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Next week the ANC will meet for its June session. It will be on Tuesday (due to the holiday) at 6:30 pm, accessible by Zoom.

There are a few items from the agenda that caught GM’s eye. The first was a consideration of a resolution concerning the proposed “Safer Intersections Amendment Act of 2022”. This bill would make it the default across the city that no turn on red is legal. Right-turn-on-Red was introduced during the energy crisis on the 1970s as a gas-saving measure. Its persistence over the years regardless of decades of cheap gas shows that the real motivation has basically nothing to do with saving gas and everything to do with prioritizing impatient drivers over ever other road user. And the cost of that prioritization is reduced safety for pedestrians and cyclists. There is a reason why New York City never introduced the measure.

GM does not know what position the ANC will take on the bill. Georgetown is just the sort of environment where catering to impatient drivers puts people on foot or on bike at risk. For instance the intersection of Reservoir and Wisconsin absolutely should not allow right turns on red. The reason? Drivers looking to make the right turn on red from Reservoir are an absolute menace. They rarely come to a complete stop before gunning through the light. And their eyes are only looking to the left to see if any cars are coming. They never look for pedestrians crossing with the light from their right. All the drivers care about is finding a hole in the traffic. GM has yelled at countless drivers doing this exact move and they all are absolutely shocked to notice the human being they were about to run over. Right turn on red has no place in Georgetown, no matter how much whining drivers make about having to wait like every other road user (think about how there’s no “right turn on red” policy for pedestrians. They’re expected to wait no matter how clear the intersection is. It’s only drivers whose impatience is considered a problem to be assuaged.)

Here is the rest of the agenda:

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• New logo for Georgetown Main Street.
• Great old photo of Smash Records on M St.

Two Georgetown shops are on the move soon.

The first is Luigi Parasmo salon. It is vacating the rather large space at 1510 Wisconsin Ave to move down the street to 1359 Wisconsin. This new space is part of the redevelopment of some fairly derelict properties by Chris Martin the family that owns Prince and Princess across the street. They’ll soon be joined by a bubble tea joint next door and a fancy French Bakery two doors down.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Great article on the rise of “Direct to Consumer” brands in Georgetown.
• The New York Times thinks one of the seven great international city bike rides starts right here in Georgetown.

Last week the CDC approved Covid vaccine booster shots for children ages 5-12. This is great (and overdue) news, as we’ve learned the importance of boosters to lessening the impact and spread of the newer variants. But where to get one?

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• New weekend outdoor market opens next to the historic Georgetown market.
• Graduating GU students trashed the front steps of the Lincoln Memorial over the weekend.

It’s that time again, and GM will today provide (and slightly update) his annual Intern’s Guide to Georgetown, the first since Covid:

As year-round Washingtonians know, it’s that time of year again. Eager young interns will soon arrive in earnest droves to fill those couple inches on their resumes between their GPAs and their “other interests”. Many of these interns will be drawn to live and/or play in Georgetown. GM publishes the below crash course for interns each year:

To Live:

There’s a movement to pay interns more, in order to allow a wider swath of the population to participate in career enhancing experiences. But that said, if you’re an intern you’re still probably living on little to no pay. Can you afford to live in Georgetown? Maybe. But you’ll have to look hard. You’re young, so you probably can’t even remember a time before Craigslist, so no need mention that. But there are other places to look too. The City Paper still has decent listings, but for the short term rentals that you’re probably looking for you may try off campus housing listings like you’ll find here. GM has also heard good things about Facebook Marketplace. Good luck.

To Eat:

The Safeway should be on your weekly checklist. You can load up on groceries without going totally broke. For some variety, go to the newly re-opened Whole Foods in Glover Park, or the Trader Joe’s just up the block from the Safeway. Or you could sign up for Carsharing and head out to Costco at Pentagon City to really make your dollar go far.

Restaurants in Georgetown get a bad wrap. But there are plenty of relatively cheap options for a weekly night out. Here are some of GM’s old reliable options:

• Mexican – Los Cuates
• Falafel – Falafel, Inc.
• Pizza – Pizzeria Paradiso
• Spanish – Bodega

When your parents come to visit and are paying the bill, make a reservation at Chez Billy Sud or, if you’re a traditionalist, 1789.