The Georgetown Metropolitan

Last night the ANC met for its June session. Sadly, as has been the case for a while, GM could only attend the first hour or so of the meeting. But here’s what GM caught:

School Boundaries

As GM covered here, part of the proposed changes issued by the Deputy Mayor of Education called for changes that would affect the attendance boundaries of Hyde-Addison, Key and Stoddert elementary schools. Essentially, the proposal called for future Burleith and Foxhall students to be assigned to Hyde instead of Stoddert or Key, respectively.

The recommendations are based on existing and forecasted demographic growth and were designed to reduce overcrowding at Key and Stoddert.

But Burleith families don’t see it that way. They would like to continue to be in Stoddert’s boundary (it should be noted that any boundary change will not likely affect existing students but only future students). And the ANC decided to wade into the controversy.
Continue reading →

Photo by Terry Dunn.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GM here’s word that Serendipty 3 closed suddenly. This would not be a huge surprise, given the building’s acquisition by the owner of Under Armour, but it’s a bit of a jarring end to a long comedy of errors.
• In slightly more cheerful restaurant news: Little Viet Garden has completed its transition to Pier 2934.

Georgetown Waterfront Park

Photo by AJfroggie.

Last week the District Department of Transportation issued its Multi-Modal Long-Range Transportation report, the product of its Move DC initiative. Yes, that sounds terribly dry, but it’s actually an incredibly ambitious report, particularly for Georgetown. And if these plans ever become reality, Georgetown will be a much more pleasant place to travel to, from and through.

There are a raft of recommendations in the report, but GM will highlight just some of the more dramatic plans that could affect Georgetown:

Biking

The report calls for the construction of several new bike lanes, including separated cycletracks (like you see on 15th St., show above).

The city is currently finishing a cycletrack on M St. from downtown to the intersection of M and Pennsylvania in Georgetown. That’s great, but unfortunately it dumps riders on to M St. in Georgetown, which even an experienced city biker like GM does not feel comfortable riding. The report declined to recommend continuing a cylcletrack on M St. through Georgetown, but it does recommend the painting of bike lanes through the same stretch. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start at least.

The report does call for the creation of a cycletrack on Q St., from the Dumbartion Bridge to 28th, up to R St. and west to 37th. This is more designed for bikers looking to get quickly through Georgetown (and it’s a popular route already for drivers looking to do the same). GM finds the stretch of Q St. from 28th to the bridge (and eastward) to be a dangerous stretch for bikers. The creation of a cycletrack there would be a great improvement. Continue reading →

Photo by Richard Riccardi.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Where to score dope on campus.
• Penny farthing on M St.

This week in Old Georgetown in Color, GM tries his hand at some old Hoyas again. This time it’s the Hoya football team. The year in 1923, and the scene old Griffith Stadium. Georgetown played the Marines of Quantico (Quantico fielded a football team from 1919 till 1973). Continue reading →

Photo by Brett Davis.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Despite the “booey” and movie theater references, cash was not hid around Georgetown.
• New restaurant called Orange Anchor coming to fill old Cabanas space.

1500 block of 33rd St.

One of the central components of all future transportation planning for Georgetown was the construction of a streetcar line that would travel from Georgetown through downtown to Union Station. With its budget action yesterday, however, the Council has put that component at serious risk.

As reported several places, the Council approved a preliminary budget yesterday that took $165 million from the streetcar project and moved it to tax cuts. The primary actor behind the move, Chairman Phil Mendelson, tried to paint the move as not endangering the ambitious plans for streetcar across the city. He claimed money could be returned to the project in the future. But seeing as the slashed budget is being directed towards tax cuts, GM’s skeptical such a decision could be reversed. Continue reading →