Author Archives: Topher

GM took his annual break in August, but news kept happening. Here (in no particular order) are some of the stories GM missed while out on RnR:

• There was a shooting at the Wawa on August 30th. Thankfully nobody was hurt and the shooter was taken into custody.
• Afghania, a restaurant from the family behind such fantastic spots as Bistro Aracosia, will open across from the Four Seasons.
• The huge house on R St. with the giant paper cup pool fountain has been sold.
• Some great new details on Stephen Starr’s italian concept coming to the old Dean and Deluca.
• The Banana Republic is going to close and be replaced by a yoga studio/retail store.
• The plans to restore the Washington Canoe Club boathouse.
• Reverie had a bad fire and will be rebuilt.
• Clubhouse replaced Church Hall and tried to institute an illegal age minimum.
• Georgetown Cupcake was temporarily shut down due to losing its business license.
• District Donut closed.
• L’avante Garde restaurant to finally fill long empty former Guards space.

Anything else that GM missed?

Good morning Georgetown. GM’s back from his August break and here’s the latest:

• Take a survey on improving transit to Georgetown.
• Georgetown canal boat rides featured on CBS Sunday Morning.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The time Joni Mitchell did a six night stand at the Cellar Door in 1968.
• Programming Note: GM is taking another August break. See you in September!

GM is rerunning he paean to the eight month today:

August is here. And it is perhaps the greatest time of year for Georgetown.

Sure, this month is tagged with the “dog days” of summer gibe. And the heat of July is a houseguest with its feet comfortably sprawled on our couch, with its bags not remotely packed upstairs.

And gardens get long in the tooth this month too. Black-eyed Susans wilt. Geraniums burst further out of their pots, knowing the end is near. Petunias get leggy and brown. Even in its overgrown state, an August garden is one succumbing to decay.

And despite the fact that school is still a month away, camps across the city shut down, as if we’re all French and heading off to the Cote D’Azur in our Renaults for four weeks.

But August is still one of the greatest times of year in Georgetown. True, the holiday season fills Georgetown streets with twinkling lights and festive greens. And surely the scent of magnolias and the sight of Yoshinos puts springtime on top. But August is close behind.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• If you saw the city power-washing paint off of 29th last week, this is what that was.
• Morgan’s Pharmacy under new ownership.

On Monday, I traveled down to the Board of Elections and picked up the papers to get my name on the ballot. I’m running for ANC.

As you may remember, I ran two years ago for this seat (SMD 2E02/Northwest Georgetown). Unfortunately for me I came up just short; losing to our current commissioner, Jenny Mitchell, by 14 votes. Jenny served us well. But she has decided not to seek re-election. I would be honored to succeed her.

It’s been quite the saga for the West Heating Plant. When GM first reported on it, he was arguably not middle aged (or even a father yet). GM will spare you the long history of all the twists and turns that brought us here. But now ensconced in his mid 40s with a ten year old daughter, GM can share with you the final approved plans for this massive project.

The overall picture is that the plans call for the preservation of the bulky west facade of the existing building. This surely will divide opinions. GM thinks it’s a beautiful example of muscular mid-century industrial design. Others see a massive eye-sore. In either event, it is staying.

But the entire rest of the building is going to be demolished. GM wished it all could be saved and possibly incorporated into a new modern art museum a la the Tate Modern. But the developers claim the building is too far gone, and besides, it’s not like there’s a museum with a massive pile of money looking to move in. So pricey condos it shall be.

While the old building will be wiped away, its shape will mostly be maintained with the new building. Here is what it will look like from the south:

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• If you live on the 1600 or 1700 block of 34th St., your water will shut off at about 10pm tonight and not turn back on until the morning. So plan accordingly!
• Interesting map showing where in the city (including Georgetown) where the number of residential parking spaces are exceeded by the number of nearby residential parking permits.