The Georgetown Metropolitan

Sometimes while researching some historical event, GM comes across old newspaper articles that aren’t really about the thing he was looking for, but which are a fascinating snapshot of the times nonetheless. And one such article about the real estate market in 1902 recently caught his eye. Here are some of the fun stories it tells.

It’s from June 29, 1902. The short article is not entirely about Georgetown; it covers news tidbits from across the District. For example, the iconic Woodie’s Building downtown was being constructed:

That building is, of course, still standing, although the department store closed decades ago:

But obviously it was the Georgetown items that most interested GM. For instance, it discussed a social hall being built on 28th st.: Continue reading →

C& O Canal

Last week, the city released the first map breaking down where the confirmed COVID-19 cases were found in DC. They showed that Georgetown was among the least impacted of all DC neighborhoods, west Georgetown in particular:

Other than the Bolling Air Force Base, west Georgetown was the “neighborhood” with the least cases, citywide, with only 12 confirmed. East Georgetown was more typical for wealthy neighborhoods, with 63.

But many were dissatisfied with the map, since it did nothing to take into account population density. So a reader of Prince of Petworth put together the first map above, using census data to give a per capita rate. And, well, Georgetown looks even better. West Georgetown has a third fewer confirmed cases than the second non-military base neighborhood, with 1.6 cases per 1000 residents to Capitol Hill’s 2.4. East Georgetown ticks up a few spots too. Continue reading →

Photo by John Weiss.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Jack Evans doesn’t just ignore ethics laws, he ignores trash disposal ones too!
• But speaking of those ethics violations, unfortunately the Government Ethics office won’t be completed with their investigation into Evans prior to the June elections.

3200 block of O St.

Photo by Jacquesofalltrades.

Last month, GM told you how to get ready to vote by mail. And last week he told you to vote for Patrick Kennedy. But regardless of who you want to vote for, above all GM wants you to vote. And while there will be voting booths on election day, there will be fewer of them and plenty of reasons to avoid them if you can. So the DC Board of Elections is strongly encouraging voters to vote by mail instead. Since the upcoming primary and special elections will be a very consequential elections for Georgetowners, you ought to start the ball rolling on your absentee ballot now.

Up until last week, to get a ballot, you needed to email a request for a ballot, get it in the mail, sign it, and then mail it back. It was practically designed to depress its usage. Thankfully the BOE has seen the light, and now you can just fill out this pdf and email it to DCabsentee@dcboe.org. Ignore any message on the PDF about needing to sign it before sending it in. Just fill it out (you can literally just open the pdf in your browser, type in your information, and then save it to your desktop) and email it. You can also still use the Vote 4 DC app on either your apple product or android.

You will get two mail-in ballots sent separately. One is for the primary (assuming you’re registered with a party, otherwise you won’t get this at all) and the other is for the special election. The primary ballots have been going out first; GM received his last week. But the special election ballots won’t start being sent out until next week.

And just to repeat what GM wrote last month:  Georgetowners will be voting in two different elections in June. On June 2nd, there will be a Democratic primary, which will most notably be selecting the party’s candidate for Ward 2 this fall. Then two weeks later, the entire ward will be selecting a candidate to immediately take the Ward 2 seat. You should vote for Kennedy in both.

Photo by John Weiss.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The BID and Halcyon House are coordinating an effort which is already sending checks directly to retail employees hurt by the stay at home order.
• Someone covered the exorcist steps with origami sculptures.

3300 block of P St.

Back 30 years ago in March, GM published a piece early on in the crisis with a few tips on how to get out of the house around Georgetown and still practice social distancing. Some of the advice got stale almost immediately after GM published it. So with some wisdom gleaned over the years that have passed these lasts couple weeks, GM has some revised advice:

GM had recommended Tudor Place. Sadly they closed literally the next day. But GM also recommended Dumbarton Oaks Park. And he can report that it is still open and as lovely as it has always been. Even on the weekends it has remained uncrowded, although the walk down Lover’s Lane might bring you in slightly closer contact than you might like. It is still a wonderful place for a walk and peaceful reflection.

GM had also recommended the parks like the waterfront or Volta Park, etc. These (particularly the waterfront) have a tendency to get a bit crowded. Depending on the day and your risk tolerance, you may want to avoid them for now. But GM can add Georgetown University to the list. His daughter has really enjoyed biking both on the campus as well as the nearby streets, which are unusually quiet now. On the weekends there’s a bit of an uptick of crowds, but it’s still fairly empty. Continue reading →

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown still only has had 12 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
• The ANC voted on Monday night to request the city expand sidewalks on Wisconsin Ave. during the crisis and the expand the K St. bikelane towards the Capital Crescent Trail.