The Georgetown Metropolitan

3200 block of N St.

You see them all the time on the stores on Wisconsin between Dumbarton and P: “Going Out of Business” signs. And yet the businesses that hang them don’t actually go out of business. It’s a tawdry tactic primarily intended to fool tourists into thinking that if they come in to the store they’ll get a great deal. But what people might not realize is that these signs are illegal.

Title 47, chapter 21 of the DC Code is abundantly clear on when and how “going out of business” sales can be run.

First it defines what it calls a “closing-out sale”:

“Closing-out sale” means and includes any sale in connection with which there is any representation by the person conducting such sale that the sale is being conducted, or is required or compelled to be conducted, for reasons of economic or business distress, inability to continue business at the same location, or the age or health of the owner or owners of the business, and the term “closing-out sale” shall include but not be limited to, all sales advertised, represented, or held forth under the designation of “going out of business,” “discontinuance of business,” “selling out,” “liquidation,” “lost our lease,” “must vacate,” “forced out,” “removal,” or any other designation of like meaning.

Then it lays down rules meant to guarantee that when you say you’re going out of business, you’re really going out of business. For one, you can’t stock up the store in anticipation of a closing sale:

No person in contemplation of a closing-out sale shall order any goods, wares, or merchandise for the purpose of selling and disposing of the same at such sale, and any unusual purchase and additions to the stock of such goods, wares, or merchandise within 60 days prior to the filing of application for a license to conduct such sale shall be presumptive evidence that such purchases and additions to stock were made in contemplation of such sale.

And once you’ve started a closing sale, you can’t stock any more goods: Continue reading →

Photo by Andrew Griffith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Police identify body found in the canal.
• Should we close M St. to cars entirely?

1500 block of Wisconsin Ave.

Back in the Great Cupcake Wars of 2012, when locals debated the relative superiority of Georgetown Cupcake against Baked and Wired, one thing that could always be said of Baked and Wired was that it didn’t have the long lines that cursed (blessed?) Georgetown Cupcake. In GM’s opinion they also had better (or at least more filling) cupcakes. Only that second advantage still applies; long lines have now come to Baked and Wired.

The lines at Baked and Wired are not quite as long as at Georgetown Cupcake. But they’re definitely long enough for you to question whether it’s worth it. Continue reading →

Photo by Andrew Griffith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Dead body found in the canal.
• Some background on why After Peacock Room closed.

Rose Park

Last week’s Georgetown Current had an article on the plans to restore several of the locks of the C & O Canal. Specifically, Locks 3 and 4 are targeted for major repairs. And the Current briefly noted that the “bust of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas will be temporarily moved, and the tree above the bust will be removed.”

Sadly, this tree is not a scraggly or short tree. It is a huge and healthy maple tree. It provides a giant pool of welcome shade in throughout summer. It used to couple with another large tree just up the path to create an even larger shady courtyard, but that other tree was cut down recently. Continue reading →

Photo by Andrew Griffith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• That’s a nice sunroom.
• GM missed this when he was in London, but the gondola has drawn 8 bidders wishing to study it.