The June ANC meeting will be held next Monday June 1st, in the normal Heritage Room of Visitation. The agenda has been released and one item stands out like a sore thumb. Of all the issues you’d expect to see on an ANC meeting agenda, GM is pretty sure that Gay Marriage is pretty low on people’s list. But no matter, the ANC has apparently set out to pass some sort of a resolution.
But on what side?
GM is assuming, or at least sincerely hopes, that they are for the legalization of gay marriage. Or maybe they’ll be for it as long as it doesn’t affect parking. Although either way it seems awfully futile for the ANC to weigh in on this issue. But if they want to pitch in to the cause, GM says bully to them. It should create a fun debate either way.
So what else? Apparently Georgetown Billiards closed (which is sad news to GM; it was a nice off-beat place to hang out). The new management has plans for the space and will present them for the ANC’s approval on Monday. Perchance they will still incorporate air hockey?
Finally, Agraria will return to present their revised plans for a Tiki Bar. The ANC was not particularly excited about the plans presented last month. The Agraria reps tried to assure the commissioners that Agraria attracts a different crowd than its fratty neighbors. But Tiki bars are like the 60’s versions of Irish bars: they can turn an ordinary bar into an ordinary bar with louder drunk people. Are neo-Tiki bars different? We’ll see.
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
I was at Agraria on Friday and asked them about the tiki bar. They said that they are not holding their breath and that it’ll probably open next year at earliest. (The people I asked were a waitress and a busboy so maybe the managers or owners know differently.)
Who the hell cares if they want a tiki bar? Let them have it. The NIMBYs don’t like anything if they can’t control it or force concessions…
i practically lived at Georgetown Billiards for years, my grlfriend Tanja was their main bartender.
Sad to see it close, but you’re right, I hope the new place keeps the air hockey table.
I’m disappointed in Agraria’s tiki bar idea, but they should be allowed to do it if they want. I think it’s a mistake though. Agraria used to have much better food and much better service. Unfortunately, they are getting sucked into the Waterfront happy hour scene and the mediocrity that comes along with it, just like Sequoia did. My hope is that, when the pedestrian bridge is built between Rock Creek and the Kennedy Center, the food and service on the Waterfront will get better for the pre- and post-theater crowds.
The bigger issue with Agraria is not whether Tiki is tacky, but whether they should be allowed to take publicly-owned sidewalk space to set up an outdoor bar. Their plans didn’t seem entirely realistic last month in terms of crowd management, etc. Hopefully they’ll present a more thought through plan tonight.