This week on Not So Long Ago, GM finally strolls down from Book Hill a few blocks. The block in question is the east side of Wisconsin Ave. just south of O St. Today it holds BB&T bank, which even by bank standards has a terrible street presence. So it comes as quite a surprise to see that this now staid building once was about the most garish buildings on Wisconsin Ave.
In 1993, this building housed a Nobody Beats the Wiz. Unlike the chain’s locations up north (which GM was very familiar with while growing up), this location was not a full service electronics store. It just sold music and movies.
On the corner there was a flower shop called Peter’s Flowerland. On the other side was a shop whose name started with “Brav”. GM’s not sure if that was short for Bravo, or something else. Nowadays the space is a Subway.
GM wonders how many layers it took to cover up the turquoise, watermelon, and gold paint job.
I forgot about Peter’s Flowerland! That place saved me more than once on the way to a dinner or birthday party.
Peter, of Peter’s Flowers, had quite a reputation. It was rumored he had “connections,” and was a loan shark on the side (or was the flower business his side business?). He was larger than life……very gregarious, loud, and yet had a kind heart. But the word on the street was: never cross him. It was legend that he once lent a policeman money, and when the policeman was tardy in his payback, Peter marched into the police station looking for him. Georgetown just does not have characters like Pete the Flower Man anymore.
And now the second floor of this building is the Citizens Association of Georgetown office — and at the bottom of the stairs on O Street, several years ago CAG volunteers planted a “garden” with ground scrubs and two trees.
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