The Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by Daniel Lobo.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Although tempting, please don’t dial 911 on dockless car’s parked all over the sidewalk either.
• The story behind the man whose face decorates Dumbarton Bridge. (And here’s the story behind the bridge, if you’re interested).

Georgetown University

In March, there will be a community celebration for retiring MPD Officer Antonial Atkins, who has served the Georgetown-community for eighteen years. Please come out and wish him your best. Details below:

Metropolitan Police Department’s Officer Antonial Atkins walked the beat and patrolled the streets of DC for eighteen years before coming to Georgetown. After being moved to the 2nd District, Officer Atkins quickly became a favorite and familiar face among the Georgetown streets. Serving the residents of Georgetown for a decade, Officer Atkins will be retiring January 19, 2018. Join CAG in thanking Officer Atkins for his dedication to making Georgetown a safer environment and attend his retirement party on March 2nd.

You will be joined by police, civilians, community leaders, local DC and federal partners to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions Officer Atkins has made to our nation’s capital. The evening will begin with dinner and awards, and it will end with music, dance, and celebration.

Friday, March 2nd 6-9pm

House of Sweden 2900 K St NW

 

Ticket price $60

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/officer-antonial-atkinsmpd-badge3390-retirement-celebration-tickets-42591181370

Photo by Bill Starrels.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Latest on the gondola.
• Do you like fire? Do you like food? How about together? Some choice spots in Georgetown (and other places) where that’s possible.

1500 block of 33rd St.

Thanks to an astute reader, GM is now aware of some more of the insane plans that would have utterly demolished a huge swath of Georgetown had they been enacted.

The two additional renderings show more of what the new streetscape would look like. And it’s 100% straight from the City Beautiful playbook. It would call for a grand new boulevard lined with dramatic new civic buildings. Here’s some closer looks:

The landing of the Key Bridge would have a grandiosity that would make Albert Speer blush: Continue reading →

Photo by Bill Starrels.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Falafel, Inc. makes Food and Wine magazine.
• Mark Ein has his moment.

3200 block of O St.

A common refrain you’ll hear from longer time Georgetown residents is that the neighborhood isn’t what it once was. GM doesn’t have to list all the old stores or restaurants that people miss. Or any other neighborhood amenity lost to history.

What GM would like to suggest today is that maybe Georgetown is somehow less than the sum of its parts. In other words, when considered as an entire neighborhood, there are countless complaints about what it lacks or has in excess. But people rarely experience the entire neighborhood on any sort of a regular basis. If most residents are like GM, they spend most of their time in the neighborhood within 5-7 blocks or so.

And when you start breaking up Georgetown into some natural groupings around that premise, you end up with seven smaller “neighborhoods”. And each is distinct from the others with impressive strengths and unique drawbacks. So maybe Georgetown as a whole is great, and maybe it isn’t. But the seven sub-neighborhoods are pretty great when judged on their own.

GM came up with a map, seen above, with these seven sub-neighborhoods. Is it a perfect map reflecting all residents’ views? Of course not. But it is GM’s best guess. Suggest your own changes below if you’d like! Continue reading →

Photo by Ehpien.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The Commission of Fine Arts approves some additional changes to the new hospital building.
• Bourbon Steak (a restaurant inside the Four Seasons) wants to be more budget-friendly. Tall order.