The Georgetown Metropolitan

This summer, the Georgetown BID is introducing a new “ParasolShare” system. Seriously. Think bikeshare, but with umbrellas. The idea is that you can pick up a parasol from a long list of stores throughout Georgetown, use it as you shop, and then drop it off before you leave.

It’s a crazy idea, but it kinda makes sense. They will get a ton of attention, draw people into shops, and help shoppers beat the heat. This is what the BID has to say about it:

Nearly 50 participating Georgetown stores, restaurants, salons, galleries and hotels are hosting Georgetown ParasolShare parasols starting June 17, which are complimentary to use while visiting the commercial district.  Pick one up as you shop and stroll, then drop it back off when it’s time to roll!

Share your ParasolShare experience on Instagram@OfficialGeorgetownDC, #GeorgetownParasolShare #BeatTheHeat

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Photo by Mr. Gray.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Fino, formerly of Georgetown, is opening in Shaw soon. It will be a good test of whether location matters for how a restaurant is perceived.
• A nice student-oriented rundown of the proposed campus plan.

3200 block of P St.

One of the aggravations of living in Georgetown is how often packages get stolen right off our front steps. It’s happened multiple times to GM. And this week he discovered that the same guy has done it at least twice.

Above is a shot from GM’s security cameras from Monday, seconds before this gentleman stepped up and took a package from GM’s front door. Here he is doing the deed:

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Photo by Ryan Harvey.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GU’s president meets with descendants of the slaves sold by the school.
• Where to eat when you’re eating with picky eaters.

Georgetown Waterfront

Lead poisoning is a phrase that all parents fear. It can significantly impact a child’s longterm mental health. (Some even argue that the sharp reduction in the crime rate experienced across the world can be explained by the reduction in lead exposure.)  WASA, DC’s water utility (which goes by DC Water these days), has had it’s own troubled past with led poisoning. In 2001, it was disclosed that the use of chloramine to clean pipes had increased the lead levels in the water to as much as 83 times the acceptable levels.

WASA switched the chemicals it uses to clean the pipes every spring, and they believe that has eliminated the risk. Nonetheless, you may still be exposed to lead that you don’t need to be. Specifically, the pipes that bring the water in from the main pipe in the street and the pipes in your house may be made of lead. And WASA has released a new map that identifies whether its own database has information about whether those pipes are lead or not for each house. Continue reading →

Photo by Henrique Pinto.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Another quick summary of the Duke Ellington School audit.
• Rosewood Hotel (née Cappella), is allowing non-guests on the roof now. But there’s no mention about how Cappella promised they wouldn’t when they got permission to build the rooftop pool in the first place. Probably won’t be a big deal, but goes to show how promises made during the approval process aren’t actually enforceable.

3200 block of Volta Pl.

For this week of Now and a Long Time Ago, GM returns to the Willard R. Ross Postcard Collection for a postcard of the famous Key Mansion. It shows the former home of Francis Scott Key as it appeared in 1913 where it stood across M St. from the Car Barn.

Rather than try to recount the speckled history of this building, GM will recommend you read this fantastic piece instead. Continue reading →