The Georgetown Metropolitan

C & O Canal

This week on Now and a Long Time Ago, GM is taking a different tack. In searching for old postcards of Georgetown, he found one that confused him. It said it was Billy Martin’s restaurant, but it looked nothing like how the tavern looks today. Could it have changed that much?

Looking closer GM realized that the name of the establishment was “Billy Martin’s Carriage House Restaurant”. A little more digging confirmed that this was a totally different restaurant opened by the same Billy Martin. And it was just up the street in the building seen here. Continue reading →

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Kojo does the gondola.
• What the future might hold for the Key Bridge Marriott.

1000 block of 33rd St.

The National Park Service has recently release an environmental assessment of the proposed “Non Motorized Boathouse Zone”. This report moves us ever so slightly closer to the construction of new boathouses along the Potomac in and near Georgetown.

History of Boathouses on the Potomac

Curtesy of the Potomac Boat Club.

Boathouses have long been on the Potomac in Georgetown. There were once as many as six along the shore. The first was the Potomac Barge Club, founded in 1859. The club built the boathouse seen above at what is now 31st and K St. In 1908 they sold that location and moved to where the club (which was renamed the Potomac Boat Club) now sits.

Just up the river from this 1908-built boathouse is the only other historic boathouse still around, the Washington Canoe Club:

Continue reading →

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Robbers hit Morgan’s Pharmacy but only get couch syrup.
• If Georgetown University weren’t exempt from taxes, they’d owe $9 million a year (which actually is less than what GM would’ve thought).

1600 block of Wisconsin Ave.

Last Saturday, GM was leaving the Jelleff pool and needed to stop by the Safeway for a couple items. Up until that day, this has proven to be a minorly frustrating task because while Safeway is literally feet from the pool, to get between the two you need to walk all the way back out to S St. and up Wisconsin. Now you don’t have to do that anymore.

Part of the brick wall that had previously blocked direct access between Jelleff and Safeway has been taken down. As you can see in the photo above, you can now walk directly from the Jelleff parking lot to the parking lot immediately south of the store. By GM’s count, this reduces a walk of over a quarter mile down to a walk of just 80 yards. Continue reading →

Photo by Tom Collins.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Commissioner Ed Solomon is running for reelection.
• Carine’s Bridal celebrating the opening of its new location with a month long pop-up of 8 different bridal salons.

3200 block of R St.