By brownpau
Streamliner: 1938
From Shorpy, the historic photo blog: a DC street car near the Washington Monument in 1938. The view seems to be looking west from 15th St, and could almost be a modern view, aside from the street car, rails, and old-timey automobiles parked on the ramp — right up to the base of the Monument, something you couldn’t do today, what with the ha-ha wall.
By Kirk
‘Fireworks’
courtesy of ‘randomduck’
WAPO reports that the fireworks displays at Nats Park were suspended by DC Fire Chief Dennis Rubin after ash fell on him while he attended a game. While he was not injured, and there have been no fire concerns up to this point, the Chief wishes to conduct a safety review before the displays are reinstated. If this seems a little asinine, let’s be honest: at this point, the Nationals don’t really deserve fireworks, anyways.
By Tom Bridge
‘V is for Z’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Nationals
Record: 15-40
Last Two Weeks: 2-10
Place: Last in MLB.
Where do you start with a team that’s 12 games out of fourth place? Let’s start with what’s (finally) working. Since firing pitching coach Randy St. Claire, the Nats bullpen is no longer the fountain of pure suck that it was for the first 50 games of the season. The bullpen’s a lot more aggressive under the emotional and spiritual leadership of the Nats’ own Angry Old Man Ron Villone. Over his traditional breakfast of nails and the internal organs of his enemies, Villone grunted, and then stared at his 0.00 ERA. The message was clear.
Villone, 39, is one of the bright spots that the Nats have right now. His command, a product of his intense stare, and ripping fastball, will be fantastic for the Nats if they can somehow find some way to reverse the aging process with some voodoo curse. Meanwhile, the draft is tomorrow starting at 6pm, with the Nats picking 1st, 10th and 50th. The draft boards at Nats Park are a closely-guarded secret, but they’d have to be huffing more paint fumes than your average city official not to take Steven Strasburg with the first pick. With any luck, someone has also incapacitated the Lerner family heads and taken their checkbooks, because that’s a guy who’s going to cost you $50 million. Yeah, for someone who’s never pitched outside of college. He’s just that awesome. (We hope.)
So, there’s a future on the horizon for the worst team in baseball, much like there was a future for the 2007 66-96 Tampa Bay Devil Rays who went to the playoffs in 2008. So, don’t be reaching for the hari kiri sword, Nats fans, just reach for the bottle. This is a season to be endured, with the knowledge that there’s a future on the horizon.
Read on for coverage of D.C. United & the Mystics
‘Marriage Is a Civil Right’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
Harvey Milk-protege Cleve Jones is planning a march on Washington for gay rights on October 11th, National Coming Out Day.
While I wish Jones well, and suppose that a national day of protest in DC would be a good rallying point/photo op for gay rights supporters, I’m also kind of shrugging my shoulders. I mean, look how successful the ANSWER, Code PINK, and March for Life protests have been. (That was sarcasm, in case you couldn’t tell.)
But in any case, I’m confident that the home of the Dupont Circle drag races and Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend will give our protesting guests a warm welcome, no matter how ministers from Maryland feel about them.
By Katie
‘Vapiano’
courtesy of ‘ellievanhoutte’
The The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington awards (RAMMY’s) were held last night, announcing the cream of the crop of DC restaurants. Here are the highlights:
Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Restaurant Eve
2009 Chef of the Year: Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck and Brabo
New Restaurant of the Year: Cork
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year: Rasika
Neighborhood Gathering Place: The Liberty Tavern
Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene: CoCo. Sala
Rising Culinary Star: Tony Chittum of Vermilion
Congratulations to all the RAMMY winners!
By jasmine
‘Wilson Bridge’
courtesy of ‘volcanojw’
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge opened to cyclists for the first time this weekend, but many coming from the Alexandria side ran into some trouble once they actually got over the bridge. One cyclist told me that the trail turned into gravel on the MD side, and the planners of the brand new National Harbor had apparently not thought to install a single bike rack: there were bikes anchored to every sign and handrail this weekend.
The Washington Post had some reactions in yesterday’s paper, with the conclusion being that now that they had successfully gotten the bridge open, now they needed to connect the trails so that people would actually use it.
By Ben H. Rome
‘Patriotic photo for D-Day’ courtesy of ‘brianmka’
Wet, warm, sunny, chilly – you name it, we had it. Well, except for snow. Thank goodness. So as you get your morning caffeination on, enjoy some quick shots from our area photogs looking back at the weekend.
By Max
Yes, it’s (99.999%) true, the Real World is coming to Dupont. I think I’m in the minority when I say that I honestly don’t mind if they shoot in my neighborhood, a mere few blocks from my house. I watched the show when it first came out and thought it was entertaining, and I’m curious to see how they portray DC and Dupont in particular. Rest assured, we here at We Love DC will have plenty to say about it when it hits the airwaves.
