The Georgetown Metropolitan

On two previous occasions, I’ve tested the ability of AI to take the job of writing this website away from me. The results from the last experiment were so bad that I didn’t think I’d be able to slough off this job for a while.

But this technology is moving fast! Maybe it’s already good enough to give me a break! So I decided to ask Google’s AI to write just the sort of article I would write. In fact, I already wrote it! It’s one of my most read articles ever! But could AI do it as well?

So I decided to give it a try. I asked Google: Write an article in the style of the Georgetown Metropolitan where you discus the decline of college bars in Georgetown.

This is what it produced:

Once a bustling hub of college life, Georgetown’s iconic bars have seen a noticeable decline in recent years. The vibrant atmosphere that once characterized the neighborhood has been replaced by a more subdued, upscale vibe, leaving many students and alumni wondering what happened.

Several factors have contributed to this transformation. One significant reason is the rising cost of living in the District. As property values soar, businesses are forced to charge higher prices, making it increasingly difficult for students on limited budgets to afford a night out. This has led to a shift away from traditional bars towards more affordable options, such as house parties and BYOB events.

Moreover, the changing demographics of Georgetown have also played a role. The neighborhood has become increasingly affluent, attracting professionals and families who may have different preferences when it comes to nightlife. The demand for upscale restaurants and bars has grown, while the traditional college bar scene has diminished.

Finally, the emergence of social media and online platforms has altered the way young people socialize. In the past, bars were the primary gathering places for students to meet friends and have fun. Today, many young people prefer to connect online or through private events, reducing the need for traditional bars.

While the decline of college bars in Georgetown is a notable shift, it is important to note that the neighborhood still has a vibrant nightlife. The emergence of new bars and restaurants catering to a diverse clientele has helped to fill the void left by the disappearance of the traditional college bar scene. However, the loss of iconic establishments like the Tombs and the Bayou remains a bittersweet reminder of Georgetown’s changing landscape.

Still sounds like something someone would write when they didn’t do the required reading! Lots of BSing going on here. But still….not thaaaaaaat bad????

Can I outsource this soon? Probably not! And, of course, this is all just a joke anyway! Don’t worry, it’ll be flesh and blood writing this for a while still…

Photo by Andrew Griffith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Four shops burgled.
• Another dive into the bagel drama.

The front of the Georgetown Library received a boost recently. That’s due to the new plantings donated to the library by the Georgetown Garden Club. Here are some more pics:

Many thanks to the Garden Club for making the neighborhood a bit greener!

Photo by Andrew Griffith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• High politics on the menu at the Q&A Cafe tomorrow.
• “Pure silliness and joy”. Inside the Mr. Georgetown contest.

The Circulator is nearly dead. Long live the Circulator.

A victim of deep budget cuts (that apparently didn’t impact the mayor’s obsession with building a wasteful football stadium) the popular bus program is set to cease by the end of this year. Although popular, the system proved too expensive–at least as measured by cost-per-rider–to keep afloat. An alternative, which was pushed by the ANC and many others, was hinted at at the time the cuts became final: ask WMATA to pick up the difference.

The argument makes decent sense, although it is not without its flaws. Many of the Circulator routes overlapped with WMATA bus routes. For instance, the Georgetown-Union Station route is basically the same as the 30 series between Georgetown and downtown. Of course, the overlap is not perfect. The Circulator goes to Union Station from downtown DC. The 30s series simply ends downtown (these days).

Nonetheless, the city and WMATA put forward a plan this week outlining how the replacement service would roughly work. At this point, the plan is only short term. It’s meant to bridge the gap between the end of the Circulator service and the introduction of the Better Bus Network next year.

The details for the Georgetown Circulator routes are as follow:

-For the Dupont to Rosslyn route, WMATA will increase weekend peak hours for the 38B route to create 15 minute headways.

-For the Georgetown to Union Station route, WMATA will merge the 31 and 33 routes and essentially extend the 30 Series to Union Station

Neither of these solutions is sufficient to substantially replace the Circulator service being lost. For the Dupont to Rosslyn route, the 38B doesn’t get near to Dupont at all. The closest it gets is K and 18th, nearly half a mile from Dupont. (For what it’s worth, it goes right to the Farragut Metro stops, so to the extent the line is looking for a Metrorail connection, it would have one).

And while the modified 30 series route may offer a single seat ride to Union Station, it does not even begin to replace the service frequency that the Circulator provides. For the vast majority of riders catching a bus on Wisconsin Ave., the destination is somewhere that the 30 series already goes. Extending the 30 series to Union Station will only help out a small number of riders. The loss of the Circulator frequency, though, will be felt by all riders. This plan does nothing to address that.

And as it stands, the Better Bus Network that is following this temporary plan is no better in terms of addressing this frequency problem. An analysis of the total bus service before and after the end of Circulator and the introduction of the Better Bus Network showed a huge drop off of overall service for Wisconsin Ave. riders. This is something that the city still needs to address.

