The Georgetown Metropolitan

This week for Now and a Long Time Ago, GM is visiting the waterfront. Typically when GM explores waterfront pictures for Georgetown, the time period is the early to mid-20th century when it was an industrial area. But today he’s going further back: to June 1865.

What you see in the old photograph is a pontoon bridge between Georgetown and what was then called Analostan Island. Here’s a better view of the 1865 photo: Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Yesterday was the anniversary of the abolition of the Georgetown municipality in 1895.
• Why places like Georgetown’s Pizzeria Paradiso have pinball now.

1300 block of 33rd St.

Electric vehicles might be one of the key tools we need to use in order to limit the impact of disastrous climate change. But they present a tough problem for neighborhoods like Georgetown. How do people keep their Teslas charged when they don’t have any off-street parking?

For most Americans this isn’t a problem. They either have a garage or at least a driveway to store their cars at home when they’re not using them. They can easily locate a charging unit at this location and conveniently use it. But in dense neighborhoods like Georgetown garages or parking pads are the exception not the rule. Most Georgetowners with cars store them on the street.

So how would they charge their EVs? Well one resident has simply run a cord out the front of his or her house and out to the curb. They use a cord cover for the three feet the cord needs to cross the sidewalk. But it is still a tripping hazard. And would result in a whole lot of sidewalk clutter if everyone else did the same. Moreover, for this plan to work, the owner needs to be able to reliably park in one of the three or so spaces in front of his or her house. Most Georgetowners don’t have that situation. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GU wants to plant a solar panel farm, but it will mean cutting down a forest.
• Reverie, an essential restaurant to try this year.

1000 block of Wisconsin Ave.

If you’re a family with a connection to Hyde-Addison, or even if you’re not, consider buying a brick as part of the school’s fundraising.

As you probably know, the school is undergoing a major construction project to add a third building to the campus’s two historic buildings (Hyde on O St. and Addison on P St.). The school has for two years been temporarily relocated to the Meyer School building across town. This was a contentious issue that upset a great number of families and caused quite a lot of turmoil within the school community. Continue reading →

Photo by the Scottish Government.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The story behind Major.
• Senior journalist (and Colgate grad; Go ‘Gate!) Howard Fineman coming to the next Q&A Cafe.

1200 block of 31st St. (also, check out their new album!)

As GM has pointed out before, people (mostly journalists and realtors) love to describe Georgetown as having cobblestone streets. But the amount of streets that are actually cobblestoned is really small. It’s really just O and P streets, west of Wisconsin, and one block of 34th St. below M. Asphalt covers the vast majority of streets.

So GM got another laugh about it looking at this new real estate listing:

2 level brick townhouse. 1 BR, 1 bath All upgraded Fenced back yard. Beautiful townhouse on the cobbled streets of Georgetown, located just 2 blocks from Georgetown University

35th St. is not cobblestoned. Maybe they mean the sidewalks are bricked? Continue reading →