We all love to complain about our commutes here in DC, but what if traffic congestion isn’t such a bad thing? The Smart Growth Speaker Series continues on Tuesday the 14th with a lunchtime presentation at the National Building Museum on how transportation projects can be successful even if they don’t tackle congestion. Ellen Greenberg, former Research Director for the Congress for New Urbanism, will discuss various ways to measure success in transportation that don’t necessarily make cars move faster. It’s often difficult to get support for transportation projects if they can’t promise fewer traffic delays, but a lot of things that make good urban places (like narrow streets and pedestrian crosswalks and bike lanes) don’t really improve congestion. The event is free and open to the public.
Do you need a massage? Of course you do! A mani-pedi? Quite possibly, yes! An antioxidant facial? Duh. Can you afford these luxuries? PSH, NO! Except, wait, cause yes you can! DC Spa Week is fast approaching, from April 13-19th, spas all across the DC metro area are offering $50 special spa treatments. Hot spa treatments open up the skin’s pores, help the body to ward off toxins, and also encourage the body to burn calories. Additionally, deep tissue massages can help the body to break down fatty deposits through the pressure and friction exerted on the skin.
The Med Spa list includes such upscale locations like the Red Door Spa by Elizabeth Arden, and The Pearl at the Ritz Carleton alongside individually operated spas in the area, you would be mesmerized by how easy it is to set an appointment online thanks to their incredibly easy to use website, you could read more to see how they manage to do it.
Massages are the most popular treatment, but you can snag a hair cleanse and gloss, body scrubs, green tea facials and some places are even offering highlights and haircuts for $50. It’s like the Restaurant Week of relaxation. Treatments that may be provided include body massage, hair, foot massage, facials, waxing, microdermabrasion, body treatments, manicures, pedicures, aromatherapy, moxibustion, ear candling, and gua sha (scraping). To book an appointment or buy spa products, visit the emeraldspa website.
It goes without saying that visiting a spa is a fantastic way to relax and de-stress. A visit to the spa offers a great opportunity to separate yourself from life’s everyday stressors and have some precious ‘me time’. Allowing yourself this time to wind down and relax has so many additional benefits, such as a clear mind and increased productivity once you leave your treatment!
Sign up to view all the deals, and snag one at a spa near you.
In the wake of first Iowa and then Vermont legalizing gay marriage in the last week, the DC Council just voted, unanimously, to recognize gay marriages from other states. Gay couples married in other states were previously automatically recognized as domestic partners under DC law, but today’s vote specifically recognizes gay couples married in states where it is legal as married couples.
Hot damn, DC Council. Yes, this is going to piss off the very same Congress that doesn’t want to let DC make its own gun laws. And yes, it’ll only get worse for Home Rule if DC tries to legalize gay marriage itself. But as Council member Harry Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5) says, “We as a council need to stand in the right place and take the gray area out.”
‘DSC_0007’ courtesy of ‘captpaddy@sbcglobal.net’
If you think your water smells like a swimming pool this week, you’re right. The District and portions of Northern Virginia are putting chlorine in the water to keep biofilm–which sounds like scary gunk–from collecting on the pipes and impairing water quality. As part of this annual flush, you may also see water pouring from fire hydrants.
It’s entirely possible that I’m out of the loop here, but I’ve never seen a front page of a newspaper that consists entirely of an advertisement. The other day I picked up an Express for the first time in ages and thought, “What am I looking at? Where are all of the eye catching headlines that they normally sport on the front page?” Instead I was looking at a full page ad about surfing in Sandbridge, VA: “Live Passionately. Virginia is for Lovers.” Oh so that’s what it’s for.
Are times really that tough out there? If so, does this sort of scheme generate enough ad revenue to keep the WaPo from axing the Express? If most readers are like me, they’ll quickly turn to the real front page, never visit Virginia.org, and never develop a passionate love for surfing in Virginia.
Increasing revenue is the name of the game these days; even our free museums aren’t immune.
According to WaPo, the Smithsonian will be extending its hours into the evening during the summer. Tourists and residents alike can enjoy an extra two hours a day (until 7:30 p.m.) at the Natural Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History and the ever-popular National Air and Space Museum until Labor Day.
The Smithsonian has been challenged with cuts due to declining endowment revenue and is hoping the extra few hours will result in increased retail and donation streams.
Yesterday, before watching my Tar Heels snag our fifth Championship title (squee!), I headed over to Zaytinya for a media preview of the Easter Menu.
While I’m still basking in the glow of my University of National Champions win, the Easter food and drink at Zaytinya certainly added to the wonderfulness of yesterday. So let me see if I can focus on food for a moment and tell you all about the Easter Festival headed our way… Continue reading →
Before catching 24 last night, we caught the last appearance of Kal Penn (famous for Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle) on House. As it turns out, Penn is coming to DC to work for the White House. He’ll be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison, with an office in the OEOB. Welcome to DC, Kal, we hope you love it here as much as we do.
I figured after the Maryland Legislature threatened not to fund U-MD for next year, the screening of Pirates 2 was all over but the crying (and the mopping, and the disinfecting), but that appears to not be the case. Apparently a group of students is intending to hold a screening anyway, and hold a free speech discussion before the movie. Of course, that means the legislators who threatened to withhold funding are doing so again.
I’ll give you one guess which party they belong to.
