The Georgetown Metropolitan

2900 block of O St.

Speaking of streetcars in Georgetown, a lot of people are aware of the more famous artifacts around Georgetown of DC’s old streetcar system. There’s obviously the tracks on O and P St. And also the Car Barn. Some may know that the Georgetown Mall was once a streetcar facility as well. But not many realize that one of the more iconic sites in Georgetown is also streetcar-related: the Hoya Saxa sign. Continue reading →

Photo by Eloísa Ramírez Vaquero.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Another write-up on the Georgetown streetcar meeting.
• The former Cappela Hotel is letting non-guests visit the roof for dinner, which, um, they said they wouldn’t.

The C & O Canal

As previewed by GM earlier in May, the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) held a meeting last night to announce the status of the plans for a westward expansion of the streetcar to Georgetown. Right now, after too much delay, a line runs along H St. east of Union Station. It was always planned that this line would continue westward through downtown and reach Georgetown. Last night the planners announced several big decisions they have made about the project.

GM would summarize those, but frankly, Greater Greater Washington already did it better than he would. So read there to find out about how they want to use a lot of dedicated lanes and won’t use overhead wires.

GM will instead focus on how the plans would address Georgetown.

They have narrowed the build options down to two. One would have dedicated lanes (i.e. lanes that only the streetcar [and maybe buses] would be able to use) for practically the whole stretch from Union Station to Georgetown. The other option would not have dedicated lanes between Georgetown and Washington Circle.

Having dedicated lanes is crucial to the success of a streetcar line, especially one going through the congested parts of downtown. But dedicated lanes come at a cost of space that would otherwise be used for general traffic and/or parking.

In Georgetown, the line would come in on K St. underneath the Whitehurst. Here what the road would look like with the dedicated lanes:

Right now on the easter end of K St., there are two travel lanes in each direction and a center turn lane. West of Thomas Jefferson, there is only one travel lane in each direction, with a lane of parking.  Continue reading →

Photo by Rob Mathews.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Just in time for the coldest and grayest May on record, Lilly Pulitzer opens Friday.
• Georgetown real estate has had a mixed bag over the last eight years.

Dumbarton Oaks

This Friday is Bike to Work Day here in DC. And as it has the last couple years, Georgetown is participating in the festivities.

Bike to Work Day was started way back in 1956 by the League of American Cyclists. Recently it has grown in popularity, particularly in cities like DC that are putting serious efforts into encouraging those that can to consider riding around town on a bike.

How it works is that you register here and select a pit stop to stop at during your trip on Friday. These locations will have on hand “bike ambassadors” to answer any questions you have about biking and how to incorporate it more into your routine. Also, you’ll be entered to win prizes, such as a free bike. Plus there’s free food and drinks to help power your ride into work.

Like in previous years, Georgetown will have a pit stop at the intersection of K and Wisconsin. It will be open from 7:30 to 9:30 am.

You get some pretty good stuff, like the stuff GM got a few years ago:

Continue reading →

Photo by Alan Kotok.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• For the manic pixie dream girl in you life, ModCloth is popping up in Georgetown in June.
• Meeting tonight at the Carnegie Library on the possible streetcar extension to Georgetown.

1300 block of 33rd St.