Tag Archives: dc

The District, The Features, The Mall, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Josef Albers

Josef Albers, “Homage to the Square: Glow,” (1966). From the Hirshhorn’s collection.

“We must teach each other… education is not first giving answers but giving questions.”  – Josef Albers

Abstract art is void of narrative.  The composition often speaks only through the viewers mind.  A type of understanding through speculation, providing the sort of simple canvas that the imagination needs in order to thrive.

Josef Albers (1888-1976) was a master of the subjective canvas, an explorer of color and an ambassador for the abstract form.

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The Daily Feed
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Area Parks Are All Wet

Photo courtesy of
‘Waters rise around Roosevelt Island’
courtesy of ‘snapzdc’

As the flood flows on, more pictures flood in — this time, with news of the parks.

Great Falls and its ever-popular Billy Goat Trail have been closed since Friday. Earlier today, a park official told me the towpath was accessible for a short distance around Old Angler’s Inn, but underwater above and below that point.

In addition to inundating Washington Harbour and the Mt. Vernon Trail, the Potomac has spilled into now-closed Theodore Roosevelt Island and covered parts of the Potomac Heritage Trail as it heads north from the island’s parking lot.

And while there’s the broken lock at the C&O Canal, at mid-afternoon there was just quick-flowing muddy water — and fortunately no houses or pianos or cows floating through. More pics after the break. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Embassy Chef Challenge

Photo courtesy of
‘House of Sweden Podium’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Awesome food in an awesomely designed embassy…. You can’t go wrong with that.

Cultural Tourism DC and the Embassy of Sweden present the Embassy Chef Challenge 2010 on Thursday from 6:30 to 10:00.  Watch 12 embassy chefs representing Belgium, Hungary, Korea, Panama, Israel, Qatar and more take on hors d’oeuvre in this delicious (and friendly) challenge.  I also hear that there will be some celebrity chef judges in the audience (hint, hint: Chef Carla Hall and Michel Richard to name a few) so to all of our foodie friends out there, you won’t want to miss this.

Tickets are available online or by calling 202-661-7581.

Downtown, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Wedding Bells

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Today is the day that many gay couples in the District have been waiting for: wedding day.  DC has processed the first batch of marriage license applications that were filed last week and will begin issuing said licenses today. Around 150 couples should have the document in hand by this evening, allowing them to marry when they see fit.  A few couples have opted to make today the day they and are tying the knot at various institutions around the city.

The Daily Feed
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Stop the Billboard!

Photo courtesy of
‘Friendship Arch’
courtesy of ‘Rolenz’

The DC facade has undergone a few too many facelifts in the past decade or so, turning some neighborhoods – ahem, Gallery Place, Chinatown – into something reminiscent of a once (it’s getting a bit better thanks to NYC finally getting their act together) over-commercialized Times Square.

However, a few key residents of the Gallery Place neighborhood have joined together to stage an intervention.  Stop the Billboard, a website made public yesterday, hopes to raise awareness and gain support in order to “keep DC beautiful and free of outdoor color video advertisements“.  The residents behind the website are specifically outraged by the newest proposal by Gallery Place Partners LLC to install two, 12-ft by 40-ft ‘interactive’ billboards on the corner of 7th and G Street NW – which as the website states, “violates numerous District ordinances“.

If you want to learn more about this cause, keep DC architecture billboard free, or show your support – visit Stop the Billboard!

Dupont Circle, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Media, People, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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RWDC Live Blog Resumes

Photo courtesy of
‘The Real World DC House’
courtesy of ‘alifayre’

Well, the Olympics are over and I have no excuse: the RWDC Live Blog will resume again, tonight.  Be here at 9:45 with a drink in hand to mock the strangeness of those real folks that drank and grinded (ground?) their way around or city this summer.  Is this voyeuristic? Yes.  Can I wait for it to end? No.

Life in the Capital, The Features
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Fitness District: Barre at B.fit

Photo courtesy of
‘Studio – B.Fit DC’
courtesy of ‘prettylovelythings’

Author’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing We Love DC series, Fitness District.

I admit it; I am by no means a gym rat.  If you were to perhaps bump into me there, it would not be on a regular basis. Sometimes I might be busy reading something at myfitnesshub.com, sitting somewhere with my phone on. I exercise, sporadically, because it is the healthy choice to make – good for the body and the mind.  But let me say this one time for the record, I dread a morning, afternoon, or evening workout.  I dread them all.

Furthermore, I don’t think that the gym itself makes the experience any more delightful.  In my personal opinion, the gym atmosphere is often times unwelcoming, intimidating, and outright aesthetically unpleasing.  I honestly have no idea where the typical gym owner got the idea that horrendous lighting is flattering, because those harsh lamps with the yellow-ish CRI won’t make even the buffest of the buff look good, let alone poor me.

