The Georgetown Metropolitan

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• DC Council recognizes significance of Mt. Zion cemetery.
• Nice round up on various residential projects around the neighborhood.

While a great deal of Americans’ wardrobes consist of clothes made in Asia, it’s rare for the clothes to come from fashion designers actually based there, particularly Chinese designers. One new shop is trying to change that and is opening up a brick and mortar store in Georgetown at 1057 Wisconsin Ave. (currently an AT&T store).

The shop is called Fangyan. It has two other shops in Bethesda and Westfield, NJ. It also had a pop-up here Georgetown, but this will be a permanent shop. From their website:

FANGYÁN 方言 (fāng yán) is a brand and US-based multi-label retail e-commerce. The name is inspired by the language diversity in China, paying homage to the brand’s aim of curating pieces from all around the country.

FANGYÁN is translated as “dialect”, meaning a variety of Chinese languages.

It is a representation of the country’s melting pot culture where chaos meets order. In this context, FANGYÁN arises in its true colors, as a fashion project that delivers not only great designs but actively plays a role in this trend of redefining what China actually is to a new and curious global audience.

The website lists twenty different Chinese brands that it will offer. Personally, I’m not terribly well informed on fashion trends, let alone international ones, but it does seem like nice new option for people looking for something new.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Alexander Graham Bell-owned house on Pomander for sale.
• Magnolias already starting to bloom. Sure hope we don’t get a totally normal late February cold snap!

With the opening of Maman, which is directly next to another coffee shop, I think it’s fair to suggest that the coffee shop boom has resumed in Georgetown.

As you can see from the chart I pulled together above, the number of coffee shops in the neighborhood has fluctuated quite a lot over the last ten years. Starting early last decade, the numbers of coffee shops opening in Georgetown seemed to defy all rules of supply and demand. No matter how many opened, they were immediate packed at all hours.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Filomena is taking over the Ching Ching Cha space to expand its restaurant.
• Presidents Day tour of Mt. Zion cemetery offered.

Councilmember Brooke Pinto submitted her annual budget request to the mayor yesterday. The items included several requests that would directly benefit Georgetown.

One large item is the acquisition of the former Key Bridge Exxon site. The city already budgeted $14 million to purchase this property last year, and Pinto’s request would add $500,000 to that total. The city has targeted the location for electric vehicle charging, bus turn-arounds, and a possible gondola station. A developer owns the property and is in the process of getting approval to build condos, but most observers believe this is just an attempt to up the price that they’ll get if and when the city uses eminent domain to acquire the lot.

Another important item on Pinto’s request list is $1.5 million to provide critical repairs to Mt. Zion Church in east Georgetown. This prominent and historic African American church is in dire need of repairs and these funds will help secure the physical integrity of the building.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Cafe Maman opens.
• Georgetowners’ love letters.

Looking to sweeten up your sweetheart on this Valentine’s Day? Buy local! If there’s one thing Georgetown doesn’t lack it’s places to buy tasty treats. Here are some of my favorites:

L.A. Burdick

This beautiful chocolate shop had the tough luck to open right before Covid, yet has thrived despite the adversity. Stop by and pick up some of their adorable mouse-shaped chocolates or another of their wide array of chocolates and fudges:

And don’t miss their incredible hot chocolate. It’s incredibly rich and will stick to your ribs like a ribeye steak.

Thomas Sweet’s

And speaking of chocolate, it’s easy to forget how Georgetown’s favorite ice cream shop also has a wide offering of fudges and pralines, etc.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Former Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans has his law license suspended for 180 days for “conflicts of interest”reckless misrepresentations.”
• Richard Shelby, former senator and Georgetown resident, donated $4 million to GU.

This week’s Georgetown Time Machine comes courtesy of the Library of Congress. It’s a photo of a boy relaxing on the canal gate paddle at what I believe to be Lock 3 of the C&O Canal.

The listing gives the photo a data of 1909. If that date is correct, then this photo would depict a time when the canal was in steep decline but nonetheless still functional. Operations on the canal did not come to an absolute end until a flood in 1924. It was effectively abandoned at that point.