The Georgetown Metropolitan

This has been a dry and hot fall so far, which is not great for fall foliage. But what ever sort of fall display we’ll get is about to arrive. So here is my annual guide on how best to enjoy the fall foliage around Georgetown:

Fall foliage is a little late this year in Georgetown due to the warmer days. But it’s right around the corner. And when it arrives, there are plenty places to take it in right here without hopping off for the country.

In 2013, Casey Trees pulled together some recommended walking routes around the city to take in the brightly changing leaves. In Georgetown it recommended a meandering trail through the heart of the village to enjoy its sugar maples:

Sugar maples are definitely the kings of New England foliage, but around here they can be hit or miss. What species that does knock it out of the park around here are ginkgoes. I am not generally a fan of ginkgoes-their fruit smells awful and the don’t really create much in the way of shade-but I admit their bright yellow fall foliage is pretty spectacular.

It’s actually still a little early for Ginkgoes, but in a couple weeks you could do a nice ginkgo tour through Georgetown. You would start at the south end of Rose Park and walk up 27th st. Then jog over to Cambridge Pl. and walk up Avon to R St. Then make your way down to Potomac St. for the grand finale.

It will be beautiful, although your shoes will smell like dog poop.

But if you have other trees you’re looking for, then look no further than this updated map by Casey Trees that identifies trees by species, highlighting those with good fall color. Here is what it looks like:

You can even filter the map to show just one type of tree. For instance, here is all the maples:

And here are all ginkgoes (they’re the pale yellow dots):

If you’re like me, your strolls probably take you to the same blocks. But this time of year is the best time to get out there and explore different blocks. A stunning tree might be waiting for you!

As I described in more detail back in September, an application to open a new cannabis retailer shop at 1658 33rd St. appeared to be based on a flawed measurement that purported to show that the proposed location was more than 400 feet away from another existing store. As the law prohibits stores from being opened with 400 feet from another store, this was key to allowing the permit application to proceed.

This measurement was suspicious for several reasons. The first was that a simple measurement by Google Maps or a more exact measurement using the city’s own geographic software indicated that the two locations were about 370 feet apart. The other reason the applicant’s measurement was suspicious was that it was performed by someone who does not appear to be a licensed surveyor in DC.

To put the question fully to bed, the ANC hired its own actually licensed surveyor to conduct a legal field measurement. And the answer came back last week: the two properties are 376.4 feet apart, just like we said they were.

I’ve submitted the report to the ABC Board and requested that the placard be revoked (again). But if they insist on us presenting the evidence at the protest hearing in January, we’ll do that instead. In any event, we have stood up for the law being enforced as written and we expect the board to rule in our favor.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• More on the Le Bon Vache fire.
• Spooky walking tour.
• Georgetown Ministry Center celebrates my wonderful colleague, Mimsy Lindner.

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I’m dipping back into the DC Historical Society’s archive. This particular shot shows the south side of the M and Thomas Jefferson intersection. It’s from 1959.

Where now stands the Barnes and Noble, once a Ford car dealership once stood. In fact, the whole shape of the building, with its huge open spaces and big windows, reflects that the building was purpose-built to sell cars. It was constructed in 1929 as the location of the first Ford dealership in DC. For many years it was called Parkway Ford.

Later it was Parkway Dodge before closing up in the late 60s. In 1970 it was converted to a three-screen movie theater, the Cerebus (get it?). That remained until 1993. After several years of renovations, Barnes and Noble open in 1995. They remained until closing in 2011. The Nike Store moved in in 2012 and remained for about ten years before Barnes and Noble moved back in in 2024.

So remarkably this large building has housed just four different businesses since the 20s.

Popular French burger bistro, La Bonne Vache, went up in flames Sunday night. As reported elsewhere, the fire was started by a spontaneous explosion in the circuit breaker. Thankfully, despite the large amount of fire damage, no one was hurt. The fire started late in the evening as dinner service was winding down and the restaurant was (presumably) not as packed as it typically is. I shudder to think what the story would be if it happened during their busy rush, with the dozens of people in line outside possibly hampering the emergency exit.

