1200 block of Wisconsin Ave.
ANC Preview: Co-op Edition
Next week, the ANC will meet for its May session. Here are some interesting items on the agenda:
Volta Park Co-op
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation runs a popular cooperative play program at Volta Park during the school year for 2 1/2 – 5 year old children. It’s based in the recreation center next to the pool.
The program has become so popular that some have asked DPR to create a second class for even younger children (some other co-ops in the city start at 18 months). An informal request for interest from Georgetown parents resulted in dozens of positive responses. However, DPR’s initial response was not terribly encouraging, so the ANC is putting its great weight behind things to get the ball rolling.
Marathons
What is starting to become a monthly event, another set of marathons is before the ANC asking to shut down a couple streets for their respective races. Last year the ANC started to put its put down and trying to come up with some reason to limit the number of races through Georgetown, established that any such race ought to have a significant charitable aspect. This isn’t a problem for events like the Marine Corp Marathon (which is scheduled to present its case again this month) but there are other events like the Nations Triathlon which is at heart a commercial endeavor. So these events hire hard-nosed PR people who play up the charitable aspects of the race and refuse to discuss the enterprises finances. It’s all a bit tiresome, and it’s coming around for another go next week. The race isn’t until September so GM expects it will not satisfy the ANC on the first go and will be back in June, if not July. Continue reading
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by Nelzarka.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- Schmancy filtered-water stations installed at GU.
- If you’re ever in Boston and find out that A Far Cry is playing, see them. GM saw this 17-piece stringed mini-orchestra play for the second time in two years at the Dumbarton Oaks concert series Sunday night. Fascinating and vibrant stuff.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
Now and a Long Time Ago: Canal Towpath
Last week GM introduced a new series, “Now and a Long Time Ago”. It was a replacement for his old series “Not So Long Ago”. Unlike that other series, where GM compared photos of today with photos from 1993 (in order to show how much has changed in such a short amount of time), with the new series he’ll show how much has changed over a rather long time.
And today he stops by the canal towpath between Thomas Jefferson and 30th St.
The old photo is from the Library of Congress (where pretty much all the old photos are going to come from) and it was taken by Albert Burns October 1, 1935. The most striking difference is that nowadays there’s a rather large tree on the banks. Of course, when this was an active canal, any trees between the towpath and the canal would have been cut down because they would otherwise get in the way of the ropes.
Filed under Now and a Long Time Ago
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by M.V. Jantzen.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- Masseuse moves into Book Hill.
- Georgetown House Tour this weekend.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy Celebrates it First Year
Way back in September of 2003, GM and his roommate were living in a cramped and drab “garden level” apartment in Courthouse. Unhappy with their accommodations, they decided to break their lease and look for something better. GM stumbled on a listing in the back pages of the City Paper, and it sounded too good to be true: a spacious two bedroom apartment looking out over Montrose Park for only $1,500 a month.
It wasn’t until after GM submitted the application and was sweating-out the credit check that he stumbled on the beauty that is Dumbarton Oaks Park. Here right in the heart of the city was a valley of brooks and bridges, dells and dogwoods. It was unlike any city park GM had ever seen before. And GM was certain that there was no way in Hell he’d be lucky enough to live so close to such a treasure. But wouldn’t you know it, he was.
So GM has a particular bond with Dumbarton Oaks Park. And when an overnight snowfall hit in 2004, GM knew a great shot was waiting:
While still stunning, the park certainly is not in great shape. The original designs of the great Beatrix Farrand have faded away as structures collapsed and invasive plants marauded the landscape. Unlike its sister Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, which is maintained by the deep pockets of Harvard, Dumbarton Oaks Park is maintained on a shoestring budget by the National Park Service. Into this gap last year entered the new Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy. Continue reading
Filed under Preservation
The Morning Metropolitan
Photo by TSweden.
Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:
- Farmers and Fishers undergoes yet another transformation. This time, it’s adding a bakery. Going back to its days as Agraria, this place just doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. It’s too bad since it makes good food and GM loved its tiki-drink phase.
- There’s such a category as “high end flooring concept” and it’s coming to Georgetown.
Filed under The Morning Metropolitan
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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