The Georgetown Metropolitan

A new online-based visitors parking system has just been rolled out for the city. And for the first time, it will include Ward 2.

As you may know, prior to this new system, every resident of all the Wards except 2 were entitled to an annual visitors parking pass. This paper pass enabled the holder to park their car in the same ANC as the resident for as long as they want. The reason Ward 2 opted out of the program is that the idea of flooding neighborhoods like Georgetown, Dupont, and Foggy Bottom with scores of commuters borrowing or buying the permits was unacceptable.

If a resident of Georgetown had a visitor coming and wanted to let them park for more than 2 hours, they had to travel to the police station and obtain a temporary parking pass. This was obviously a pain compared with the convenience of having an unlimited annual pass, but the shortage of parking supply justified it.

The new system does away with both procedures.

No more will any DC resident simply get an unlimited visitors parking pass in the mail. Nor will residents who couldn’t get those passes have to travel to the police station. Now it is all handled online at ParkDC.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Drivers like this are why we need much stronger enforcement of the traffic laws.
• Along those lines, and to add to GM’s article last week about how the culture of car violence is perpetuated, two kids and a dad were run over in the crosswalk on Walk to School Day of all days. This is what we accept when we refuse to do anything that inconveniences drivers or offends the aesthetic preferences of homeowners!

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, GM is exploring a postcard being sold on Ebay. It is from 1913, and shows a slice of formerly rural Georgetown University.

The front of the card (above) shows a winding path through the woods. A description states “Entrance to the Walk, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.” Nothing about the scene, however, immediately seems familiar to GM.

The back offers a bit more detail though:

It states: “This view shows the entrance to the walks in the woodland back of Georgetown University. They wind for over a mile through a stretch of land abundant in Nature’s beauty and afford an excellent means of recreation for both students and visitors.”

The card was sent from DC in 1913 (it’s too hard to make out an exact date from the cancellation stamp.) The note says simply “Though you might enjoy this view. Mae W.” It’s addressed to Miss Ada Flaretee (not sure about the spelling) in Danielson, Connecticut.

The card was published by W.B. Garrison, who produced a lot of postcards taken from the DC area.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Did you find a necklace around 31st and P? Please help the owner get this precious item back.
• It doesn’t feel like Halloween without Nancy Taylor Bubes house at the corner of 31st and Q being decked out in crazy decorations. But you can get some of that experience down at the Washington Harbour, where she has attempted to recreate it.

Please meet Socks! He’s the handsome boy you see above. His full name is Socrates, but GM thought that was a bit much for a dog’s name, so he’s been re-dubbed Socks.

GM’s family is fostering Socks for the City Dogs Rescue organization. He’s a six month old pointer who came to a rural West Virginia shelter as a stray. And he’s an incredibly sweet boy who loves nothing more than to head over to Volta Park and romp around with all his new furry friends.

As much as GM and his family has taken to him, the goal is still to find him a forever home so a new foster dog can take his place. So if you’re looking for an elegant and well behaved pup, reach out!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Covid outbreak in GU dorm.
• Busy weekend around Georgetown.

A new pizza place is coming to M St.: We the Pizza Express.

We the Pizza is a small chain created by DC-native and Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn. He also is behind the burger chain, Good Stuff Eatery, which is already on M St. at 3291 M St. The new pizza place will go just down the block at 3237 M St. (the former Aldo store).

We the Pizza operates one express version of its store on U St. It’s unclear what makes it an “express” versus the normal version. It appears the menu is the same. Likely it means limited seating, but we’ll see.

Georgetown is hardly lacking in pizza options, and GM particularly like 60 Second Pizza for a (literally) quick bite and Pizzeria Paradiso for a sit-down meal. But he’ll never object to more pizza!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Former GU tennis coach pleads guilty to charges stemming from the admission scandal.
• At least a handful of Georgetown properties were implicated in the “Pandora Papers”, which documented the way the ultra-rich use property to hide their wealth from government regulators. There surely are more in the neighborhood….