The Georgetown Metropolitan

Dumbarton Oaks

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Public event on the proposed changes to the canal on September 12th.
• GM couldn’t make it to the ANC meeting this week, but here is a good write-up.

Georgetown Waterfront

September’s a funny month. It’s basically June, part 2, but because people’s minds are already thinking ahead, they deck themselves in scarves and tweed and stock up on various pumpkin spiced products. And yet the heat bears on. And the trees still need your help.

So please, keep watering your street trees until the leaves have fallen. Yesterday was in the 90s and we’ve not had substantial rains in weeks. Don’t get this far with a young tree and let it down now! Make sure to give it 20 gallons every week.  That means filling the ooze bag, if it’s got one, or leaving your hose dribbling water into the tree box for a half hour. Continue reading →

Photo by Patrick Thibodeau.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• More on the alarming rape on 30th St.
• Where to go with a big group in Georgetown (and elsewhere).

1300 blok of 29th St.

Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Washington DC.

This week on Georgetown Time Machine, GM is exploring a new archive to him: the archive of the Historical Society of Washington DC. This archive has a huge collection of old photos of the city, including dozens and dozens from Georgetown.

Today is a photo of the Georgetown market, which until July was home to Dean and Deluca. This photo is of the building between 1923 and 1927. At the time it hosted Sherby’s Market. GM couldn’t find too much information about this market, but it appears to have had multiple locations. For instance, in the 1940s there was a Sherby’s Market at 7th and D St. NW (which was part of Central Market).

Even in the 1920s, this building was already pretty old. It was built in 1865, replacing an even older building that stood there since 1795. While it was not designed by the great Washington architect, Adolph Cluss, it resembles Cluss’s Eastern and Central Markets.

Little has changed to the exterior of the building since the 20s. Even the flag pole is still there (although GM has never seen it actually used). The angle of the shot makes it look like the building had two smoke stacks, but those are from buildings further to the south. The smoke stack on the right is still there. Continue reading →

Photo by Daniel Lobo.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• NYC falafel shop opening on Wisconsin below M.
• Dumbarton Oaks getting a new greenhouse.

C & O Canal

(Sorry for the thumb.)

Capital One Cafe has arrived to Georgetown. But what exactly is it?

In short, it’s basically a decently fancy Peet’s Coffee (just a block or so from another decently fancy Peet’s Coffee) inside of an elegant building filled with couches and conference rooms. The former Nathans has truly been transformed:

It is, of course, also sort of a bank. Not a traditional one with tellers and safes and little jars of lollipops. But there are a c0uple ATMs:

And more noticeably, there are roving bands a guys in suits trying to make eye contact with you and strike up a conversation, presumably about a home equity loan or a high yield savings account.

By Sunday afternoon the coffee bar was packed (again proving the rule that demand for coffee shops in Georgetown is bottomless). Were any mortgages bought alongside the macchiatos? Probably not. There really is no way that Capital One will recoup the $50 million is spent for this property (on top of the additional finishing work is performed). And it’s unlikely the bank even thought it would. Ultimately this expenditure is about advertising, and splashing the brand all over one of DC’s iconic intersections.

The space would make more sense as a consumer product if it were presented primarily as a luxurious coffee shop that simply was sponsored by Capital One, like the way Capital One sponsors the former MCI Center. But that would limit the branding, which is the primary objective.

So we’re left with a pretty object that is neither really a true coffee shop nor a bank. A total less than the sum of its parts.

GM would still rather just have Nathans back.