Dumbarton Oaks
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Signs Giving a Mixed Message on Canal Rd.
When you approach Georgetown from the west on Canal Rd., you’re faced with a couple of options. You can stay on Canal as it becomes M St. and enter Georgetown. You can, of course, hang a right onto the Key Bridge and head over to Virginia. And, finally, you can take a right on to the Whitehurst Freeway and quickly skirt around Georgetown to Foggy Bottom, where you can continue on to K St. or take the E St. Expressway.
So if your ultimate destination is downtown, not Georgetown, the best choice is normally the Whitehurst. And the first signs you see as you approach Georgetown tell you as much:
The problem is that shortly after these signs, you’re presented with another set of signs that sure seem to be telling drivers to stay on M St. if they’re heading downtown: Continue reading
Filed under Transportation
The Morning Metropolitan
Exorcist Steps by NatalieTracy.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- What trees are on your street? Speaking of trees, keep in mind that now that trees have sprouted their leaves you need to start watering them when it doesn’t rain.
- French Market and House Tour this weekend!
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
Georgetown Votes Heavily for Mara
On Tuesday, a tiny electorate sent Vincent Orange back to Council (despite GM’s clear instructions to the contrary). But it was with little help from Georgetown, which went heavily for Republican Patrick Mara.
Here are the numbers:
- Mara – 463 – 61.41%
- Biddle – 116 – 15.38%
- Weaver – 79 – 10.48%
- Orange – 60 – 7.96%
- Other Candidates – 36 – 4.77%
This may support the widely held suspicion that Georgetown is a hotbed of Republican voters. While Georgetown votes more Republican than the District at large, it’s still typically votes overwhelmingly Democratic. For instance, while Georgetown gave about 16% fewer votes to Obama than the rest of the city in 2008, it still gave him about 75% of its votes.
GM thinks that this election is a perfect argument for the adoption of the instant run off system, an argument he’s made elsewhere. The way that would work is that you would rank the candidates by your preferences. If one candidate doesn’t get 50% of the first choices, then the last place candidate is thrown out and the second preferences of his or her voters get spread out to the other candidates. If that doesn’t put a candidate over the top, then the process is repeated until it does. Continue reading
Filed under Government
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo of last night’s storms by Brownpau.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- The new Midtown Cafe has apparently already changed its name to the much better Book Hill Bistro.
- In case you missed it: A reader reported that one of the waterfront restaurants is canceling bookings scheduled for November. That doesn’t fill GM with a lot of confidence.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
Not So Long Ago: Wisconsin and M
Vodpod videos no longer available.
This week on Not So Long Ago, GM heads to the heart of Georgetown: Wisconsin and M. And there’s is only one difference on this block from 1993 till today, but it’s a significant one: where the fancy BCBGMaxazria now is, a Burger King once stood.
This block is particularly appropriate to consider after yesterday’s post on chain restaurants in Georgetown. When considering the relative merits of independent restaurants versus chain restaurants, it’s important to remember that there are big differences between chains. While Pain Quotidian and Paul Bakery are not unique to our neighborhood, and thus lend the neighborhood a little bit of a generic vibe, they’re still miles better than a Burger King.
This block echoes the changes made in the first Not So Long Ago, when GM discussed how the Restoration Hardware used to be a Roy Rogers. Like the BCBG store, you may not particularly care for Restoration Hardware, and it might be a soulless chain, but in GM’s opinion it’s still better than a chain fast food joint.
As GM said in response to complaints about the loss of good and cheap eats: we’ve got good and cheap eats with local character to boot, Wingo’s. Continue reading
Filed under Not So Long Ago
The Morning Metropolitan
Justice William Douglas arrives in Georgetown after his famous hike by NPS.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- GU tries to film students acting quietly;Â students get suspicious.
- Speaking of the campus: GU is bringing a third farmers market to Georgetown.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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