Dumbarton Oaks
WalkingtownDC Returns
One of the great annual events held in DC returns again September 23rd: WalkingTown DC. What it is is a series of fantastic free walking tours throughout the city. In some cases they’re commercial walking tours that offer the tours gratis, and in some cases (and typically they’re the more interesting ones) they are organized only for the event.
GM has been doing these for years. His favorite was from a few years ago that was based in Mt. Pleasant and told the story of the neighborhood’s music history as it wound from honky tonk to Hispanic to punk rock.
You don’t have to pay, but in many cases you have to make reservations. This is particularly the case for Georgetown related tours, which fill up well in advance of the day. There are two Georgetown tours this year: Continue reading
Filed under Events
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by Frankenstein.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- Carol Joynt interviews the Mayor-For-Life today for the Q&A Cafe.
- The once and future Georgetown DMV might not be so future.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
Jackson School Subject to Unsolicited Bid
Yesterday, GM wondered out loud why exactly the Jackson Art Center was on the ANC agenda. He found out. As he suspected, the matter relates to the lease between the artists and the city.
The Jackson School was used as an elementary school by the District until 1971. In 1980, the space began being used as artists studios. It has been used that way ever since, although the city still owns the building.
The lease between the art center and the city was apparently being negotiated recently when a third party came in with an unsolicited bid to buy the building from the city (presumably to convert the building into condos). This bid brought the lease negotiations to a halt. Continue reading
Filed under Development
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by Lladyyas.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- Fantastic Cooke’s Row house (the house built by Cooke himself) is up for sale.
- Despite petition, Neam family unlikely to reopen their old market.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
ANC Preview: I Saw the Sign Edition
Next Monday, the ANC will meet for its October session. Here are some of the interesting topics they’ll discuss:
Sign Regulations:
The DC government recently proposed a raft of regulations that would govern signage throughout the District, including Georgetown.
As it stands now, all signs in Georgetown (except temporary ones) are subject to review and approval by the Old Georgetown Board. And that’s going to continue to be the case. However, the proposed rules set forth some governing rules, including a short list of prohibited types of signs in Georgetown. Those include billboards, flashing neon signs, and “electrical” signs (among others). It’s unlikely that the OGB would ever approve such signs, but if these rules are adopted, then it will become even less likely.
Of course the rules are useless without enforcement, and there’s nothing in the proposed rules that would necessarily lead to more enforcement (in fact, by enacting new rules that apply city-wide, the regulations would only spread enforcement thinner). So what effect they would have is anyone’s guess.
The ANC will be discussing these rules at the meeting. They will most likely focus on some ambiguities in the proposed rules (like where the jurisdiction of the OGB and the DC Historical Preservation office overlap).
3000 Block of R St.
On the agenda are the Hurt Home project and the Jackson Art Center, both on the 3000 block of R St. (GM’s old haunt). GM has no clue what is going to be discussed in relation to these buildings. The construction for the Hurt Home Condos (now dubbed “The Montrose”) appears to be going ahead full-steam. But seeing a construction site show up on an ANC agenda isn’t so odd. What’s odd is the inclusion of the Jackson Art Center. This collection of artist studios is housed in an old public elementary school, a school still owned by the District.
When the city was going through the disposition process for the Hurt Home, GM heard some grumblings from some affiliated with the Jackson Art Center that maybe this would lead the city to turn the school into condos too once the art center’s lease was up in a few years. Is this why it’s on the agenda? GM has no idea, we’ll see.
Update: A reader pointed out to GM that he misread the agenda. The Hurt Home isn’t actually on the agenda. The agenda lists the address of 3050 R St., which is the Hurt Home, not the Jackson School, but that’s probably a mistake. So it looks like just the Jackson School is on the agenda.
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by BeyondDC.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- Did you know a fence at 28th and Q is made out of Revolutionary War gun barrels?
- The Washington Business Journal confirms what GM reported last week: TJ Maxx is moving into the mall.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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