The Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by Lauren Rauk.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The New York Times offers more advice to Georgetown in its quest to make amends for its sale of slaves in 1838.
• 16th century herb garden recreated at Dumbarton Oaks.

1800 block of Wisconsin Ave.

Photo by Leanna Cafferatta.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• One of Jackie Kennedy’s old houses can be yours for $10 million.
• Some nice shots inside the newly restored Georgetown theater.

3200 block of Volta Place

They say that one of the “upsides” of having your parents divorce is that you end up getting more presents for your birthday and other occasions. Well, Georgetown might be getting its own dose of that experience. Recently, high-profile (but very private) Sachiko Kuno and Ryuji Ueno, who founded the S & R Foundation in 2002, got divorced. Would this mean the end of the foundation and its footprint in Georgetown (especially the music series at Evermay)? The answer is no. In fact, the presents have doubled. Continue reading →

Photo by Payton Chung.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Yesterday was the 145th anniversary of the dissolution of the City of Georgetown.
• The pooping patron plot thickens.

1300 block of 35th St.

Photo by Mementosis.

Last weekend the New York Times published an interesting article titled “The End of Black Harlem“. It is, not surprisingly, about the the gentrification of Harlem, New York. The author, Michael Henry Adams, argues convincingly that the changes are not just about the neighborhood “going upscale” but rather are more about the displacement of African Americans and their rich culture that made the neighborhood famous in the first place.

But what caught GM’s eye about the article are the parallels to Georgetown and how Adams’ own prescriptions will only make what happened to Georgetown happen to Harlem, but faster.

As GM has written about before, Georgetown once had a thriving Black population. It was not nearly as large or influential as Harlem’s, but it was significant nonetheless. It declined largely through a gentrification process not unlike the ones currently sweeping through neighborhoods in cities across the country. And while it’s debatable whether it was the primary catalyst or merely secondary, the rise of historic preservation almost certainly accelerated the displacement.

By insisting on strict building codes and historic standards, the cost of maintaining a house in Georgetown rose dramatically. And in the process of “saving” historic Georgetown–both genuine historic elements, as well as faux elements (e.g. brand new brick sidewalks, most shutters, random bald eagles, etc.)–contributed to a rising desirability to living in Georgetown. This naturally caused spikes in real estate prices, and that caused speculation, which caused Black residents to be evicted, and so on. Continue reading →

Photo by Kyle.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Interview with the consultant studying the feasibility of the Georgetown gondola.
• Woman leaves a bad yelp review, poop on Nick’s Riverside Grill.