This is a big blow to owners Claire and Ari Wilder, who opened the restaurant to immediate rave reviews and crowds in 2024. And to their credit they immediately started a Go Fund Me for the benefit of the restaurant’s staffers possibly put out of work due to the fire.

Also harmed by this are the two residents who live in the unit above the restaurant, who were evacuated as well. It is unclear from reports when they will be able to return to their homes. I hope it’s soon

And let’s also hope the restaurant comes back soon! Although the recent precedence of a fire at Wingo’s is not great. Long fights with the insurance company kept that spot closed for years. Here’s hoping this case resolves much faster.

Every month (except January and August), the Old Georgetown Board’s agenda and the applicants’ submitted materials offers a window into what retail stores are coming. That’s because the stores need to submit the signs for approval and they generally like to have signs up before they open.

But sadly this month there is just one such store: Guizio. This store is coming to 3061 M St. As I write this, I have no idea what Guizio sells. So I’m going to make a guess then check. Ok, here goes: women’s clothing from an Italian brand.

[checks the Internet]

Ok, not quite on the nose. It’s a NYC based brand from a woman named Danielle Guizio (who is presumably Italian American but not actually an Italian). And while it sells clothing to women, it seems its customers are generally quite young women drawn to its “edgy” style. According to Google, it’s fair to call it the upscale aspirational shop that inspired more teen-oriented brands (that Georgetown is also getting) Garage and Edikted.

Next month I give it another go with new stores to see if I can redeem myself a bit…

Photo by Ajay Suresh.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s your weekly news round-up:

• I missed this, but the Dutch stroopwaffle place seems to finally have opened after a long delay.
• Waterside Drive closure will continue to cause added congestion in Georgetown.

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I’m checking out another photo from the DC Historical Society. It’s a photo of Q and 31st from 1950.

In a lot of ways, the scene hasn’t really changed much in 75+ years. This stretch of Q St. still is a cathedral of trees with dozens of American elms still around:

The giant elm that used to be on the northeast corner of the intersection (and can be seen prominently in the 1950 photo) sadly came down within the last ten years. But many remain. I would guess that the skinny tall tree second from the right in the 1950 photo is the tall one you can still see today.

This is remarkable for a couple reasons. Of course it’s always striking to see the same tree standing in two photos so long apart in years. But it’s especially notable that they’re American elms. This beautiful tree once covered city streets across the country (hence why “Elm Street” is one of the most popular street names in the US). Its shape is especially well suited to city sidewalks. It has a vase-like shape that fans out at the top with a massive spread, covering a huge area with shade.

But they are susceptible to Dutch elm’s disease, which first reached America from Asia in the early part of the 20th century. But it really took off after WWII and it decimated the tree canopy of countless cities. It reached DC somewhat later than it did in the northeast or midwest. And an aggressive response from NPS and the Forestry Service meant that a lot more of them survived here than in other cities.

And Q street is one of the stretches that can brag of a particularly healthy group of mature American elms. So that’s why the photos are so alike.

And better yet, scientists have identified new sub-species of American elm, like the Princeton elm, that are seemingly more resistant to the disease. These new specimens have been planted along Q St. to eventually fill in the spaces left once the giants finally fall. That is what you can now see on the left in the new photo. (There’s also a bunch of them that were planted in front of the White House about ten years ago).

So with some luck and some time, this view will continue to be essentially the same for a long while yet.

Neighborhood Clean-Up Day is this weekend!Join our community this Saturday as we come together to clean up Georgetown. We’ll provide everything you need to get the job done, so just show up and pitch in!

Saturday, October 17, 2026 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Meet at your nearest location to pick up tools and drop off trash! West Side:Volta Park | Basketball court at the Q St entrance East Side:Rose Park | 27th St. & N St.Georgetown University will provide gloves, trash bags, and grabbers, along with quadrant assignments and instructions on-site. Bagels will be provided by Call Your Mother Deli.Come for an hour or stay for the day. Bring a neighbor, bring the family, and help keep our historic neighborhood beautiful. All Georgetown residents and university students are welcome.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s your weekly news round-up:

• New juice bar open.
• Canal Day returns this weekend.