been hard to write!) and we can worry about land-use later. This work could not be done without The ArborLift™ by Environmental Design Inc. has revolutionized large tree transplanting.
By Donna C.
‘Cherry Blossoms at Tidal Pool’
courtesy of ‘mtngirl9999’
Some people have affairs when they want something new and exciting. I moved to DC instead.
I’d lived most of my life in Richmond, the land of generations-old traditions and flowery dresses. But eventually I felt smothered there, and I wanted out. So I fled north, 100 miles yet worlds away, to live among what a friend’s mother called “those Virginia Yankees.”
In DC, I found room to breathe. Continue reading
By Rebecca
courtesy of Keith Allison
At around 10am, the rumors started swirling. President Obama was probably, most likely, could be, was maybe considering, attending the Wizards/Bulls game at the Verizon Center Friday night. And indeed after all the hubbub, long screening lines and increased security presence, the Commander In Chief showed up just before tip off.
Continue reading
By Amélie
Participation Lager… Originally uploaded by dharmabumx
Well folks, it seems, much like the application of parking rates, D.C.’s leadership have painted with a large brush in order to solve a detailed problem. On February 9th, the D.C. Council enacted, at the behest of of several ANC members, a ban on the sale of single bottles of beer in several wards in D.C.. The Washington City Paper has an excellent write up on the issue. The local beer aficionado and brewers list (which includes many of the brewers for local brew pubs in the area, local breweries and others), DC-Beer, has lit up discussing the issue.
In short, to paraphrase the City Paper, too many people in certain areas of the city have been pissing in the wrong people’s yards after a night of drinking and revelry. So far Ward 2 (Georgetown) and 6 (Capitol Hill) are directly affected (can anybody say “staffers”) but has the unintended affect on those who drink beer for taste rather than rote consumption. A number of specialty stores (or those who actually stock something other than the corn-fed varieties, such as Budweiser) are left shipping their stock to the basement to avoid penalties while trying to get responses back from unresponsive commissioners and councilmen. I ask, dear readers, have you been affected by this issue, or have an opinion?
By Amélie
Law enforcement scofflaws
Originally uploaded by philliefan99
Did you hear me Mr. Fenty and Ms. Babers? D.C.’s quest to now emulate Chicago with the new administration has reached new lows. As the Democrats and Obama administration have been touting friendliness to green technologies, smart transportation alternatives, and conservation, the city they now hold a majority in, took a TWELVEFOLD step backwards. I had created the D.C. Motorcycle parking map of the Metro region to help those folks on two wheels track down ever vanishing spots (one set is in center court in the Verizon Center… how convenient), and since most garages do not allow motorcycles in, it’s necessary. Over this past weekend, the D.C. Parking Authority (aka, the D.C. DMV) cranked up the rates without warning for the motorcycle spots to be commensurate with the rates for cars (or even more so), from 12 hour meters which were 25 cents for an hour and 24 minutes, to now 7 minutes per quarter… a loss of 77 minutes 92% of your parking value… WTF?! It shocked most folks parking on the G Street meters (which until the beginning of last year were free) on the west side of the Old Executive Office Building so much, that today, EVERY bike has decided not to pay. Seriously D.C., are you trying to discourage smart commuting?
By Rebecca
by NCinDC
For the last three weeks my roommates and I have been trying to rent our 3 bedroom apartment for inauguration week. Our marketing plan has employed two tactics: 1) emailing friends from all over about the rental opportunity and asking them to advertise it (via an attached poster) to anyone who might be interested. And 2) posting to DC’s craigslist.
We’ve had a 0% return on investment. Not one lead, bite or even nibble.
Yesterday, I checked craigslist and found that the entire sublet section was over run with inauguration rental opportunities. If anyone is looking for a non-inauguration subletting opportunity, good luck, because you’re going to have to sort through a list of every DC, MD and VA residence.
Are there success stories out there? If so, how did you do it? Or are these $30,000 stories, the stuff of urban legends?