The Georgetown Metropolitan

During pretty much any heavy rainfall, like we received yesterday, GM’s street floods. As in, the sidewalk turns into a river two inches deep. Basement steps on GM’s street regularly turn into waterfalls.

That’s a problem, but not the one GM wants to talk about today. The problem is that all that water, which accumulates so fast, goes down the storm drains.  In the old parts of DC, like Georgetown, the storm drains and the household sewage lines are merged. And on nights like last night, they get overwhelmed.

Rather than back up the sewage into our homes, the system overflows into Rock Creek and the Potomac. It works, but it’s terrible for the environment. And the EPA sued the city’s water authority in 2004 for this practice. The agency-now known as DC Water-settled with the EPA and agreed to take remedial measures. Continue reading →

Photo by Payton Chung.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown restaurants among the winners at the 2015 Rammy awards.
• Living in a car-dependent sprawlscape is the opposite of “Georgetown-style”.

1500 block of 33rd St.

Today with Now and a Long Time Ago, GM visits a corner oft visited by tourists these days: 33rd and M. While it’s cupcakes that bring people these days, 100 years ago visitors looking to fix a flat tire might’ve stopped here.

The old photo was taken in 1922. (Go to Shorpy for more info on the photo). It shows the Potomac Garage (3307 – 2209 M St.) According to the sign on the side of the truck, if you wanted them “Just Call West 344”.

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Why Nixon hated Georgetown.
• The cream puff place at Wisconsin and Dumbarton will be open by August.

1500 block of 33rd St.

It’s that time again, and GM will today provide (and slightly update) his annual Intern’s Guide to Georgetown:

As year-round Washingtonians know, it’s that time of year again. Eager young interns have arrived in earnest droves to fill those couple inches on their resumes between their GPAs and their “other interests”. Many of these interns will be drawn to live and/or play in Georgetown. GM publishes the below crash course for interns each year:

To Live:

Even in the boom times, interns don’t get paid much. And these ain’t the boom times. So you’re probably living on little to no pay. Can you afford to live in Georgetown? Maybe. But you’ll have to look hard. You’re young, so you probably can’t even remember a time before Craigslist, so no need mention that. But there are other places to look too. The City Paper still has decent listings, but for the short term rentals that you’re probably looking for you may try off campus housing listings like you’ll find here. Good luck.

To Eat:

The Safeway should be on your weekly checklist. You can load up on groceries without going totally broke. For some variety, go to the Whole Foods up in Glover Park sometimes, or the Trader Joe’s in the West End. Or you could sign up for Car2Go and head out to Costco at Pentagon City to really make your dollar go far.

Or you could eat Chipotle every night. It’s up to you. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Free outdoor fitness classes.
• New GU dorm keeps moving forward.

3000 block of P St.

This week in Old Georgetown in Color, GM pulled out all the stops and obsessed with getting this one right. And he thinks he may have finally succeeded.

Here are Dorothy Mondell and Elizabeth Taylor Jones in 1923. Miss Mondell was a resident of Georgetown (although it’s not clear if she lived there at the time of this photo). According to the diligent researchers at Shorpy here are couple society mentions she received:

Dorothy Mondell: “often spoken of as the best-dressed Washington girl.”

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Washington Post, Jul 26, 1927.

Mrs. Coolidge to be at Mondell Wedding

Mrs. Coolidge plans to go to Newcastle, Wyo., tomorrow to attend the wedding of Miss Dorothy Mondell, daughter of the former Majority Leader, Frank W. Mondell, to Alexander White Gregg, chief counsel of the Treasury Department. … President Coolidge wanted to attend but found that he could not get away. It will be a 60-mile auto trip for Mrs. Coolidge.

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Washington Post, Oct 25, 1931.

…
Mrs. Alexander Gregg, who as Miss Dorothy Mondell, was often spoken of as the best-dressed Washington girl, has kept up her reputation for good dressing as a young matron. Recently, Mrs. Gregg wore a tweed mixture dress on strictly tailored lines and over this she wore one of the ultra modish box jackets of leopard with sleeves coming just below the elbows and the coat ending just above the hips. With this Mrs. Gregg wore a hatter’s plush tricorn.

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Washington Post, Oct 21, 1941.

Mrs. Dorothy M. Gregg Wed to Maj. Davis in Georgetown

Stealing a march on many of their friends, Mrs. Dorothy Mondell Gregg and Maj. Sherlock Davis were married yesterday morning. A wedding breakfast followed at the bride’s home in Georgetown, and they left afterward for Anniston, Ala., where Maj. Davis is on duty at Fort McClellan. Although the wedding was anticipated, it was expected to take place later in the week.
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The bride wore a black velvet suit, with epaulettes of braid and a cluster of white orchids. Two clips, of scroll design in three shades of gold, completed the ensemble.

Continue reading →