The Georgetown Metropolitan

Montrose Park

Photo by MEB.

While most of the attention around the Georgetown 2028 project was focused on splashy items like the gondola or renovating the canal, the report called for many other smaller projects to improve the neighborhood. One of the action items involved improving the “gateways” to Georgetown. And the BID is now moving to address that goal.

The issue is over whether when a visitor arrives to Georgetown whether they even realize it. Depending on the way you approach Georgetown, you might not have any visual cue that you’ve arrived. For the main thoroughfares, like M St. or Wisconsin Ave., at least, the BID would like the transition to announce itself more.

How to do that is the question. And next week the BID is holding its first public session to survey for suggestions. The meeting will be held at the Georgetown Library next Wednesday at 6:00 pm. Here’s what the BID had to say in its public invite: Continue reading →

Photo by Alpe89.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• A British-leaning antiques and furniture shop will take over the old Sherman Pickney space.
• Great session on Kojo yesterday about the plans for the C & O Canal in Georgetown.

Dumbarton Oaks

It’s been an odd anti-climatic spring so far, with magnolia and cherry blossoms a shadow of their normal fabulous displays. But notwithstanding this stutter start, spring is finally here. And with spring in Georgetown comes a series of annual and beloved events. Here are GM’s favorites:

The Georgetown House Tour

First of the two grand dame tours, the Georgetown house tour will be held this year on April 29th. It is held every year to benefit St. John’s Episcopal church. As the title states, this tour gives you a chance to walk through 8-10 of Georgetown’s nicest homes. The patrons party is always the place to hobnob with the nobbiest hobs.

The Georgetown Garden Tour

Of the two tours, the Garden Tour is probably GM’s favorite. Like the house tour, you get a chance to look behind the gates of 8 or so homes, but GM just thinks there’s something more interesting about gardens than interiors. This tour will be held on May 13th, and is run by the Georgetown Garden Club. Continue reading →

Photo by Ehpien.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• How the wider sidewalks over the summer have succeeded and what you can do to make them even better.
• Fixing the canal is a waste of money if we don’t keep it maintained.

1700 block of 32nd St.

Photo by alpe89.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• How the decision on GU basketball’s next coach is mired in a grudge match played at Jelleff 50 years ago.
• Some Georgetowners hire alley cats to address the rat problem. That sounds like a Victorian era solution, but GM is totally down with it.

Dumbarton Oaks

Next week the ANC will meet for its April session. Several interesting items are on the agenda:

• Councilmember Jack Evans will be in attendance, probably to give his standard spiel on the city’s finances and Metro’s woes. But if you’ve got an issue to address with him, you should come and ask him.
• The BID will present its plans to reconfigure K St. These great plans would introduce bike lanes and eliminate parking west of 33rd (which will cut down significantly on the traffic there).
• The ANC will adopt a resolution on the LED streetlights (hopefully against them, at least in their current form).
• Several new businesses appear to be coming:
  • Something called Pillar & Post is moving into the old Sherman Pickney space
  • Something called Keybridge Communications is moving into the H.A. Gill building on Wisconsin above R St.
  • An organization called Potomac RiverKeeper Network is moving into 3070 M St. (which currently houses the Alex and Ani and M3 Massage)

Here’s the full agenda: Continue reading →