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The proliferation of tall construction cranes across DC has become the shorthand way to describe the wild development that is spreading to each corner of the city. That symbol now stands along M St. in Georgetown.

This is the first time such a large crane has been used in Georgetown, at least in GM’s memory (a similar crane was used with the Duke Ellington School, but that’s technically Burleith). And the visual impact is actually quite jarring. Continue reading →

Photo by John Sonderman.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• That adaptation of the Albrecht Muth story by Christopher Walz is still moving forward and will star, with Walz, Vanessa Redgrave and Anette Benning.
• Did you see this gentleman around Georgetown?

2900 block of R St.

Today for Know Your Trees, GM is going to talk about a new superstar for Georgetown street trees: the London plane.

The first thing to know about London plane trees is that they look an awful lot like another tree you see a lot in North America: the sycamore. And that makes sense, since the London plane is a hybrid of the sycamore.

And the way GM was taught as a child to identify sycamores applies just as well to London planes: they look “sick” (as in “sick-amore”). What that meant was that the bark has a distinctive look like this:

This mottled appearance does not actually indicate sickness. But you get the drift.

Planes and sycamores also have distinctive leaves. They are about the largest you’ll find on a street tree and look somewhat like massive maple leaves:

The trees are also known for their fruit, which looks like these fuzz balls:

So why talk about London planes instead of sycamores? Generally London planes are more frequently planted as street trees than sycamores. They are incredibly hardy both to heat and cold. And they grow like gangbusters. Continue reading →

Photo by Bill Starrels.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Swastikas found around Georgetown University campus.
• The West Heating Plant has yet another newly proposed design.

1200 block of 37th St.

After a long a contentious meeting, the ANC voted to approve a resolution supporting the proposed plan to reconfigure K and Water Streets in Georgetown.

The project has been in the works for nearly two years. It was led by the Georgetown BID, which hired planners at Toole Design to evaluate the road as-is and proposed changes.

Part of that effort involved meetings with various stakeholders from the neighborhood. (GM, in his role representing the Citizens Association of Georgetown, participated in those meetings.) The plan that emerged has two distinct versions: one for the “near and mid term” and one for if the streetcar ever gets built to Georgetown. (Probably the less said about the second version the better, given the dim chances that it will come to pass).

The overall thought with the proposed redesign is that in its current state, the street is unsafe because it does not adequately delineate between uses. Wide lanes encourage fast drivers and fast bicyclists, which together make for less safe pedestrians. The solution is to install a protected bike lane along the south side of the street. In addition, the plan calls for bulb-outs, which reduces the distance pedestrians have to cross the street. This is safer for the pedestrian as well as reducing the delay for drivers waiting for pedestrians to pass. Continue reading →

Photo by Bill Starrels.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown Wawa set to open late 2018. (We’ll see…)
• When bongs were sold on Georgetown sidewalks (as opposed to inside stores, where you still can find them)

Dumbarton Oaks

Today GM is going to continue his attempt to help you lose your tree blindness by teaching you a little bit about some of the mightiest trees around: oaks.

Oaks are one of the larger groups of trees that you might find on Georgetown streets. They range from towering giants to far more modest species. This list probably won’t cover every single variety you’ll find, but it will cover most.

The first thing to look for to identify an oak is acorns. But if it’s not the right season for acorns, look for the leaves. The basic oak leaf is fairly easy to identify. It looks like this:

Different variations on this basic shape distinguish between many of the more common oak species. But some oak leaves look nothing like this. They are identifiable by other features described below.

The first thing to say is that all oaks fall into two large groups: white oaks and red oaks. This isn’t really something you need to know to identify specific species, but it’s helpful in understanding how they break down.

White Oak

There are dozens of tree species within the white oak group. But only a handful of those are likely to show up in Georgetown. Confusingly, one of those species is called a white oak (which is different than the larger white oak group). Like the larger white oak group, the white oak species has rounded lobes like this:

White oaks are slow growing giants. Between this and their massive mature size, they don’t get planted in street tree boxes very much. Continue reading →