‘Metro on the Move’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission has voted to end its participation and funding of the program that provides free bus rides on code red days due to cost. So no more free rides into the city on poor air quality days for Virginia residents, which sucks, because it actually did get people out of their cars. The participating Maryland counties have indicated that they will continue with the program.
By shannon
‘Logan rowhomes’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’
This week: Logan Circle! With a great mix of housing and retail, good connections to the city’s transportation network, and proximity to downtown, Logan Circle is one of DC’s most sought-after neighborhoods. What makes it so great? Well…
History: Logan Circle was part of Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for DC, and was called Iowa Circle until 1930, when Congress renamed it to honor Civil War hero John Logan. After the Civil War, the area became home to DC’s wealthy and powerful, and by the turn of the century it was home to many black leaders, including Mary McLeod Bethune. Logan Circle, along with nearby Shaw, became the epicenter of Black Washington in the early- to mid-1900s. Continue reading
By jasmine
‘__ ________ _ _ _ _ _’
courtesy of ‘Sexy Fitsum’
Dust off those dancin’ shoes, because the district is chock full of options for getting your groove on this weekend. Tonight is Rock and Roll Hotel’s free Epic Dance Party, with mash-ups of 50 Cent and golden oldies, and DC9‘s Liberation Dance Party ($6). Last time I went to Liberation, it was a great time but the room filled up quickly, so get there early!
I still can’t decide between the Black Cat‘s two options for Saturday night: Mousetrap, full of fun Britpop, or local band Ra Ra Rasputin, which has been described as “a sugar rush of catchy exuberant rock that has no problem keeping their captivated crowd moving.” Decisions, decisions!
By Tom Bridge
old school
Originally uploaded by NCinDC
I was driving through Southwest yesterday afternoon, looking for a monument to focus on for this morning’s Monumental feature, and drove past the beautiful new Department of Transportation building on M Street. They have a number of transportation-focused art installations (including one with a navigation buoy that’s pretty neat, and that I nearly stopped to photograph), but, apparently the Department frowns on that sort of photography, and tries to chase people away from photographing the art out of some veiled security theatre reference, and the guards won’t even properly identify themselves.
Photography, when done on public property (like, say, a sidewalk in front of a federal building?) isn’t a crime, and shouldn’t be treated like a crime. You’re concerned about terrorism, I get that, but hassling some guy on a bike with a DSLR? That’s not your target market. Take a chill pill, we just want some good photos.
By Katie
‘The Pour’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’
It’s a drink-focused round-up this week, but I think that’s because spring is in the air and all of us are practically clawing at our office doors to escape to grab a beer on the patio with friends. That said – Earth Day, jazz brunches, cocktails from the city’s best mixologists and a new team at Sonoma make up all the news that is fit to eat in the District this week. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘Titanic~esque’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’
In 1931, Helen Herron Taft, the widow of President Taft, unveiled the grey granite statue overlooking the Potomac just about where the Kennedy Center stands today. The statue now stands down on the Washington Channel near Fort Lesley McNair in Southwest. Just to the south of the Waterfront became the home for the Titanic Memorial.
The Memorial is dedicated to the men aboard the Titanic who gave their spots in lifeboats to women and children and perished in the shipwreck in the North Atlantic. Scribed at the bottom is the dedication, the kind of thing you wouldn’t see on a modern monument, from the “Women of America.”
The monument itself is pretty well hidden down in Southwest, and I ended up driving past it a couple times, and getting lost more than once. Park at the roundabout near the Harbor Police Office on Water Street, and there’s a footpath to the south of the roundabout. Take it down two blocks past O Street down to the memorial. Looks like a great place to ride your bike down to. With the weather today being off-the-charts-for-Awesome, and better expected for the Weekend, take a bike on out to the Monument’s location in Southwest. It’s worth a trip.
By Don
‘hope and hopelessness’
courtesy of ‘erin m’
Eric’s speech for being the law and order candidate needs some fine tuning.
Even though many of my neighbors suspect that the loiterers who congregate on that corner are attempting to buy or sell drugs, newborn puppies, or sex, I know the truth. People travel to the corner of 3rd and Emerson to eat food and drink beverages, then drop the empty containers and wrappers on the ground.
Seriously, between Wayan policing the poop and Eric picking up the trash it’s a wonder Petworth isn’t the cleanest section of the city.
By Donna C.
‘Hains Point Trees’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
Fast on the heels of the cherry blossoms, here come Earth Day! Starting this evening, there will be green events all around town. You can find volunteer activities and fun events through the Earth Day Network, and you can sign up to join a Town Hall in your area through Focus the Nation.
Here’s a smattering of the Earth Day celebrations around town.
Thursday, April 16
Attend Doggie Happy Hour:
5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., Alexandria, Hotel Monaco.
Join Aveda and Potomac Conservancy for a special cocktail hour, raffle, and specialty drinks, such as the Pink Poodle and a Dirty Water Martini. Benefit for the Potomac Conservancy.
Saturday, April 18
Clean Up the Anacostia River:
8:30 a.m. – noon, at more than 30 sites in the District and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Help clean the second river in the United States to be so clogged with litter that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified it as “impaired by trash.” You’ll get a free 2009 Earth Day reusable tote bag and can join a party until 2 p.m. at Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Bladensburg, MD.