Photo by Joe Flood.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Write up of our last ANC meeting.
• All about how college students’ parents are simply buying their children houses to live in.

The Old Georgetown Board agenda is always a great source of information for stores coming to the neighborhood. And with no meeting in August, the agenda for September is often chock full of new applicants. And this year is no different. Here is what’s in store:

Billy Hicks

This isn’t new, per se, because the restaurant itself was announced a while ago, but here is a look at what the new St. Elmo’s Fire-inspired restaurant will look like:

The existing building is not exactly the most attractive building on M St. (in fact, it’s possibly the exact most unattractive building on M St.) And I was afraid this project was basically lipstick on a pig. But by this design, at least, it looks like an actual improvement. We’ll see.

Lululemon

This is a slightly odd one. There is, of course, already a Lululemon in Georgetown at 3265 M St. And the company is applying to update the signage for this location:

But the company is also seeking approval for signage at a totally new location, 3077 M St. (the old Brooks Brothers space):

So I guess Lululemon is looking to double their footprint in Georgetown.

Warby Parker

Another existing store, Warby Parker, is also looking to either expand or move. There is an application to convert 3223 M St. into one of their shops:

The store is currently located next door. It’s unclear if they’re moving or expanding.

Arcteryx

This next one is a bit of a bummer but also genuinely funny. Arcteryx is coming to 3218 M St.:

The bummer is that this used to be J. Paul’s I knew long ago that the beautiful historic bar was long gone, but I held out vain hope that some sort of a similar restaurant would return. Alas.

What’s funny, though is this. When Arcteryx first came to DC, they chose City Center. At the time, they’re broker gave a pretty snide comment about Georgetown:

Edward Goldmeier of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank helped broker the deal. He told Washington Business Journal that, “with no disrespect to T.J. Maxx … when that starts to be the big face in Georgetown as opposed to what was originally proposed as a Bloomingdale’s, it does affect an outsider’s view of what’s going on there.”

Well T.J. Maxx is still here and just down the block from Arcteryx’s new location. I guess that’s not so bad for them afterall…

Hunter and Huntress

Something called Hunter and Huntress appears to be coming to 1665 Wisconsin Ave. Most recently this was the location of an unlicensed pot shop, but for many years it was home to the well loved Bean Counter coffee and sandwich shop.

I believe the new establishment will be an interior decorating firm.

Framebridge

Framebridge, the DTC framing company, has grown leaps and bounds since it was founded ten years ago. It’s actually got Georgetown roots. In its early days, its design offices were located on O St. And now it looks to be returning to those roots by opening its first retail location in the neighborhood, namely 1506 Wisconsin Ave:

It’s a Secret

Something called It’s a Secret is coming to the former bank building at Wisconsin and O. It appears to be some sort of a “medical salon”, which I believe is just a place that will give you IV drips:

Brasero & Floreria Atlantico

And finally, some sort of a restaurant is coming to 1066 Wisconsin Ave:

It will be called Brasero & Floreria Atlantico

Photo by Paul McClure.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Art All Night coming September 27th
• You can borrow a Brompton bike for a day for free.

As I mentioned in my September update earlier this week, I am running for reelection to the ANC this November. Moreover, each of my ANC colleagues who aren’t graduating seniors at GU are also all running for reelection. But what’s unusual this year is that not one of us is being challenged for the position (at least not on the ballot).

There are a couple different ways to interpret that! I like to think of it as a show of confidence in each of our performances as Commissioners over this last term. Perhaps a more cynical view is that it’s a really tough position with no pay and only us idiots are masochistic enough to even want the job. Potay-to Po-tah-to I guess.

This is the first time that there will be no ANC2E seats in competition on the ballot this fall since 2012. Since then, there have been a handful of successful challenges against a couple incumbents as well as several open seats that drew multiple candidates (as was the case for me in 2020 and 2022).

As I mentioned, the exception to this consistency are the student seats. Joe Massaua and John DiPierri are both graduating in the spring and heading off to bigger, brighter things. As of right now, no candidates are on the ballot for their respective seats. This is not surprising. The ballot petition period takes place in the middle of the summer and requires the candidate to get 25 signatures from registered voters in their district. This is a minor challenge for the rest of the ANC commissioners who have to deal with residents being out of town. But it’s a major challenge for the students. So few students are actually registered in DC and fewer still are around in the summer. In the case of Joe Massaua’s district, it is literally impossible to get on the ballot since there are fewer than 25 people even registered in his district.

For these reasons, students running for the ANC generally have to run as a write-in candidate. This can result in an actually contested election, as it did for Massaua in 2022. Or it can result in literally no candidate running and the seat remaining empty until someone finally steps forward. I’m hopeful that later scenario won’t occur this year.

Photo by Victoria Pickering.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Youth volunteers help improve Mt. Zion cemetery.
• Barnes and Noble set to reopen Oct. 30th.