The Georgetown Metropolitan

1600 block of Wisconsin Ave.

Over the weekend, Twitter user, Raynell, noticed an odd map when he accessed Uber’s map via his phone’s browser. The map looked normal, but it was filled with odd historical names.

It appears this is the result of Uber populating the map with data of historical names from the USGS. But GM thought he’d take the opportunity to explain the Georgetown names. (Unfortunately GM couldn’t replicate the map, and can only use the screenshot from Raynell).

Here are the historical references:

City Tavern: This is still around! It’s the City Tavern Club at 3206 M St. It’s a private club with a lovely building filled with remarkable history. For instance, it was a popular social setting for George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson around the time of the creation of the District of Columbia. Continue reading →

Photo by Mantislee.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Is Anacostia the next Georgetown? Probably not, but huge change is coming there regardless.
• Ridiculously swanky home on O St. for sale.

1500 block of 33rd St.

A new neighborhood market is set to open today. Dent Place Market, at the corner of 34th and Dent Place, is replacing Le Petite Corner Store, a Turkish-flavored market that was open for years. The new market aims to take its place among the historic corner markets that once dotted Georgetown (and still exist, with Scheele’s and Sara’s). Continue reading →

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Ben and Jerry’s closing at the end of this summer.
• Georgetown, in legos.

500 block of Nod Hill

Right now–for about $650,000–you have a rare opportunity to own a piece of Pineapple Place. Pineapple Place, of course does not exist. It exists only in the charming children’s story about a boy living in Georgetown who finds a mysterious lane “located” between 3414 and 3415 P St. where the ghosts of children from another age live. Although Pineapple Place doesn’t exist, a house from the street that inspired it–Pomander Walk–is for sale. (GM pointed out in 2015 when another one of the homes was for sale.)

GM only finally read the book this spring with his daughter. It really is a fun book for Georgetown history buffs. The author (who was actually Charles Lindbergh’s daughter) lived in Georgetown at the time she wrote the book (published in 1982). And real streets a locations of Georgetown of that time pepper the book. For example, the main character is enrolled at Hyde and plays in Volta Park. And in one section, the characters are transported back to Georgetown of the 1930s, with accurate locations mentioned. It’s a great book.

Anyway, the street that inspired the book, Pomander Walk, is really a special little street. It’s a group of ten tiny rowhouses on an even tinier alley. Sometimes they accidentally get called former slave homes (GM’s made this mistake) but they were built 1889-90 and as such came decades after emancipation. But they were clearly built for laborers. Of course they now host modern residents who have learned to live small. Continue reading →

Photo by John Weiss.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Revisiting the massive flood of 1918.
• GM is heading out of town tomorrow for the rest of the week, so after today the posts will pick up again next Monday. Happy Fourth!

1300 block of 30st St.