The Georgetown Metropolitan

GM was tipped off to this above video featuring 1960s singer-songwriter Ricky Nelson performing “Everybody’s Talkin'”. He starts out walking up Wisconsin Ave. then it cuts to what appears to be a live recording of him playing along the rapids of Great Falls.

The YouTube clip identified the video to have come from “the late Sixties”. The song was written in 1966. And one of the stores you can see him walk past is the old Britches (which is now the Ralph Lauren). Britches opened in 1967, so it’s at least from as late as that. The bus is a DC Transit bus, which ran from the end of streetcars until it was absorbed by WMATA in 1973. Continue reading →

Photo by Payton Chung.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Violet Boutique opens.
• Where to find juice bars in Georgetown.

1600 block of 31st St.

There’s not much more to it. Supposedly during his stay in Washington during World War II as a British diplomat, Roald Dahl (yes that one) decided one night to paint the “undercarriages” of the bison on Dumbarton Bridge. Apparently he chose red.

It’s apparently only an unverified rumor, though. But it shows up in at least two Dahl biographies. One source suggests that it was covered in the gossip columns of the time. GM searched the archives of the Washington Star and the Post but couldn’t find a mention. It’s probably better that way.

Photo by Joe Flood.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Live in an old segregated school building: only $5 million!
• Ledbury returns to Georgetown.

2700 block of Dumbarton St.

The Friends of Volta Park will be celebrating their 20th year with their annual spring cocktail party on June 10th. It’s always a great opportunity to come out and see (or meet) your neighbors and support a great cause.

The party this year will be focused on acknowledging the debt the neighborhood owes to the original board who organized and worked with the city to save Volta Park from decades of neglect.

So buy your tickets and come on out June 10th from 7 – 9 at Georgetown Visitation!

Photo by Bryan Alexander.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Flower thief who (likely) hit Georgetown for years was arrested.
• Is a model train from a long lost Georgetown restaurant still circling up in Chevy Chase. (No, but the story is a fun read anyway).

3200 block of P St.

It happens all the time. Some news report will talk about something happening at a hotel in Georgetown. GM will stop and think, “wait a minute, there’s no Fairmont in Georgetown.” And of course it turns out that it’s yet another case of misleading names used to fool tourists.

The latest was about a bomb threat called in to the Marriott at 22nd and M St. This location should be called the West End. It also could be called Foggy Bottom, without too much problem. But instead it calls itself the Washington Marriott Georgetown. This lead to Greater Greater Washington writer Payton Chung to observe:

Continue reading →