While the post on DCMetroCentric may be dated April first, the award is real. Frank Gehry has been selected to design the Eisenhower Memorial in Eisenhower Square (in front of the Dept. of Education). Gehry’s last attempt at a DC structure was the extension to the Corcoran Gallery and School, which was very similar in feeling and shape to some of his more famous recent works, including the Guggenheim Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Tourist season is here: you can feel it on the sidewalk, on the Mall, around the Tidal Basin, and especially on the left sides of downtown Metro escalators. Washington Post reports that DC tourism is up, but that hasn’t necessarily translated to increased revenue for local retail and hospitality businesses. DC, after all, is Freebie Tourism Central: free monuments, museums, parks, even the zoo. Proximity day-trippers account for a large part of the influx of travelers: people driving in from nearby, not staying at hotels overnight, or opting to crash in local relatives’ guest rooms. Continue reading →
Of course that’s just residency numbers. There’s over a million people in the city during the workday, so you might not want to look to see what that noise is in the next cubicle.
Okay it just changes the result to 152m, but that was funny, dammit!
One of the cool things about DC is that it’s relatively easy to get the President of the United States to swing by and throw out the first pitch of your team’s baseball season. I happen to think it’s cool no matter what I think of the person occupying the office at the time.
And it’s one of the things that gives me a little case of DC-superiority; the Nationals will have President Obama throwing out their first pitch a week from today at their home opener. The Baltimore Orioles’ home opener today, and they’ll be settling for Vice President Biden. So the guy in this picture will go through just as much security today as I will next week, but he’ll see the person whose Constitutional role consists of little more than, “That Other Guy on the Ticket.” But it’s still a big deal- VP Biden will be the first sitting vice president to throw out a ceremonial first pitch (edited to add) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. (Thanks for catching that one, mysterious anonymous commenter.)
Did someone lose a kayak on the Potomac River recently? I just spotted this one floating downstream beside Washinton Harbour this morning, “Acadia DC 3128 N.” If it didn’t get stuck there I expect it might be down at Kennedy Center by now.
I wait for this day, every year. Baseball sleeps deep in me each winter, and its return is one I celebrate like a friend who’s come home after a long sojourn. Today marks Opening Day, and I’ll spare you long speeches (but, if you want one, you can read mine) about the game, or its teams. The O’s and Nats both start their seasons today. The Nats play on the road at 4:10pm, today, against the Marlins in Florida, and The Orioles play their home opener (weather permitting…) against the Yankees at Camden at 4:05pm.
The two foodie trends of Spring ’09 I’ve noticed? Brunch and raw meat. Not necessarily together, thank goodness, but still – breakfast and meat-eries are going strong this year. Adding to the line of new butchers/charcuterie places is The Butcher’s Block, a Market by RW, located at 1600 King Street, next door to sister restaurants BRABO Tasting Room and BRABO.
The Butcher’s Block is “a chef-driven market with a wide selection of value wines, international beers, artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, prime cut meats, desserts, dry goods and home cooking accessories”. In addition to the charcuterie, pates, sausages and terrines, The Butcher’s Block sells prime cuts of rib-eye, fillet, lamb tenderloin, veal chops, pork loin, rabbit and chicken. Chef Wiedmaier sources much of his meat from the region, and he offers braised lamb shank, pork and beef carbonnade that can be purchased with his signature sauces to be heated and served at home.
On your way to a picnic along the Alexandria waterfront or off to Mount Vernon? Customers can schedule to pick up crusty baguettes still warm from the oven, and purchase freshly made sandwiches and seasonal salads for a grab-and-go picnic. Sandwiches come with choice of beverage and potato chips or fruit for $12. Perfect for your next lazy weekend afternoon – a nice thought to get you through the Monday doldrums.
Even though the Caps lost tonight against the still-alive Nashville Predators Buffalo Sabres, the loss came in overtime, which gave the Caps a much-needed point. That point clinched the Southeast Division for them; for the second year in a row, you can call the Caps “Division Champs.”
Congrats to Coach Bruce Boudreau and the entire squad for an amazing ride this year. Having garnered over 100 points in the standings and strongly holding the second playoff seed with a week remaining in regular season, the Capitals are gathering momentum at just the right time. Let’s just hope they keep lighting the lamp and push farther into the playoffs than last year.
I had forgotten, The Post does rebrand Tech Crunch, which makes it’s the Post’s problem, too, when Michael Arrington goes out on a limb and the branch snaps off. How’s that got to feel over on 15th street when one of the people that’s not under their control wrecks a story like that?
Fairfax County authorities are alerting residents to several incidents of rabid animals around the county. So if you’re out that way, please check to ensure that your pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations (required by law for all dogs and cats almost everywhere, including Fairfax County). Make sure you have documentation of the vaccination handy as well- dogs who bite humans are often put down on the assumption of rabies if the victim doesn’t want to get vaccinated himself, so be sure you can prove your animals are rabies-free.
Finally, be aware of your own safety- aggression is a telltale sign of rabies. A wild animal will almost always prefer to avoid you rather than attack you, unless it’s rabid. So if that racoon is running toward you, run away and call Animal Control; it’s not trying to make friends.
I spent several years of my young life working in Uncle Chuck’s Camera Emporium Wolf Camera, so on my priority list going into a Ritz Camera ranks somewhere between… swapping hankerchiefs with SARS carriers and stabbing myself in the face.
However, Dealmac reveals that the closeout sales start tomorrow. They’re closing almost half their stores as part of their chapter 11 restructuring and apparently will be discounting items to get them off the shelves. Personally I’m not optimistic the deals will be that great or include many worthwhile things; I imagine that anything that can be moved will likely be shuffled out to more profitable stores – they still have about 400 that will continue to do business. However it should not be a repeat of the Circuit City nonsense where a 3rd party liquidator peddles things at list prices that are above what you’d pay anywhere – these sales are still through Ritz themselves as they try to reorg.
If you want to give it a shot I’ve culled all the closing stores from our surrounding area from the (annoyingly not-sorted-by-state list) PDF linked in the Dealmac article. It looks like all the ones in our area are closing, but check the list below the jump before you head out just to be sure. Continue reading →
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