The Georgetown Metropolitan

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I take a look at another image from the DC Historical Society. It is an picture of an oil painting that is entitled “Georgetown Rowhouses in Snow (Wisconsin Avenue And 34th Street)”. It is from 1949 and the artist is identified as Peder Kitti.

A lot surely has changed since 1949, but not so much that I think this is actually depicting 34th and Wisconsin. It is much more likely to be 33rd and Wisconsin. (If you’re wondering if actually maybe 34th and Wisconsin looked like this in 1949, the answer is almost certainly not. This is what that intersection looked like from above in 1951:

That said, the painting isn’t really a perfectly accurate depiction of 33rd and Wisconsin either. The large window on the left is correct. And the next couple buildings to the left match. But the right side of the row doesn’t really reflect the actual buildings. The painting seems to have a corner entrance that doesn’t exist. The building that houses A Mano isn’t quite right either.

But overall I think this is meant to be 33rd. And that leads me to wonder if that large beautiful tree also stood there. I think the answer is yes. This is that intersection in 1951:

As with so many photos of Georgetown in the mid 20th century, the trees look so much larger and healthier than they do today. This section of Wisconsin Ave. was completely covered by the tree canopy! That’s remarkable. Compare that to today:

It does appear from the historic shot that there was one very large tree right at the corner.

It looks like the tree lasted a while longer. Here’s a photo of the African Union Embassy in 1961, when it was the West Georgetown School. You can see a large tree creeping in on the right:

Looking through the historical satelite photos, it appears the foliage really started to take a beating in the 1980s. That’s pretty consistent with a story of a city running out of cash and an environment getting hotter. The latter of which, of course, will eventually mean the painting’s snowy scene will also become nothing but a memory.

Photo by Joe Flood.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Yates basketball courts reopen.
• Former ANC commissioner reflects on his time on the ANC.

The Georgetown BID is working towards developing a new model of streateries that would have the potential to significantly improve the look and function of the streetscape, while also helping to address some of the most frequent complaints. As described at the December ANC, the organization is moving towards instituting a pilot along Wisconsin Ave. to try out this new model. While the details are still being worked out, and I have no specific images or schematics to share, I can share generally what the model would be and why it would be such an improvement.

With a few notable exceptions, the main streatery model in Georgetown involves what you see above. Namely, there is a faux-wood decking that extends the sidewalk at grade into the street and a large Jersey barrier surrounds the extension. Moreover, the “use” of the streatery takes place on the streatery itself; i.e. the dining tables, or seating, or bike parking, etc., happens on the decking, not the sidewalk.

Several elements of this design have drawn the bulk of the complaints surrounding streateries. First, the Jersey barriers have drawn the most complaints. Even those who like the Streateries do not generally like the look of the barriers. Second, the faux-wood decking also draws complaints, either due to them being damaged or due to their plasticy appearance. Finally, some have also complained about the restaurant tables being across the sidewalk from the restaurants themselves.

The new model would address all those complaints.

I have no images to share, but let me describe in words how this new design would appear. First, instead of the faux-wood decking, the extension would utilize brick or granite elements to be consistent with the appearance of the sidewalks themselves. Second, the Jersey barriers would be replaced with bollards with a historic look (like what you see around the White House). Finally, the restaurant tables and chairs would be pulled against the building itself. (This is the approach for Yellow and Lutece and I think it has been successful.)

In the end, they wouldn’t technically be “streateries” anymore. They’d be normal sidewalk cafe’s with a more pleasant sidewalk extension next to it.

This is all easy to describe with a few sentences, but the logistics are extremely more complicated. Stormwater needs to be managed. Utilities need to be accessible. The bollards need to be removable. And on and on. Those are the details that the BID and its contractor are working through. But I am hopeful that they will get there.

The plan is to try out this model as a pilot at a couple places on Wisconsin, namely the area around Wisconsin and O. This location has a number of restaurants (and restaurants to be) and would be the perfect spot to demonstrate how Streateries 2.0 could work.

Like I said, there is still a lot of work before the plan can even be formally presented, let alone constructed. With luck, we will be able to see the work later this year, but in either event, I wanted people to know that a better model is coming.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Yesterday was the 130th anniversary of Georgetown’s dissolution as a separate municipality with the District of Columbia.
• The demolition of the Key Bridge Marriott is finally underway after years of abandonment.

A new Japanese restaurant is set to replace another Japanese restaurant that is in the process of moving up the block. The location, 1608 Wisconsin, was the home of Oki Bowl, which is taking over the old Jaco Taco space. The new restaurant will be called Koryouri Urara, according to a new liquor license application.

Here is how the application describes the new restaurant:

NATURE OF OPERATION
New Class “C” Restaurant with a Seat Capacity of 55, and Total Occupancy Load of 85, and a
Summer Garden with 25 Seats.

HOURS OF OPERATION AND HOURS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SALES,
SERVICE AND CONSUMPTION
Sunday through Saturday 11am – 12am

(The application itself does not describe itself as Japanese but this generally reliable source does. And from Google Translate, I believe the name of the restaurant translate from Japanese to something like “Beautiful Small Dishes”)

This establishment is in my SMD, and so I will take the lead from the ANC in handling it. I do not anticipate any major issues, so I hope they can open soon!

