The Georgetown Metropolitan

Right now the city is repaving Wisconsin Ave. through Georgetown (which, frankly, seems like not the best idea for this exact moment, given that it has temporarily displaced the successful streateries, but GM digresses…) And one of the pleasures of observing such projects is that you get a momentary glimpse into what is normally beneath the asphalt. Sometimes it’s cobblestones. And sometime, like right now, it’s a relic of the city’s once extensive streetcar network.

What you see above are the streetcar tracks that once ran (well actually, still run, it would seem) down the center of Wisconsin Ave. You can in fact clearly see the underground conduit that was in the middle and provided the cars with their power while in downtown.

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Photo by Angela N.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Still more positive Coronavirus diagnoses from GU.
• Taste of Georgetown adapts to the pandemic.

3100 block of M St.

During the pandemic, many families started putting stuffed animals in their front windows to give children out for a stroll something to “hunt for”. But what if you’ve found all the stuffed animals and you’re looking for another distraction for your morning walk? Start looking down!

The sidewalks and streets of Georgetown are covered with a large variety of manhole and other utility covers. They’re easy to ignore, but when you start actually investigating them, you realize that they are a veritable history book. And most interesting are the old sewer covers from over a century ago. The ones from that period have the date they were created stamped into them. It can be a fun diversion to try to find the oldest ones.

This idea came from the Twitter account of the DC Council, which came up with the #olddcmanholecover hashtag. So far it seems the oldest covers are from 1891 (like the one above). See if you can find one! Continue reading →

Photo by Angela N.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• An attempt at self-policing from students re: Covid.
• Citizens Association of Georgetown roles out a new website.

Hey, just your weekly reminder that I’m running for ANC! If you’re in my SMD, you’ll soon be graced with this in your mailbox! 

1800 block of Wisconsin Ave.

The ANC will meet (virtually) for its October meeting next Monday at 6:30 pm (link here). On the agenda is GM’s old, personal enemy: the ginkgo.

Last year, several residents in east Georgetown tried to get the city to cut down several mature female ginkgo trees. As anyone who walks on 27th st. in the fall can tell you, the trees drop some seriously odorous berries (actually they’re seeds) that smell like a mix of dog poop and vomit. Spraying can reduce the seed growth, but only so much. Cutting them down would obviously end the problem, but it would come at a serious cost. The uproar stopped the move to get the trees cut down, but the residents are still seeking solutions to the seed problem, which will be addressed by the ANC.

Also on the agenda are two significant liquor license applications. The first is for the new Apéro that GM discussed yesterday. They are seeking a new license, and will likely run into some challenges using the large patio attached to the property. The second is the transfer of the liquor store license from Logan Circle Liquors to 1515 Wisconsin Ave. that GM discussed last month. Both licenses will likely be protested, which will move the process towards settlement agreement negotiations.

Here is the rest of the agenda.

Photo by Vincent.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Profile of Georgetown BID CEO, Joe Sternlieb.
• Georgetown students will be recreating the War of the Worlds radio drama.

1200 block of 33rd St.

The Washington City Paper reported yesterday that a new bar/restaurant is coming to Georgetown called Apéro. It will takeover 2622 P St. And while Georgetown may have started to get away from its reputation for being only for rich people in the last couple years, this will surely set us back a bit: the bar’s specialty will be champagne and caviar.

As the City Paper writes:

Apéro’s food selection will include small bites like “little fried things” and some salads. Johnson, who as a culinary background, will execute the menu. Customers will be able to add caviar to any dish or order at least five varieties of caviar on its own.

“It’s a nice place for everybody to come grab a snack and a drink,” Benchimol says. “It sounds pretentious because of the Champagne and caviar, but it’ll be very approachable and still elegant. I want people to learn more about eclectic wines and grower Champagnes not from the big-name houses. It’s not, ‘Come in and spend $300.’”

Indeed.

This space has seen quite a lot of changes over the years. It used to be a church-owned thrift store. Then it was converted into the After Peacock Room, an artistically inspired restaurant, but that closed fairly quickly. It was later turned into 2622, a coffee house/salon (which is about the best use for the space in GM’s opinion). But that recently closed. Will a high-end restaurant succeed here? Time will tell.