The Georgetown Metropolitan

1600 block of 32nd St.

GM has heard that the horrendous proposal for the Marvelous Market property has been pulled from review. It was going to get its first vetting by the ANC this week, and the Old Georgetown Board next week.

Perhaps sensing that it was walking into a meat grinder, the developer pulled the project and has not notified the CFA staff when it will resubmit altered plans. From what GM understands, it is a case where a prospective buyer is seeking approval of the plans prior to closing the deal. So ultimately this might just be a question of money, i.e. the smaller the approved plans, the lower the purchase price. Continue reading →

Photo by Mitch Wander.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The Sovereign now offering happy hour specials.
• GM always laughs when he hears pearl-clutching reports of dirt-bike riders “clogging up Georgetown” streets, as if all the cars aren’t also doing that.

Montrose Park

This Thursday, the ANC will be holding its July session. This is an unusual time for the meeting, since, it’s normally on a Monday night, but given the sort-of-a-holiday-weekend, the meeting will be held a little early.

One item that will be on the agenda is a topic that GM is particularly interested in. It’s the proposal to bring some sanity and organization to K and Water Streets below the Whitehurst. The plan, commissioned by the BID and made in consultation with residents and business, would reconfigure the street. The main difference would be the construction of a new separated bike lane. This would have the goal of bringing some predictability to the bike traffic through this corridor, which is an important corridor since it links the Capital Crescent Trail with the Rock Creek trails, as well as downtown DC.

The ANC has already given some support to the plan, and it will likely continue to support it, although some ANC commissioners (notably ones that don’t represent the affected area) have expressed some concern over the impact the change will have on parking. The reality is, however, that there is too much free parking on this corridor, which has led to more traffic than it can handle. Reducing this magnet for out-of-state drivers looking to avoid meter or garage fees is a worthy goal in and of itself. That it will be part of a larger re-imagining of the street is just gravy. Continue reading →

Photo by Mr. Gray.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Would you pay $17 million for a home that’s not even built yet?
• Wawa makes it official that it’s coming to Georgetown (and nobody give credit to GM for breaking the news first…)

1600 block of Wisconsin Ave.

Hey, the time is almost upon us. Starting July 10th, Dumbarton Oaks will shut down their gardens to the public until next spring. So hurry over there for one last lazy walk through the grounds.

Also, remember you can now visit the museum, which recently opened after its own extensive renovations. Inside you’ll find precious art from ancient Rome, the Byzantine era Mediterranean, and of course the legendary pre-Columbian South American collection. They also have temporary exhibitions, here’s whats on display now:

WOMEN IN ART, 1850–1910

Special Exhibition Hallway, April 25, 2017, to March 2018

The exhibit examines the fashionably dressed, urban woman of the late nineteenth century in thirteen works collected by institution’s founders, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss. The Blisses admired the art of the French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists and were especially fond of the paintings of the Belgian artist, Alfred Stevens. Five of his paintings in this exhibition are on public display for the first time.

ANCIENT BRONZES IN THE DUMBARTON OAKS COLLECTIONS

Courtyard Gallery, April 25, 2017, to March 2018

The manufacture of copper and its alloys, such as bronze, was well known in Mesopotamia and Egypt in the fifth and fourth millennia BC. The temporary display and juxtaposing of bronze sculptures that span more than fifteen hundred years aims to draw attention to the highly specialized techniques applied by the makers of metal sculpture. It invites to ask questions of craftsmanship, use, and the meaning of these works in bronze.

EARLY BLISS ACQUISITIONS: COLLECTING IN PARIS AND LONDON, 1912–1919

Bliss Gallery, April 25, 2017, to March 2018

When the Blisses resided in Paris, they developed their collecting interests and passion and became especially intrigued by “unusual” objects that were newly available at the avant garde art dealers’ shops.

EARLY BLISS ACQUISITIONS: COLLECTING TEXTILES

Textile Gallery, April 25, 2017, to March 2018

The textile rotation features late Roman and early Byzantine hangings and curtains in tapestry weave used in private as well as religious spaces, alongside looped and woven garments from the Andes, where elite individuals displayed their wealth and status by wearing clothing in dazzling colors and patterns.

IMAGINING THE EMPRESS: THEODORA IN POPULAR CULTURE, 1882–1922

Orientation Gallery, April 25 to August 31, 2017

This display from the Ephemera Collection shows how a single historical figure—the sixth-century Byzantine empress Theodora—captured the public imagination at the end of the nineteenth century through film, theater, opera, and even buttons.

CITY WATER/CITY LIFE

Rare Book Gallery, April 25 to August 31, 2017

This exhibit displays materials from the Rare Book Collection to explore the past and present of three major European cities (Amsterdam, Florence, and Paris).

Continue reading →

Photo by Khairil Zhafri.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• A history of the Georgetown Waterfront.
• A run-down on what changes are being sought for the canal.

1300 block of 35th St.