The Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Dean and Deluca closed temporarily for health violations.
• 20 GU students affected by Trump’s Muslim ban.

3200 block of Grace St.

The Dumbarton Oaks Gardens will be closed for significant renovations starting this July. They will remain closed until the following March.

In a letter to the public, the organization explains:

The time has now come to undertake large-scale improvements to the garden’s water supply network, which dates to the garden’s original creation in the 1930’s. We are therefore obliged to close the gardens to the public from July 10, 2017 to March 15, 2018.

This is a bummer for residents and visitors. But the silver lining is that the gardens will be open for this spring’s fireworks. And they will be reopen by the following spring.

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Multiple readers wrote in yesterday to inform GM that the “QP Shops” sign on N St. is actually “PP Shops”. And the PP stands for Prospect Place, the name of the larger development that includes the condos, Cafe Milano, etc. It was supposedly erected in the 1970s.
• Not many details, but it appears that Ralph Lauren might be leaving its current space.

1600 block of Avon Pl.

Last night GM planned to write a story about what the sign that stands near the Sid Mashburn is in reference to. The sign, seen above, appears to say “QP SHOPS”, at least that’s how GM interprets it. Unfortunately after researching the Washington Post and Washington Star databases, he came up empty. So does anyone know what it’s for?

The sign has been there for at least as long as GM’s lived in Georgetown. It was there when Neyla was open (although for a short time it was covered with a sign for Neyla) and it has remained after Sid Mashburn opened. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Revolution Cycles, which was started and still remains in Georgetown, has been bought by Trek Bikes.
• Another Georgetown original, Phoenix, is not only renovating, but also expanding into the building next door.

1300 block of 31st St.

DC Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie has proposed legislation to tighten up regulation on the practice of listing homes and apartments through AirBnb. And in response, the company is waging a charm offensive prominently featuring a junk study full of misleading information.

What McDuffie has proposed would add the following rules to the use of AirBnb by a DC property owner:

• Require all users of AirBnb to obtain a business license and for AirBnb to check
• Require the host to be present during the rental
• Allow for homes to be rented out as a vacation rental, without the owner present, but only for 15 days total throughout the year

This would significantly restrict the use of the service back to the way it was originally pitched: as a way for people to have paying houseguests. This is still the way some owners use the service, but it has clearly been surpassed by the model whereby the host isn’t present. It is essentially a short term housing rental service. McDuffie’s bill would basically end that service in DC. Some might still list their homes for a couple weeks a year, but all the property owners who have created a mini-empire of empty homes for-the-renting would be out-of-business.

GM has seen how in Georgetown the business of buying homes and turning them into AirBnb’s has spread. Almost all of them are technically illegal since they require a business license as a hotel and zoning doesn’t permit that use in residential Georgetown without zoning relief. It’s not clear how McDuffie’s bill would impact that. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• & Other Stories is open now.
• The CFA gives preliminary approval to a new condo on Water St.