The Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by M01229.

Washingtonian has an absolutely saucy story out this week on the sorry story of the train wreck that was Serendipity 3 in Georgetown. It’s a fantastic read, and for many Georgetowners like GM it helps fill in the story that we knew the contours of, but not the details. (And this makes two stories in three months where Washingtonian dished on Georgetown’s dirt laundry. Let’s hope that’s a sign of more good things to come.)

But the article missed the saddest part of the story: that it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Nathan’s shouldn’t have closed in the first place. As you may recall, the last months of Nathans’ existence involved Carol Joynt fighting with the landlord to work out a deal to stay open. Her rent was $30,000 a month. That was too much for her, but the landlord was unwilling to agree to an arrangement that was acceptable to Nathans. So despite a temporary lease extension, Joynt exercised a termination clause and closed Nathans. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GM’s prediction was right! Beard Papa is coming to Georgetown.
• Building fire on M St. yesterday.

Volta Park

Several weeks ago, WMATA released a draft budget that contained dramatic cuts to service across rail and bus lines. The message in the budget was clear: Virginia, Maryland and DC need to contribute more to the agency’s budget or the cuts will come.

Some have speculated that this is nothing more than “budget chicken“, i.e. propose intentionally painful cuts as a means to bargain for the most money. And there is likely something to that.

But if the threatened cuts do fall, they will hit Georgetown bus riders (including GM). Among the lengthy list of bus service reductions, WMATA includes this:

D1 Glover ParkFederal Triangle Line Shorten route, eliminate segment between Franklin Square and Federal Triangle, reduce span

D2 Glover Park – Dupont Circle Line Reduce Saturday, Sunday, and weekday peak and midday frequency

G2 P St- LeDroit Park Reduce Sunday frequency

Continue reading →

Photo by Bex Walton.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Seems like college newspapers ought to just give up drawing editorial cartoons. When they’re not enraging half the campus, they’re just generally bad.
• The time an unfaithful husband drowned his wife in the canal.

3100 block of Dumbarton St.

Are plans to convert the Fillmore School into condos already moving forward? That’s the reasonable conclusion from reviewing the ANC meeting agenda for next week, which includes this item:

SMD 01, 1801 35th Street, NW, OG 15-128 (HPA 15-231), Fillmore School (Corcoran Art Center), Alterations to school and new townhouse construction, Concept – Preliminary/General

Continue reading →

Photo by Bex Walton.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The Cat Cafe is going in front of the ANC for approval next week. Sounds like it’s not going to face much opposition.
• Sietsema keeps finding things to like about eating out at Georgetown, this time it’s the Grill Room.

1400 block of 33rd St.

Lacking any particularly newsy news, GM is sharing some scenes from the long snowy week that just was:

Continue reading →