But please, please, please, stay away from my beloved Le Pain Quotidien which, according to a sign out front this morning, looks to be opening Real Soon at 20th & P. I want to eat my steel cut oatmeal with fresh berries in peace. I don’t want a camera crew swarming around as I try to enjoy my organic parmesan and pesto omelette. LPQ isn’t about drama, it’s about pretending you’re better than those who are eating factory farmed mystery meat at the Florida Avenue Grill. Oh, and don’t mess with that place either, Real World Productions. Just stick to Starbucks, the Russia House, and Timberlake’s and everything will be just fine.
By Tom Bridge
‘122’
courtesy of ‘Dear, max’
Okay, imagine twenty of your DC coworkers or friends.
Five to ten of them get absolutely blitzed on the weekend. Two or three of them smoke weed. One of them uses Cocaine. Don’t call me Kreskin, I swear, it’s Science, there’s a graph and everything.
Yep, here in DC, apparently to go with everything else, we like to get high (5th in the nation), go crazy on coke (1st in the Nation, Marion would be so proud.) and get plowed playing flipcup. Just remember that before you head out tonight. The shuddering stops eventually, too. Even if you figured it was the mail room guy.
By Tom Bridge
2000 S St via Google Maps
Wonkette says they got a tip that 2000 S St NW is the location of the DC Real World House. We’re hearing on pretty decent authority that’s going to be the spot where a bunch of people “get real”. And by “get real” I mean be hipster douchebags with TV crews stalking them. Y’know, the usual fake-ass shenanigans that the Real World TV series is based around.
So, avoid 2000 S Street and anything within a mile radius. Or, basically, this:
Update From the Field:
One of We Love DC’s friends walked by the house this afternoon, and caught a few details that would indicate that this in fact the Real World House: Workmen had papered up all the windows (usually not done in general home contracting), a workman in a uniform shirt marked CINE walked into the house while our friend was there, and in additional a few of the nearby Vans had permits displayed for Television & Film expiring around 20 June 09 (the rumored start date), issued to “RW Productions” which would lead us to think that it’s right on target.
Of course, the house apparently didn’t look like anything special on the inside, our friend said, and if that’s the case, a two-week lead time might not be enough to pimp out the house. We shall soon see.
By Katie
‘IMG_0224’
courtesy of ‘David.R.Carroll’
Leather, pleather, and drag queens, oh my! I think it must be time for Capital Pride. The weekend’s festivities kick off tonight at Cobalt (oh, Cobalt…I feel the exact same way about you Meg S. does…) with the Mr. and Ms. Capital Pride Leather contest. That sounds almost as good as the High Heel Race, really…
Tomorrow, Town, Nellie’s and Phase 1 will be hopping with happy hours and events, and there are plenty of educational opportunities. Sunday rounds out the weekend with a 5k and a night with the Mystics. The rest of the week is smattered with some auctions, an interfaith service, and a pride shabbat. Check the full schedule for all the details. Oh, and did I forget to mention Ru Paul will be around? How could I?
By Donna C.
‘Rare White-Naped Crane Hatches National Zoo Conservation and Research Center’
courtesy of ‘Smithsonian’s National Zoo’
Okay, boys and girls — it’s time for a little talk about the birds and the bees. Well, the birds anyway.
The good news is that there’s a new baby girl at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Va. — a rare white-naped crane that’s an endangered species because of destruction of its native habitat, wetlands in northeast China. Female hatchlings have been few and far between in recent years, which puts the population at further risk.
Therefore, like children of royalty, this girl came peeping into the world with lots of responsibility on her shoulders, that of “the most genetically important hatchling in the North American White-Naped Crane Species Survival Program.” She can help boost the captive population of the endangered species. No pressure, and I hope she wants a gazillion kids.
The bad news is she’s got some whacked family relations, great fodder for a reality TV show or at least Dr. Phil.
Continue reading
By Donna C.
The first thing I noticed when I saw Lafayette Tower at 801 17th St., N.W., near the White House, were the windows — lots of glass running from floor to floor, reflecting some fluffy clouds and blue sky. But this is not just any glass. It is triple-paned glass, made to be energy efficient. Its thickness blocks sound, makes it nearly as hard to break as a car windshield, and gives an extra layer on which to put a special coating that keeps heat from seeping through the pane — so the office stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
The windows are just one of the many features of this, the first commercial office building in DC to be recognized for its energy efficiency with LEED Platinum certification.
Okay, I hear you. What does that mean?
Continue reading
By Donna C.
‘DSC_0132’
courtesy of ‘chrismeller’
Tomorrow’s supposed to be beautiful — and it’s National Trails Day, with a variety of hikes and trail maintenance events in and around town.