The solution to my dilemma, as painted above, has been to engage in alternative forms of exercise such as Yoga and Pilates. Quite recently I read the article on the Neuropathy Cure website when I was trying to find the apt medication for my damaged nerves and found that for my condition it is much suitable for me to practise yoga than lift weights. Since finding a fit that worked best for me, exercise was no longer a burden – but something that I truly enjoyed and looked forward to.  And the best part, when it comes to the typical Yoga and/or Pilates studio you are almost always guaranteed good, natural lighting.  However, with any routine, sometimes you need to be a bit daring and switch things up.  Which is exactly what I was about to do by enrolling in my very first Barre Class at B.fit.

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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Is the Macaron the new Cupcake?

Photo courtesy of
‘Napoleon box of 18’
courtesy of ‘yosoynuts’

That’s right, you heard me clearly, is it possible that the macaron is soon going to rule the market of portable deliciousness once dominated by the cupcake?  I have been saying it for quite sometime that this shift in power was bound to happen, but now that The Wall Street Journal even took notice today, this may be happening sooner than I had thought.

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Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Issey Miyake’s Design Principles

Photo courtesy of
‘ISSEY MIYAKE’
courtesy of ‘Ruzaini’

Attention all Fashionistas! Tonight the Textile Museum will be hosting one of their renown talks called Issey Miyake‘s Design Principles.  Miyake is a well-known Japanese fashion designer who is known for his technology-driven creations. Tonight’s lecture will be given by Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, a historian specializing in the “cloth and clothing of Ryukyu/Okinawa and mainland Japan”.

Just a lil’ fact for fun: The building which houses the Textile Museum was created by the famous-architect John Russell Pope in 1913.

The Textile Museum is located at 2320 S Street NW DC and tonight’s talk starts at 6 PM. Purchase tickets at 202.667.0441.

The Daily Feed
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West Elm Closing

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington, DC Woodward & Lothrop historic 2’
courtesy of ‘army.arch’

West Elm is closing its DC store which is currently located in the former Woodward & Lorthrop department store building at 1020 G St. NW – also known as, the building over a Metro Center entrance. This comes as another sign of the times, backtracking from the city’s efforts to boost the density of retail stores downtown – “it was a corporate decision, this location was just not as successful as they’d hoped,” said Store manager Dion Barela for the Washington Business Journal.

On a positive note for the rest of us, the furniture retailer is currently holding a sale on remaining store items.  The store has an approximate close date set for March 15th.

Special Events, The Features
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PechaKucha Night Vol.11

Photo courtesy of
‘Reception – PechaKucha Vol.11’
courtesy of ‘prettylovelythings’

Capitol PechaKucha Night Vol. 11 was held Friday night at the Embassy of Austria as a unique means to provide global awareness about the earthquake that shattered Haiti. In addition to the Nation’s Capital, on February 20th, 280 other cities across the world held PechaKucha’s in collaboration with Architecture for Humanity to help rebuild Haiti 20 seconds at a time.

The PechaKucha originally began in Tokyo circa 2003 and was developed by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture as a way to get young designers sharing ideas under one roof.  PechaKucha is translated from the Japanese term for “chit chat” and refers to the type of presentation format that is utilized for the now globally celebrated event.  Each presenter at a PechaKucha displays 20 images, each lasting for 20 seconds, while talking alongside their slideshow – a format that supports a presentation that keeps things interesting for both the presenter and their audience.

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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
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Friday Happy Hour: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

Photo courtesy of
‘Weihenstephaner’
courtesy of ‘yto’

Welcome to the Friday Happy Hour, your single drink primer for the weekend.

I’ve been trying to come up with some sort of seasonal or circumstantial justification for recommending the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, but I really can’t.  The best thing I can think of is that you might die tomorrow and it would be a real shame if you went to your grave without trying this beer. The Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is a wheat beer hailing from the Weihenstephan brewery of Bavaria (supposedly the oldest in the world). It’s consistently rated as the best hefewizen in the world and packs an enormous amount of complexity and flavor.  It bears notes of lemon and clove with strong overtones of banana from the acids produced by the particular style of yeast used during the fermentation process.  It’s sweet and refreshing, with a medium body and lingering finish.  Typically, you’d drink this style of beer during warmer weather, but it’s definitely worth having today.  You can find it at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar on H St., or at Total Wine and More.

Monumental, The District, The Features
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Monumental: Mount St. Fenty

Photo courtesy of
‘glacial dome’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Rising high above the streets of DC, seen here with a height on par with the Capitol Building, is Mount St. Fenty.  The monument, in which is carved the sorrow of all District residents, was erected in the early part of 2010 by the District’s Department of Transportation on the orders of the Mayor.  While the initial monument was created as part of what should have been the art installation equivalent of a flash mob, on orders of the Mayor, the monument would stand for months to come as testament to the powers of the mother nature.

The ad-hoc architectural construction of Mount St. Fenty is a bold statement in contravention to traditional artforms, favoring chaos and confusion over structure and focus.  The confusing form has been the topic of much discussion over the past few days, and the Mayor himself has expressed incredulity at its reception.  If the avant garde nature of Mount St. Fenty is its most obvious feature, the Kafkaesque drama that it carries with it as undercurrent is its most long-lasting.  The neighborhoods are rife with frustration as the Mount is causing all manner of parking difficulty throughout the city, leaving residents with flat tires, flared tempers and a sharp increase in the alcoholism rate.

