Category Archives: Around Town

March 14, 2011 · 10:00 am

Apple Store Starts Selling Georgetown Cupcakes

Photo by Buggie73.

The Apple Store started selling Georgetown Cupcakes. Or at least that appeared to be the case on Friday, but it turns out the crazy long line was for the new iPad part duex and not cupcakes. According to reports, at some point the line stretched around the corner on M St. all the way down to Thomas Jefferson. Bananas.

Well, GM’s not sure, but probably at least some of those people went home empty handed since the store sold out of the new tablet by the end of the day on Friday. By Saturday morning when GM stopped by the store, there was no line and sparse crowds because they still had no iPads. GM overheard one employee mention that the Tyson’s store may still have some, but it had the air of a desperate prospector talking about rumors of a few gold flakes in a river two valleys over. Continue reading →

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March 11, 2011 · 10:00 am

Annual Rites of Spring Just Around the Corner

It’s easy to forget on a chilly mid-March day like today, but spring is right around the corner (daylight savings time starts this weekend!) And spring in Georgetown carries with it several annual rites. It’s not too early to start looking forward to them.

The Georgetown House Tour

First of the two grand dame tours, the Georgetown house tour will be held this year on April 30th. It is held every year to benefit St. John’s Episcopal church. As the title states, this tour gives you a chance to walk through 8-10 of Georgetown’s nicest homes. The patrons party is always the place to hobnob with the nobbiest hobs.

The Georgetown Garden Tour

Of the two tours, the Garden Tour is probably GM’s favorite. Like the house tour, you get a chance to look behind the gates of 8 or so homes, but GM just thinks there’s something more interesting about gardens than interiors. This tour will be held on May 7th, and is run by the Georgetown Garden Club. Continue reading →

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March 8, 2011 · 10:00 am

Anti-Fat Cat Protest Winds Through Georgetown

A reader sent in these photos from N St. this past Sunday of a soggy protest:

The march appears connected with this week’s effort by the grassroots group, National People’s Action, to encourage the attendees of the National Attorneys General meeting to prosecute banks for misdeeds in the real estate debacle.

According to the tip GM received, the protesters were bused to 34th and Prospect and marched to 33rd and N. They then protested outside a particular house. One protester told GM’s tipster that they were demanding of the neighbor “a meeting with the CEO of Bank of America.” (The CEO of Bank of America doesn’t live in Georgetown, but maybe they had reason to believe he was visiting.)

After a bit they left peacefully. On Monday, the same group attempted to shut down the Bank of America next to the White House.

Continue reading →

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February 14, 2011 · 10:00 am

Community Celebrates Sara’s Market Keepers

Last night, members of the upper East Village community gathered at the home of Dena & Charles Verrill to celebrate Andrew and Suk Yang Johnson, owners of Sara’s Market. After running Sara’s Market for 19 years, Andy and Suk Yang have decided to turn over the reins. They will continue to own the building, but have leased the market out to new operators. Best of all, they live just a couple blocks away and will be customers just like the rest of us. So they will make sure the market maintains its great quality.

And from what GM can tell, the new operators will be great. For one thing, you barely have to memorize new names; they’re named Andy and Sue. And they are very friendly and appear to have the energy necessary to keep this vital neighborhood resource in good shape. Continue reading →

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December 3, 2010 · 10:00 am

DPW Cracking Down

Photo by Intangible Arts.

GM heard through the grapevine that the District Department of Public Works recently issued a series of $75 tickets to Georgetown residents for trash violations. Generally they have been for leaving trash in plastic bags on the sidewalk.

You might say “trash bags on the street? People do that all the time!” Yes, they do, but it’s not permitted. And this rule is not some arbitrary rule designed to catch people and ticket them. Trash in bags are an open buffet to rats. Rats like this:

Photo by KC Ivey. Continue reading →

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November 24, 2010 · 10:00 am

Christmas Tree Lot Comes to Georgetown

There’s nothing to get you into the Christmas spirit like picking up a Christmas tree. GM likes to head out to a farm in Great Falls to get his, but this year if you don’t feel like taking the trip, the trees are coming to you. in the small courtyard in front of what used to be Presse Bookstore, a Christmas tree lot has been set up.

No trees yet, but a sign promises trees, wreaths, and even pre-decorated trees for the lazy amongst us. The sign even promises free delivery. What a great service to the community!

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November 9, 2010 · 10:00 am

Vikings Invade Georgetown

GM noticed a new ad on TV the other day for Capital One, whose purchase of Chevy Chase Bank was finalized this summer. It featured one of those vikings standing in front of the bank’s branch at Q and Wisconsin (it’s not clear if it’s green screened or not, but GM would guess it wasn’t).

Of course this isn’t the first time Capital One/Chevy Chase Bank featured Georgetown, as you may remember those goofy Ben Franklin ads (shot from the roof of Mie N Yu):  Continue reading →

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October 29, 2010 · 10:00 am

The Multi-Outfitted Skeleton of Volta Place

This October, GM has noticed that Georgetowners are getting a lot more into Halloween decorations. It used to be just Nancy Taylor Bubes at 31st and Q who went over the top (and she still does), but now a lot more people are investing in giant spiders. But there is probably no house bringing more laughs (and probably some confused looks) than the house of Marnie and Dennis Kenney on Volta Place.

You see, just outside their door lives Mr./Mrs Skeleton (s/he is of indeterminate sex). This Halloween season, Skeleton has been wearing a completely different outfit every day (sometimes more than one a day).

Here he is exploring his French impressionist side:

Continue reading →

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October 22, 2010 · 10:00 am

Ginkgo Season Not So Bad This Year

While it’s not peak ginkgo berry season yet, GM is confident predicting it won’t be that bad this year. He was a little nervous going into the fall since there was talk last spring that the weather turned warm too quickly for DDOT to spray the trees. After the spring passed without signs going up warning about the spraying, GM became particularly nervous about this fall.

Turns out the worry was misplaced. While signs never went up (at least not in GM’s neighborhood) the spraying took place. GM heard that on his block the spraying took place at about 3 in the morning.

Either way, as this season has progressed, the berry production seems way down even compared with last year’s relatively modest crop. Continue reading →

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September 23, 2010 · 10:00 am

Georgetown Temporary Library to Close This Saturday, New Library Opens October 18th

This Saturday, the temporary library on M St. that has served Georgetown while the historic library is repaired, will close. The newly refurbished historic library will open October 18th.

GM heard an intriguing rumor the other day that East Banc, the building owner of the temporary space, offered to extend the temporary library’s lease rent free. The idea would be to create a satellite library for lower Georgetown. Considering that Book Hill is is so high up Georgetown, this would be a boon to lower Georgetown. Continue reading →

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