Among the other fun (and useful) choices is a journey to Ice Mountain, where you can find ice even in the summer; locals once used it to make ice cream and lemonade. You need a guide to visit this Nature Conservancy land in West Virginia that’s about 2 hours away, and a day trip leaves Arlington tomorrow morning (it’s course # 643741A).
In all my years hiking this area, I’ve never heard of Ice Mountain before, but it sounds cool (yeah, ha, ha). Happy trails!
By Katie
‘U.S. Air Force Memorial & the Pentagon’
courtesy of ‘william couch’
A few weeks ago, I enthusiastically waxed poetic about the merits of the DC Beer Map. So when reader and tweeter emvii sent me the Washingtonian Cheap Eats 2009 on a Google map, it was right up my alley.
So here is the deal about this glorious map: It is a map of the 100 Best Cheap Eats in DC, identified by Washingtonian Magazine, tasted and rated by the mysterious unidentified map builders the wonderful peeps over at the DC baking blog Pete Bakes, and then sorted and color coded into green (good), yellow (fine) and red (don’t).
YAY! I LOVE IT! Whoever did this, Pete Bakes, let me tell you, you made my day yesterday. I talked about this to at least 10 people. I love it when food and technology combine in map form. Brilliant. Good on you!
By Kirk
‘Hollywood east’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
The stars will be falling on DC over the next 14 weeks as a romantic comedy (bleh) is filmed in Adams Morgan, Penn Quarter and DuPont. The Examiner reports that Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Reese Witherspoon will be staring in the as of yet unnamed movie. The directors state that they were drawn to their filming locations by the unique architecture of the city. Sets will focus more on the internal neighborhoods and less on DC’s monuments and iconic buildings. Filming is set to begin on June 14 at Nationals Park. Supposedly, they’re looking for extras and local production assistants.
By Max
Scootergate 4 by spoffy
This is it scooter fans, the weekend we’ve been waiting for. Scootergate 4 has finally arrived! The festivities kick off at 5pm at The Pug where you can register ($25 cash) if you haven’t done so already online. What do you get with your registration? A whole slew of things including a ticket to the Rock and Roll Hotel show Saturday night, a rally bag, a rally patch, a t-shirt, a bunch of coupons, a raffle ticket, and food. Hell, I’d pay $25 for the t-shirt alone! Today’s Seattle-like weather is supposed to subside as the day goes on so hopefully it will be prime weather for the late night ride of DC movie hotspots.
By Katie
‘Every Food Fits: Grillin’ Like a Villain!’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’
Good morning, Washington! Did you have your free donut yet, today? It’s been a busy foodie news week, and for once I’m actually rested while putting it together. So, all the news that is fit to eat in the district, from the “flagal” to new chefs, and new menus. Let’s do it. Continue reading
By shannon
‘The Forgotten City’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
Hello and welcome to another edition of Where We Live. This week we’ll be checking out the smallest quadrant in the District, Southwest. Can you imagine city planners essentially wiping out an entire neighborhood and starting from scratch? Well, that’s what planners did to this area back in the 1950s. Read on to hear how it happened, and what’s going on today in one of the most overlooked neighborhoods in the city.
History: The southwest quadrant was present in Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for the city in 1791. In 1793, the city’s first rowhouses were built at Wheat Row, and in 1796 the Thomas Law House was built for one of DC’s first investors (both structures remain to this day). In 1815, the Washington City Canal was built and essentially cut off this part of the city from the rest of the District. The area became home to many poorer residents and tenements, but the neighborhood was thriving with churches, synagogues, and shops. Anthony Bowen made this area a stop on the Underground Railroad.
But by the 1950’s, planners working with Congress decided that the Southwest Waterfront area was the place to try out all these novel urban renewal concepts, so they declare eminent domain over virtually all of SW, wipe out nearly all of the houses and shops and churches in the area, and cause the displacement of nearly 30,000 people. Planners then build a series of modernist residential and office buildings, cut through the area with freeways, and destroy nearly all urban character that was there to begin with. The neighborhood businesses were replaced by various new buildings and the Waterside Mall (which was recently demolished), which included a Safeway and satellite EPA offices. These businesses didn’t exactly create a vibrant urban neighborhood, so they’ve been torn down to create a clean slate for massive new redevelopment.
By Tom Bridge
‘Helga with a heart’
courtesy of ‘helgasms!’
Well, it should be singular, but I guess in the collective, it’s okay to pluralize in exchange for the better sounding headline? Kaspar? What say you? So, despite the rain, it’s National Donut Day, which means that Krispy Kreme is giving away a donut to everyone today, and that Dunkin Donuts is giving away a free donut with purchase of any beverage. So, warm up your sugar processing engines and head out for a donut. Here’s the Dunkin Store Finder and the Krispy Kreme Finder so you can see where to run to.
By