Plans to move the monument at this time are quite sketchy, as the Mayor has said that the weather will have to do the job itself, and that city funds are stretched to the limit to move the monument to its final location. The delay, though, will prove to be a campaign issue for the Mayor in this fall’s primaries.  Well, should anyone decide to run against Mayor Fenty.

The Daily Feed
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Spring Trends via Rckndy

Photo courtesy of
‘Spring Trend – Color (Rckndy)’
courtesy of ‘prettylovelythings’

Looking for a little interior pick-me up while anticipating warmer weather?  No problem. David Dennis, owner of Rckndy on U Street, shares exclusively with We Love DC readers a few design trends for Spring.  Pops of color seem to be the biggest trend hitting the store with “purple being the new it color” says Dennis, who also suggests that the best way to achieve this look is by incorporating bright colors through a few bold accessories, that way, you don’t overdo it.  A popular item is the Gus Modern Stool in Safron even though Dennis says that most people still end up buying it in a neutral color anyway.  If color is not your thing, no worries, I was also told that 80’s geometric patterns are having a revival.

Rckndy is located at 1515 U Street NW.

The Features
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Why I Love DC: Samantha

Photo courtesy of
‘(heart) D.C.’
courtesy of ‘rockcreek’

I can’t tell you why I picked DC.  People ask me this question all the time when they first meet me and I just don’t have a ‘real’ answer.  Was it because of the political scene? Nope, I was about to enter a Masters program for Interior Design.  Was it because I had family here?  That would be another negative.  I got it; it must be because of the weather, right?  I am glad to say once again that weather was not the reason why I wanted to move to DC (perhaps on some subliminal level I foresaw the impending snow storms of 2009/2010).  The best answer that I can offer you is that I believe it was just a feeling that brought me here – a feeling that has since developed into a full-blown love affair.

That’s right everyone — I totally, utterly, completely, whole-heartedly love DC.   Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Blizzard Warning for DC

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

Yes, that’s right, a blizzard warning.  The National Weather Service has issued a statement going into effect at 10pm warning of blizzard conditions in the District.  Earlier today, a similar warning was issued for Baltimore and Southern Maryland, but it seems the effects are projected to be further south than originally expected.  So, look for 2 feet of snow on the ground by the time you wake up tomorrow, and in excess of 20 inches when all is said and done.  Welcome to the true Snowpocalypse. December’s got nothing on February.

The Daily Feed
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Go Red


’30/365: Family in the Snow’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

Tomorrow is National Wear Red Day – show your support for the fight against heart disease by wearing some red (or any variation of the color for that matter). According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one health threat for women. Although DC, Arlington, and Alexandria collectively ranked in at number two for the nation’s top 10 heart healthy cities for women, we can still help to spread the word. So when you wake-up tomorrow morning, in addition to remembering to wear your snow gear for the evening, GO RED!

Fun & Games, The Daily Feed, The District
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Flash Mob Coming

Photo courtesy of
‘Dancing’
courtesy of ‘pete van vleet’

I feel like DC is on the cusp of mass pranking greatness.  Sure, we’re a few steps behind our NYC brethren, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with flash mobs and pantsless subway rides.  If you’ve yet to get in on any action of the like, you may have a chance on Feb 24th.  Steve Kemble, some fitness guru that I’ve never heard of, will be leading a dancing flash-mob in an as of yet undisclosed location in DC.  The dance moves will be posted on Youtube so that you can practice up ahead of time.  Register here.

The Daily Feed
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DC is Ridiculously Good Looking

Photo courtesy of
‘masked’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Move over you sun tanned beauties from Hawaii (2) and California (3) who spend all day working out, surfing and just being hot. Despite the fact that we spend all of our time stuck in cubicles, in underground Metro and Hill tunnels and freezing what little assets we have off in the 15 degree snow, DC IS WHERE IT’S AT. I cannot lie and I do not lie. The Daily Beast is now claiming that, based on their rather crazy and somewhat absurd, albeit somehow slightly practical, calculations, the District of Columbia is the “state” with the most attractive people in the United States.

No longer will we stand for that ridiculous term “Hollywood for the ugly.” No longer will we sit back and take the abuse dished out at us by the 50 states who wish they could be a district instead of a state but who still love their Congressional representation (but actually always hate their Reps. yet always vote them back in, just be happy you have some mmkay?), and there’s even Guam and American Samoa who probably say crap about us too! NO MORE I SAY!

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Adams Morgan, Arlington, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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In Search of a Decent Bagel 2: The Consensus

Photo courtesy of
‘bagel – before’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

Did you see how good I was? I almost made an “Electric Boogaloo” reference in the header, but I restrained myself.

Anyways, the bagel question really brought out the comments, so I thought it would be worthwhile to share the reader’s consensus.  Brooklyn Bagels in Courthouse seems to be the almost universal favorite, but So’s Your Mom and Bethesda Bagels also got some significant love. I think that fairly settles it: the best bagels in DC are actually in Arlington.  Now I’ve got to get over to Brooklyn Bagels to see for myself.  I feel that this has been a useful exercise and one that I must repeat for all of the other major food groups.  Well done, readers!