The Georgetown Metropolitan

3100 block of Dumbarton St.

The ANC will meet for its October session next Wednesday at 6:30 pm at its normal location, Georgetown Visitation. (Please note the odd day of week; the Commission would usually meet on Mondays, but due to Rosh Hashanah the meeting is being shifted to Wednesday).

The agenda has a couple of interesting items for foodies:

The first is a presentation by the District Department of General Services regarding the Georgetown Market building (i.e. the former Dean and Deluca). The building is actually owned by the District (it was built by the City of Georgetown and transferred to the District when Georgetown was dissolved). It is under a 99-year lease that is currently held by Jamestown (which purchased the Georgetown Park nextdoor). Under federal law, the building has to be used as a market. It is GM’s understanding that the city intends to hold Jamestown to that requirement and that Jamestown will need to get the city’s approval before leasing the building. GM does not know, but he speculates that DGS will be at the ANC meeting to discuss this process. We’ll see! Continue reading →

Photo by Daniel Lobo.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Father of former Georgetown student sentenced to four months in jail as part of the admissions scandal.
• Next weekend, the shops of Book Hill will be holding a fall market. The weather forecast looks like it might actually be a little chilly! Finally!

Montrose Park

This week on Georgetown Time Machine, GM visits Herring Hill, the traditionally African American quarter of east Georgetown. The photo comes from the collection of Charles W. Cushman, held at the Indiana University archives. (And thank you to the fantastic Old Time DC group for locating it).

The photo is marked as being on 28th St., but it’s actually on 27th St. The homes look quite a bit different now:

The photo was taken September 24, 1940. According to the 1940 Census, the home at the center, the one with the woman standing in the doorway, was occupied by the Washington family:

It’s possible that the woman in the doorway is Josephine Washington, the head of the household. She lived there with her mother, brother and sister, and also her three sons, a niece, a cousin and a boarder. She was 27 years old. Continue reading →

Photo by Streets of Washington.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Tom Sietsema likes Wolfgang Puck’s new restaurant.
• Great profile of ANC Commissioner Lisa Palmer.

1400 block of 28th st.

The city has been providing free rides on the Circulator bus lines since February as part of the Mayor’s “Fair Shot” initiative. Georgetowners have been the (perhaps unintended) beneficiaries of this free ride, but the free ride is about to end: the buses will go back to charging again on October 1st.

The mayor wanted to keep the free rides going indefinitely, but the Council voted to strip funding for that plan in the spring. The Council’s logic is fairly easy to understand: the Circulator buses disproportionately travel through well-off neighborhoods. The riders from those neighborhoods (e.g. Georgetowners)–not to mention tourists–don’t need to be getting free rides while normal Metrobuses still charge full fare.

There are probably a lot more worthy places for the city to throw its money at in order to increase transit ridership. (Like more dedicated bus lanes for one thing). So despite an effort by the mayor’s toady on the Council, the funding is unlikely to be reinstated.

Enjoy one last week of free Circulator rides, and get that Metrocard ready for October 1st.

Photo by M01229.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown once again left off Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list for 2020. (GM missed that Das is on the list, as it was last year.)
• But Simply Banh Mi made the Post’s list for best banh mi sandwiches in the area.

3000 block of N St.