Continue reading
By Amélie
‘Yann Tiersen 27’
courtesy of ‘Shadowgate’
Last night’s US premiere of musician and composer, Yann Tiersen, marked the opening of the season of events hosted by the ‘La Maison Française‘ (or “The French House“) Franco-American cultural exchange at the French Embassy. They are scheduling event’s throughout the summer and vary their selections from music (jazz, folk, classical, and rock) to other performances (cabaret, opera, theater) and are held in a very intimate setting on the grounds. If the actual quality of the performance isn’t enough, remember, this is France, and a complimentary wine tasting ensued after the performance (I only wished for cheese and bread to follow!).
By Don
‘doesn’t fit the normal stereotype’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com put together an interesting aggregation of attendance at “Tea Party” events around the country and he lists the D.C. event at aproximately 1,000 people. His sources are linked, and in the case of D.C. it’s an AFP article. I wonder if the turnout would have been different had the weather been more cooperative?
By Tom Bridge
‘denim-03.jpg’
courtesy of ‘Shooting Nouns’
Oh George. I have never understood your fashion crusade. Sure, you’re a bright guy, you’re even a baseball fan (even if you do like the Cubs), but now you just sound like you belong on a porch, swinging your cane at these kids today with your hatred for the denim-wearing crowd.
It’s all about context, Mr. Will. Wearing jeans to see the President? Epic fail. Wearing jeans to the office where you will just sit and write all day? Where’s the harm? You may not have noticed it in your single wearing, but a good pair of your favorite jeans are far more comfortable than your average suit pants or khakis. And, if you work a desk or a phone, there’s no harm in wearing a great shirt and a good jacket with a pair of jeans at a casual event.
No one’s arguing for the abolition of the 3-piece suit, George. But calling jeans a misuse of freedom? I hardly know where to go with that, except to wonder if perhaps you got up on the wrong side of reality before you wrote that polemic.
What do you say, DC, jeans as anathema? Or jeans as acceptable?
By Katie
‘you need time for you’
courtesy of ‘dMap Travel Guide’
You can go ahead an insert the obligatory comments about the horrible economy plus how stressful everyone’s jobs are at the moment, and therefore make the obvious case for the increased need for stress-reducing treatments. Duh. You know my intro already. But let’s be realistic in our cost benefit analysis – is $120 for a massage going to make you feel better or worse about your financial situation? Right, you’re rolling your eyes, that’s what I thought.
But just because you can’t afford it doesn’t mean you don’t still need it. So I’m here to help you, friend, find a cheaper ticket to stress-less-ville. I’ve got a few cost-saving tips if you want to go to a professional spa, and then a few quick ideas and links if you’re up for a do it yourself spa session. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘Bebo Trattoria’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
Noooooooooo! Tom Sietsema is reporting that Bebo Trattoria has closed, as it had lost about 40% of their business this year so far. That means that the DC area is without a Roberto Donna eatery until he can reopen Galileo in the old Butterfield 9 location.
By AcaciaO
‘Obama & Grateful Dead Bears’
courtesy of ‘ann-dabney’
In the department of Wishing You Could be a Fly on the Wall, word got out yesterday that President Obama had a secret meeting with the four surviving members of the Grateful Dead. Last October the sometimes feuding Dead reunited for an Obama benefit concert in Pennsylvania.
They had a chat with the President in the Oval Office Monday, where they apparently noted a vase of Scarlet Begonias in the White House. Nice relevant greenery placement, Executive Office. Preceding their nighttime concert at the Verizon Center, the band grabbed some grub at the famed Old Ebbitt Grill.
By Tom Bridge
‘National Postal Museum’
courtesy of ‘cliff1066’
Several Post Offices have changed their hours for today to accommodate the true procrastinator for your taxes. There are several post offices open until 8pm tonight, and two that are open until Midnight, so you can still get that April 15th Postmark on your tax returns. Again, remember, if you’re owed money, the deadline isn’t as crucial as for those of you that owe the Feds. Click onward for a google map of the various post offices and their special closing times.
By AcaciaO
‘Menopause Two’
courtesy of ‘David Jackmanson’
This morning I noticed that Bethesda Theatre is showing two of my hometown’s favorites in their 2009 Off-Broadway Series. Yesterday, Menopause the Musical “A Hilarious Celebration of Women and the Change” opened at the theater. Come May, Mike Dugan’s one-man-performance “Men Fake Foreplay” will open. The website for the later, I was interested to find, contains praise-filled blurbs from both the Syracuse New Times and the Auburn Citizen.
That being said, Syracuse, I love you, but sometimes, your tastes are not my tastes (I have a google alert for “Syracuse ridiculous disaster“).
By Katie
‘Memorial Bridge – Photog Walk – 3-7-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
VDOT reports all lanes on 395 Southbound are closed at Washington Blvd. Use HOV lanes. Expect traffic delays into the District.
Ew.
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 Ben H. Rome
‘W.H. Taft (LOC)’ courtesy of ‘The Library of Congress’
Did you know that vehicle registration in the District has dropped?
According to a new report being presented today, registrations dropped almost six percent between 2005 and 2008, from 258,100 to 243,200. The drop is significant in that when compared to U.S. Census data, the population in DC increased 1.7 percent.
As a comparison, Maryland and Virginia communities around the DC metro area increased between 3 and 6 percent.
What’s not known is why the drop has occurred, though there are theories.
By brownpau
‘Tea Party in DC’ (courtesy ‘skye820’)
In addition to Tax Day, today is the official Fox News/Freedom Works “Tea Party” Day, when thousands, nay, millions of outraged conservatives who do not know what teabagging really means will descend on DC to protest taxes, because a Keynesian stimulus package and a ~3% increase in the marginal tax rate for the super-rich marks the end of the Republic as we know it. Updates and pics after the jump: Continue reading
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