Archive for the ‘Mythbusting DC’ Category
Mythbusting: The Internet was invented in Arlington?
‘IMP Control Panel’courtesy of ‘Erik Pitti’
This past week, just about every DC-based news outlet has picked up the Associated Press story that Arlington County is dedicating a plaque at 1400 Wilson Boulevard to commemorate the birthplace of the Internet-predecessor, the ARPANET. While there’s no question that DARPA, namesake of the network, was deeply and inextricably [...]
DC Mythbusting: The Washington Monument
‘Washington Monument, Washington, DC’
courtesy of ‘NeonGods’
George Washington was born 279 years ago today, and for the past 126 years our city’s skyline has been dominated by a tribute to him. The Washington Monument is an iconic piece of architecture, but there are so many myths and legends about it that it could be one of [...]
DC Mythbusting: You’re Saying it Wrong
‘I before E’
courtesy of ‘dharmabumx’
Neighborhood names are a touchy subject here in the District, and residents tend to get riled up about what an area is called or what a Metro station is named. But outside of that, are we even saying these names properly? Chances are you’re actually saying or writing some of these [...]
DC Mythbusting: DC Flag
‘DC Slices Flag’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
We love seeing how the District ranks against other cities (not against entire states, thank you very much), especially when we come out on top. So here’s another first place trophy for DC: the best-designed city flag. Back in 2004, the flag experts of North America (called vexillologists) [...]
DC Mythbusting: Museums
‘Postal Museum — Washington, DC’
courtesy of ‘K’s Clicks’
One of the greatest things about living in DC is the proximity of so many great museums. Always wanted to be a spy? Fascinated by textiles? Love American military medicine? DC is your place. And while you might not be fighting the crowds at every museum (I don’t [...]
DC Mythbusting: Everything You Thought You Knew About DC is Wrong
‘The first Inch of winter 2010-11′
courtesy of ‘ianseanlivingston’
In the spirit of wrapping up the year with a nice little bow on it, welcome to a roundup of our favorite myths over the past year. There are so many myths about the transportation, history, and culture of the District that we’ve dug into this year. [...]
DC Mythbusting: A Bus By Any Other Name
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Welcome to another edition of DC Mythbusting. This week we’re looking into the Metrobus system. The rail system is easy enough to understand– it is organized by color, with five lines in total. But there are over 300 bus routes serving the DC area, so the color system wouldn’t [...]
DC Mythbusting: Pierre L’Enfant Planned DC
‘L’Enfant’s Plan at Freedom Plaza’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’
Ask just about any Washingtonian who planned the city, and they’ll know it was some French guy, or maybe they’ll even come up with his name, Pierre L’Enfant. But that wasn’t always the case– for years, Pierre L’Enfant never got credit for designing the city. So while we all [...]
DC Mythbusting: Deep Blue DC
‘elephant or donkey?’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80′
DC is a special place: it’s the center of the country’s political power, but it has little to no political power of its own. And every election season, our city is cast as just about the worst possible place in the world. The District is notoriously left-leaning, but we’re about to [...]
DC Mythbusting: Obscure Monuments and Memorials
‘Albert Einstein’
courtesy of ‘afagen’
Having lived in the District for several years, and considering myself pretty knowledgeable about how to get around the city, I’m always happy to point tourists in the right direction when they’re wandering around lost. But this past weekend, I was stumped– I was asked for directions to the Titanic Memorial, and [...]
DC Mythbusting: The Sports Curse
‘Strasburg – Coming Spring 2012′
courtesy of ‘afagen’
We all know about the Sports Illustrated cover curse. And we know the story of the Madden NFL cover curse. But is the worst curse of all just being part of the Washington sports scene? That’s what ESPN claims, saying, “A star-destroying black hole of unimaginable proportions, the Washington [...]
DC Mythbusting: Bike Lanes Are Just for Bikes
‘Doublemint Runners’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
DC is home to over 47 miles of bike lanes, and an ever-increasing number of residents are choosing to bike around the city. But ride around the city on any of these bike lanes, and you’ll see more than just cyclists taking advantage of them. Tourists on segways, people riding motorcycles, [...]
DC Mythbusting: Water, Water Everywhere
‘Potomac River – Traffic on the Key Bridge – 04-20-10′
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
I went for a swim in the Potomac River this weekend, and right before I jumped in the water I heard two fellow triathletes have the following conversation:
Triathlete 1: I have a friend who signed up for this race, but he dropped out because [...]
DC Mythbusting: Back to School Edition
‘Field trip’
courtesy of ‘clio1789′
It’s back to school time here at DC Mythbusting! Our pencils are sharpened and we’ve got our Trapper Keepers ready (they still use those, right?), and we’re ready to bust some school-related myths. The District’s schools get a bum rap: they’re often cited as the worst-performing schools in the country, and there’s [...]
DC Mythbusting: Most Extreme Weather Ever
’seems so long ago’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99′
We’ve seen fire, and we’ve seen rain. We’ve also seen earthquakes, heat waves, blizzards, floods, and, of course, thundersnow. The DC region has seen more than its fair share of crazy weather this year, leading many people to say that this is the most extreme year of weather [...]
DC Mythbusting: Tourist Tips
‘Souvenir City 1086′
courtesy of ‘yospyn’
Dear DC Tourists, Interns, and Other Newbies,
Welcome to the District! While we love to complain about you, we’re actually really glad you’re here. Many of us were in your shoes at one point, and DC can be a little overwhelming when you first get here. So we’ve compiled a special DC [...]
DC Mythbusting: Stand to the Right!
‘Stand on the right?’
courtesy of ‘karthikkito’
It’s probably the number one gripe about tourists: they stand on both sides of the escalators on Metro, blocking the left side that is generally understood to be for walking. We Washingtonians understand that you stand to the right and walk on the left– there are even Facebook groups and [...]
DC Mythbusting: Parks
‘Rock Creek Foliage’
courtesy of ‘Rukasu1′
Welcome to another edition of DC Mythbusting! One of the greatest things about living in the District is the access to parks: the National Mall, several triangle and square parks, the fort system of parks, and the enormous Rock Creek Park. But even with these parks, it seems like DC [...]
DC Mythbusting: Highway to Heaven
‘Three Churches, One Corner, Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C.’
courtesy of ‘adcristal’
I love that after several years of living here, I keep finding out new things about the District. Just last week while on a run with a friend along 16th Street, she told me that she had heard that 16th Street was known as the [...]
DC Mythbusting: Danger!
‘Nacho #19′
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
I was born and raised in the suburbs, and when I decided to become a city planner and move to a major city, I heard from many people in my parents’ generation about how dangerous Washington DC was. ”It’s the murder capital of the country!” But is it [...]