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Write up of our last ANC meeting.
• I missed this from a few months ago, but here’s a fun article about living at Oak Hill Cemetery.

This is the time of year when parents of young children looking to make plans for next fall start applying to nursery schools. And with that in mind, please consider my heartfelt recommendation: the Children’s House of Washington.

The Children’s House of Washington (or C.H.O.W.) is a Montessori school located in the Dumbarton Methodist Church right here in Georgetown. It doesn’t get quite the same attention as some of the other nursery schools around Georgetown, but my daughter had three wonderful years there, and I can say with confidence that it was absolutely one of the best decisions my wife and I have made for her.

Teaching children 2-6, the school follows the Montessori method, which may be unusual for some people. In Montessori, students pursue their education at their own pace, working on their skills via a variety of “work” activities in which they have been trained. It would seem that it should be chaotic, but well run Montessori classrooms hum with productive activity as the teachers move from group-to-group ensuring that they are on track with whatever task they’ve chosen. And C.H.O.W. is one of those productive Montessoris.

The school attracts a great mix of families. Most are from the Georgetown neighborhood, or a neighborhood close by. Many are international families, here either permanently or for a few years. Most of my daughter’s friends from C.H.O.W. speak (at least) two languages. And regardless of whether they are international or not, the families were all incredibly lovely.

I can also speak from experience that the Montessori method works. My daughter moved on to Kindergarten already reading and comfortable with math and other important areas. And she has continued to thrive ever since. The arts program is also superlative and instilled a creative drive in my daughter that has lead to a house full of projects too precious to throw away.

It is a wonderful, small, and affordable school right here in the heart of Georgetown. If you are looking for a preschool (either for now or next year) I highly recommend you check out C.H.O.W. Drop me a line if you want to learn more!

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Theoretically DPW crews are on their way to finally collect the leaves in west Georgetown. Their collection so far has been abysmal and we are continuing to push them to collect all the leaves, bags and Christmas trees they have missed. I regret that this year has been so bad and I hope our pressure will result in improvements soon.
• All that said, it looks like we’re in for a decent accumulation of snow midweek, so it might be worth while regathering whatever leaves have spread around your block before the snow falls. This might help limit the icy (and slippery) patches of leaves for the near term.

“Take this with a grain of salt” is an old expression. I’ve heard of different origins for it. With one, the idea is basically that you are being fed a meager piece of meat/information, so only a small amount of salt is necessary. For that reason, some people object to the modification that some piece of information should be taken with a giant grain of salt, since that would suggest it’s a more substantial meal. According to wikipedia, though, the phrase has its origins with Pliny the Elder, who published a recipe book with a method of how to avoid being poisoned. The recipe called for a grain of salt. And so with that origin, it’s not necessarily contradictory to advise more salt, since it might be necessary to counteract a higher dose of poison/false information.

I mention that because (barring some dietary restrictions) you should take the following information with some substantial amount of salt.

And with that intro, I turn to the subject of today’s article: an update from the Department of Parks and Recreation on the multiple capital projects we have going on in Georgetown (and Burleith) right now.

The first is Book Hill:

This project was originally included in the budget two years ago will repair the fencing, stairs and irrigation for the park. It will also upgrade the tables and chairs at the top of the hill. According to the DPR materials presented Monday night, it is currently in the design phase with construction taking place sometime this year. Frankly I have not heard any news about the design being done and I am skeptical the work will be done this year.

Next up is Duke Ellington Field in Burleith:

According the materials, construction will start this spring and will end by the summer. There are still outstanding complaints from neighbors about parking and lights that DPR has said they will work through. Whether that will delay the completion date is to be seen, but a safe bet would be yes.

Next up is Jelleff:

This will be the most significant of the various capital projects in Georgetown. It will involve completing demolishing and rebuilding the rec center. And it has a budget to match: $28 million. The project is still getting final design review through Old Georgetown Board, but it will likely look something like the previously issued plans. The materials state that construction will start this summer and continue through late 2026. For what it’s worth, I think these timelines are somewhat more reliable than for the other projects (but I’ve been burned on that many times already).

Although the work is centered on the rec center, DPR has stated that Jelleff pool will be closed during the construction. I believe the field will remain open, but I am not certain of that.

Not for nothing, but I should point out that S St. is going to be an absolute nightmare over the next couple years. There will be this construction. Dumbarton Oaks has its own projects. A new development with a dozen or so townhouses is going to be built immediately to the west of Jelleff. And a developer is doing major work on one of the houses on the south side of the street. There’s no sugar-coating it: this will be a huge pain in the ass for residents. It will be great when it’s all done, but in the meantime….

Finally, Volta Park:

I have written about this project a bunch, especially since joining the ANC, as it is in my district. After publicizing multiple supposed dates when the construction would begin (going back to 2023) I ultimately gave up passing them on since they proved unreliable time-and-time-again. So keep that in mind when I tell you that on Monday night they promised that construction would start this spring and would be completed by the summer. Personally I would not bank a great deal of hope on those dates, but who knows? Maybe Charlie Brown will finally punt that football?

I wish I could be more confident in this information, but experience has shown that these projects just keep getting delayed for no discernible reason. I think they will ultimately get built, but when is really hard to say right now.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Marriott-owned Canal House hotel on 31st St. set to open this month.
• Some business ins and outs.