This stretch of Wisconsin Ave. has already undergone a bit of a renaissance with the arrival of Yellow. This has the potential to send that into the stratosphere (which is good or bad depending on your perspective!)
I am hoping that the hordes of customers that this will likely attract will come by something other than a car! And I hope the city keeps an eye on providing an adequate supply of bike and scooter parking in the immediate vicinity. Please don’t leave any bike or scooters in the middle of the sidewalk!
A Brazilian dress shop is coming to 3057 M St., according to architectural plans filed with the Old Georgetown Board. The shop, FARM Rio, will replace Amigo Mio, which has closed.
The brand has been around in Brazil for over 25 years and is only recently dipping its toe into foreign markets. This would be the fifth location in the U.S.
I’m no Brazilian fashion expert, but their distinctively vibrant dresses look like something from a 60’s Joao Gilberto album cover, so it checks out with me:
A bar has been proposed to open at 1660 33rd St. This is where 33rd St. joins up with Wisconsin Ave. The location is probably best remembered as the home for many years of a used book store. More recently it housed a pot shop.
The bar, dubbed Creme, is seeking a tavern license. That is the sort of liquor license that does not require any food be sold. The bar would have a capacity of 25 people inside. The possibly challenging element of the proposal is that it would also allow for 10 people outside on the rear patio. The patio backs up to homes along Reservoir Rd. and Dent Pl., not to mention the neighbors along 33rd St. (although the immediately abutting neighbors are commercial buildings).
This is in my ANC district, so I will be handling it for the Commission. I am now reaching out to the neighbors to gather contact information and bring them up to speed. If you would like to be included, please reach out to me by email at 2e02@anc.dc.gov or call/text to 202-827-5405.
It’s that time again, I’m providing (and slightly updating) my annual Intern’s Guide to Georgetown:
As year-round Washingtonians know, it’s that time of year again. Eager young interns will soon arrive in earnest droves to fill those couple inches on their resumes between their GPAs and their “other interests”. Many of these interns will be drawn to live and/or play in Georgetown. I publish the below crash course for interns each year:
To Live:
There’s a movement to pay interns more, in order to allow a wider swath of the population to participate in career enhancing experiences. But that said, if you’re an intern you’re still probably living on little to no pay. Can you afford to live in Georgetown? Maybe. But you’ll have to look hard. You’re young, so you probably can’t even remember a time before Craigslist, so no need mention that. But there are other places to look too. The City Paper still has decent listings, but for the short term rentals that you’re probably looking for you may try off campus housing listings like you’ll find here. I’ve also heard good things about Facebook Marketplace. Good luck.
To Eat:
The Safeway should be on your weekly checklist. You can load up on groceries without going totally broke. For some variety, go to the newly re-opened Whole Foods in Glover Park, or the Trader Joe’s just up the block from the Safeway. Or you could sign up for Carsharing and head out to Costco at Pentagon City to really make your dollar go far.
Restaurants in Georgetown get a bad wrap. But there are plenty of relatively cheap options for a weekly night out. Here are some of GM’s old reliable options:
Mexican – Los Cuates
Falafel – Falafel, Inc.
Pizza – Pizzeria Paradiso
Spanish – Bodega
When your parents come to visit and are paying the bill, make a reservation at Chez Billy Sud or, if you’re a traditionalist, 1789.
To Work:
There are over twelve bus lines that go through Georgetown. They all come pretty frequently, particularly during rush hour. The main crosstown corridors are Q St. to Dupont and M St. to Foggy Bottom. Get yourself a Smartrip Card and put on about $70 month and you’ll be set.
Georgetown also has ten different Capital Bikeshare stations around the neighborhood. Of course there are now dockless bikeshare and e-scooter options too. (The best way to browse them all is to install the Transit app.) The best thing about bikeshare is that unlike riding your own bike, you don’t have to worry about getting the bike home at night. You can ride to work in the morning, then go out drinking as interns are wont to do and you can walk or take a cab home.
To Play:
GM doubts you need much advice from some barely-still-a-30– sadly 40-something where to find intern-friendly bars. You’ll find them. The only advice GM has on that account is to branch out from Georgetown. Although nowadays even that is advice that 20-somethings hardly need to hear from some middle aged guy. That said, if you are looking for tips for places beyond Georgetown, the obvious locations are 14th St. (I recommend Bar Pilar, Churchkey, and Etto), Shaw (Dacha is a fun beer garden, but really crowded, I also recommend the Passenger, and Right Proper), and H St. (hit the Pug). Finally, check out the new Wharf development, especially the Anthem.
Beyond booze, there’s plenty of fun stuff to do in Georgetown. Check out these ideas:
Rent a Boat – The Key Bridge Boat House on K St. below Key Bridge will rent you a canoe or kayak for a cheap price. Grab a picnic and head over to Roosevelt Island for lunch sometime. Thompsons Boat House is another option. They offer rowing shells on top of kayaks and canoes. If you’re experienced, they’ll let you rent them. If you want to learn, they offer week-long classes after which you’ll be certified to row. But you need to be an early riser!
Play Some Sports – There are tennis courts all over Georgetown. Try Volta Park (34th and Q), Rose Park (27th and O), or Montrose Park (Avon Pl. and R). The newly renovated Montrose Park courts are definitely the nicest, but the Rose Park courts are also in great shape, but both of them can get crowded. The Volta courts are less crowded but not nearly as nice. Beyond tennis, Volta Park and Rose Park both have basketball courts and small ballfields. Finally, go to Volta Park or Jelleff to cool off in the pool.
Hang out – The Georgetown Waterfront Park is a great place to spend an afternoon. Bring a book and a Frisbee and spend a few hours here. Also, make sure to stop by Dumbarton Oaks at least once this summer.
To Read:
Of course you should read the Georgetown Metropolitan for all your Georgetown news. But since you probably don’t know what an ANC is, you may want to branch out to the links on the right for other Georgetown and DC blogs. DCist is a must RIP!
This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I felt like sharing this charming drawing of the neighborhood. It comes from the DC Historical Society. It dates to around 1860 and it was published by Charles Magnus, a famous mid-19th century lithograph publisher.
It’s not exactly a photo-realistic depiction of Georgetown, of course. But it does nonetheless convey the feeling of how bustling and urban the neighborhood already was at this point in its history. This may be depicting Georgetown at the peak of its identity as an active port town. You can see both steamships and sailboats plying its shores. (If you want a photorealistic depiction of this era of tallships in Georgetown, look no further than this spectacular 1865 photo:
But there’s something a bit more charming about the lithograph…
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
You must be logged in to post a comment.